Combating stress level in felines

An ideal home should be a penetralia of peace and we all have dreams about it. It should be a place where you can retreat after a bad day at work. Let’s make our home purrfect for our felines as well. Here are a few ways to make life stress-free for our felines.

• Just like you, cats also need their own personal space. So, create a place, which your cat can claim as his very own. 
  
  


• Your jetsetting lifestyle is not an excuse to connive your cat. Give quality time to your kitty and he will fill your life with happiness. 
  
  


• Everybody loves pleasant voice, including our kitties. Don’t yell or scold him. Talk to him in a cheerful tone and see him react in a positive manner. 
  
  


• If you own a cat family, always give separate space for small kittens and younger cats, otherwise the big one may terrify the smaller ones. 
  
  


• Cat’s hearing is far more acute than humans so noise can severely stress your cats. Sound of vehicles or shouting may make them fearful. Give them a noise-free environment. 
  
  


• Like hearing, cats have a wonderful sense of smell and strong perfumes may irritate them. So be careful while you use that favourite bottle of spray. 
  
  


• Cats are very playful. Playing with them can reduce his stress as well as yours. So, what are you waiting for, pick up that toy and play with your kitty. 
  
  


• Cats need a balanced diet to keep their body healthy and lead a stress free life. Consult your vet to formulate a balanced diet for your cat. 
  
  


• Check out for signs of stress like excessive grooming, pacing up and down the room etc. Your vet can also test his cortisol level - if it is high, your kitty is stressed. Act now to make him happy. 
  
  


• More importantly, love him abundantly and give him attention and you will be blessed with a loving and happy cat.

Declawing cats: more than just a manicure

People choose to declaw their cats for a number of reasons: some are frustrated with shredded drapes or furniture, some are worried about being scratched, and others simply feel that a declawed cat is easier to live with. In many cases, cats are declawed preemptively, as a part of a spay/neuter package offered by veterinarians, even before claw-related problems occur.

Too often people believe that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat’s nails, the equivalent of a person having her fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe and, if performed on a human being, it would be comparable to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

Declawing can leave cats with a painful healing process, long-term health issues, and numerous behaviour problems. This is especially unfortunate because declawing is an owner-elected procedure and unnecessary for the vast majority of cats.

What about laser surgery?

During laser surgery, a small, intense beam of light cuts through tissue by heating and vaporizing it, meaning there’s less bleeding and a shorter recovery time. But the surgical technique itself is similar to the traditional method (or “onychectomy”), with the laser simply replacing a steel scalpel blade. So while the use of a laser may slightly reduce the duration of the healing process, it does not change the nature of the procedure.

Tenectomy

Another procedure introduced more recently effectively deactivates cats’ claws by severing the tendons that extend the toes. Called a “tendonectomy,” the surgery retains the claws in the paws and is often thought to be more humane because of its shorter recovery time. But the method has its own set of problems. Since cats are unable to keep their claw length in check through vigorous scratching, owners must continually trim nails to prevent them from growing into the paw pads and causing infections. And though tendonectomies are generally considered less traumatic because of decreased post-operative pain, a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found the incidence of bleeding, lameness, and infection was similar for both procedures. Furthermore, the American Veterinary Medical Association does not recommend tendonectomies as an alternative.

While there have been changes in the way that cats are declawed, it’s still true that for the majority of cats, these surgical procedures are unnecessary. Educated owners can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows animal and owner to happily coexist.

Declawing and tendonectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat has a medical problem that would warrant such surgery-or after exhausting all other options, it becomes clear that the cat cannot be properly trained and, as a result, would be removed from the home. In these cases, a veterinarian should inform the cat’s caretakers about complications associated with the surgical procedures (including the possibility of infection, pain, and lameness) so that owners have realistic expectations about the outcome. There is just as much evidence to support the case against declawing as there is research to support it, with some studies finding few or only short-term adverse reactions to the surgery and others finding medical complications and significant differences in behaviour.

Purchasing or building a scratching post is an important step in training a cat to avoid destructive scratching.

(Reprinted with permission from The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org)

Kalpaka: the amazing survivor

Our heart bleeds when we witness the life of our loved ones slip away from us. I also stared at the startling reality when my little white kitty Kalpaka fought with the messenger of death. But I was fortunate to get this bundle of joy back and fill my life again with happiness.

