First, let’s answer another question: are ALL white cats deaf? The answer to this is no. Deafness is most likely in white cats that have at least one blue eye – but even then, it depends on the cat’s genes.

The white cats that are born with hereditary deafness are blue-eyed, white-coated domestic cats. Like humans, many kittens are born with blue eyes that later change to green or gold, but deaf white cats will almost always have at least one eye that remains blue.

So why are these white cats deaf? The answer is that they carry a dominant gene that causes a white coat and also causes problems with development in the neural crest. This affects both the ear and the eye, causing a lack of pigmentation in the eye (making it blue) and arrested development of the inner ear.

This means that if a white cat has one blue eye, it is likely to be deaf on the same side as that eye. If a white cat with the dominant gene has two blue eyes, it is likely to be deaf in both ears. In some cases, they have a partial hearing loss, but over 70% of these cats will be completely deaf.

But cats can be white for different reasons. For example, there are albino cats. Albinism is caused by a genetic abnormality that removes pigmentation from the skin and hair. Albinos can be deliberately bred, but often the parents are regular cats of any breed. Eyes are pink or bluish-pink. Albino cats are not likely to be born with hearing problems.

Also, cats whose parents are white-spotted may be born with so much white that they appear to be pure white. However, they are really black-and-white cats with no big black spots. In most cases, they do have a little bit of color somewhere as kittens, if you look very carefully. Their parents and their kittens will probably be colored.

This type of white cat is no more likely to be born deaf than the average black-and-white or tabby cat. The same is true of pointed cats who happen to be born white, like white Siamese cats. These cats may even be white with blue eyes or one blue eye, and still have no deafness.

So this means that white cats are only likely to be deaf if they carry the particular dominant white gene that causes both blue eyes (either one or two blue eyes) and deafness. At least one of their parents will have been white and probably deaf too. If you breed from them, there is a 50% chance for each kitten that they will receive the dominant white gene. But when cats are white for any other reason, and they do not have that particular gene, white cats are no more likely to be deaf than any other cat.

The color of a cat’s coat is determined by cat genetics. Like us, cats have a number of different characteristics that are passed on by their parents. They get some characteristics from the mother and some from the father.

The gene for an orange coat (known as the O gene) is a sex-related gene because it is carried on the X chromosome – one of the chromosomes that determine an animal’s sex. Female cats, like humans, have two X chromosomes. Males have one X and one Y.

To explain what happens when they breed, let’s take the example of tortoiseshell or calico cats. Tortoiseshell cats are orange and black/brown/gray; calico cats are tortoiseshell plus white. They are not a special breed: these colors can appear in many breeds of cat including non-pedigrees. But, except for a few rare cases of genetic abnormality, they are always female.

This is because tortoiseshell and calico cats have two X chromosomes: one carrying the O gene for an orange coat with white, and one that gives them their black/brown/gray colors. But if a male inherits the O gene, he has no second X chromosome to give him other colors, so he will be only orange and white.

So, are there any female orange cats? The answer is yes. First, it is possible for a tortoiseshell or calico cat to have so much orange coloring that she looks like a ginger cat, although if you looked closely you would probably find a spot of some other color on her somewhere. Even if she doesn’t have this, then genetically she would not be a true orange cat. She is really tortoiseshell – she just happens to look all orange. Some of her kittens would have the O gene and others could be black or tabby.

Second, it is possible to have a true orange or ginger female cat, but only if she has inherited the O gene from both her mother and her father. Her father would be ginger and her mother would be tortoiseshell, calico or, more rarely, true orange.

If the father is orange and the mother is also true orange with two O genes, then all of the kittens of both sexes will be orange.

If the father is orange and the female is tortoiseshell or calico, then the female kittens have a 50% chance of inheriting two O genes and coming out orange. If they inherit only one O gene, they will be tortoiseshell or calico.

Male kittens will only inherit one X chromosome. It always comes from the mother and it can be either one of her two. So on average, 50% of the male kittens from a tortoiseshell or calico female (which have one O and one non-O) will inherit the O gene and be orange. It doesn’t matter what the father looks like in this case, because a male doesn’t inherit his father’s X chromosome – he gets the Y from his father instead.

So most females with the O gene will have a non-O gene too, and turn out tortoiseshell or calico (tortoiseshell-and-white). Only a few of them will have two O genes. But males only ever have one of these genes, so males with the O gene will always be orange.

