Creature feature

I saw a picture of a really cute cat with big ears called a “sand cat.” Is that a breed? I’d like to know more about this cat and how to get one.

Sand cats are wild cats, not domesticated animals or pets. They’re also classified by the Feline Conservation Federation as a “near threatened” species, which means there aren’t many of them left.

They are beyond cute with their broad heads, widely spaced, low-set ears and puffy cheeks. Sand cats are as small as, or smaller than, the average house cat, weighing 5 to 6 pounds fully grown. Several subspecies live in sandy and stony deserts, primarily in parts of Asia and the Middle East, plus across the Sahara Desert in North Africa.

Sand cats, whose pale yellow to gray-brown fur almost blends into their sandy surroundings, are extinct in Israel, so there was major celebrating there in August when a sand cat at the Tel Aviv Zoo gave birth to four kittens. You can see photos and a video at zooborns.com.

According to bigcatrescue.org, these little wild cats can survive without drinking water because they get all the fluids they need from their food, which is small rodents, rabbits and reptiles. Dense fur on the bottoms of their feet keep them from sinking into the sand as they walk so they rarely leave tracks; the fur also protects their feet from the heat of the desert floor.

If I feed my cat raw meat, will that be enough? Will she get everything she needs from it?

Pet cats need more than merely raw meat to get all the nutrients they require, according to a study by scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium at Omaha, Neb.

The scientists, who reported their findings in the February issue of the Journal of Animal Science, said that pet owners who feed their cats raw meat usually give them trimmed meat that has little fat. Cats need animal fat because it supplies them with fatty acids essential for good health.

If you plan to feed your cat raw meat, you need to first consult with your veterinarian for his opinion and to find out what supplements your cat needs.

Every time I take my cat Izzy’s photo, his eyes are too shiny or are glowing like some kind of monster. How can I get a good photo of him?

Don’t use a flash and do shoot him in natural light, according to digital-photo-secrets.com. That means you’ll probably have to go outside. Be sure and get someone to handle the cat while your hands are tied up with the camera.

The best hours for photographing Izzy outdoors are early morning and late afternoon.

Get down on the same level with your cat so that you’re shooting straight at him instead of above him. If you look at cat photos taken by professionals, you’ll notice they always shoot from the same level.

Once you’re on your cat’slevel, don’t be afraid to zoom in on his face. A close-up shot provides more visual interest than one in whichyour cat is overwhelmed by too much background.

Lastly, keep your sessions short.

Do you have a question about

pets? We’ll get you an answer

from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen,

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or e-mail [email protected]

Family, Pages 34 on 04/10/2013

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