I met Kalpaka accidentally on the pavement when I was a volunteer with a local cat shelter three years ago. He was breathing hard from a severe upper respiratory infection and looked half starved. A man at the pavement teashop told us that he survived mainly on biscuits thrown to him. I picked him and brought him home and fed him. Slowly he started responding to medications and seemed to do fine. But soon, I noticed that his stomach looked enlarged, and his breathing laboured.

I rushed him to the vet and further investigations revealed that he had an enlarged liver and ascites. He had to be given small doses of lasex every second day to clear the fluids in his system. Since he needed personalized care, I didn’t have the heart to leave him at the shelter and so Kalpaka stayed with us.

With the help of my vet and a senior homeopath, Kalpaka returned to life like nothing had happened. What is more interesting, he did not seem to need the lasex anymore. From a heavy cat who puffed and panted every step of the way, he became more active (although he still prefers the lift to the stairs and is known as the lift cat!). We are quite sure it was the diet of biscuits (rich butter biscuits!) that made him ill, and the cat food that restored the balance gradually!

Today Kalpaka still purrs like a busy engine, loves to bully the younger cats, and has the softest corner in my heart!!

What your cat’s body communicates?

Love is a communion of hearts and needs no language... While two souls are bonded with love, silence becomes the most beautiful thing between them... a look or a gentle caress speaks thousands of words. However...while sharing quality time with our kitty cats, we all wish they could speak.

Truly, they speak to us but we should be intelligent enough to understand their language.

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I never knew why my husband always had a cup of tea waiting for me, no matter what time I came home from a meeting at night. One night I asked him and he said Sophia - our Siamese cat - lets me know you are coming! When I asked him how she did this he said that about 15 minutes before I arrived home, Sophia would get up from her sleeping spot and just walk to the front door and wait for me to walk through the door and, after a few meetings, he decided she knew I was on the way and he just made the tea. I can only believe she was telling my husband, in her own way, that I would soon be home. Sophia and I were very close, we bonded very quickly and remained so until she left us so I always felt that she just knew I was almost home and that she was waiting for me. Such is the power of body language of cats!

Cats are very affectionate and loyal to their owners. They appear to accept everything that is done for them but in fact, they do not take it for granted and appreciate our every attention and care and the security we give them. They are both dependent and very independent which is why they are so special.

Kitty cares

We all have seen that cats rub up against furniture and even on our legs and chins. This is their way of leaving their scent on us and letting any other cat know that we belong to them and ‘stay away’. We should be flattered when our cat or kitten does this, because it means they care about us and we belong to them rather than they belong to us.

Kitty bonding

Another interesting activity with cats is that they wash themselves and each other constantly. But if we happen to touch or pat them, they start all over again. Cats also appear to enjoy washing each other and spend an incredible amount of time washing their feline companions. Obviously they are transferring their scent but we have to wonder if the reason is companionship and real affection. It is possibly the body language they have with each other.

Kitty dislikes

Some cats, irrespective of breed or sex they belong, have a definite dislike for each other and nothing we do makes any difference. It is very difficult to make out the reason behind this disharmony. But if we sit quietly and watch them circle each other, arch their backs and hiss and snarl they are obviously, in their own way, giving off the language that they are very unhappy in each other’s company.

Kitty territory making

Stud male cats spray on anything and everything in their surroundings. Sometimes desexed males and females do the same but not so often. This is another way of letting other cats know that this is their territory and they do not want any intruders. Another form of body language!

Kitty communicates

Whilst cats cannot actually use the words, they are extremely clear about letting us know what they want in their own way. Sometimes all of us feel that someone is staring at us, we look around and there is our cat just looking at us, sitting very still but never taking their eyes off us. One of my Siamese used to do this for quite a while and then calmly jump up on top of the refrigerator and sit there until I opened the door and prepared her dinner. I was in no doubt what she was asking me to do. No purring, no meowing, just silently communicating in her own way.

You should never ignore the message your cat is trying to pass on to you. We hug and embrace each other and our purr friends, no doubt, do the same, but in their own way, by rubbing against our legs, sitting on our laps and purring. How lucky we are to have the joy and affection of such beautiful companions who tell us, every day, how much they love us.

(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)

Tips for a cool and confident kitty

• For the healthy development of the kittens, it is important that they stay with the mother till they are eight weeks old.


• Socialize kittens as they react more readily in the presence of the mother cat.


• Kittens who are not socialized become scared and stressed and the chances of succumbing to diseases grow larger.


