# MeowWise > MeowWise is a free, original, plain language guide to cats for owners and future owners: cat breeds and their inherited health risks, everyday care, health warning signs and emergencies, behavior and body language, nutrition, kittens and senior cats. Every guide answers the main question first and cites veterinary sources such as the Cornell Feline Health Center, AAFP, AAHA, International Cat Care and UC Davis. MeowWise is a brand owned and operated by Joshua Israel Ventures LLC. The content is general education, not veterinary advice. ## Guides - [Cat breeds compared](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html): Compare 15 popular cat breeds by coat, key traits and the inherited conditions (HCM, PKD, PK deficiency, PRA) to ask a breeder about, with sources. - Breed sections: [Mixed breed](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#mixed-breed), [Persian](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#persian), [Exotic Shorthair](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#exotic-shorthair), [British Shorthair](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#british-shorthair), [Maine Coon](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#maine-coon), [Ragdoll](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#ragdoll), [Siamese](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#siamese), [Abyssinian](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#abyssinian), [Bengal](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#bengal), [Burmese](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#burmese), [Scottish Fold](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#scottish-fold), [Sphynx](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#sphynx), [Norwegian Forest Cat](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#norwegian-forest-cat), [Siberian](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#siberian), [Devon Rex](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#devon-rex); plus [questions to ask a breeder](https://meowwise.com/breeds.html#breeder-questions) - [Cat care basics](https://meowwise.com/care.html): How to look after a cat day to day: the five needs of a healthy cat home, how many litter boxes, scratching posts, play, grooming and identification. - [Cat health guide](https://meowwise.com/health.html): Which cat symptoms are emergencies, which vaccines cats need, how often to see the vet, common poisons and the illnesses most cats face, with veterinary sources. - [Cat behavior and body language](https://meowwise.com/behavior.html): How to read a cat: what tail and ear positions mean, why cats purr, knead, scratch and slow blink, signs of fear or pain, and how to handle common problems. - [Cat nutrition](https://meowwise.com/nutrition.html): What cats need to eat and why: obligate carnivores, taurine, wet vs dry food, reading labels, treats, weight, food puzzles and the human foods that are toxic to cats. - [Kitten care guide](https://meowwise.com/kittens.html): How to raise a healthy, confident kitten: the 2 to 7 week socialization window, when kittens can leave their mother, vaccine schedule, neutering by 4 to 5 months and feeding. - [Senior cat care](https://meowwise.com/senior-cats.html): Cats are senior from age 10. How often older cats should see the vet, the diseases to watch for (kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, arthritis, diabetes) and simple home changes. - [Cat myths vs facts](https://meowwise.com/myths.html): Ten common cat myths checked against veterinary sources: milk, purring, one litter before spaying, pregnancy and cats, indoor vaccines, lilies, vegan diets and more. - [Cat glossary](https://meowwise.com/glossary.html): Plain English definitions of cat terms vets and breeders use: AAFCO statement, body condition score, CKD, FeLV, HCM, obligate carnivore, PKD, queen, taurine and more. ## Tools - [Toxic plant and household checker](https://meowwise.com/toxic-to-cats.html): Check 51 cut flowers, houseplants, garden plants, essential oils and household products for toxicity to cats. Lilies first: deadly even as pollen or vase water. (searchable table with a stable #anchor per item) ## Blog - [Are lilies poisonous to cats?](https://meowwise.com/blog/are-lilies-poisonous-to-cats.html): Yes. True lilies and daylilies can cause fatal kidney failure in cats from a bite, pollen or vase water. Which lilies are dangerous, the