So orange cats are not always male. There are a lot more male orange cats, but there are some females too.

There might be a lot of reasons why you would want to keep a cat indoors. Maybe you live in an upper floor apartment where the cat cannot easily get in and out. Depending on the layout and height of your apartment building, you might be able to hear him mewing and let him in, but in many cases you will not. A cat will often ‘adopt’ another owner or become wild if he cannot get inside when he wants to. To prevent this, you could keep him indoors. But probably you worry about whether this is really good for the cat.

Or your cat may have a condition that requires indoor living. For example, cats who are deaf or blind may be kept in the house all of the time because their disability gives them a greater risk of being hit by traffic; cats who have a serious infectious disease such as feline immunodeficiency virus (a.k.a. feline AIDS) are kept inside to prevent them from passing it on to other cats; etc. In this case you have no choice.

So is it cruel to stop a cat from ever going outside? Are cats that spend time outdoors healthier and happier than indoor cats?

The answer, it seems, is no. According to the American Veterinary Association, to name just one body, indoor cats are healthier, happier and live longer than cats that are free to roam outside.

When a cat has lived all of its life inside a house or apartment, it hardly knows that the outside world exists. It watches out of the window not because it wants to go there, but because it is an interesting sight with lots of movement. It’s like us watching TV.

So there is no reason why indoor cats should be unhappy, as long as they have a good relationship with their owners. Of course, you will need to play with your cat often when you are home, especially if you live alone with no other pets. Indoor cats also need more toys than outdoor cats. But given these conditions, your indoor cat has a very good chance of living to a healthy, happy old age.

Of course, one reason that indoor cats live longer is that they do not have the same risk of dying in traffic accidents or from injuries caused in fights. But there is more to it than that. Indoor cats are also less likely to catch infectious diseases or suffer from fleas and worms. And if they do get sick, their owners usually notice it quicker because they are around them all of the time.

And yet a lot of people, including some cat owners, think that it is cruel and unnatural never to let a cat go outside. The truth is that as long as the cat is always kept in the house (or transported in a carrier) from the day it is born, it will not suffer. But if a cat has lived an indoor/outdoor life and then is kept indoors all of the time, it will surely be unhappy. So if you want an indoor cat, be sure to get a kitten and not a rescue cat whose history you don’t know.

Many people are surprised to discover that there is only one recognized breed of cat that is officially named “exotic”. This is the breed known as Exotic Shorthair by the International Cat Association or simply Exotic by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. It is closely related to the Persian but usually has short hair. They are a hybrid cross between American Shorthair and Persian.

Exotic Shorthair cats have the same cute face as the Persian. Their coats are still very thick but not so long, making them much easier to groom. They have a round, cuddly appearance because of the thickness of their coat.

In temperament too, the Exotic Shorthair is very like a Persian. They are quiet, peaceful cats, affectionate and easy-going. Their thick fur keeps them warm, so they may not seek out sunny places to doze or cuddle up to you at night as much as a cat with a thinner coat might do. They will often follow you around the house and watch you or jump on your lap, but they are not annoyingly attention-seeking. They are playful and get along well with kids and other pets.

However, when most people talk about exotic cats they are not usually thinking of this specific breed. The term ‘exotic cats’ is often used very loosely, to include all pedigree or even non-pedigree cats that have an unusual or ‘foreign’ appearance, such as Bengal or Abyssinian cats, Japanese Bobtail or the hairless Peterbald.

Cross-breeds from these cats may inherit their characteristic appearance, even many generations after the pedigree is lost, and the owners of these cross-breeds or hybrids often describe their cats as ‘exotic’ just to make the point that they don’t look like regular domestic cats. Nevertheless, they may not have any pedigree at all, and will not necessarily pass those characteristics on to all or any of their kittens.

There are also some minority breeds that are recognized by some smaller cat associations or registries, but not the big ones with international standing. Often, these are local hybrids or mutations that have not gone through enough generations to be sure that their characteristics are stable and different enough for them to be considered a breed internationally.

Examples of this type of cat include the Aphrodite, a breed that has been developed in Cyprus; the Bahraini Dilrum, which is a natural breed native to Bahrain and not well known outside the country; the Benedictine, a hybrid from Chartreux crossed with Persian; and many other variations of pedigree cat.

Owning an exotic cat can be a great pleasure, whether it is a pedigree Exotic Shorthair, a new breed or just a domestic cat that looks different from the average moggy. Cats are beautiful animals anyway, and a touch of the unusual in their looks can make exotic cats something really special.

First we must make it clear that this article is not designed to diagnose any health problems in individual cats. If your cat is showing symptoms of illness or pain, you should take it to the veterinarian’s office as soon as possible. We are not veterinarians, and anyway, there is no way to be sure what is wrong with a cat without seeing it.

Having said that, there are some common cat health problems that will go away without treatment. A cat may vomit up a hair ball, for example, before you even knew it had one. Or they may have a digestive disorder or a mild viral infection like a human cold that is not serious at all. You just cannot be sure without specialized advice.

It is not unusual for cats to vomit or get diarrhea. Like human children, their bodies will often use either of these methods to respond to a mild infection or food that is not good for them right now. If it is an isolated incident, it is probably nothing to worry about. However, either of these common cat health problems can be symptoms of something more serious. Diarrhea can be dangerous in itself, too, because cats lose a lot of water this way. Kittens in particular can easily die of diarrhea alone. So be sure to seek treatment for that.

Some of the most common cat health problems are not caused by illness but by parasites. Worms are one example. Cats that go outside can easily pick up the eggs of parasitic worms. They may be eaten along with prey or from chewed grass or they may get onto the cat’s coat and be consumed when he or she grooms. Most forms of worm live in the digestive system feeding on the food that the cat eats. This results in weight loss. But there are also more dangerous forms of worm that can eat away at the cat’s own body. Regular worming treatments are required to protect cats from worms.

Fleas are another kind of parasite. Just about all cats suffer from fleas unless they are treated for it on a strict schedule. As with worms, the only way you can prevent your cat from attracting fleas without using some kind of cat flea product is to keep it in the house all of the time. Cats can also suffer from ticks (which can pass on the serious infection of Lyme disease) and ear mites, which are uncomfortable and can lead to infected ears when the cat scratches.

Fortunately, most cats are pretty healthy creatures. They live active lives and except for accidents, there is a good chance that the average cat will not develop any serious health issues until it is old. However, some cats are not so lucky and may suffer from a serious health condition much earlier. These can be expensive to treat, but veterinary medicine has improved to the point where cats can often be treated successfully for less common cat health problems that would have been fatal for their great-grandparents.

When considering a cat’s breed, there are three cat types:

Pedigree cats are those that are certified to be a pure example of a particular breed. There are over 50 recognized cat breeds, so we will not list them all here, but some well-known examples are Bengal cats, Siamese cats, Persian cats and the tail-less Manx breed of cats.

Pedigree cat types are more expensive to buy as kittens and less likely to be found in a cat rescue center. Depending on the breed, they are often more susceptible to illness and hereditary disorders than other cats. So the people who choose a pedigree cat need to be prepared to spend a little more than they might expect a regular cat to cost.

Cross-breed cats are not just any old mixed parentage cat. It’s a recognized term for first-generation crosses of two pedigree cats of different breeds. So if you breed an Angora cat and a Persian cat, the kittens will be cross-breeds. That particular cross-breed is known as Chinchilla. Other crosses may have recognized names that sound like breeds, or they may not.

Cross-breed cat types are usually a little more disease-resistant than pure pedigree cats, and also cheaper to buy. However, if you want a particular cross-breed it can be hard to find, because most pedigree cat breeders prefer to breed pedigree kittens.

Non-pedigree cats are all the rest. They are cross-breeds that also have at least one cross-breed for a parent. In some cases, they may be many generations removed from a pedigree cat; in other cases, one parent may have had a pedigree and the other was a non-pedigree of unknown origin. Non-pedigree cats are also known as domestic cats or ‘moggies’.

Non-pedigree cats are easy to find. If you know somebody whose cat is having kittens you can probably get one for free. They are also available from rescue centers if you don’t mind having a slightly older cat.

If your cat does not have an impeccable pedigree, there are still several other ways to differentiate it from other cat types.

2. Long Or Short Hair?

Domestic cats may be either long-haired or short-haired.

One of the best known breeds of long-haired domestic cats is the Maine Coon. Many people think that this is a pedigree breed, but it is not. It is a breed that is native to North America, developing naturally from crosses of American short-haired cats with one or more imported long-haired cat types in the early 19th century.