• The more contact and handling a kitten receives from human, the better adjustment she can make.

(Sudhersena is a volunteer at Blue Cross since 1998, an avid animal lover; she has 9 cats and 3 dogs. She is associated with a number of animal welfare campaigns and programs. For further info, contact: Blue Cross of India, 72 Velachary Road, Chennai - 32, or email - bci@bluecross.org.in)

Turkish Angora… a purr poetry in motion

They are beautiful… like an angel, loving… like cupid, mighty…like a king and healthy…like an athlete.

Royal charisma…

Elegant, brilliant and loving are the purrfect words to describe the Turkish Angora. Elegant…. Oh yes! A lithe Turkish Angora sits up regally on her long, finely boned legs, a silken sheen of gossamer fur dripping from her slender, graceful neck, with her delicately pointed face and large, expressive, almond eyes. Large, pointed, tufted ears set high atop her head like a crown. Definitely, these royal kids are the real enthrallment for both breeders and the owners.

Graceful persona...

Admirable look and fur deep beauty…their true elegance lies in action and so they are fondly called “purr poetry in motion.” You haven’t seen true beauty until you’ve seen an Angora in action. They move with the fluid, coordinated grace of small, furry ballet dancers.

Kitty…my friend

They will reward you with exuberant affection and entertain you with their wonderful sense of humour and love to show off. They do things as if they possess intuitional powers and are ready to help you always. They adore their owners and will follow about the house trying to assist, no matter what the task. They are extremely inquisitive and can search your closets, drawers or even your purse, looking for heaven knows what.

Purr in track suit…

They are athletic and love nothing better than leaping to the tops of doors to make them swing to and fro. You will wonder how they can possibly reach the high places in which you will find them.

Groom…like anthology of a flower

The kittens are little imps from the moment they begin to walk. They are fuzzy little balls of fur, scampering around the house. Their coat usually starts to change at the age of nine weeks and it becomes silky when they mature. As teenagers (4-8 months), the coat is rather short, having just a fluffy tail and a little bit of britches and belly fur. As they near eight months, the coat lengthens and fills out. The mature coat is finally attained at about two years or earlier when the cat is neutered or spayed.

Love…only you…

Angoras tend to bond with one favorite person rather than the whole family, and for that reason are particularly good companions for people living alone. They still will shower affection on others they know and like, but only at their chosen person will they gaze with large, liquid eyes full of trust, adoration, and devotion. They become ever-present companions showing unconditional loyalty and love.

Disease keeps at bay…

Turkish Angoras have roamed the countryside and villages of Turkey, virtually unchanged through many centuries. The character that led to their survival is strongly instinctual and very intelligent. They are very hardy breed, having few, if any, health problems. Their silky single coats, developed through eons to protect them in the cold Turkish winters, while shedding down to almost nothing in the heat of the Turkish summers; have a sensuous, satiny feeling to the touch, unlike that of any other breed.

Barbara E Azan has been breeding Turkish Angoras for the past 37 years at Azima Turkish Angora Associates, Damascus. For more details, log on to: www.turkish-angoras.com, email: barbazan@yahoo.com

Rabies is one of the most dreaded diseases

Rabies is one of the most dreaded diseases. Here, The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) attempts to demystify this gruesome disease, rabies. 

Q : What is rabies? Which part of the body does it affect?

A : Rabies is a fatal viral disease, which affects the central nervous system. It causes inflammation of the brain, leading to death. 

Q : How is rabies spread?

A : It is transmitted when infected saliva enters broken skin. This means through the bite of a rabid animal or through its lick on an existing cut or wound. The disease is not airborne and has very rarely been spread by aerosols. It can be spread by all warm-blooded animals (especially mammals), but for humans, dogs are the most important source of infection. 

Q : Is it curable?

A : Once the symptoms are developed, it is not curable. However, it can be successfully prevented by prompt post-exposure treatment. 

Q : What is the duration of the disease?

A : The ‘incubation period’ is roughly 10 days to one year. It depends on several factors including the site of entry of the virus into the body. Generally, the closer the bite is to the brain, the quicker the progress of the disease. Once clinical signs appear, the disease progresses rapidly to death, generally within 5 to 7 days. 

Q : What are the signs?

