Cats & Kittens Sep Oct 2011 Issue

Charming Exotic Shorthair!Foster Care Ask the Expert.. Introducing a New Cat to Other Pets When it’s time to call a vet… The chic look!

The chic look!

Cats are fastidious and a large part of a cat’s day is spent grooming in order to keep his coat in pristine condition. However, we must remember that we play a large part in keeping our cat clean and healthy and this must never be forgotten if we want a happy and contented cat.

[caption id="attachment_8259" align="alignright" width="127"] Joan Henderson[/caption]

Groom while young: Accustom your kitten with the brush or whatever else you choose to groom with. Little kittens do not need much grooming care, but when they have been introduced to grooming while young, they will not struggle against it when they mature. Brushing should be done regularly and should be a pleasurable experience for both the cat and the pet parents.

Coat care: Regular coat care keeps the fur free of ticks and fleas, prevents the coat from matting and being tangled (which is very painful for the cat) and helps to remove dandruff flakes that develop when the cat renews the skin beneath the fur.

Twice yearly, when preparing for the summer and winter, your cat will thin or fill out his coat. This is less noticeable in cats who are kept indoors than those who live outside, but it nevertheless occurs. Brushing will remove the excess fur and at these times should be done daily; hairballs which form in the cat’s stomach when he swallows hair following self grooming can cause very serious health problems which is why brushing is so important.

Clip the nails: The front claws should be clipped as needed. There are several types of nail clippers available; be sure to get one suited for cats. The thin red line in the nail, the quick, is where the vein begins. Do not cut into this as it will be very painful for your pet and it will bleed. If you have not yet learned how to trim properly or if you are afraid of hurting your cat, just trim off the very tip where the nail is most pointed. Use an emery board (nail file) to smooth the tip down so it is not rough and can scratch you. Take the help of your vet to clip his nails.

Clean the ears: It is very important that you take great care of a cat’s ears. They should be wiped out with cotton and mineral oil occasionally. Mites can accumulate in the ears and the brown matter that you see is generally caused by mites which really need to be eradicated immediately. Your veterinarian can also show you the correct way to do this but you must be very careful and not push the cotton too deep into the ear drum. Never put anything into the ear canal. Cats’ ears are very sensitive, and you can do permanent damage or injury to your pet if you are careless about ear care.

Take care of the eyes: Cat’s eyes are generally kept clean by the cat himself unless they have an infection or disease which needs to be attended to. The matter that appears daily in the corners of the eye is usually cleaned by the cat but keep a watch to make sure that this does not build up and create a problem. Some cats are quite lazy about eye care and you need to help them to keep their eyes clean at all times.

Bathe him when he needs it: The best rule about bathing a cat is to only do so when the cat needs a bath. Longhairs need more bathing than the shorthaired cats do as they can pick up bits of rubbish and dust in their coat which becomes tangled and uncomfortable. Use a feline shampoo only. Wash your cat in warm water, using as little shampoo as possible, and make sure that you completely rinse the shampoo out. This may take 2-3 rinses so that shampoo does not build up in the coat. If too much shampoo is left on the coat then the skin oils dry out and the cat scratches a lot. Make sure you towel dry the cat thoroughly or he may catch a cold.

Cats should not be bathed and then allowed outside because the coat could still be a little damp and the cat will pick up a chill. It is best to do this inside in a warm room and keep the cat confined.

The general care and bathing of a long hair cat requires a lot of attention and owners need to get some information from owners who really know how to do this. Longhair cats need combing and brushing daily to keep their coats clean and sparkling. After bathing it takes some time to GENTLY comb out any tangles from the coat and then carefully brush the cat until it is completely dry and comfortable. Longhairs need more bathing than the shorthaired cats do as they can pick up bits of rubbish and dust in their coat which becomes tangled and uncomfortable. Always remember that a cute, fluffy kitten with a reasonably short coat, will grow into an adult with a long coat that needs a great deal more care than a shorthaired cat. Persians and all longhair cats make very affectionate companions but they do need to be groomed daily or you will be facing an unhappy cat with a matted and tangled coat.

