Cats & Kittens March April 2012 Issue

• Egyptian Mau: Spots are beautiful!


• Do cats and kittens need to drink cow’s milk?


• Ask the expert


• Amazing stress busters!


• Fantastic five feline fun facts


• Help a feral cat near you!


• Brush till it shines!


• Thought for toys

Thought for toys

Your kitty loves her toys... these are her most prized possessions. You need not to buy her expensive toys every time, even paper bags can keep her entertained.

Just like a child, your kitty loves to play. Here’s how to keep your kitty engaged and happy:

• Keep an array of toys for your cat but limit her access to a few toys at a time. Rotate them every few days.


• Toss a balled-up tissue or waxed paper and let your kitty play the ‘catch and kill’ game.


• Give her a couple of ping-pong balls when she is bathing.


• The round centres of tissue rolls, tapes, etc make excellent kitty toys.


• Paper bags without handles and cardboard boxes encourage her curiosity. You will find her exploring them for hours on end.


• Old cotton socks with catnip or soft material and tied at the end will act as a stimulant for her.


• Empty clean containers and bottles which can roll on the floor can keep her amused.


• Do not give her anything which she can swallow as it can be dangerous.


• Toys without glue-on decorations or trim are fine. In case your kitty loves a toy with some decorations that can be harmful, remove them. Don’t worry if you have an ugly looking toy without eyes or hair – your kitty loves it, so who cares?

Brush till it shines!

As a judge, I come across cats who are beautifully groomed only to find that the hair on their tummy is matted and tangled. Presentation and grooming is important and it means the whole cat and not just the top coat. However, regardless of whether your cat is a loving companion or a show cat they all deserve to be groomed with care and affection on a daily basis or at least 4-5 times a week. Here’s how to groom your kitty’s coat.

Bringing a kitten into your home is a lifelong commitment and grooming is a major part of owning a cat. It is very rare for a cat not to enjoy being groomed by their pet parent and over the time this develops a wonderful, loving relationship between you and your cat.

The basics of cat hair...

There are three types of cat hair: primary or guard hair within the outer coat; awn hair that is medium-sized hair forming part of the primary coat and secondary or downy hair found in the undercoat. Guard hair is coarser, thick, straight hair and taper to a fine tip. Such hair keeps the body warm and protects the skin. Awn hair is finer but thicker just below the tip of the hair and also helps to keep the cat warm and gives protection to the body. The thinnest hair of the undercoat is soft and can help regulate the body temperature and prevent heat loss.

A few exceptions in cat coats are the Devon Rex, Cornish Rex and Selkirk Rex that have curlier, wavy coats and generally are not quite as thick as the normal breeds of cat. Their whiskers can be very curly and appear to be more brittle than most cats and break easily if pet parents are not careful when handling their cats. The Sphynx breed is almost totally hairless but we often see this breed with wisps of hair at the end of their tail and in the area of their ears. The Sphynx also can have a fine down on their bodies. It is interesting to note that whatever the colour of the skin of this breed is the colour of the hair would be if they had a full coat.

Changes in coat as the kitten grows...

Kitten coats feel very soft until they are approximately six months old. They generally have a fair amount of guard hair but as they age you will notice that their hair can be longer and becomes coarse. Every breed of pedigreed cats has their own type of hair whilst the range of hair in the domestic cat varies a great deal.

Shedding is normal...

All cats shed hair. Shedding is perfectly normal in a cat’s life and is generally influenced by light so that cats who live outdoors may appear to lose more hair, especially during periods of longer daylight. Indoor cats can shed far more than those who permanently live outdoors and this can be annoying if the pet parent does not look after their cat’s coat. The way we look after our cat has a lot to do with shedding of the coat. A good diet is very important, males and females often shed differently, the climate can make a big difference as well as hormones and how much sunlight or fresh air your cat gets. Age also has a lot to do with a cat’s coat and quite often the older cats will lose their coat more frequently than younger animals. Sick cats can also lose a lot of hair and this can be helped by gentle and careful grooming to maintain the coat.

Grooming a long-haired cat...

Pet parents of long-haired cats must be especially vigilant with the care of their cat’s coat. A longhaired cat will get tangles and matting if not looked after properly – this means combing and brushing on a regular basis. Matting of hair is seen behind the ears, on the abdomen and at the back of the hind legs. However, a cat whose coat is neglected, especially a long-haired coat who has extensive matting throughout the whole coat often means a trip to the veterinarian to have the coat shaved.

It is a good idea to check the rear end of your long-haired cat to make sure that they do not have bowel or urine attached to their hair. A bad smell on your cat is unpleasant for all concerned and should not be allowed as it can cause health problems like skin infections.

Grooming a short-haired coat...

If your cat has shorthair that does not mean that their coat does not need regular attention. Even short-haired cats get tangles and they require good grooming at least 3-4 times a week – more if you have the time and the cat will enjoy the brushing and combing.

You are responsible for the well being of your cat...

