Cats And Kittens March April 13 Issue

Bold is beautiful
- by Raul Hreniuc

The Peterbald (also called Petersburg Sphynx, especially in its native country Russia) is a breed of hair-losing cats, rather than a hairless one. They distinguish themselves from other hairless breeds by more elegant boning, long and delicate legs, Oriental head and large set apart ears. They are actually naked Oriental Shorthair or Siamese.

The purrfect play session…
- by Sudhersena

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy… same is with our kitties who need play not just for fun, but for bonding with their littermates and pet parents.

Ask the Expert..

It’s a TICA’s world!

The International Cat Association Inc (TICA) has thousands of members and hundreds of clubs all around the world. From New York to California, London to Moscow and Taiwan to Korea, you’re in TICA’s world. While customs and languages may differ, you will always find that everyone in TICA’s world shares one thing–the love of cats! TICA cat shows are fun. TICA cats are fabulous. And TICA members are friendly.

Love the tan!
- by Kritika Manchanda

It is a common sight to see cats and kittens lazing around in the sun. But have you ever wondered why this special fondness with the rays? Read on to find the answer.

Don’t break my heart!
Yes, cats can also suffer from heart disease. Some can be caused by nutrition, but most have a genetic basis. Here’s more on heart disease in cats.

Food wise!
- by Dr Goutam Mukherjee

We love to pamper our kitties with the food we eat. But beware, this can be harmful for your cat.

Food wise!

We love to pamper our kitties with the food we eat. But beware, this can be harmful for your cat.

Here’s a list of food that should not be given to your beloved kitties:

Milk: Large number of cats cannot tolerate milk because of lactose intolerance as cats cannot produce proper amount of lactic acid. The lactic acid contains lactase enzyme which breaks down the milk and helps in digesting it. Lack of enzyme results in upset stomach and diarrhoea. So, if your cat shows sign of diarrhoea after milk consumption, she is milk intolerant.

Raw fish: Cats like tuna fish but if she eats too much raw fish, it will destroy Thiamine and cause lots of problems in her movement.

Table scraps: When you eat, your untrained cat may sit in front of you and beg for food. Do not give her table scraps because it may contain oily and fatty food which may cause stomach upset or obesity. Besides, sharp chicken bones, fish bone or hard bone of mutton can cause perforation of oesophagus or stomach, bones may get stuck between two teeth, or in the throat and hard bones may cause breaking of teeth.

Eggs: Raw egg should not be given to the cat as this may cause bacterial infection. Cooked egg can be given, but in small quantity.

Onion and garlic: They are very harmful to your cat as they can destroy their RBC (Red Blood Cells) and cause anaemia.

Grapes: Like dog, it is very harmful to your cat as it causes gastric irritation and vomiting.

Chocolate: It contains Theobromine which causes CNS (Central Nervous System) and cardiacs stimulations; as a result, it increases blood pressure and may even cause death.

Liver: Don’t give liver everyday to your cat as it causes vitamin A deficiency, besides eye, skin and bone problems.

Tea and coffee: They contain caffeine which causes gastric irritation to your pets.

Candy, gum and cake: They are sweetened with Xylitol which causes liver damage, lethargy and vomiting.

Alcohol: It’s a strict ‘No-no’. Even a two teaspoon alcohol can kill your cat.

Commercial dog foods: It is not a substitute of cat food. Cat food contains Taurine which is important to maintain their metabolic activity and this is not present in dog food.

Bread: Bread contains yeast, which is fermented inside the body and produces alcohol, causing harm to your cat.

Human medicines: Never give your human medicines to your cat. Human pain killers cause blood vomiting and bloody stool.

So, before you toss that food towards your cat out of love, think again...is it harmful for our pet?

(Dr Goutam Mukherjee runs Get Well Pet Centre in Kolkata)

Don’t break my heart!

Yes, cats can also suffer from heart disease. Some can be caused by nutrition, but most have a genetic basis. Here’s more on heart disease in cats.

Heart diseases…

The most common heart diseases are known as Cardiomyopathy. There are often no signs that there is anything wrong with the cat. There are three basic forms of Cardiomyopathies: Dilated, Restrictive and Hypertrophic.

Dialated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a thinning and weakening of the heart muscle. There is also enlargement of the heart. Often this condition can be caused by an improper diet and can be reversed if proper nutrition is given to the cat. Lack of the amino acid taurine is often the cause.