It is one of the major responsibilities of a cat owner that they keep their cats clean, healthy and with sparkling, shiny coats. Think about tangles in your own hair and consider how uncomfortable this is for a cat.

(Joan Henderson is based in Australia and she has judged furry felines in many other countries including USA, Bermuda, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand)

The Naming of Cats

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn’t just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I’m as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there’s the name that the
family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, or George
or Bill Bailey -
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think
they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that’s particular,
A name that’s peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there’s still
one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS,
and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

When it’s time to call a vet…

Your proud sweet feline is losing weight or is unusually lethargic…he is throwing up or is showing an abnormal behaviour…do not wait, call your vet immediately…your feline is probably sick. Here’s how to know if your kitty needs a professional care.

Kitties can’t talk but as a pet parent, you can analyse when your kitty needs a professional veterinary care. Here’s a list to make it easier for you to know when to call a vet:

• Hiding in a quiet, dark place


• Is lethargic, sleeping more than usual


• Yowling or crying


• Has become quiet all of a sudden


• Unexplained weight loss or gain


• Unusual aggressiveness


• Breathing problem


• Sneezing or coughing


• Has ticks or fleas


• Has ear mites


• Suffering from mange


• Has yellow skin


• Has bad breath


• Cannot digest anything, throwing up


• Has diarrhoea


• Loss of appetite


• Very thirsty or not drinking water


• Showing abnormal behaviour


• Does not react when you touch or pick her up


• Change in physical appearance


• Cannot move easily


• Lumps on the body


• Taking more time to heal wounds, blemishes, etc


• Has stopped grooming herself


• Discharge from any body opening


• Not urinating at all or blood in urine


• Excessive urination


• Excessive licking of genitals


• Litterbox issues – change in colour or consistency of poop

…there may be many more. You know your kitty best, observe her regularly and contact your vet immediately if you find any abnormalities. Remember, early detection of cat illness symptoms increases the likelihood that treatment will be successful, besides cutting down on the vet bills.

Introducing a New Cat to Other Pets

Wouldn’t it be nice if all it took to introduce a new cat to your resident pet were a brief handshake and a couple of “HELLO, My Name is...” nametags? But, since we’re dealing with cats, not people, it’s just not that simple, so you’ll need to have some realistic expectations.

Realistic expectations

First, it’s recognising and accepting that you can’t force your pets to like each other. We don’t have a crystal ball to predict whether or not your pets will be friends, but we do have techniques for you to use to increase your chances of success. Most importantly, choose a cat with a similar personality and activity level. For example, an older cat or dog might not appreciate the antics of a kitten.

You need to move slowly during the introduction process to increase your chances for success. You mustn’t throw your pets together in a sink-or-swim situation and hope they’ll work it out.

The nature of cats

Cats are territorial, and in general they don’t like to share. A cat who’s unhappy about a newcomer may express her displeasure by fighting with the other pet and marking territory (peeing on the floor, wall, objects).

Cats also dislike change, and a new cat in the house is a huge change. These two character traits mean you could have a tough (but not impassable) road ahead.

Being social

Some cats are more social than other cats. For example, an eight-year-old cat who has never been around other animals might never learn to share her territory (and her people) with other pets in the household. But an eight-week-old kitten separated from her mom and littermates for the first time might be glad to have a cat or dog companion.

All of this means that your current pet and your new cat need to be introduced very slowly so they can get used to each other before a face-to-face meeting. Slow introductions help prevent fearful or aggressive behaviour from developing. Below are some guidelines to help make the introductions go smoothly.

Be aware that the introduction process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, or even a few months in extreme cases. Be patient.

Confinement

To allow time for the newcomer to adjust to you and her new situation, keep her in a small room with her litter box, food, water, scratching post, toys and a bed for several days to a week.

