Keeping your cat happy indoors

While many cats enjoy being outside where they can hunt, prey and explore their surroundings, it’s a myth that going outside is a requirement for feline happiness. Playing regularly with a cat easily satisfies her stalking instinct, keeps her stimulated, and provides the exercise she needs to stay healthy and happy. In fact, the indoor cat who gets lots of attention and playtime is likely happier than the indoor-outdoor cat who is generally ignored by her human companions. Here are some tips for safely confining your cat and making the great indoors an interesting, feline-friendly environment that meets all of your cat’s needs.

• Start young. Kittens who are kept indoors usually show no desire to venture outside when they grow up.


• Provide a screened porch or other safe way for your cat to experience the outdoors. Consider building or purchasing a “cat fence” or similar enclosure. Such an enclosure can allow your cat to experience all the pleasures of the great outdoors without risks. However, a fence may not prevent animals from entering your yard, so you should always be present when you allow your cat outside. And be sure to catproof the yard by checking that the fence has no escape routes and by making toxic plants, garden chemicals, and other dangerous objects inaccessible.


• If you live in a peaceful neighbourhood in which you can walk without encountering loose dogs, consider buying a harness and training your cat to walk on a leash. This training takes time and patience, for both you and your cat, and it’s easiest when your cat is young. Some cats can even be trained to sit on your lap while you are on the deck or patio, or harnessed and tied to a stationary object to enjoy the outdoors while you are gardening nearby (but be sure to never leave your cat alone while she is tied to a stationary object).


• Install a perch near a sunny window; padded perches can be purchased from many pet supply stores or through catalogue retailers. Another option is an enclosure that sits in a window frame (much like an air conditioning unit) and provides a secure space in which your kitty can “hang out.” Larger options are available that attach to the side of a house or ground-floor apartment patio. It’s best to allow your cat access to these when someone is at home to supervise.


• Buy a ready-made cat tree (often called a “kitty condo”), or make your own. A cat tree may stretch from floor-to-ceiling or be shorter. It provides great climbing opportunities and, in multi-cat households, creates more play and rest areas by taking advantage of vertical space.


• Play with your cat each day. Try different types of toys that recreate “fishing,” “chasing,” and “flying” prey. And leave “toys” such as paper bags and cardboard boxes out when you are not at home.


• Give your cat a feline friend—they can provide one another with companionship and entertainment.


• Plant cat grass (available from pet supply stores) in indoor pots so that your feline can graze.


• Clean the litter box regularly.

Even cats who are protected from roaming free should still be outfitted with a collar and visible identification. The occasional open window (make sure your windows have secure screens) or door offers a tempting opportunity for your cat to explore the outdoors. And your cat may become frightened and make her way outside, if strangers come to work on your house or if there is a fire or similar disaster. The collar and visible ID could help someone get your pet back to you. For extra insurance, consider your cat microchipped. If you do lose your cat, contact your local animal shelter immediately to file a report. Shelter workers can give you tips on getting your pet back home safely.

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

Introducing two cats

Introducing a new cat to another is not a child’s play. Here are a few things to be kept in mind before they meet.

If aggression, be it smooth…

Sometimes introducing one cat to another goes very smoothly, without any fur flying or scratching and biting. Regrettably, this is not always the case and steps need to be put in place to do this slowly. Make absolutely sure that both cats have had their nails trimmed and smoothed with an emery board to avoid serious scratching. Indoor cats should always have their nails trimmed and smoothed down on a regular basis.

Tidy kitty, germ free…

Never bring a new cat into your home without isolating him for 2-3 days to make sure that there is no chance to pass on any virus or infection.

Cordial climate, better understanding…

The social adjustment of two cats can usually bring about a fair bit of sniffing, crying and jealousy. The cat who has lived in the house for sometime will try to dominate the new arrival just to let her know who is boss and this is his territory. Usually they will settle down after a few days and peace will reign. When you are watching them, they will generally act as if they are not getting along but when you leave them alone, very often they will settle down together and be good friends.

Means for being intimate…

I have found that by rubbing butter on to the new cat’s coat attracts the resident cat and once he has washed the coat of the new cat, they become friends. As with many animals, washing is a sign that they are bonding. It is important to make sure that the new cat has the ability to get away on her own if she is frightened or upset.

Familiar smelling…

I always believe that when picking up a new cat/kitten, it is a good idea to place a blanket that the existing cat has slept on for 2-3 days so that the smell can be transferred to the new cat. This really is a good idea because smell is very important to cats and it helps to lessen the smells of the new animal’s original surroundings. You can also rub the blanket over the new cat before letting him out of the carry box.