signs, and what to do right away. - [Cat straining to pee: emergency signs](https://meowwise.com/blog/cat-straining-to-pee.html): A cat, especially a male, straining in the litter box with little or no urine may have a urethral blockage, which can be fatal within 24 to 48 hours. Signs and what to do. - [Do cats know their names?](https://meowwise.com/blog/do-cats-know-their-names.html): Yes. A 2019 study found household cats tell their own name apart from other words, even from a stranger. A 2022 study found cats also learn housemates' names. - [How many litter boxes per cat?](https://meowwise.com/blog/how-many-litter-boxes-per-cat.html): The rule is one litter box per cat plus one, in separate places. Here is why, what size and litter to choose, where to put boxes, and when the rule is not enough. - [How often should a cat see the vet?](https://meowwise.com/blog/how-often-should-a-cat-see-the-vet.html): Kittens need several visits, adult cats at least once a year, cats aged 10 to 15 every six months and cats over 15 every four months. A schedule by life stage, with sources. - [Why do cats slow blink?](https://meowwise.com/blog/why-do-cats-slow-blink.html): A cat's slow blink is a relaxed, positive signal. A 2020 study found cats slow blink back at people and approach strangers who slow blink. How to slow blink at a cat. ## For teachers, students and researchers Free classroom resources (no sign up, no ads, no data collection) with NGSS alignments, answer keys, a vocabulary list, and a list of peer reviewed papers with DOIs. - [For teachers](https://meowwise.com/teachers/): Free cat printables, worksheets, lesson ideas and a quiz with answer key for K to 12 classrooms, aligned to NGSS life science standards where they fit. No sign up, no ads. - [Research](https://meowwise.com/research/): The peer reviewed papers behind MeowWise, for students, teachers and researchers: cat domestication, behavior, senses, nutrition, genetics and veterinary guidelines, each with authors, year, journal and DOI. - [Cat adaptations lesson plan](https://meowwise.com/teachers/cat-adaptations-lesson-plan.html): Free cat adaptations lesson plan for grades 3 to 5: whiskers, ears, eyes and taste as structures and senses. Includes a sense, brain, response worksheet and answer key. NGSS 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2. - [Cat fact sheet for kids](https://meowwise.com/teachers/cat-fact-sheet.html): A free, printable cat fact sheet for kids in grades 2 to 5: where house cats came from, what they eat, whiskers, hearing and kittens. Every fact sourced. Reading check with answer key. - [Cat science quiz](https://meowwise.com/teachers/cat-quiz.html): A free 10 question cat science quiz for grades 6 to 12 on domestication, genetics, senses and nutrition. Printable, with an answer key that links every answer to a peer reviewed source. - [Cat traits worksheet (3rd grade)](https://meowwise.com/teachers/cat-worksheet-3rd-grade.html): Free printable cat worksheet for 3rd grade. Students compare a mother cat, father cat and kittens to find inherited traits and variation (NGSS 3-LS3-1). Teacher notes and answer key. - [Cat science vocabulary](https://meowwise.com/teachers/vocabulary.html): A free printable cat science vocabulary list for grades 3 to 12: adaptation, artificial selection, carnivore, domestication, inherited trait, taurine, vibrissae and more, in plain language. ## Optional - [About](https://meowwise.com/about.html): MeowWise is a brand of Joshua Israel Ventures LLC: an independent cat information site. How our guides are researched, sourced, checked and updated. - [Contact](https://meowwise.com/contact.html): Contact the MeowWise team by email or with our contact form: corrections, questions about our cat guides and suggestions for new topics. - [Terms of Use](https://meowwise.com/terms.html): The terms for using MeowWise, a brand of Joshua Israel Ventures LLC: general information only, not veterinary advice, warranty disclaimer, liability limits and Florida law. - [Privacy](https://meowwise.com/privacy.html): How Joshua Israel Ventures LLC handles information on MeowWise: contact form messages via FormSubmit, GitHub Pages server logs, Google Fonts, and no analytics or ad cookies. - [Disclaimer](https://meowwise.com/disclaimer.html): MeowWise disclaimer: general cat information only, no veterinarian client relationship, accuracy limits, and our advertising and affiliate disclosure.