Do’s and Don’ts for your kitty treats

Like humans, your kittens may like a different treat. Here are a few treats you can give to your feline friends:

• You may give upto a quarter cup of milk at a time, but more may cause diarrhoea.


• You can give yogurt for calcium and digestion.


• You may mix yoghurt with a small dash of taurine powder, a flavour the cats like and is good for them.


• Protein-based meat, poultry and fish are good for your cat. Just make sure there are no fish bones.


• Treats should not form more than half the diet.


• Avoid garlic and onion seasonings as these are toxic for cats.


• You can give Dental Chews or Greenies for cats in the recommended quantities.

(Kit Humphrey, featured columnist of Cats & Kittens, is a retired physician from Siberian Gatos Cattery in the US.)

Ask the expert..Mar-Apr 10

Q: How do we groom cats? Are there any cat grooming parlours in our country?
- Adil B Khan, New Delhi

 

A: Dr K G Umesh: A clean shiny coat is a sign of good health and nutrition. By grooming your cat, you can, however, help to encourage growth and shine of the hair. Cats are naturally clean animals, so your cat may need little grooming, particularly if she has short hair. Longhaired cats need to be groomed more regularly, possibly as much as once a day, and it is best to get your cat used to this when she is a young kitten. Grooming can be something both you and your cat will enjoy. If your cat (or kitten) is initially nervous, it is advisable to spend some time playing with her, until she is comfortable being touched and handled. Let her play with the comb or brush, so she gets used to them and loses her anxiety. Groom all the dead hair out of the coat using a comb or soft bristle brush. Be particularly gentle when combing the head, then groom down the body, the tail, and the legs. Once groomed thoroughly, go over the coat with the brush to remove all loose hairs. The hair of longhaired cats and kittens can easily become matted. Once hair is matted, it will have to be removed before the cat can be groomed; this may involve sedating the cat and clipping the hair by a professional cat groomer or your veterinarian. If your cat is dirty, you may use a clean, damp cloth to wipe her down. Wet the cloth with warm water only, don’t use any soaps. Grooming your cat offers you an excellent opportunity to check her skin for lumps, rashes, discharges or any other signs that your cat is not well. Your vet can able to advise good grooming parlours available in your city.

For the purrfect feline eyes…

Your kitty is prone to conjunctivitis. If you spot signs of conjunctivitis, rush to her vet immediately to avoid discomfort and save her eyesight. Here’s more on this red eye disease.

What is conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is a common eye problem in cats. It is the inflammation of conjunctiva, a membrane lining the inner eyelids and the eyeball. It covers the third eyelid also. A healthy conjunctiva is pink in colour but when it is infected, it becomes red and swollen.

Harmful effects of conjuctivitis

If conjunctivitis is left untreated, it may lead to a lot of discomfort to your feline friend and may seriously affect the eyesight. Conjuctivitis may affect one eye or both.

Symptoms of conjuctivitis

The common symptoms of conjuctivitis are:

• Reddened and swollen conjunctiva, particularly in the corner of the eye.


• Discharge from the eye, either clear or pus-like


• Third eyelid protrusion.


• Squinting eye.


• Cat eye infections may be accompanied by frequent sneezing and possibly an upper respiratory tract infection.

Causes of conjuctivitis

The underlying causes for conjunctivitis can be broadly classified as non-infectious or infectious. Trauma to the eyes, allergies, foreign objects, and chemicals are some of the non-infectious causes. Common infectious causes can be due to feline chlamydia (a type of bacteria), feline mycoplasma (a group of organisms somewhat like bacteria) and Feline Herpesvirus Type-1 (FHV-1). FHV-1 is an upper respiratory virus, also known as rhinotracheitis and is not transferable to humans. FHV-1 is the most common cause and most cats are exposed to the virus when they are kittens. This virus will lie dormant during the life of the cat and will flare up anytime.

Treatment of conjuctivitis

It depends on the underlying cause. Eyedrops or ointments are commonly used. All cases of conjunctivitis should be treated at once. So, rush your kitty to your vet on the first signs of the disease.

(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. For further information, contact: Blue Cross of India, 72 Velachery Road, Chennai –32 or e-mail at bci@bluecross.org.in )

Japanese Bobtails: simply divine!

There is never a dull moment with Japanese Bobtails. