Course Overview –
Are you a cat lover interested in learning more about your feline friends? Consider taking this Cat Course, which delves into important topics about domesticated cats. In this short course, you will watch lectures given by faculty at the University of Florida College of Veterinary. Lecture topics include the evolution of the domesticated cat, different cat breeds and genetic testing, preventative health care, cat behaviors and proper feeding of the cat. In addition to the lectures, you will have access to supplemental material for each topic to learn even more about your feline buddy.
After watching each lecture, you can take a mini quiz to reinforce the concepts you’ve learned. You will take a short test at the end of the class and, if you score higher than a 70% on the test, you can earn a Certificate of Completion! *The test can be taken as many times as you want to receive the Certificate of Completion!
Topic 1: Evolution and domestication
Learn about the evolution of the cat, from its origin to its history of lineages. Discover the history and causes of cat domestication, including modern-day implications.
TOPIC 2: Breeds and genetic testing
Covers many different breeds of cats, such as their unique characteristics, their history, and possible breed‐related diseases or conditions. Discusses genetic testing in cats and how this procedure works to identify different breeds of cats.
Topic 3: Preventative care
Understand the different factors that are important for feline preventative health care, including environment, housing and husbandry (i.e. grooming, exercise and oral care). Identify common medical conditions in cats and learn how to examine different parasites and diseases.
Topic 4: Behavior
Define animal behavior and its contributing factors and significance. Understand behavioral assessments and normal cat behaviors. Learn how to deal with potentially difficult situations, such as introducing new cats, fear‐related aggression, improper elimination behaviors and destructive scratching. Discover the importance of good welfare and enrichment to encourage normal cat behaviors.
Topic 5: feeding Cats
Learn to differentiate types of pet foods, such as dry, wet and homemade foods, along with the differences between nutrients and ingredients. Identify the most common nutritional diseases in cats and appropriate feeding portions for various life stages (i.e. pregnancy, lactation and growth).