3. Coat Color

While pedigree cats are often restricted to one coat color or a small number of color variations, both long-haired and short-haired domestic cats can be found in a wide variety of colors. These include brown, black, white, ginger and all kinds of mixes of those colors. Many of the mixes have particular names, like tabby, tortoiseshell or calico. So coat color can also be used to describe cat types, especially for non-pedigree cats.

For kittens, you should choose a cat litter tray that has relatively low sides, around 3 inches high. You want to make it easy for them to climb in.

For a bigger cat, you can go up to 6 inches in height, which will help to stop a lot of kitty litter being kicked out of the tray when the cat is covering up. You also need to make sure that the tray is wide enough for a bigger cat. You probably need to put newspaper around it anyway, in case of spills, but if you find that there is always wet around the tray, you may need a bigger tray.

If spills and scattered kitty litter are a big problem, consider switching to a hooded litter tray that has a removable roof. Cats often like the privacy that this gives them. On the other hand, some cats might feel a little trapped in there, so take off the hood if the cat doesn’t seem to want to go inside. Be aware that you may need to clean out a hooded tray more often because it will retain smells more than an open tray.

Anytime that you buy your cat a new cat litter tray, be sure to put it in the same place and use the same brand of kitty litter to begin. Don’t change the tray and the product at the same time.

When it comes to choosing kitty litter, humans may like scented and antibacterial products but cats don’t. The unnatural smell of it puts them off. So don’t buy this type of kitty litter for a kitten who is not yet trained. For older cats, you can try it, but introduce it gradually, mixing a little with their regular product until they are used to it.

Fill the cat litter tray to a depth of 1-2 inches. You need enough there for the cat to dig a little, but not so much that you have a lot of waste when you throw it out. You’ll need to check it for solids every day and scoop those out, and change the kitty litter completely at least once a week (more often if it starts to smell bad).

Of course, you may prefer to use the disposable type of cat litter tray. These work out more expensive but they are very convenient. They save a lot of cleaning time at home and they make it easier to travel with your cat or take him to other people’s homes.

Some brands of disposable cat litter tray are simply open trays that you throw away each week. They may come with kitty litter or you may just buy the trays and fill them with your regular product. Another type is like a carton with a hole for the cat to climb in. You can cut off the top if your cat doesn’t understand what it’s for at first.

These days you can also buy designer trays that are made to fit with the decor of your home. They may be disguised to look like a piece of furniture. That’s fine, but be sure that your cat will not be fooled.

You can also find cat litter trays that clean themselves or make it easier for you to separate the waste from the clean kitty litter. Again, before buying, consider these from your cat’s point of view and be sure that it is something he will want to use. Does it allow him to dig and bury his waste? Does it smell weird? The newest, most expensive product on the market will be useless if your cat doesn’t understand that it’s a cat litter tray!

So don’t put off cat litter training just because a kitten is so small and cute and you want to forgive everything that she does. If she gets into the habit of messing your home, it will be harder to break her of it later. Even an older cat can be trained very fast if you start as soon as you bring her home.

If you cannot buy a litter tray right away, create a temporary one from an old oven tray or a carton lined with garbage bags and fill it with soil from the yard. Then when you buy a litter tray, put it in the same place and use the same type of soil in it at first. Add kitty litter gradually so that the kitten understands that this is still the place to do her business.

Put the tray in a quiet place where people are not constantly coming and going. Don’t put it next to a noisy washing machine or dishwasher. These things cause stress for cats and they will not want to stay and use the tray there. They also don’t like to shit where they eat, so keep it away from the food bowl. A corner of a quiet room is ideal.

Then, pick up the kitten gently but firmly and put her in the tray each time you think she may need it. That includes when she wakes up after a nap, any time she has finished eating, and every couple of hours through the day.

If you are lucky, your kitten will figure out for herself that this is the perfect place and she will go ahead and use it. If not, you can encourage her by taking her paw and digging in the kitty litter with it, or digging a little with your own hand. Cats start by scratching a hollow with their paw so that they can bury their mess afterward.

When she uses the tray, give her lots of positive reinforcement – praise and stroking. But never punish her for having an accident elsewhere, and never use a loud, scary voice in any part of cat litter training. That would only make her afraid of you and cause toilet-related stress which will lead to more accidents.

If you see her doing her business somewhere that she shouldn’t, just pick her up gently and take her to the litter tray. Clean the area that she used right away afterward, so that it doesn’t retain a smell that will encourage her to use it again. If you find her repeatedly going in the same place, either put her litter tray there or, if this is not a good place for you to have the tray, clean it with product that you can buy from pet stores.

