1. What are references?
2. Preparing the references
3. Organizing the references
4. Integrating the references

5. Citing the references
6. Examples of citations
7. Making a reference List
8. Finishing the paper
9. Examples of sources

8. Finishing the paper

There are only a few things left to do.

(1) Write an introduction. Why is this topic important or meaningful to you?

(2) Write a conclusion (or discussion). You can include your opinion here.

(3) Write an abstract. This is a short (150-word) summary of your entire paper. It will probably include your subtitles. Write this in present tense. It will be indented (set in) on both the right and left sides.

(4) Write a clear, simple title.

The complete CAT paper appears below.

Cats: The Perfect Pet

Suzanne Yonesaka


This paper explains why cats are the perfect pet for Japanese families. It explains the special, symbolic relationship that cats have with their owners. This paper explains that cat owners have the responsibility to train their pets properly and to take care of their health. New studies have found that cats do not cause allergies; thus, they are the perfect pet.

 

Humans have kept cats as pets for thousands of years. Yet many people still do not understand cats. Some people even treat cats very cruelly. If cat owners understand what kind of animal cats are, they can have a better relationship with their pet.

1. Relationship with owners

 Cats are not useful animals like dogs are. Cats do not give us meat, like chickens do. Cats do not give us wool, like sheep do. So why do humans have cats as pets? More than any other animal, cats relate to humans in a symbolic way. This relationship is beneficial for both humans and cats. (Clutton-Brock, 1981) Somehow, cats make humans remember that there are other non-human worlds.

People and dogs get along because they are similar. People and cats get along because they are very different. According to Fogle (1999), humans can be good friends with cats because humans do not try to take their food, territory, or mate. So cats can relax and enjoy being with humans even more than being with other cats. The owner has a lot of power over the cat, but also gives it food. So a cat imagines that its owner is like its mother.

2. Training your cat

People can teach cats how to live in their homes comfortably. Pet cats behave a bit differently than wild cats do, especially when they have been properly trained. (Chat & Gato, 1990). Pet cats will come when they are called. Pet cats do not scratch, bite or fight.

Some cat owners allow a kitten to do something such as jumping up on a table. But when the cat grows up, it will be difficult to teach the cat not to do it. The cat will not understand why it is bad. It is important to teach the kitten what is good and what is not good behavior. (Matatabi honpo)

3. Responsibility of owners

If you find that you cannot take care of your cat well, you should find another home for it. Do not abandon your cat. This is cruel. It is also against the law. Tsubaki, Hori, and Yoshida (1997) explain that the law for the welfare of animals says that a person who abandons a cat must pay a fine of up to ¥30,000.

If you are a busy person, a cat would make a better pet than a dog. This is because cats can be left alone for longer than dogs. (Behaviour, n.d.) However, this does not mean you can leave your pet cat alone a lot.Remember, the cat thinks you are its mother! You must give your cat attention and play with it. Cat owners sometimes forget that cats need intellectual stimulation. The cat needs food puzzles and mazes and other things that provide stimulation. This will keep a cat's stress level down. (Overall, 2004).

4. When cats get sick

If your cat has no stress, it will probably stay healthy. In fact, cats that live indoors can get too fat very easily. More than 1/5 of all cats that are admitted into veterinary hospitals are either overweight or obese. (Himan, 2003) This is another reason why it is important to play with your cat-- to give it exercise!

It is also important to give your cat vaccinations. Pets can sometimes have problems with vaccinations. Even so, veterinarians believe that giving pets vaccinations is the best way to keep them healthy. (Committee, 2002). If your cat does get sick, you should take it to the pet hospital. For example, if a cat has feline herpesvirus (a cat illness), medicine can help it get better in one week. (Maggs, Nasisse, & Kass, 2003)

5. Cats and allergies

Speaking of sickness, many people decide not to keep a cat because they are allergic to cats.Most people believe that having dogs and cats in the house can cause allergies. However, Greene (2002) explains that a new study found the opposite result. The study looked at almost 500 children from birth to age seven. Children who had no pets in the home ended up developing allergies twice as often as children who did have pets. This was a very surprising result. Perhaps having pets can prevent pet allergies.

6. Discussion

Although cats seem independent, they rely on their owners very much. It is essential that owners take care of cats' health and give them a lot of attention. Cat owners have a lot of responsibility, but if they take care of their pets properly, they can enjoy the company of their cat for many years. I hope that all cats will be able to live in such happy homes.

References

Behaviour. (n.d.). Retrieved January 31, 2004 from Cats Protection website: http://www.cats.org.uk/html/index.php?sect_id=38

Chat, L. (Producer), & Gato, E. (Director). (1990). Nature: Cats [DVD]. Nature Archive Series. Koch Vision/Shanachie Video.

Clutton-Brock, J. (1981). Zusetsu Dobutsu Bunkashi Jiten [Domesticated Animals]. (H. Masui, Trans.) Tokyo: Harashoubo. (Original work published 1981)

Committee recognise benefits of vaccination. (2002, January 2). Veterinary Practice, article 7. Retrieved from http://www.vpmag.co.uk/news.php?id=7

Fogle, B. (1999). The complete illustrated guide to cat care and behavior. London: Thunder Bay Press.

Greene, G. (2002, August 28). Kids' best friends: Pets help prevent allergies. Retrieved January 31, 2004, from CNN web site: http://edition.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/parenting/08/27/kid.pet.allergies/index.html

Himan no ohanashi [Talking about obesity]. (2003, April). (Available from Nihon Hills/Colgate, Toyou 3-7-13 Edou-ku, Tokyo 135-0016)

Maggs, D., Nasisse, M., & Kass, P. (2003). Efficacy of oral supplementation with L-lysine. The Veterinary Journal, 64(1), 83-88.

Matatabi honpo [Catnip headquarters]. (n.d.) Retrieved January 31, 2004, from http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/matahon/situke.htm

Overall, K. (2004, January). The social cat. Cat Fancy, p. 23.

Tsubaki, T., Hori, R. & Yoshida, M. (1997). Petto no Houritsu Zensho [Pets and the law]. Tokyo: Yuukihikaku.

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