Exam 2 Study Info

What are the 3 types of communication with cats and examples of each

Scent (spraying, touching, rubbing, scratching)
Vocalization (shrills, cries)
Body Motions (facial features, expressions, tail movements, whiskers, ears)

T/F: Cats are louder towards humans compared to other cats

F

What is the benefit of neutering female cats early?

less mammory tumors

What is the most common behavioral problem with cats

urine spraying

At how old can kittens be trained to use a litter box?

30 days old

Why are indoor-outdoor cats controversial?

live for a shorter period of time and kill rodents

How many times do cats feed per day

13

How long can food aversions last for in cats

40 days

What percent of people are allergic to cats

10%

What are whiskers called

vibrissae

Cats see __ percent better than humans

40-50%

Cats hear a wider range of noise than any other animals except …

horses and porpoises

Signs of illnesses in cats

anorexia, haricoat change, hiding in strange spots, fever, depression, spraying, straining to urinate/blood in urine, pain when touched

What are examples of poisons in cats

antifreeze, gardening chemicals, plants, Tylenol, chocolate

How many cats can share a litter box

2

How often should a litter box be entirely cleaned

every few weeks

Why might scratching problems start with cats

boredom, curiosity, habit, natural instinct

What should be done to stop cat scratching?

provide cat with a non-carpeted scratching post in front of the problem area
give cat something else to occupy time
provide cat with a safe place

What is the best way to stop a cat from spraying?

wash with a baking soda solution, then scrub with pure alcohol (vodka is ok) → removes motivation to re-mark the scent

How many cat breeds does the CFA recognize & how many are in-class to show

45 recognized
42 are in-class

When was the first cat show

1871

What are the 3 CFA classes

kitten (4-8 months)
championship (8+ months old, intact)
premiership (8+ months old, neutered)

What percent of american's have purebred cat breeds

3%

What is a maine coon nicknamed

gentle giant

What is the most common cat breed as a pet?

Persian

What two breeds of cats have a brachycephalic face?

Persian and Exotic

What is the personality of a persian cat

quiet, not playful, doesn’t like to be off the ground, affection motivated

What is the personality of the exotic cat

quiet, can eventually cohabitate well with other pets and children

How did the Exotic cat get its name

new coat colors showed up in the breed that were not found in other shorthairs

What are the ancestors of the exotic cat

persian and american shorthair

What is the personality of the ragdoll cat?

sociable, calm, loyal, people-centric, adaptable, not a jumper

What is the personality of the maine coon cat?

intelligent, independent, love water

What is the personality of the devon rex cat?

loyal, do not do well away from owners, playful, love people, can be intelligent, trainable, quiet vocalizations, exotic tastes

What cat breed has the largest variety of coat colors and patterns?

devon rex

What is the personality of the abyssinian cat?

intelligent, inquistive, not a lap cat, independent, territorial, athletic, busy, sutiable for harness training

T/F Abyssinian only exist as a shorthair breed

T

What year was a straight-eared version of the Scottish Fold elevated to show status?

2022

What is the name of the disorder that scottish fold have that causes their ears to fold downwards

chondrodystrophy

T/F Abyssinian only exist as a shorthair breed

F —> long and short hair

What year was the Bombay recognized by the CFA?

1970

What is the Bombay a cross between

American Shorthair x Burmese

What is the personality of the bombay cat?

playful, outgoing, loves toys, can be harness trained

What breed is described as a cross between a cat, dog, and monkey/clown?

Bombay

Where is the siamese cat from?

Siam, Thailand

T/F: the siamese class originated as a skinner breed

F —> originally a fatter breed that became slender

Which cat breed is born fully white?

Siamese

Does the sphynx cat have many genetic/health problems?

