Cats & Kittens Sep Oct 2012 Issue

+ Charming Singapuras!
+ Caring for the disabled kitties…
+ Ask the Expert..
+ Introduction old to new
+ Adoption camp for fantastic felines!
+ Kitty and kiddie the amazing duo
+ Pause for paws...

Ask the Expert.. Sep Oct 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 extremely vocal when I put on my shoes to step out- he keeps following me and keeps a close contact. My family says after I leave, he sulks and hides in a corner - he sometimes eats very little too. How do I calm him?
- Karuna, Pune

Dr KG Umesh: Cats communicate in several different ways, using not only sounds but also posture and

[caption id="attachment_8388" align="alignright" width="300"] Paly[/caption]

behaviour. Tactile communications include rubbing against others including people, grooming and nose touching which is used as greeting. Auditory communications include purring, which occurs primarily during contact with other individual. The trill or meow is used as greeting calls. As long as cats are given plenty of stimulation and space, they can live contented lives. Enrichment of the living space is particularly important to ensure the cat feels secure and avoids boredom. Environmental enrichment is a means of providing your cat with opportunities to express his normal range of behaviour when he lives in a physically limited environment. Allowing your cat interesting opportunities to play, ‘hunt’, feed and be friendly will help prevent problems which can arise from boredom in confined cats. Toys (particularly hanging or moving), feeding puzzles, making use of resting places at a range of heights and different locations and access to a view of the outdoors all help stimulate indoor cats. For example, cats love watching birds attracted to a feeding table outside a window! Food treats or toys left in cardboard boxes encourage cats to explore, hide and play. It’s important that cats kept exclusively indoors are given plenty of contact from their pet parents as this helps make up for less stimulation in other ways.

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!

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.