• Feed your resident pets and the newcomer on each side of the door to this room, so that they associate something enjoyable (eating!) with each other’s smells. Don’t put the food so close to the door that the animals are too upset by each other’s presence to eat.


• Gradually move the dishes closer to the door until your pets can eat calmly while standing directly on either side of the door.


• Try to get your pets to interact with a toy. Tie a toy to each end of a string, then place it so there’s a toy on either side of the door. Hopefully, they’ll start batting the toys around and maybe even batting paws.


• Be sure to spend plenty of time with your new kitty in her room, but don’t ignore your resident cat.

The old switcheroo

To animals, smells are far more important than appearances, so you want to get your pets used to each other’s scent before they meet face-to-face.

• Swap the blankets or beds the cats use or gently rub a washcloth on one cat’s cheeks and put it underneath the food dish of another. If there are more than two animals in the house, do the same for each animal.


• When the pets finally do meet, at least their scents will be familiar.


• Once your new cat is using her litter box and eating regularly while confined, let her have free time in the house while confining your other pets to the new cat’s room. It’s best to introduce your new cat to a room or two at a time and increase her access to other rooms over a few days. This switch provides another way for them to experience each other’s scents without a face-to-face meeting. It also allows the newcomer to get familiar with her new surroundings without the other animals frightening her.


• You can do this several times a day, but only when you’re home to supervise. If you have to leave the house, put your new kitty back in her room.


• Next, after you’ve returned the cats to their designated parts of the house, use two doorstops to prop open the dividing door just enough to allow the animals to see each other.


• Repeat the whole process over a period of days—supervised, of course.

Slow and steady win the race

It’s better to introduce your pets to each other gradually so that neither animal becomes afraid or aggressive. Once the cats are face to face, though, there will be some kinks for them to work out.

If you’re really lucky (and your cats are inclined), they may do some mutual sniffing and grooming, and you’re on your way to success. They may sit and stare at each other. You can provide distraction by dangling toys in front of them at the same time. This may encourage them to play together.

They might sniff each other, hiss, and walk away. That’s to be expected. This may go on for a few days or so, and then you’ll probably find them both sleeping on your bed.

Break it up

If you’re not so lucky, they may be very stressed. Fortunately, they may only posture and make a lot of noise. But, as soon as there are signs of increasing aggression (flattened ears, growling, spitting, crouching), make a loud noise by clapping your hands or throw a pillow nearby to distract them. If the standoff continues, very carefully herd them into separate parts of the house to calm down. This could take up to 24 hours and the cats may take out their stress on you.

Be careful

If the cats fight repeatedly, you may need to start the introduction process all over again and consider getting advice from a vet or animal behaviourist.

Note: Never try to break up a cat fight by picking one up; you’re bound to get hurt.

Reducing tension

There are other things you can do to help ease tension between feline roommates.

• Have your cats examined by your vet before introductions to make sure they’re all healthy.


• Have one litter box per cat plus an extra one.


• Try to keep your resident pets’ routine as close to what it was before the newcomer’s arrival.


• Make sure all cats have a ‘safe’ place to escape to.

(This article is contributed by Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Established in 1954, HSUS seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals; www.hsus.org)

Ask the Expert..Nov Dec 11

Dr KG Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia.

Q: I have three cats - the problem I have is that they keep peeing everywhere - how do I stop this? How do I get them used to using the litter box?
– Shanaz Kader, Mumbai

Dr KG Umesh: Cats are naturally clean animals, for whom litter tray training is usually a relatively simple procedure. Kittens should start to use a litter tray as soon as possible. Ideally, the day that you bring your new kitten or cat home, you should make her aware of the location of the litter tray. The litter tray should be positioned in a quiet area of the house so that the cat may use it in private. The tray should not be sited near the cat’s feeding bowls, since cats do not like to soil the area near their food. It is best to provide a plastic litter tray which sides are not too deep, so that the kitten may easily get in and out, but will provide an adequate depth of litter in which she may bury her faeces. As the kitten grows up, the litter tray will need to be increasingly deeper. This will not only ensure that the litter is not scratched everywhere when the faeces is buried, but also that the cat does not ‘miss’ the tray when urinating.

