Is your cat a licker?

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One of my current cats, Sapphire, who is a chinchilla colored Persian, loves to lick my hands and arms while she is getting pet and scratched. This is my second cat who likes to lick more than a lot of dogs that I know. The first licker that I owned was my first cat, a red tabby Persian named Topaz. When I first went to the Humane Society looking for a new family member, I put my fingers in her cage, and she immediately started licking my finger tips. That was all it took, she went home with me. The real question is, why do some cats do this?

While it is not possible to really know why a cat does anything (!), there are many things that make a lot of sense, from the cat’s point of view. One reason is that, like all animals, cats need a certain amount of salt, and some cats, just like some people, really like the taste of salt. They can get that taste from the skin on your hands, arms or face either because of the food you have handled or because of perspiration. Or it may have been something else that you have handled, such as a little fat or grease from a burger, or maybe a little fish or chicken flavoring, or something else that just tastes good to your cat.

Another reason that your cat may be licking you, especially when you are petting them, is a grooming behavior. Especially when very young, kittens are often groomed by their mother. From this, they usually learn to groom themselves and their litter mates. Now, you are the one that helps keep your cat groomed, or you are just petting them in the right spot, and they lick you to return the favor, or they may lick you the way they lick their own paws or legs to be able to get their fur washed in spots they can’t lick directly, mainly all around their heads and ears, so they may lick your finger and then rub their chin or the top of their head against that finger right away. If your cat likes to lick your arms, face or hair, then they are probably trying to groom your “fur”, the hair on your arms or face or the hair on your head.

The final reason, and the one that most people who are owned by cats would like to think is the “real” reason that their cat likes to lick them, is that they are doing it to show their affection for them. This could very well be the case. Dogs are not the only animal who likes to lick or groom their companions as a sign of affection. Licking is a show of affection and comfort to that a mother cat gives to their young, so your cat is giving this affection to you. While the scratchy tongue feels a little strange, just enjoy it and accept what your cat is trying to give you.

Make sure that your cat is getting all the benefits of grooming that you can give it.  You can get all of your grooming supplies at my website www.yourlovingcat.com/stores.html and clicking on "Health and Grooming".

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Where to get a cat

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OK, so now comes a big question, and I know that I am going to make large groups of people angry with me, but I have to go with what I believe. If you feel I am treating any particular group unfairly, please respond to this post. I am more than happy to listen to other points of view.

The question that I am referring to is “Where do I get my new cat?”.

First, I would emphatically say to stay away from pet stores, unless they are offering Humane Society or other animal rescue adoptions. The animals that you find in most pet stores are often cats from breeders that they could not sell themselves, or they are from large breeders who just supply pet stores . These are often the cats that become the cats you will later find at the Humane Society/Pound/ASPCA/Rescue.

Second, unless you want show cat with a pedigree, don’t go to a breeder. While you can find the purebred cat you want, there is often more inbreeding than is good for your pet. Even if this is not the case, and it often is not, there is no need to use a breeder to find the breed you want.
As you may have already guessed, I want you to get your new family member from an animal rescue or Humane Society adoption center. You can find just about any breed of cat you are looking for, if you can be a little patient. I personally have always had long haired cats, mainly Persians, although I have also had one Himalayan and one Maine Coon cat. I haven’t always gotten a new family member on the fist trip, or at the first location, but it has never taken overly long to find what I was looking for.

Also along the same line, showing patience, please don’t see a cat you like and take it home immediately based just on appearance. Hopefully the location you are adopting from has a private room that you can spend a few minutes getting to know the personality of your possible new friend. Whether they like to cuddle, or are playful. If they may be more of a scratcher or biter, or don’t like to be held or petted. You can get a real feel for the cat in only fifteen minutes or so.

My other strongly held opinion is, adopt an adult cat, not a kitten. Yes, I know. “But kittens are so CUTE!” And maybe that is my point. There will always be people willing to take home a cute kitten. The adult cats don’t always have it so easy. The adults also can be easier to integrate into your home and schedule than a kitten might be. But, it may also be that you find the perfect cat and it is only three months old. Please consider the adults and even the “mature” adult cats when looking for someone to take home.