Change without realising…

One of the most important things to remember is that you MUST always keep making a fuss of the resident cat to avoid him feeling ignored. Cats are very sensitive to any changes in the way their parents treat them and if ignored for the newcomer they can become very despondent, jealous and often very naughty.

Just keep these things in mind and we hope that your resident feline welcomes the new one with open arms (or paws, I should say!).

Blindness in cats

If your cat is clumsy, bumps into objects or sleeps excessively, she may be blind. Here’s more on cat blindness.

Blindness is loss of vision in both eyes. Some cats become blind in one eye and some in both eyes. Your cat could be born blind or become blind due to age or illness. Blindness could also be a sudden or gradual. Gradual blindness is due to conditions like glaucoma, progressive retinal atrophy or cataract. Sudden onslaught of blindness occurs owing to injury, hypertension, stress and diabetes.

Watch out for…

It is difficult to notice that a cat is actually blind especially if blindness happens gradually. You may never know that your cat is blind. A cat’s sense of scent and memory compensate for the loss of her sight. Also whiskers become more important to blind cats to judge her proximity to an object. Sudden blindness in cats is more evident as the cat seems confused to things, time or place. She can bump into things and looks hesitant in walking.

Symptoms of blindness include clumsiness, bumping into objects, excessive sleeping, inability to find common objects, easily scared or startled and changes in usual behaviour. Take your cat immediately to a vet if you find your cat showing any of these symptoms.

Minimise blindness impact with love…

You can bring a lot of happiness to your lovely and intelligent blind cat by keeping her safe with love and care. Blind cat can lead a perfectly normal life as a sighted one as she memorises the position of furniture and objects in a room and can move about with perfect ease. But your carefulness as a perfect pet parent is needed. So, take care with these tips in mind:

• Avoid rearranging furniture often as this might confuse your blind cat.


• Keep her indoors and never let her go outside except under strict supervision.


• Place her litter box, food dish, bed, etc, at fixed spot. 


• Guide her with your footsteps, speaking or clapping.


• Interestingly, sighted cats are tolerant of bumpings by blind cats.

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

Sphynx : touching softly on every purrfect heart

Love, companionship and caress… here comes Sphynx, the embodiment of love, to delight all kitty lovers.



Love to be with you…always

The Sphynx are extremely outgoing cats. They are very people oriented and require a lot of attention. Being an active breed, they love to play. They are very inquisitive and really enjoy to participate in anything their parents are doing. They are highly intelligent and can often learn commands. They can even learn to play fetch very easily. They get along great with children, as well as other animals including dogs.

Hairless…yet beautiful

The main characteristic of the Sphynx is her hairlessness and it varies from cat to cat. The Sphynx have a wedge shaped head with large lemon shaped eyes and large ears as well as a long whippy tail. They have a nice sized body with a round belly. They come in various colours. The colour can be solid, spotted and even pointed with blue eyes. All coat and eye colours are accepted in the show ring.

Kitty Care…

Taking care of newborn Sphynx kittens can be challenging. They are very fragile at birth and remain so for the first few weeks of their life. Keeping them warm is a must. Sphynx cats tend to have a lot of energy so they need to be fed a high quality diet. Due to their lack of hair, they are indoor only breed. Sphynx cats and kittens like to be in an environment that is not less than 70 degrees F.

Grooming…I like it!

Just because they are hairless does not meant that they are maintenance free. They are not hard to take care of, but do require weekly grooming. A cat approved shampoo is recommended, as well as weekly ear cleaning.

The crux of all goodness…

The Sphynx has been compared to a few other animals for good reason. They are monkey-like because they love to climb and jump. If they get their mind set on doing something, they figure out a way to do it. They also like to sit and ride around your shoulders… They are also very much like man’s best friend, they love to greet their parents at the door when they arrive home. They love to sit on your lap while you are watching television or surfing internet. When bedtime comes, they prefer to sleep with you –usually under the blanket.

Healthy…with a delicate heart

The Sphynx are generally a healthy breed with a life expectancy just as long as any other cat. In recent year, the Sphynx breed has developed some heart issues such as Cardiomyopathy. Many breeders screen their Sphynx for heart issues prior to breeding. Typically an ultrasound of the heart is done to check for abnormalities. Then yearly rechecks are advised.

(Kim Copeland has been breeding and showing Sphynx for over 7 years. For more info about this breed, visit: www.bare-cats.com)