Get Some Great Shots of Your Cat

The domestic cat must be one of the most photographed animals. Who hasn’t taken a picture at some time of the family puss? At first it is simply to try out the new camera but as time goes on getting a “cat in every position” seems almost like an obsession! But who, apart from you and your nearest, wants to see the umpteenth picture of the house moggie even if it is in a slightly different pose?

Now is the time to improvise and innovate! The family cat (or dog for that matter) can be a source of some great shots (and yes, you can still take and keep the usual pretty pictures as well).

Next time you want to take some decent images of your cat, think of the following:

- the cat hiding behind something, ready to pounce

- an action shot, the cat going scatty or engaged in an activity

- a close up – get in real close, use macro or close up lenses (and a reflector)

- a studio shot – keep the background plain and contrasting

- employ a human to be part of the shot – the cat walking around stockinged feet or boots

- get a prop – a chair, bed, shelf, bench

- focus on detail – fur, eyes, teeth

- combine the cat with something appropriate but unusual – a gigantic ball of wool or a large fluffy mouse

- cats and babies are really cute!

- get the cat to sit with an unusual, contrasting, object – on a cycle, with some fruit, in the bath

I am sure you can think of more. Take lots of images so that you get one that looks the part.

Cats are willing participants and readily available. And you don’t need to go outside!

Eric oversees the worlds best home page a user-led resource - do you wish to contribute your opinions? Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Hartwell

The Singapura Cat

A shorthair feline, Singapura is said to have originated from Singapore. It is thought to have lived there for many years with locals reporting their sightings to go back as far as three centuries. However, it is not the commonest cat in the alleys of Singapore, and is often referred to as the drain or river cat owing to its habit of staying around water bodies in summer months. The cat was imported to United States in nineteen seventies and given championship status in early eighties. There is some controversy regarding the origin of Singapura with some arguing that it is not a natural cat and was artificially bred from Burmese and other cats, particularly with the recent emergence of reports that the genetic makeup of Singapura and Burmese is in fact quite similar. Nevertheless the felid is still recognized as a unique registered breed in most cat fancies across the world.

A relatively tiny animal, Singapura is a small but muscular cat. Both genders weigh in the range of five to seven pounds. General appearance is that of a dainty and somewhat unique feline. Coat is short and in a ticked tabby pattern. Only a sepia brown coloration is seen that is quite similar to the coat of mountain lions. Head is rounded with big expressive eyes that occur in green, yellow or hazed color. Paws are small and tail is normal in length.

Singapuras have all emerged from only a handful of ancestors and therefore they don't have a lot of genetic diversity amongst them. There have been few hereditary illnesses in some of their lines. Since outcrossing is not commonly practiced for these cats, breeders are trying to locate specimens in other parts of the world for induction into the gene pool to add variety.

Singapuras are affectionate cats that spend most of their time playing or staying perched on high places, surveying everything. They follow their humans around everywhere and prefer to be involved in all of their activities. Singapuras are social cats that go along well with everybody, including children, pets and even strangers. They are very gentle and communicate in a soft meow. Sensible animals they don't damage furniture or household items despite their curious and playful nature. Singapuras take time to mature and often it is around two years before they bloom fully into bundles of love and beauty.

The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on Singapura cat. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Omer_Ashraf

Cat Biting Off Toes?

Does your cat bite at you, or nip at your heels when you are relaxing in the morning eating your breakfast? For many cat owners this is a daily occurrence but with a few changes you can change how your cat behaves.

Cat biting is one of the most common cat behavior problems right next to cat urine issues. A cat biting at you is seen as an annoyance by many cat owners, but for many it can be a very scary if you have a particularly aggressive cat.

One of things you can do to stop this behavior before it occurs is to start observing your cat's behavior more closely. Many people state that their cats are acting friendly and then just suddenly bite them. Well the truth is your cat is probably giving you subtle clues that it is about to bite you.

For instance, does your cat become more active all of a sudden before biting you? Another thing to look out for is does your cat directly approach your foot? I have found that cats that are in the biting mood move more in a straight line and with their heads down.

