Purring joy…

What would you do if you find an injured cat on the street? Probably you would feel sorry for the cat and wish she gets well. Would you try and take the cat to safety?

One evening, I was taking a walk with one of my friends when suddenly a streak of black ran near our legs. I looked down to see a really thin cat looking up at me and mewing. Before I could think how to reach, the cat started rubbing herself against my legs and purring. I, very cautiously, started petting her and she started purring even more. I picked her up against my friend’s warning that cats can be very dangerous. I took her to the park and sat down on the grass next to her. She climbed onto my lap and I could feel that she felt secure.

Since I have two dogs at home, I was little apprehensive and called my mother outside. My mother also instantly liked the cat. She brought her some milk to drink, which she lapped away hungrily. It was then that I discovered that she was hurt on her hind leg. We took her to the vet, who treated her wounds and gave her an injection. We told him that the kitty couldn’t be left in the streets because we were sure she won’t survive and we couldn’t keep her in the house because we have dogs.

We decided to get one of our dogs and see the kitty’s reaction. But when we got my dog out (I was holding her by collar so that she wouldn’t frighten the kitty too much), the kitty started hissing and struggling to get out of my mother’s arms. The plan failed, but we knew that we couldn’t just leave the kitty on the streets because she looked like a domesticated cat who was abandoned. Since we could not risk the life of this kitty, we decided to leave her at an animal shelter, where she would be cared and may even find a good, loving home. We found a good animal shelter and left our kitty in caring hands.

I only spent three and a half hours with the cat but I feel I have developed a strong bond with her. When I grow up, I would love to work at an animal shelter and spread awareness about animals. I also request all pet parents never to abandon their pets as this is extremely cruel to them. That kitty was lucky to be rescued and sheltered …let’s all make this world a better place for all!

Purring love – Tonkinese

Part puppy (following their pet parents around the house), part monkey (in their antics) and part elephant (the sound they can make while running through your house) - the colourful, warm and loving personality of the Tonkinese makes them an ideal addition to a feline loving family.

The Tonkinese is a stunning feline who has attracted attention not only for their exceptional good looks but also for their engaging personality.

The lineage…

Tonks were developed in North America in the 60s and 70s from Siamese and Burmese to get a more moderate breed than the extremes of the two parent breeds and they wanted new mink colours with aqua eyes.

The physical traits…

Tonkineses are medium-sized, surprisingly heavy and muscular cats. They have short, soft silky fur that is easy to care for and feel wonderful to pet. A weekly brushing with a small rubber brush will keep the shedding to a minimum and give them a shiny coat. Tonkineses come in four base colours and three coat patterns for a variety of 12 different looks. The base colours are Platinum (frosty gray), Champagne (medium brown), Natural (dark brown) and Blue (slate gray). The coat patterns vary in contrast between the body and the face, ears and tail. Each coat pattern has a corresponding eye colour. The three patterns are Point (high contrast with blue eyes), Mink (medium contrast with aqua eyes) and Solid (low contrast with green to yellow green eyes).

People cats…

People-oriented, social, active, playful and loving, the Tonkineses and their affectionate ways are impossible to ignore. They quickly endear themselves to family and visitors. In addition, the Tonkinese gets along with children, other breeds of cats and dogs. They just don’t like being ignored or left alone. They love to invent games to play with their pet parents or other family pets. Two of their favourite games are fetch and hide & seek.

They often climb or leap on people’s shoulders just to give a hug or a kiss. In doing this, they seldom use their claws. They also insist in sleeping in bed with their pet parents and usually will be found under the covers.

Although kittens are great fun, the Tonkineses tend to remain kittens throughout their life. What’s even more amazing is that Tonks love to talk to their pet parents. They talk in sentences and paragraphs when they have something to say, not just to hear their own voices.

Health…

Tonkineses are relatively a healthy breed with no known genetic inherent health issues.

(Nancy Mikita has been breeding and showing Tonkinese in CFA since 1993. She is an active member of the Tonkinese Breed Association, which is an intentional CFA Tonkinese Breed Club).

Purring into many a heart…Somali

Attractive, confident, fun-loving, easy to care… a Somali kitty has all those characters which make her a purrfect pet.

The yesteryears…

The Somali is a longhaired Abyssinian. The Abyssinian originated in Egypt and indeed is a descendent of the cat that was revered in Ancient Egypt thousands of years ago. Abyssinians have been bred for many years, but in the 1950’s, longhaired kittens started to appear in litters of shorthaired Aby’s. Understandably, the breeders were most perplexed and quite often secretly gave these kittens away. After many years of campaigning to have these fuzzy Aby’s registered as a separate breed, they were finally recognised and named after a neighboring country to Abyssinia, Somalia.

The traits…

Somalis are sweet-faced, lithe, muscular cats with an overall impression of alertness, intelligence and keen curiosity. A standing Somali should almost give the impression that he’s standing on his toes. The best term for a Somali would be “moderate” -- medium hair, medium size and medium type.

Somalis generally have longer hair over their chests (the “ruff”) and on their hindquarters (the “breeches”). Their tails are full and brushy, almost like that of a fox. Another distinctive characteristic is a black stripe down his back, large ears and a full ruff and breeches. Their kohl-eyes are the result of a dark rim around their eyes. A small amount of white is found on their muzzles and chins/throats.

Somalis come in a wide range of colors, but always with the same coat pattern. The four main colors are Tawny (Coppery Red), Cinnamon (Fox Red), Blue (Slate Grey) and Fawn.

Beauty with brains…

Somalis are active, playful, interactive cats. Like their parent breed, the Abyssinians, Somalis seem to wake up every morning with a “to-do” list. They should be given plenty of room to run, lots of individual attention and play, and a variety of toys. Some will play fetch while others like to be cuddled, sometimes-mischievous Somalis will rush around finding ‘things’ to investigate and play with. They have quiet voices and are quite tolerant and nonaggressive.

People who do not appreciate a lively, attention-seeking cat, will not enjoy Somalis. They are very good with kids and are best suited to families that can offer lots of affection and attention to the cat. Somalis are also great for the active older people as they are great companions. Some are devoted lap cats and are forever following “their” human around. They enjoy the company of other animals as well as people.

Dressed to kill…

The Somali is often referred to as the “wash ‘n’ wear cat” or the “lazy man’s Longhair”. Possessing all the beauty of a longhaired cat, but they do not require the degree of maintenance, which is involved with other longhaired breeds. They require just a quick comb or brush once a week. Somalis are quite easy to bathe and some enjoy the experience.

If you want a cat who is playful and interactive, Somali is the right choice for you.

(Dale Plummer’s cattery is called Shilao Somalis in Australia.)