Lets know our kitten better..

The population of cat lovers in India is increasing and people are welcoming the felines both in their hearts and homes. Here are a few kitten basics one should know to enjoy their companionship to the maximum:

• Bring the kitten home after she has been weaned from her mother.


• The socialization period of cat begins at about two weeks of age and ends at about eight weeks.


• Socialization can be achieved with about 30 to 60 minutes of human interaction per day when your kitty is two to eight weeks old.


• For most kittens, the optimum type of interaction is being stroked and talked to simultaneously, but this can vary depending on the personality of the kitten.


• It is essential that the kitten should interact with several people, since kittens, who are handled by one person only during the socialization period, tend to be fearful of unfamiliar people.


• It is also preferable that a range of people should be encountered, children as well as adults of both sexes, to build up a general image of the characteristics of the human race.


• Kittens who have received no human contact up to eight weeks old are difficult to handle. Socialize them right away but it will take more time and effort to achieve the same degree of friendliness.


• Kittens grown up with mothers who are reared at home are much easier to manage since their upbringing in kittenhood is smooth as compared to stray/orphan kittens, whose lives are affected with fight for survival.


• Stray/orphan kittens are scared of human touch and may snarl or claw when touched. They may take time to gain confidence.


• Kittens also learn by imitating their mother’s behaviour.

(Dr. Hatekar is a practicing veterinary surgeon in Pune. He has been trained in Germany and France for small animal orthopaedic surgery. He is a member of World Small Animal Veterinary Association and can be contacted at: 020-25463352, 09823288110, email: petaid1@yahoo.com)

Well! I ain't regular kitty

Muffin, my pet kitty is different...for all the good reasons, for sure. She is our loving furry friend. She came as a small ball of fur to us, when she was just one and half month old. One look at her, and we all fell for her and her cuddly cute antics further made us go crazy about her. We have two pet dogs also and they all share a wonderful rapport, in fact they all are inseparable. Cleo - my pet dog is Muffin’s better buddy and they roam, crawl and glide pawing each other from one room to another. She takes all the pride in drinking water from the dog’s bowl...their camaraderie is unmatched... true partners in mischief. Muffin, like a shadow follows him everywhere...even in the bathroom and they both have developed a habit of sleeping in the bathroom.

Muffin loves water; she skips our eyes and sits under running water, bathing to her heart’s content. Once, she just left us with fits of laughter, when she rushed to the bathroom and got herself completely drenched. Her curiosity is so strong that once she ended up in the toilet pot, luckily it was recently flushed and my brother saw and rescued her. Jokes apart! Our fun loving feline is a well-mannered cat, she sleeps in her basket, knows where the litter basket is and meows when she wants attention...she is a wonderful darling. We are glad to have her in our life.

Purrfect felines in the show ring in America

The warmth and friendship of the people involved in the cat world is wonderful. Cat shows throughout the world are fascinating and it is a feast for the cat lovers.

Here’s some info about the American cat shows:

• The show is held over 2 days.


• The owners bring their cats to the judging cages and then sit back and watch the judge assess and often talk about their cat or kitten.


• The cages where the cats are held, when not being judged are beautifully decorated with colourful curtains and cushions while judging cages are not decorated in any way.


• There are 6-10 rings, making it a busy day for the judges, stewards, ring clerks, show manager, workers and the owners of the cats.


• There are All Breeds Rings and Specialty Rings. In an All Breeds Ring, the judge has both longhair and shorthair cats to assess against each other. In a Specialty Ring, the judge has All Longhairs or All Shorthairs but never the two groups against each other.


• Cats are judged on the basis of awarding points.


• Any cat or kitten who bites or scratches a judge is marked U.T.H. (unable to handle) and wins no awards and cannot be judged by any other judge on the day.


• The American style show generally awards beautiful Rosettes to the Top 10 cats. The most important thing when entering a show is - win or lose, you always take the best cat home.

(Joan E. Henderson of Melbourne, Australia has judged furry felines in Australia, USA, Bermuda, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand. She can be contacted at felines@hotkey.net.au)

Keeping your furry pal cool in summers

While summers are the time to chill out, it is important to keep our felines cool. The cat’s normal body temperature is approx 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit, or 38.2 to 39.2 Celsius. If the outside temperature is hotter than this, then there is a high possibility that your cat may be susceptible to a heat stroke. But, a little love ‘n’ care can keep our felines cool and make summers enjoyable for both of you.

Here are a few tips to make summer easier for your furry felines:

• Senior, young and obese cats are more susceptible to heat stroke and so are the cats with health problems and certain breeds with short snouts such as Persian cats.


• Keep your furry pals in a cool area, providing plenty of fresh water and avoiding strenuous activity.


• Some of the symptoms of heatstroke include panting, drooling, red tongue and lips, lethargy, convulsions, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, high body temperature and coma.


• If any of these symptoms occur, try to bring down the body temperature of the cat to normal.


• Bring the cat from the hot area to a cooler place.


• Wrap her in cool wet towels and apply ice packs to the head.


• Once the body temperature return to normal, stop cooling or you may cause hypothermia in your cat.


• Monitor your cat’s rectal temperature every 5 - 10 minutes.


• Put a fan or air-conditioner on.


• Offer plenty of cool, fresh water.


• Do not force-feed the cat.


• Rush him to the veterinarian for a check up since a heatstroke may cause severe damage to the internal organs.

Sensational Siberians!

A Siberian is a perfect mix of all the right qualities - she's intelligent and playful, healthy, selfgrooming, and gets along well with children and pets.

Beautiful ‘n’ charming

The most distinguished feature of a Siberian is her boning. The cheekbones are low and wide, with the jaw neither pointed nor overstrong, the ears moderately wide set, the body strong and well muscled and the fur semilong. Females are significantly smaller than males and feel much less muscled when one holds them.

Other characteristic features include rounded/wedge shaped skull, short rounded muzzle and chin, somewhat widely set and preferably with tipping, rounded eyes, etc. Their coat is medium length with full undercoat. Siberian cats, once called Siberian Forest Cats, can be found in all colours.

Friendly ‘n’ intelligent

Generally a very mellow cat, Siberians are indeed a pleasure to be with. They are very friendly cats, unafraid and very fond of their own family. When the doorbell rings, they are the first to welcome - be it stranger or family. They are not easily startled or upset, have little terror of loud noises or water. They are often fond of high places, as well as their owner’s laps. Siberians seldom meow but often use a trill or chirp in greeting. They have a moderate energy level, like to play, and often will fetch.

Keeping her pretty

The semilong fur goes through twice yearly heavy shedding. While the Siberian cat is an excellent groomer, it is a very good idea to groom your cat daily during this stage.

Watch out for health problems

Siberians are at risk for the genetically transmitted disease HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). They are also prone to suffer from feline lower urethral tract disease or feline urethral syndrome.

These diseases run in the same or higher incidences in many or most breeds of cats.

Siberians form lovely companions. Simply bring this extraordinary cat home and bask in their intelligence, affection, and amiability.

(Kit Humphrey, Featured Columnist of Cats & Kittens, is a physician who is retired due to chronic illness. For Siberian Gatos Cattery in the US, the author is responsible for cattery policies and choices. This includes a program to eliminate Corona Virus, HCM, B a r t o n e l l a , Toxoplasmosis, etc. You can contact her atkit.humphrey@comcast.net or visit http://siberiancats.home.comcast.net/index.html)