Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio

Calico vs. Caliby: Spot the Difference

What is the difference between a caliby and a calico cat?

Calico and caliby are both coat colours and patterns that are widespread among random-bred as well as purebred cats. Both the caliby and the calico coat pattern/colour combination occur almost exclusively in female cats, which we will go into later.

Calico and caliby cats share some similarities that may lead to confusion. Both patterns are characterized by a tri-colour coat consisting of white and red, with the addition of a third colour that can vary between black, grey, brown, cinnamon, lilac, or fawn.

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Post Spay Care For Cats and Kittens: Tips For a Smooth Recovery

Post spay care for kittens and cats

Also known as desexing or ovariohysterectomy, spay is a surgical procedure performed by a veterinarian to remove the uterus and ovaries of a female kitten or cat. Its purpose is to eliminate the chance of unwanted pregnancy and reduce or remove the risk of uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, mammary cancer, and pyometra.

Most kittens are spayed before they reach six months, which is when most kittens reach sexual maturity and are capable of becoming pregnant. Most rescue organisations and cat breeders spay their kittens before they go to their new home.

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Can Cats Eat Onions?

Can cats eat onions?

Cats cannot eat onions (Allium cepa) or any other members of the Allium family. Allium spp., which includes onion, garlic, chives and leeks contain sulfur-containing oxidants (thiosulfinates and thiosulfonates). Sulfur-containing oxidants are metabolised into reactive oxidants which can lead to Heinz body hemolytic anemia.

Heinz bodies are abnormal structures that form as a result of the denaturation of hemoglobin, which is the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells. Normally, hemoglobin is tightly folded and structured, but when exposed to sulfur-containing oxidants, becomes denatured and forms a clump, which is called a Heinz body. Heinz bodies appear as small, round or irregularly shaped inclusions within the red blood cell when viewed under a microscope. The presence of Heinz bodies can interfere with the normal function of red blood cells, such as oxygen transport, and may cause the cells to become more fragile and prone to hemolysis (rupture).

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Why Do Kittens Have Blue Eyes?

Why do kittens have blue eyes?

Why do kittens have blue eyes?

Kittens are born with blue eyes because the melanin, which gives colour to the iris, is not present at birth. Once the eyelids open and the eyes are exposed to light, melanin production increases, causing their eye colour to darken. The final eye colour may not be determined until 6 to 18 months after birth. This is similar to skin darkening from sun exposure. Skin darkens in the sun due to the production of melanin, a pigment that provides protection from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. When skin is exposed to the sun, melanocytes increase the production of melanin to protect the skin, resulting in a tanned appearance.

A kitten’s eyes are closed at birth because they are developing and need time to grow and mature, which helps protect the eyes from environmental light. The eyelids remain closed until 7 – 10 days after birth. Once the eyes open, they are a pale blue in colour. Some kittens will maintain their blue eyes for life, while the eye colour of other kittens will gradually change from blue to yellow, copper or green.

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Why Do Cats Kill Their Kittens?

Why do cats kill kittens?

All placental animals are hardwired to protect the lives of their offspring, to guarantee the next generation reaches adulthood. Mother cats (known as a queen) have a high maternal instinct and will nurture and raise her kittens until they have reached an age where they can safely care for themselves. But sometimes an adult cat will kill an individual or litter of kittens, which is termed infanticide. There are two types of infanticide, nonkin infanticide, which relates to the killing of unrelated young, and kin infanticide, which is the killing of related young (usually offspring).

There are a number of reasons an adult cat will kill a kitten or kittens, which vary depending on the gender of the cat.

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Black Cat Poop: Top Causes & What to Do [Vet Advice]

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Black cat poop

The color of a cat’s poop can provide important information to caregivers and veterinarians. Normal cat poop should be a similar color to milk chocolate and soft to firm in texture. Most cats will pass poop once or twice a day.

Black cat poop is commonly associated with gastrointestinal bleeding, which has a number of pathologies from mild to life-threatening.

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Why Are Sphynx Cats Bald?

Why are Sphynx cats bald?

What is a Sphynx cat?

The Sphynx cat is described as hairless, although that is not entirely true as it actually has short, downy hair that feels like chamois. The breed originated in Toronto, Canada in 1966 when a black and white tuxedo called Elizabeth gave birth to a hairless male kitten named Prune. Prune was mated back to Elizabeth, and this mating produced more bald kittens.

Hairless cats had occurred prior to that but quickly vanished. Several other hairless breeds are recognised in the cat fancy today including the Peterbald, Don Sphynx, Bambino, Elf, Ukrainian Levkoy and Dwelf. Most of these breeds are man-made Sphynx crosses, such as the Bambino, which is a cross between a Munchkin and Sphynx. The Don Sphynx occurred due to a spontaneous mutation which is different to the Sphynx mutation.

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Are Cats Nocturnal?

Are cats nocturnal?

Are cats nocturnal? Cats are crepuscular (active at twilight and dawn) and not nocturnal (active at night). This offers our cat’s desert-dwelling wild ancestors an evolutionary advantage. By sleeping during the day when temperatures are at their highest, the feline conserves energy.  A crepuscular cycle also matches that of their preferred prey, small rodents and … Read more