Interior And Home Desaign: About Cats: Cat Sex, Special Needs Cats

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From Franny Syufy, your Guide to Cats

Today we bid adieu to tabby cats, and tomorrow our focus will turn to special needs cats as our Cat Pictures of the Week. Don't forget, though, you may publish your tabby cat pictures and stories, year round, as well as all the other Cats Show & Tell Picture Galleries.

Have a great weekend, and love on your cats.

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Cat Picture of the Week: Jackson

I adopted Jackson when he was four months old. I got him from a local nonprofit that independently fosters cats in private homes. they showcase them at the local Petsmart and that's where I found Jackson.

Jackson is a healthy two year old and thinks that he runs the house. He gets into everything and is a very curious and noisy cat. I love him to death and wouldn't trade him for any other cat. . . Read more
© vnk1304, About.com Guest

Jackson is a handsome, healthy, tabby boy and its clear that he is as happy as his new adoptive parent. Jackson, appears in the "Life With a Tabby Cat" Show and Tell Gallery, as have all the Cats of the Week this month.

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Cat Sex: How to Tell the Sex of a Cat

One of the most frequent questions I've received is, "How can I tell the sex of this cat" (or kitten.) Did you know that it's a matter of "punctuation?" I'm not going to post any spoilers here, but think "colon" and "exclamation point." With newborn kittens, and male cats neutered very early, it's not so easy. Also some male cats are born with undescended testicles, which makes it even harder to tell their sex. And speaking of spay/neutering, sometimes female cats have to be xrayed to determine if they have been spayed.

Learn much more about telling the sex of a cat, by reading the full article. And for an even more visual lesson, check out this great new video, "How to Tell the Gender of a Cat" by About.com's video team. It features a veterinarian demonstrating the difference between male and female cats, using two live cats.

More About Cat Sex

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Signs a Cat is Pregnant

If your cat was in heat and had access to a tom (unneutered male) cat, the likelihood that she is pregnant is very strong. A pregnant queen will show both physical and personality changes which will become more evident around three weeks after breeding. The gestation period for cats runs from 60 to 67 days. I like to use 63 days as an average, because it is easier to equate with human gestation (nine weeks vs nine months).

Read the full article to find 10 ways to confirm your cat's pregnancy. You may also want to watch the new About.com video, Signs Your Cat is Pregnant.

See More About: feline heat cycles cats gestation period pinking

April Spotlight: Special Needs Cats

Special needs cats, or "other-abled" cats often need special care. They may have been born with special needs, contracted retroviruses such as FIV or fELv, developed diseases such as Diabetes, or Chronic Renal Failure, or lost limbs through accident, cruelty, or amputation. Blind or deaf cats may have come that way at birth, through malnutrition or disease, or by other means. Some cats may have a combination of special needs, e.g., a blind cat may also be FIV positive.

The one thing all special needs cats share is the fact that they can be active, loving companion cats, despite what we humans might call "disabilities." Amy Shojai uses the term "other-abled" in an recent email, and it made a lot of sense. Cats have an amazing ability to amplify their other senses and abilities when they lose one. As an example, blind cats can quite readily find their way about the home with their marvelous sense of scent and hearing, coupled with tactile "road maps" of whiskers and fur. Tripod kitties, such as Sierra, can get around quite readily, thanks to cats' innate ability to balance.
_{Photo of Sierra © About.com Guest Bungee}

The Monthly Picture Calendar Guide tells us that Special Needs Cats are spotlighted in April, and the Cat Pictures of the Month will be selected from the Special Needs Cats Show and Tell Picture Gallery.

View the Gallery | Your Special Needs Cat

More Information on Special Needs Cats: