Cats & Kittens Jan Feb 2013 Issue

Picture purrfect!
Purrfect homecoming!
Ask the Expert..
Love expressed!
Meows in movies

Ask the Expert.. Jan Feb 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: My three-year-old cat Tom is having a lot of hair fall, especially in certain area patches. Is this some allergy? What should we do?
- Ashish Shukla, Ghaziabad

Dr K G Umesh: Hair loss/shedding is a common complaint with skin disorders and results from number of

[caption id="attachment_8385" align="alignright" width="300"] Chokki[/caption]

causes. Cats may shed excessive hair because of stress, worms, harsh climate and general illness. Therefore, my approach would be to find underlying cause(s) like fleas, ticks, mange or allergy, hormonal imbalance, bacterial or yeast infection, etc and then your vet will be able to recommend suitable medications that will eliminate the cause and therefore hair fall. Balanced and complete nutrition is most important for healthy skin and hair coat.

Ask the Expert.. Jan Feb 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: I have two Persians – Bhombol (female) aged three years and Bhodka (male) aged two years. When can I breed them?
– PK Bandyopadhyay, Goa

Dr KG Umesh: Female cats have generally their first season during six and nine months of age. Cats do not

ovulate unless they are bred. The stages of oestrus cycle (season) in the queen are anoestrus, proestrus, oestrus and interoestrus. Proestrus lasts for 2-3 days without showing any signs and queen won’t want to mate. Oestrus lasts between 2-10 days and shows signs such as vocalisation, rolling and rubbing against inanimate objects and sticking her back end in the air. This means she is in season and will want to mate. Interoestrus occurs if queen doesn’t mate and may last for 3-14 days. Anoestrus is period when there is no hormonal activity. Pregnancy length for cats is approximately 64 days and may vary from 53-65 days.

Cats & Kittens Jan Feb 2012 Issue

• Thai cats Gentle n’ elegant


• Beat the chill!!


• Ask the Expert.. Jan Feb 2012


• Aggression between cats


• Kitty first-aid tips


• One Act…


• Games your kitty always loves to play

Ask the Expert.. | Jan Feb 2011

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 who is nine years old is showing pain and difficulty in movement. Please do advice.
Ajith, Coimbatore

Dr KG Umesh: Your pet may be having neuromuscular, skeletal or joint problem considering age and symptoms mentioned here. Some causes of pain in senior cat include joint diseases, inflammatory or infectious diseases and neoplasia. The definitive diagnosis for pain is made by evaluating your cat’s history, clinical signs, radiographic/scanning findings and relevant lab tests. The treatment plan depends on the underlying cause and also includes weight management (in overweight/obese cats), exercise moderation, physical therapy, nutritional and anti-inflammatory medications. Do not administer human pain killers as they are toxic to cats

Kitty etiquettes -Jan 10

A well-behaved cat is simply a darling! Here are a few common behavioural problems and the ways to tackle them.

Toilet training…

Though it is not a common problem for a cat owner but in some cases it may be quite serious. Housebreaking means that cat always goes outside for urination or defecation or uses the litter box for this purpose. Feral cats defecate or urinate at the same places to mark their territory. These cats do not scratch dirt over their faeces or urine like domestic cats and leave the faecal matter exposed. Toms are prone to spay urine over objects within their territory, whenever they sense a female cats in estrous. These cats scatter the faecal material in the nearby areas of original deposits. This behaviour is used as a form of communication by cats. If a domestic cat goes outdoors to defecate or urinate, he may use this material to mark his territory and to make sexual communication.

Tips to follow: (a) Litter box – Indoor cats, who do not have access to outside, should be provided with a litter box. It should be cleaned everyday as cats are clean in nature and they prefer clean areas for defecation and urination. It is recommended that a litter box should be available for each cat and boxes should be kept in the same place in a consistent manner. Boxes should be placed in those areas where cats can have their privacy. The area should be disinfected on a regular basis. Choose from different types of boxes and litter available in the market.

b) Diet scheduling- Diet and timing for meals should be kept consistent as frequent change in diet will result in upset stomach. Sudden change from dry food to canned food will result in indigestion and the consistency of faecal matter. The diet should be changed gradually to avoid the drastic change in the timing of defecation. Fresh water should be available for your cat, specifically if she is on dry food. Discuss this with your veterinarian to develop a diet schedule for your cat.

The bedlam…

Another very common problems pet parents experience is the howling, meowing, crying or screeching of cats. The cat may cry even in the absence of pet parents and it sometimes becomes a nuisance for neighbours.

Tips to follow: Crying behaviour is often a sign of frustration and is an attention seeking behaviour. In such cases, you may take your cat on a lap or pet your cat. It is a highly reinforcing situation for your cat and he may exhibit this behaviour quiet often. In such conditions, you should try to ignore your cat that is don’t look at him, touch him or talk to him.

Heat periods...

During estrous, the female cats may cry or wail all day and night. Likely the toms are equally obnoxious as he will spray urine all over the place to mark his scent.

Tips to follow: Neutering will solve problem of crying and is also a good tool for birth control programme as so many unwanted kittens are born every year.

(Dr Geeta Sharma is MVSc (Surgery and Radiology) and MBA. She has been acclaimed by the ‘Limca Book of Records 2008’ for being the youngest female veterinarian to do the ovariohysterectomy (spraying) in female dogs in shortest span of time. She got training from Australian society ‘Vets Beyond Borders’. She can be contacted at geetasharmavet@gmail.comor 9711144506).

Ask the Expert.. | Jan Feb 09

Dr. K. G. Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia. Q: My six-year-old kitty Clara has started urinating frequently and does not seem to be feeling hungry. Do advice.
- Deepak Joshi, Mumbai

Dr. K. G. Umesh: Although cats have justifi ed reputation of ‘clean’ animals, eliminating in inappropriate places is one of the most common behavioural problems reported. A distinction must be made between abnormal urination behaviour and a true incontinence (dribbling of urine without the cat being aware of it). Abnormal or frequent urination can occur as a result of:

• Nervousness (intruder/presence of another cat, unfamiliar surroundings etc): Clean the accident spot with strong odour disinfectant and the behaviour disappears once the cat is allowed to settle


• Territory marking – spraying: Un-castrated male cats or un-spayed females spray more often than neutered cats do. Castration or spaying may help and occasionally medication may also be given.


• Old age: Keep litter tray clean and place it in an easily accessible area.


• Increased urine production: It can be due to diseases such as diabetes, chronic kidney failure, spinal problems, bladder infection, lower urinary tract disease (common), etc. A veterinary examination, blood and urine tests and radiographs will be required to determine the cause. Generally cats loose appetite with any of these diseases.