If you start observing your cat you can pick up clues about when your cat will bite you. When you are able to do this you need to break your cat's state of mind. You can do this with a spray bottle, a can with some coins in it to make some noise, or just by moving away from your cat.

By studying your cat closer you can tell when they might bite, and if you break the habit enough eventually your cat should stop doing this behavior because it is never rewarded for it.

Stop That Cat Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luke_Blaise

Living With The Cat

Regine Hehn

There are very different ways to get your living-room-tiger. Perhaps you heard the miaou of a little baby cat at your garden door and just opened it. From now on you will have a new housemate!

Or perhaps you did inform yourself on one of these cat exhibitions, felt in love with a Persian cat or an Egyptian cat. Perhaps you visited friends, where a little tiger jumped on you lap
Of course there is also another possibility, the neighbors dog's constant barking made you lose control and you shouted "In my home there will never be a dog!" Cats hear this, believe me!
Perhaps you are only one step away from buying a pet because your little son or daughter have been working on you for a while. It is also possible, that you are feeling lonely in your new flat. There are thousands of ways to Rome and you have decided to buy a cat.

Many people read books about cats, pets, how to treat them, because they want to avoid mistakes with the new housemate. These books have titles like "The cat and I" or "The new pet" and they all tell you almost the same. If you don't have any experience with cats, it makes sense to spend four Dollars and buy one of these books.

It doesn't make any difference, if you buy a pedigree cat or you found your new friend somewhere on the street, where they use to show up every now and then.

They all need some treatment and attention, need to be feed twice a day and if ever possible, at least once a year they should see the vet.

Now when the little cat is ready to start his life in your home, you should need to do some preparation to make the cat feel at home and to make you stay feeling at home. A side of a fix place to feed the cat - perhaps in the kitchen - it also needs its pet-toilet. If your little cat had had the chance to stay at least twelve weeks with his mother, he should have learned already how to use it. If no so, you will have to give your cat the first little lesson. But stay calm, it is no big deal to make your cat get used to the pet-toilet and he will never forget and he will also like to use it. At this point let me say something very important, the cat will have to have access to the pet-toilet at any time he needs to use it, so please don't look it away over the day. Keep the access clear and don't change the place without showing it to the cat. That avoids little accidents; the cat could feel a shame for.

You do not need to spend much money on a luxury pet-toilet, at the beginning a big plastic bowl will do. Buy some white cat sand at the supermarket, put everything in its place and wait until ten minutes after feeding your cat. Then it should start to look for a 'useful' place. Take it and set it into the pet-toilet. Show your cat, how to play with the sand. The rest is nature.

Regine Hehn is a cats enthusiast and practitioner. She owns and maintains Cat Care Information.

http://newcatcare.com

Cat Health

It is no wonder, then, that cats are divided into two categories: the indoor cat and the outdoor cat. Depending on the owner and his or her trust of their cat’s intuition and their living environment, the independent cats are afforded the opportunity to roam free. This gives the cat the independence it desires, and in so doing, making him or her happier than if it were confined to indoor quarters. An outdoor cat does carry with it risk, though; the likelihood of the cat dying earlier, due to environmental factors, than it would as an indoor cat is considerably higher.

The indoor cat doesn’t have the same independence, creating a sort of cabin fever effect that can negatively impact a cat’s personality and inborn independent nature. But, the likelihood of a cat living a long life is greatly increased because, of course, environmental dangers don’t factor into its life like it does with the outdoor cat.

But because cats are so fickle and so hard to determine, how do you know the true nature of your cat? Furthermore, what can you do to guarantee the health a cat needs to survive in the quiet confines of your home or out on the range?

With the electronic manual, you’ll find out this and a whole lot more. Things like how to know what your cat’s real needs are, the best diet for your cat, what the perfect environment is for your cat, things you should never do with your cat, the exercise plan that fits your cat, the proper weight for your cat, ways in which to get your cat to form good habits and much, much more.

Kent_Sayre