Finally, I will just touch on want ads in the paper. If someone has had an “unexpected” litter, and is giving away kittens, just remember that you will probably have more out of pocket expenses at the vet for this type of cat, and that “Free” never is. This is also a great reminder to spay/neuter your cats.

To find a shelter near you, and to see what they have to offer, use the pet finder link to the left.  It is a free service and offers wonderful resources for finding a new companion for your home.  And make sure you get your cat "Tagged" with an electronic identifier so your new friend doesn't end up back at a rescue.

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The Oriental Cat

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The Oriental is a breed that has been created only recently.  It’s history only started at the beginning of the nineteen sixties.  This breed came about when breeders wanted a Siamese like cat, but without the Siamese color point patterns.  They achieved this by breeding the Siamese with domestic cats and the Abbysinians.  In that short period of time, however, these cats have been bred in over three hundred color and pattern combinations, giving them the nickname of the “Rainbow Cat”.

The oriental cat is a medium sized cat with a slender build.  Its legs are long and fine boned.  The tail is long and tapers down to a point.  Their heads are triangular shaped with large ears.  They eyes, unlike the Siamese, are usually green in color, but they are still usually almond shaped.  There are two varieties in the fur, either short haired or medium haired after some Orientals were crossed with the Balinese.  The short haired variety needs very little grooming help, and an occasional brushing is enough.  The medium haired variety should be brushed on a weekly basis.

Like their Siamese cousins, the Oriental is a very talkative cat.  They are also curious and extremely intelligent as well as highly social animals.  Because of this, they are one of the easier cats to train, whether that means bringing you  a toy to play fetch with, or learning to walk on a halter and leash.  Some of their favorite toys can be some of the least expensive.  They love crumpled pieces of paper, ping pong balls and fuzzy mice.

One important thing to note about the Oriental is that they are extremely social animals.  They do not do well at all if left alone for long periods of time, such as when you are out to work.  Having a companion animal to keep them company can certainly help.  They get along well with both other cats as well as dogs.  Children are also well tolerated by these friendly cats.

If you plan on getting an Oriental, make sure that you have plenty of time for play and cuddling, and you will have a best friend for many, many years.

Fuzzy Mice

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The Sphynx

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The Sphynx, or hairless cat, is a very unique cat all around.  People will either love these cats, or will dislike them.  There don’t seem to be many that will be indifferent to this breed.

Where did the Sphynx come from?  There seems to be some disagreement about this.  I have seen sources that state that there were hairless breeds of cats in Mexico as far back as the Aztecs.  Another conjecture that I have seen state that the Sphynx was a recent natural mutation, discovered in Canada in the nineteen sixties.  Whichever side you take, it does appear that the hairless gene is a recessive, and so it requires both a tom and a dame that carry this gene to produce a Sphynx kitten.  The Sphynx had been bred with several other breeds to broaden the genetic base.

The Sphynx is a strong, medium sized cat with a slightly wedge shaped head rounded muzzle.  The ears of the Sphynx are very large and a distinctive feature of these cats.  Their paws are oval shaped, with long toes and thicker than normal pads.  To compensate for the lack of hair, the skin temperature is actually about four degrees higher than a typical cat.  Also, the coloration of these cats all come from the skin coloring.  It also appears that unlike hairless dogs, UV sunlight does not pose the same threat to the Sphynx.  They do not suffer from sunburn as you might think they would, but their skin pigments may darken, or they may develop freckles.

One thing about these cats is that they do need regular grooming, but not in the usual feline way.  The Sphynx skin produces oils that will build up, along with dander that the skin produces.    The Sphynx needs to be bathed two or three times a month, but at least they seem to enjoy the water, so they won’t be fighting you each time!  You will also notice that I mentioned dander.  This means that people who are allergic to cat dander will still be allergic to this breed of cat, although the bathing can reduce this effect.

The Sphynx is a very, very high energy cat, and can have an appetite to match.  They need companionship, and do not do well if they are left alone too much.  Having other pets as companions can help with this, but they still want to have a lot of attention from the people he lives with, and lots of play time too.  They like the spotlight so much that they even like to star in the movies!  (Mr. Bigglesworth, Austin Powers movies)

The American Shorthair

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Because of their resemblance to the common house cat or street cat, many people think that the American Shorthair is the mutt of the cat world, but this is not correct.  The American shorthair is a recognized pure bred cat with a long history.