No, very few, but prone to skin issues and sunburn

Why is the lack of hair around the ears a concern for sphynx cats?

ear infections and hearing issues

T/F: baths are better than microfiber cloths for wiping sphynx cats

F —> want to avoid overbathing

What are the 3 original cat breeds?

abyssinian, siamese, american shorthair

Ocicat

no wild blood, ancestors are the 3 original cat breeds, resembles a wild cat

Russian Blue

short hair, blue fur, ~green eyes, cleanly, like to fetch/open doors

Singapura

very curious, playful, one of the smallest cat breeds at maturity (~8lbs max)

Somali

resembles a little red fox, arose from a longhaired mutation in Abyssinian, uses paws like hands and capable of opening drawers

What is the Bengal a mix between?

Asian leopard cat and domestic cat

What is the chausie a mix between?

African jungle cat x domestic cat

What is the rabbit organization discussed in class called?

ARBA - American Rabbit Breeders Association

What rank are rabbits in terms of most common mammalian pet?

3rd

How many breeds are in the ARBA

50

What are the 4 classes of rabbits in the ARBA

heavy, average, lightweight, small

Example of a heavy rabbit

French Loop

Example of a small rabbit

Polish

What species are our pet rabbits descendants of?

European wild rabbits

How many rabbits are bred for meat purposes in the US per year

12 million

what are the uses of rabbits?

meat, pets, wool, lab animals, feeder animals

T/F: more people are allergic to cats than rabbits

F

Why should you brush your rabbit often?

They cannot vomit, therefore hairballs can be trouble —> surgery/poop out the hair

Over what temperature might lead to head stroke with rabbits? What animal is this the same with?

85 degrees F
Guinea pigs

In the year __, a single pair of rabbits were brough to Australia as a food source, and within __ years, there were __ rabbits

1858
30
20 million

What disease was invented to help with rabbit overpopulation in Australia?

rabbit hemorrhagic fever

What is the gestation period for rabbits?

30-33 days

What are female rabbits and male rabbits called?

females = doe, males = buck

What is the term for eating feces and what species practice this?

Coprophagy
rabbits and guinea pigs

What nutrients are gained from coprophagy?

B-vitamins and K-vitamin

At what age do baby rabbits eat solid food?

4 weeks

What vitamin do rabbits need if they are stressed

Vitamin C (make sure their food isn’t expired)

How many babies do mother rabbits typically have in a litter?

6-12

What health problems could be caused due to serious stress in rabbits?

cardiac arrest and paralysis

Why do owners need to worry about rabbit teeth? What other species is this relevant to? What is the medical name for this?

excessive incisor growth; teeth can grow apart and cut into gums
guinea pigs
malocclusion

What are common health commons in rabbits?

ringworm, mites, abscesses, heartworms, overgrown teeth

What medicines are rabbits allegric to?

amoxicillin and penicillin

Why should female rabbits be neutered?

uterine cancer —> deadly

Life expectancy of a rabbit

8-12 years

How many species of guinea pig are there? How many breeds are kept as pets?

8 species and 13 breeds kept as pets (newest = skinny pig)

Where did guinea pigs originate?

Andes mountains

What is unique about how guiena pigs are born?

born physically mature; can eat adult food and mate immediately

Why is it important to breed/spay guinea pigs early?

their pelvic bones will fuse if not bred in 7 months & a c-section is required

Why is obesity common in guinea pigs?

they do not have gut fill and will continuously eat

What vitamin do guinea pigs require? What disease do they get if they do not have this?

Vitamin C
Scurvy

Common health problems in guiena pigs

lice, mites, ringworm, alopecia, respiratory disease

How many species of rats are there and how many are kept as pets?

500 total, 2 pets

How many species of mice are there and how many are kept as pets?

35 total, 1 pet

Uses of rats/mice

lab animals, feeder animals, pets

Which pocket pets should be housed with another species?

rats, mice, guinea pigs

What material should rat/mice cages not be made of?

wood - it is porous and can collect urine, bacteria, bleach, etc.

T/F: rats are very clean

T —> poop in same spot

What is the most common cause of ill health with mice and rats?

poor husbandry

How often should a mice/rat cage be cleaned?

2-3 times per week

How long do mice live?

1-2

How long do rats live?

2-3 years