Young kittens will often want to urinate and defecate when they wake up and after they have eaten. When litter training kittens, it is important to place them on the litter tray at these times and reward them for eliminating in the appropriate place. You will soon know when your cat is looking for a suitable place to use as a toilet, since she will start sniffing, scratching and begin to crouch, try to catch her and place her in the litter tray at this point. If your cat has a little ‘accident,’ clean up the soiled area, best with a non-ammonia based product, since your cat may perceive the smell of ammonia to be similar to urine.

Soiled litter should be removed at least once a day, ideally faeces should be removed as soon as you discover them. At least once a week the litter tray should be completely changed and the tray thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

If none of the above solves the problem of your cat soiling in inappropriate places, you should have your cat checked by a veterinarian to ensure that the problem is not due to an underlying medical condition.

Ask the Expert..Sep Oct 11

Dr KG Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia.

Q: My cat Bella gets wax frequently and keeps scratching her ears with her paws. There seem to be some small lumps inside her ears. Please help.
– Bhavya Mohan, Mumbai

Dr KG Umesh: Otitis externa (inflammation of ear canal) is a complex disease process involving primary, predisposing and perpetuating causes. The first goal of treating otitis externa is to discover and treat the primary cause. Identifying and treating/eliminating these causes is the key to resolving the condition. Foreign bodies and larger parasites, such as ticks, can often simply be removed under tranquilization or general anaesthesia. Ear mites can be treated with one of many commercially available products and appropriate treatment of endocrine and immune-mediated disorders help to resolve associated otitis. Management of allergic diseases, although sometimes difficult, also helps resolve associated otitis. Tumours and growths can be surgically removed. Perpetuating causes of otitis are the next concern for treatment. Infection, excessive exudates and inflammation of the canal are addressed through various ear cleaning protocols, topical therapies, and systemic therapies-often in combination. Finally, it is important to evaluate and manage or eliminate potential predisposing factors.

Charming Exotic Shorthair!

There is no one comparable to an Exotic Shorthair... they have a sweet teddy bear look, a docile and loving temperament and are much easier to maintain and groom.

The Lazy Man’s Persians…

Aptly termed as Lazy Man’s Persians, Exotic Shorthairs were bred to make a perfect pet for people who are looking for the laid back personality and their look, minus the grooming hassles. Their short, dense coat is very easy to maintain as against the long flowing coat of the Persians.

Historical facts…

The story of the origin of Exotic Shorthairs unfolded with American breeders who crossbred Persians in an attempt to strengthen their types in the early 1960s. But the resulting kittens were unique in appearance, rather different from what they expected. Looks of the kittens were quite appealing to the breeders who eventually decided to call them Exotic Shorthair.

Exotic look…

Like Persians, Exotic Shorthairs have a short compact body and large round head. They have a short but broad muzzle. Large round eyes, small nose and ears and sweet expression complete their adorable look. They have a short thick tail, which is carried low. Their coat is short, dense and fluffy. They can be found in many colours…in fact all colours of the rainbow and varied patterns!

Exotic persona…

They are extremely affectionate and win hearts wherever they go. Like Persians, they are gentle and well-mannered. They love to get attention…will follow you from room to room… and will hug you when you pick them up. They get on well with children and other pets. The Exotic Shorthair is an ideal breed who are quite, sweet and peaceful.

Love to play…

These playful cats love all types of games like chasing paper balls or playing with a toy. They are a real joy to be around! It is her easy-going nature that makes them so charming.

Simple care…

They are less-maintenance breed and need simple grooming routine like brushing the coat and wiping the eyes.

In all, Exotic Shorthairs bring cheer to a household…they are a bundle of good looks, sweet temperament and easy disposition.

(The author runs the cattery My Exotic Furs in New Jersey and can be reached at www.myexoticfurs.com)