PROMOTING YOUR CATTERY
How to Construct a Web Site

by Karen Lawrence
Reprinted with permission, Cat Fanciers' Almanac, September 1996

Adding email links, and what to do with a list

Adding an email link

One of the most important things you will want to include on your web site is a way for visitors to contact you. You could just provide your email address for them to make a note of, but wouldn't it be much more efficient to make that email address an actual email link to you? It's easy to do. Here's the HTML tag for it:

<a href="mailto:klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca">klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca</a>

This can be incorporated into the web site in many ways, such as:

  1. You can reach us by email at
    <a href="mailto:klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca">klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca</a>

    which looks like this:
    You can reach us by email at klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca

  2. Please send us your
    <a href="mailto:klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca">comments</a> on our web site.

    which looks like this:
    Please send us your comments on our web site.

  3. If you are interested in further information about our kittens for sale, please <A HREF="mailto:klawrenc@freenet.npiec.on.ca">let us know</A>

    which looks like this:
    If you are interested in further information about our kittens for sale, please let us know

Making lists

Many people can also find a use for lists of items on their web site, even if it is just a list of your favorite links.

There are two types of lists - ordered (each line is automatically numbered) and unordered (not-numbered, but with automatic bullet). Information for ordered lists is contained within the <OL> and </OL> tags, while unordered lists use the <UL> and </UL> tags. Each line that you want within the list must start with the tag <LI>.

If you want a list of links to the CFA breed profiles for your different breeds, the following would be your HTML code:

<UL> or <OL>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/ocicat.html">Ocicat</A>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/oriental.html">Orientals</A>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/persian-bic.html">Persian - Bicolor</A>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/persian-solid.html">Persian - Solid</A>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/siamese.html">Siamese</A>
</UL> or </OL>

If using the <UL> tag this list appears on a web site as:

If using the <OL> tag, this appears as:

  1. Ocicat
  2. Orientals
  3. Persian - Bicolor
  4. Persian - Solid
  5. Siamese

Lists can be used within one another, if you want a sub-list. For example, using these tags

<OL>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/ocicat.html">Ocicat</A>
<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/oriental.html">Orientals</A>
<LI>Persian


<LI><A HREF="http://www.cfainc.org/breeds/profiles/siamese.html">Siamese</A> </OL>
</OL>

will produce a list similar to this:

  1. Ocicat
  2. Orientals
  3. Persian
  4. Siamese

You will note above that I have indented the HTML tags for the new list . I find that formatting the actual HTML code like this, by separating the new list within the list itself, makes keeping track of the content of your file much easier.

Using List tag to indent text

Note how each of the lists is indented, or tabbed? A tip: The <UL> tag can also be used to indent text when used without the accompanying <LI> tag. If you have a background image that has a border on the left side and you need to indent your text, type <UL> as the first tag after the <BODY> tag at the top of the page, and </UL> as the last tag before the </BODY> tag at the bottom of the page. If you want your text indented even further, use <ul><ul> and </ul></ul>. NOTE that this may cause your text to overlap your border if the visitor's browser of choice is Internet Explorer.


  1. Deciding on the structure of your web site
  2. The URL, and explanation of basic HTML tags
  3. HTML tags to format your text & link to other pages
  4. How to include your photo images on your web site.
  5. Adding email links, and what to do with a list
  6. Putting your pedigrees online
  7. Adding backgrounds and icons for pizazz
  8. Putting your web site online
  9. Publicizing your URL

Page maintained by Karen Lawrence, klawrenc@computan.on.ca. Copyright Karen Lawrence©. Cat sketches courtesy of Cindi Farnsworth©. Created: 1/29/97 Updated: 2/9/97