Spaying her before the first or second heat will vastly reduce threats like uterine disease and mammary cancer, so get onto it straight away! Your kitty will not miss the joy of motherhood, or she does not have to have at least one litter to be healthy either. Female cats can start mating around 6 months old, but male cats can start around 8 months of age. The association also holds cat shows and judges them based on how closely they adhere to the standards. They recognize only 41 breeds of cats. The breeder registers a litter of kittens with the Cat Fancier's Association. Then they have the option of deciding whether or not to allow the kitten to be bred. Although your cat is not likely to be pouncing on their dinner anymore, they still instinctively need to sharpen their claws and that is exactly what they are doing on your furniture. The scratching that they do is a way of trimming their nails and it removes the old outer part of the claws. Another reason they are ruining your home is because they know it to be their territory. Open up your purse so that your cat can feel pampered. You can get elegant and lavishly designed dining bowls with a price range of 8 to 80. To promote their health and well being encourage your cat to drink more water. Drinking fountains for cats which re-circulate water and provide fresh tasting filtered water are a great idea. Before getting your cat, you should purchase bowls for food and water, a collar (if you want the cat to wear one), a bed (or pet quilt), a few suitable toys, and some food. A kitten should be fed throughout the day 4 times with a small amount of food each meal, reducing to 3 times a day at 3 months old, then at 6-8 months 2 meals per day. Even just one flea can leave many eggs and cause a full scale attack on your pet. To stop them before they start, you can use a product such as Frontline or Advantix. These are pre measured liquid treatments that are applied directly to the cat s skin and coat. When fleas get onto the pet, these products kill them before they can lay eggs.