The Cat Blog on TheCatSite.com

One of the neat features of running a website is the ability to see what people search for in search engines when they get to your website.

A recent search string was “How much does a tabby cat cost”. I figured we might as well address the question here.

Now, a tabby isn’t really a breed. It is a coat pattern, that comes in several variations (striped tabby, spotted tabby, marble tabby etc). You can also have tabbies in various colors, such as a blue tabby, a cream tabby, red tabby, silver tabby and more. You can read more about tabby cats here.

The good news is that if you have your heart set on a tabby, you don’t have to shell out a few thousand for a purebred. You could – if you wanted a purebred tabby. How about a Persian tabby, an Ocicat, a Maine Coon Tabby, or a Bengal? Other breeds have their tabby versions as well. Expect to pay at the very least several hundreds of dollars for a kitten or cat from a reputable cattery. Check out various cat breeders by breeds here.

Then again, you could probably find a wonderful tabby waiting for a good forever home at your local shelter.

And the price? Well, never ever expect to get a cat for free. Even if you find a “free for good homes” ad in your local newspaper. Why is that? because keeping a cat always costs money. Your tabby will need veterinary care ( including spaying or neutering), quality food, a suitable environment indoors to keep him or her happy and so on. Always plan ahead when adopting a pet and make sure you have the funds to take good care of that pet, for years to come.

What a gorgeous golden-green eyed tabby we have in the spotlight today:

You can easily tell that Misty here is a female, by her unique color pattern. See the mix of gray and brown on those clearly define tabby lines? That tells you she’s a tri-colored cat, making her almost certainly female (only one in 400 tri-colored cats is a male).

You can visit Misty’s page here and read what her owner, our forum member Whiskers151, has to tell you about this special kitty, how she joined her new family and what her favorite toys are.

Forum members on TheCatSite.com can create these pages for their cats, free of charge. Join us today and share your felines with the world!

Our February issue of Kity Bytes is out! Subscribers will have found it in their email Inbox, but if you’re not a subscriber yet, here’s a link to the online version:

Kitty Bytes – February 2009

Make sure you sign up at www.kittybytes.com to get your monthly letter for TheCatSite.com and Meowhoo.com right into your inbox!

And we have a special contest for Valentine’s Day –
How much do I love thee?

It’s our monthly photo contest and the theme is, of course, kitties showing love. Get ready to go “awwwwwww” over these precious cats.

Have a picture of your own to share? Just join our forums and post it to the thread.
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187076

Not referring to feline pregnancy here (spay and neuter!) but to the topic that worries quite a few pregnant women and their family members: is there any danger in keeping cats in the house when a woman is pregnant?

The concern is about a parasite-born disease called Toxoplasmosis. While this common infection is usually caused by eating undercooked meat, for some reason some doctors seem to put the focus on cats. Is there a risk? yes, but it is much lower than you may think and some basic hygiene measures should be all that’s required to eliminate even that risk.

Dr Brazelton in his (in)famous recent column made me pick up the keyboard and start writing and I am happy to announce the publication of the first article in this series: Cats and Toxoplasmosis – as with many similar issues, education is power, so take the time to read this piece and stay informed.