The American shorthair can trace its ancestry back many centuries.  They were originally introduced into Northern Europe by the Romans in about the 10th century, where they developed into the British Shorthair.  These cats then came over with the pilgrims on the Mayflower, being on board hunters of shipboard vermin and then used to control pests on the farm.  They spread all across North America with the Pioneers.

The American shorthair is a medium sized cat, with a strong, well muscled body which is slightly longer than it is tall.  It has a round head with medium sized pointed ears.  It can have any of about eighty recognized colors and patterns, although color points and Burmese markings are not recognized for this breed.  Grooming is simple.  They just need to be brushed occasionally, otherwise they can take care of their grooming all by themselves.

The American Shorthair is considered to be one of the finest mousers in America.  It is reported that they will make a hit once every three pounces, which is a very impressive record.  From this, you can see that hunting and chasing play are very important to the happiness of these cats.  They love to play with the people they live with, and some of their favorite toys are wands with an attached toy and laser pointers.  A large cat tree is also appreciated by these cats.

While the American Shorthair can keep themselves entertained, they prefer company.  They are a very loving and loyal cat.  They get along very well with children and other animals, such as dogs and cats.  These cats can add years of enjoyment and activity to your home.

Laser Pointer


Da Bird

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The Birman Cat

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Sacred cats are a staple in the far east.  But the Birman’s origin does come from the temples of Burma.  While there are myths and legends about their origins and coloration, it is fact that they are a lovely, sweet tempered cat that is very popular in the US.

The Birman is a breed with a medium to long silky coat.  Unlike some other longhair breed, the Birman has little in the way of an undercoat.  The hair is also a little different from cats such as the Persian in that there is usually very little matting associated with the coat, and so they only need a weekly brushing with a stiff bristle brush.

The coloration of the Birman is in the Himalayan or color point pattern, lighter in the body, with darker markings on the face, ear and tail.  One difference is that while most cats with point coloring also have darker colors on the lets and paws, the paws of the Birman are always white.  Like many of the seal points, the birman kitten is all white, with the color points developing with age.  They are also blue eyed, which seems to be more typical of the point colored breeds.

The birman is a sweet tempered and loving cat.  They can be a little shy, and do prefer a quieter home environment.  Although they are moderately active, and enjoy some play, they also like to snuggle up or even get off by themselves for some quiet time every now and then.  They often become one person cats, attaching themselves to one member of a family.  They can get along with other cats and even dogs, as long as there is not too much interaction and chasing involved.


I just have one question that I have not been able to find an answer for.  If this breed originally came from Burma, why aren’t they called Burmans instead of Birmans?  The world may never know!

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The Ragdoll Cat

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“Rag Doll livin' in a movie
Hot tramp Daddy's little cutie
You're so fine they'll never see ya leavin' by the back door, mam” (Ragdoll by Aerosmith)

All right, so maybe it isn’t a completely fitting tribute to this beautiful cat, but hey, I think that you can see the Ragdoll cat in here. They are certainly a cutie, but you wouldn‘t exactly them little!

The ragdoll cat is a very popular breed of cat. It is one of the largest breeds of domestic cat, with some tipping the scales at thirty five pounds. The seal point coloring is also a distinctive mark of the silky, medium length coat. They also have round, very blue eyes.

But, why are they called a ragdoll? A full grown cat wouldn’t exactly be something a little girl would be carrying around. Well, they are called ragdoll because of how they behave when picked up. The ragdoll is a very loving and trusting cat, and will go limp when held. They also let their limbs go all akimbo when lounging around the house.

The ragdoll is also called the puppy cat, because it loves to follow you around the house. This is both because of its friendly nature, and also its inquisitive nature. They are a highly intelligent breed who love to explore the house. They also want your love and attention. Because of the medium length of their coat, grooming is simple and only needs a couple of times a week, but can be done daily just for the pleasure it will give both you and your cat.

The ragdoll is a great family pet. Because of its laid back attitude, it gets along with children and other pets in your home. They are a breed that do very well as a strictly indoor cat. And remember, you need to be in shape to be owned by a ragdoll cat. Lifting a thirty-five pound weight several times a day or having it on your lap for long periods of time can tire your out!

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