• Tangles and an unclean coat can be very painful for any animal and an unhappy cat can be difficult and cranky and not the loving, friendly companion that we desire.


• Matted and unclean coat will lead to skin allergies and this causes infections and red and painful patches on the skin.


• Long-haired cats are more prone to hairballs and this is another good reason to keep up regular grooming. Hairballs can cause bowel obstructions and vomiting in cats.


• Cats can be treated for hairballs with laxatives prescribed by your veterinarian or small amounts of petroleum jelly. Again, a good diet and regular grooming can help prevent your cat developing hairballs.

So, cheers to happy grooming for happy cat!

Fantastic five feline fun facts

We all know our kitties are amazing... but here are some facts which would amuse one and all...

• Lion sneezed out the cat: If a Hebrew legend is to be believed, rats were menace and Noah prayed to the God to protect food from rats. The God answered his wish, made the lion sneeze and out popped the cat – the mouser.


• The sleepy heads: We all know our kitties love to sleep but have you ever wondered they sleep almost two-thirds of the day, which means if your cat is nine years old, she has been awake for just three years of her life. Now, that’s another thing that the growth hormones of kittens are released only during sleeping. So next time your mommy calls you a sleepy head, you know who the sleepy head is.


• Cats always get down from a tree backward: Have you ever noticed; whenever a cat climbs down a tree, she climbs backward. It is because all cat’s paws point in one direction, so she has to get down backward.


• World’s rarest coffee comes from cat’s stomach: Amazing but true, Kopi Luwak, the world’s rarest coffee from Indonesia comes from a wildcat known as Luwak stomach. The cat eats the coffee barriers and coffee beans inside through her stomach, which are then harvested from her stool and then cleaned and roasted.


• We are neat and cleanest: Kitties love to groom themselves all the time. But the fact is that cats spend nearly one-thirds of their waking hours cleaning themselves.

Ask the Expert.. Mar Apr 2012

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 is sneezing, has a runny nose and is coughing. Please help.
– Prashant Das, Kolkata

Dr KG Umesh: These signs are often caused by a combination of infectious diseases, with chronic recurrent viral infections complicated by secondary bacterial infections. Primary bacterial or fungal infections and non-infectious causes (foreign body, immune-mediated, dental disease, polyps, and growths) should be considered as well. Initial diagnostic testing is not indicated if clinical presentation fits with simple viral infection, but testing should be performed in complicated cases or if other causes are suspected. Isolation, good hygiene, and supportive care help control viral infections, and antimicrobial agents are often needed. Regular vaccination and other preventive health measures help. Please consult your vet for further treatment.

Do cats and kittens need to drink cow’s milk?

Many pet parents feed only cow’s milk to their cats and kittens. This causes diarrhoea, especially in kittens. People in general think that cow’s milk provides sufficient nutrition for their cats and do not give cat food but it is not so. Let’s shun this myth.

Let mother cat feed the kittens…

Mother’s milk which contains essential nutrients and antibodies is essential for the healthy growth of kittens till they are four weeks of age. After the kittens are four weeks, they can be weaned gradually and fed moist kitten food and later dry kitten food.

There’s more than cow’s milk…

Never give cow’s milk to orphaned kittens as this will cause diarrhoea as cow’s milk does not form an essential part of a cat’s nutritional requirement. The reason is that many cats are lactose intolerant and this may cause stomach upset and diarrhoea. Feral cats survive without drinking cow’s milk.

Food for your cat...

Kittens need good nutrition which can be found in commercial cat food. If your cat is lactose tolerant, you can give her milk occasionally. If your cat develops diarrhoea after drinking cow’s milk, immediately stop giving her milk.

Water is an essential nutrient…

Always provide them a bowl of fresh water. Cats who eat dry cat food require more water than those eating moist cat food.

Egyptian Mau: Spots are beautiful!

Elegant, royal, sweet temperament, loving, caring and a melodious voice – is there anything more you want from your feline? Your search for a purrfect cat ends at the Egyptian Mau.

Spotted beauty…

Egyptian Maus are small-sized short-haired cats with naturally spotted coat. Slender and muscular, they are the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat. Their legs are shorter in the front than in the back. Like cheetah, they have a skin fold under the belly, which helps them to stretch their legs and aid in running.

Sweet temperament…

He is serene, aware of the perfect mastery of his environment. He is sensitive to the various problems of the house and its occupants. If you are sick, he is just sad and will be attentive to your voice. With small children and their screams he is wary, but with older children who respect him, he will want to play ball.

The family bonding…

He has a royal appearance and a great affection for his family. He is always looking for the best place to observe the movements of the house. Loneliness weighs on him; left alone for too long, he may fall in depression. If absences are long, a second cat will be essential.

Games he play…

His games are mostly hunting games. He is tireless. Races are endless but they are punctuated by long naps as well....

The melody king…

He is quite talkative, but without excess. His voice is very melodious, like a cooing. He has a very wide meow, which starts with a “mia” - dry and imperative to finish with a languorous cooing.

In short, the Egyptian Mau is all you want in your purrfect feline companion.