Finally, always keep the litter tray clean. Scoop out any solids every day and change all of the kitty litter twice a week during cat litter training.

Cat hairballs or trichobezoars are caused by the routine grooming that cats do. If they are shedding, they can swallow a lot of hair while grooming. Most of the time this will just pass through the digestive system, but it can remain in the stomach in a mass that grows as more hair joins it.

Cats living in warm homes and warm climates shed more hair than they would in the wild, so hairballs are more likely to develop in domestic cats. However, they can easily be prevented if you are willing to brush your cat often. Cats love being brushed, it helps your pet to bond with you and it is something that you can easily do. Make it part of your routine every couple of days to spend quality brushing time with your pet, and cat hairballs are much less likely to become an issue.

There are other ways to prevent cat hairballs. Some owners say that giving the cat a little extra fiber a couple of times a week, in the form of plain canned pumpkin or mashed squash (with no added ingredients), prevents hairballs in cats. There are also remedies and special foods that you can buy. However, it is best to talk with your veterinarian before treating your cat with any products like these, because they could cause nutritional deficiencies in the long term.

Often, no treatment is necessary. Cat hairballs may be vomited up without too much difficulty. If your cat is coughing in a way that looks like it might be about to throw up, it may be trying to expel a hairball. After a short time you should find a lump of matted hair that it has brought up, usually on the floor. A cat will not use the litter box for this.

A hairball is usually sausage-shaped rather than round. It may have food mixed with it but you will see that there is a lot of matted hair. After getting it out, the cat is usually fine, although some cats may be a little tired or lack appetite for a short time after bringing up a hairball.

Sometimes a cat cannot get a hairball out of its system either through the bowels or by vomiting. In that situation, it can block the digestive system, causing painful constipation in mild cases and requiring urgent surgical removal in more serious cases.

So how would you know if your cat had a hairball that was becoming dangerous? Of course, if the cat is constantly trying to vomit it up and not succeeding, you would probably see that. Additionally, if a hairball is causing impaction in the gut, the cat is likely to stop eating and show signs of intestinal pain. They usually also have constipation and seem depressed or lethargic.

If you notice any of these symptoms, your pet should see a veterinary surgeon right away to check that it has not developed an impacted hairball. Pets who suffer from cat hairballs more than once a month should also see the veterinarian, even if they are easily passed.

When we keep a cat or kitten as a pet, we sometimes forget that they are natural hunters and predators. It is their instinct to pounce on small things that move. When they are kittens, if they were wild their mother and siblings would improve their hunting behavior through play. So they are just trying to do the same thing with you.

At first, cat biting is not usually a big problem. You might laugh or even play with the kitten, touching it and then pulling your hand away quickly to stop her from catching you with her teeth or paws. This is a lot of fun for both of you.

But the problem is that when you do this, you are teaching her to hunt your hand. She will probably go for it every time you try to stroke her. And when she is bigger, your cat biting could become a real problem.

So how can you stop cat biting? The answer is to refuse to play that game. When she bites or scratches you, say ‘Ouch!’ clearly and then stop stroking her or playing with her. Remove your hand and walk away. Ignore her for a while.

If you do this consistently every time she bites or scratches, she will soon learn that aggressive behavior does not pay. If she wants attention from you, she must learn to play nice.

You can also prevent rough behavior by watching your cat’s mood. Just like children, when kittens get over excited they are likely to become wild and dangerous. Don’t push her to this point during play sessions.

At the same time, remember that she will need some way to indulge her instinct for hunting without pouncing on your hands or toes every time they move. This is especially true if you have an indoor cat.

You can solve this question with well designed toys. Some cat toys will move so that your pet can chase them. Others she can bat around with her paws. Make sure that she has plenty of different toys and help her play with them.

So the best way to stop cat biting has two steps. First, discourage her from biting you by walking away and ignoring her when she does it. Second, set up dedicated play sessions when you spend time playing with your cat and her toys a couple of times every day. During those sessions, encourage her to pounce on her toys. If she pounces on you, end the session.

Finally, a word of warning. Never punish your cat for biting or scratching you. Cats do not know right from wrong and as far as she is concerned, she has been acting like a good cat, indulging her hunting instincts. Punishment will not stop cat biting, it will only confuse and scare her.