Restrictive Cardiomyopathy (RCM) is when there is scarring on the heart muscle and it can no longer pump blood efficiently due to the heart chamber’s loss of elasticity.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is when the heart walls thicken in the left ventricle and impede proper pumping function.

Both HCM and RCM have a genetic basis. Cats with these conditions should not be bred as this condition is a dominant trait. HCM is the most common form of heart disease in all cats. The prognosis for such a disease is always guarded. Blood clots may be thrown which cause paralysis of the limbs or strokes. Death usually occurs from Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), with fluid buildup in the lungs and body tissues or can be due to a blood clot causing massive stroke or heart attack.

How is heart disease diagnosed?

Heart screening should be done by a Board Certified Veterinary Cardiologist or other equally qualified, trained and experienced veterinary professional. Early stages of HCM are usually not detectable via ECG or auscultation. At minimum, HCM screening should include a thorough physical examination and a two-dimensional cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram). Additional tests such as Colour Flow Doppler Ultrasonography may be done at the discretion of the breeder and/or veterinary professional.

DNA tests are available for some breeds such as Maine Coon and Ragdolls, but these do not cover all possible causes of HCM in the cats. These same tests are not valid in other breeds. So, even though there are some tools available using DNA for testing, the echocardiograms still need to be performed.

Breeding protocols

HCM can be treated if diagnosed early. There are various medications available to extend the life of our cats. It would be a much better solution to not breed cats who are HCM positive to begin with. Given that this disease may not appear until later in a cat’s breeding career, it is imperative to test older cats who have been used in a breeding programme to see if it is being bred into the lines, as well as testing the cats currently being used.

(To be continued in the next issue)

(Cánie V Brooks is a TICA All Breed Judge. Breeding and showing Bengals for 14 years, she is currently on the TICA Bengal Breed Committee, TICA Mentoring Committee, past officer for seven years in The International Bengal Cat Society.)

Ask the Expert.. March April 2013

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 am shifting from Bengaluru to Pune. I have two cats - three and five years old - who have never travelled. What is the best manner to travel with them – by road or flight? How do I accustom them to travel? Should I buy separate crates for them?
- R Murli, Bengaluru

Dr K G Umesh: One of the best investments you must make when you have cats is to buy a modern carrying

[caption id="attachment_8375" align="alignright" width="250"] Shy and Molly[/caption]

cage/crate that can be easily cleaned and disinfected. Cats being transported by whatever means should always travel in a safe carrier. If your cats live together and are familiar, you can put them in a single carrier. The pets should also have a tag to make it easy to track them if they get lost. Visit a vet prior to your journey to ascertain that the pets are in good health and are vaccinated. Give them a light meal about two hours before they travel. Let your pets ‘try out’ the carrying container before the trip and put a familiar-smelling stuff in the container to help your pets settle. Give your pets the opportunity to go to the toilet before they are put in the carrying containers. If you are planning to travel by road, make sure your cats are accustomed to car travel. This can be done by letting the cats just sit in the car without the car moving. When the cats are comfortable with this, take the cats round the block, and gradually move up to taking the cats on journeys for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc. You will also know if they are likely to be sick or excitable in the car. If your pets’ car sickness is truly motion related, your vet can also prescribe medications to fight travel illness.

The purrfect play session…

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy… same is with our kitties who need play not just for fun, but for bonding with their littermates and pet parents.

Importance of play…

Play comes natural to kittens. Kittens start to play when they are four weeks of age and this continues up to 10-14 weeks of age. During this period, kittens engage in social play with their littermates. Social play teaches kittens good social skills, improves motor communication and hunting skills. Play is also a stress buster and keeps your kitty physically fit. It is important to keep littermates together for 8-10 weeks so that kittens can learn acceptable social behaviour and also learn to bond with each other. Aggression in play may be seen more in kittens who have been raised solitarily since these kittens miss out on the chance of learning proper social behaviour from their littermates. The mother disciplines kittens who engage in rough play by hissing, whereas, littermates might just stop playing with the erring kitten. Between 12-14 weeks of age, social play begins to phase out and object play begins. Kittens stalk, chase, bite, pounce and learn hunting skills during this stage.