A : First there are vague, non-specific signs such as fever, nausea or pain. Thereafter, canine rabies can take one of two forms: ‘furious’ rabies or ‘dumb’ rabies. In the furious form, there is great restlessness, abnormal behaviour, salivation, weakness of the back legs and paralysis. The dog is hyper-excitable and aggressive, biting even imaginary objects. In the dumb form, dogs show in-coordination leading to paralysis, and want to hide in dark places. In both forms, there are changes in the voice and inability to swallow. In the last stage, paralysis causes respiratory failure, leading to coma and death. 

Q : Does a dog showing these signs definitely have rabies?

A : Not necessarily. Of course, if all the signs are present, there is a strong possibility of rabies. However, certain neurological or other disorders can also show several of these symptoms. Salivation can be caused by foreign bodies or ulcers in the mouth or even by poisoning. People also tend to interpret provoked biting as rabid behaviour. Hence diagnosis should be carried out only by experts. 

Q : How is rabies diagnosed?

A : It can be diagnosed either clinically or by laboratory examination. For clinical diagnosis, the veterinarian looks for a combination of symptoms, animal’s history and habits, his attitudes towards his owner (in the case of pets) and towards other dogs. Laboratory examination of brain tissue is carried out after death. Blood tests (ie, ELISA) can be carried out on living animals but are not commonly performed. A layperson is not qualified to diagnose rabies and may cause much harm by attempting to do so. 

Q : Is it true rabid dogs cannot bear the sight of water?

A : No, it is more a case of being unable to drink water due to painful spasms and paralysis of the muscles, which assist swallowing. This condition also causes salivation, since the dog cannot swallow his saliva. 

Q : Do all stray dogs carry rabies?

A : No. However, they are very vulnerable, since many of them are still unvaccinated and unlikely to get post exposure vaccinations after a bite. 

Q : Can pet dogs get rabies? Should they be vaccinated?

A : Yes! Unvaccinated pets who roam freely are at very high risk. Official sources indicate that about half of human rabies deaths are caused by the bites of pets. Pet dogs should be vaccinated every year. 

Q : If I am bitten or licked by an animal suspected of rabies, what should I do?

A : Act quickly. (a) As soon as possible, wash the wound for at least 10 minutes with soap water. The importance of washing cannot be overemphasized. It removes 94.4% of the viral particles. (b) Next, disinfect the wound with Dettol, Cetavelon, Betadine or spirit. (c) Consult a doctor and start your post-exposure vaccination course. If any unknown dog makes an unprovoked attack, take the full course. If a known dog makes a provoked attack, take 3 vaccinations at least. In either case the dog should be observed for at least 14 days. This is because in dogs, death generally occurs within 10 to 12 days after the virus reaches the salivary glands. If the animal shows no signs within this period it is more or less safe to assume that he will not have transmitted rabies. 

Q : Can an animal who shows no signs of rabies transmit the disease?

A : In real life it is extremely unlikely that a dog who shows no sings will transmit the disease. There is a ‘carrying’ stage called the incubation period, from the time when the virus enters the body and starts multiplying, up to the time it reaches the brain and the animal starts showing signs. Transmission during this period has been very rarely observed and only under laboratory conditions. 

Q : Can puppies be born with rabies or get it through their mother’s milk?

A : They cannot be born with it, but the virus could be found in the mother’s milk. However puppies of a rabid female dog are at higher risk through their mother’s lick and bites. 

Q : If I am bitten by rabid animal, will I definitely get rabies?

A : No. In fact, human beings are relatively low susceptibility to rabies. According to statistics, on an average only 15-20% of people who have been bitten by proven rabid animals and received no post-exposure treatment die from rabies. However, please do not ever neglect your post exposure treatment. With rabies, you should not take a chance. 

Q : What is the rate of human rabies deaths in India?

A : The rate is estimated about 25,000-30,000 deaths per annum. In Mumbai, there were about 50 deaths a year until 1992. The deaths have considerably dropped by 2001, largely due to the implementation of mass vaccination as a preventive measure. 

Q : What should I do if I see a rabid-looking stray dog?

A : Call the Municipal Dog Squad and ask them to catch the dog immediately and isolate him for observation. (WSD is a non-profit organization carrying out a mass sterilization-cum-vaccination programmme for stray dogs in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. In the last few years, the organization has sterilized and immunized over 22,000 stray dogs.

They can be contacted at: The Welfare of Stray Dogs, C/o Akanksha, Voltas House ‘C’, TB Kadam Marg, Chinchpokli, Mumbai-33. Tel: 022-23733433/9892974973. or email: wsd@wsdindia.org)