Here are a few tips to play with your kitty:

• You need not spend a lot of money on toys for your kitty. Cardboard boxes, ping-pong balls, paper bags, balls, fish-poles with a toy dangling on one end, stuffed soft toys, etc can provide lots of fun and amusement.


• Do not let your kitten play with chewable toys that could be potentially harmful.


• Do not play with your hands, feet or any other body part. It may be fun when your kitty is small but will soon become painful and dangerous when your kitten becomes an adult.


• Set aside short and fixed playtime sessions for your kitty.


• Kittens enjoy playing with a fish pole with a toy dangling at the end of it. Never dangle the toy right in front of the kitten’s face. Move the toy side to side and do not make it hard for the kitten to catch the toy otherwise the kitten will be frustrated. Allow a ‘cool down period’ after the play. This will again not discourage the kitten.


• If your family can handle another kitten, get one with the same age as your kitten. Kittens love companions and can provide fun and excitement for one another.


• Provide a variety of toys. This will keep the kitten interested and curious.


• Never hit the kitten in case he shows signs of rough play. He will start to fear your hands. Say a definite No.


• Reward the kitten for good behaviour during play.

Keep in mind that the play sessions are meant to provide fun for you and your kitty. So have fun!

(Sudhersena is volunteer at the Blue Cross since 1998 and an avid animal lover, owns nine cats and three dogs. She is associated with a number of animal welfare campaigns and programmes.)

Bold is beautiful

The Peterbald (also called Petersburg Sphynx, especially in its native country Russia) is a breed of hair-losing cats, rather than a hairless one. They distinguish themselves from other hairless breeds by more elegant boning, long and delicate legs, Oriental head and large set apart ears. They are actually naked Oriental Shorthair or Siamese.

Handsome looks...

[caption id="attachment_4704" align="alignright" width="250"] Pic courtesy: Owned by Refineddemon Cattery, www.peterbald.go.ro[/caption]

The Peterbald is actually a naked Oriental Shorthair or Siamese. This is an elegant mid-sized breed, Oriental in type, with wrinkled skin on the head and body. They have a slender body on high slim legs. The muzzle is long, with a straight profile. Ears are very big, wide at base and set wide apart. Whiskers and eyebrows, if they exist, are curly. The breed comes in the following varieties: completely naked (kittens born are absolutely hairless, with soft skin, warm and almost sticky to the touch, forming charming wrinkles on all body); flock (hair type is short, fine down made of sparse, rather little hairs; appear hairless from a distance); velour (kittens born with the most fine and rare coat (1-3 mm), skin feels velvet-like to the touch, they start losing their coat by the age of two months); brush (kittens have short, residual hair that is of a wiry texture and brush-like to the touch, they have curly whiskers); and straight-coated (kittens with normal coat and look like an Oriental Shorthair or a Siamese cat).

The Peterbald is a hair-losing breed. Most of the Peterbald kittens are born with more or less fuzz, which they start losing in their first weeks of life. This process can last until their reach the age of two years. The outcrosses include Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair.

Persona defined...

The Peterbald is a cat with strong personality. It is the cat of superlatives: intelligent, overwhelming, gushing temperament, unsurpassed obstinacy and a capacity worthy of all admiration to get their own way. Like their Siamese relatives, they are very ‘communicative’. They have sweet temper and they are peaceful, curious, smart and energetic cats. They are extremely attached to their pet parents, accompanying them everywhere, wanting to know and see what they are doing. Peterbalds have to be part of the family. They can’t stand being left alone, they need love and care.

Grooming needs...

The care and grooming of the Peterbald is relatively simple. The good thing is that brushing is obviously not needed. Even though their skin is not as oily as that of the Canadian Sphynx, their skin does get dirty, so it is necessary to bath them every few weeks. In between, you can clean their skin using baby wipes. Bathing is not difficult at all, as a kitten should be started at a young age in getting used to the water. Using a mild shampoo, lathering up and rinsing is all that is required. Towel drying is quick and easy and similar to drying your own skin.

Since there is usually no hair to protect the ears, regular cleaning is required with a cotton swab to get out any accumulated oils. Eyes should also be cleaned more frequently.

Through their graceful and special personality, the Peterbald becomes the centre of attention in no time.

(Raul Hreniuc runs Refineddemon Cattery, a TICA registered cattery in Romania. The cattery was established by breeding Oriental Shorthairs and now introduced Peterbald breeds; www.peterbald.go.ro)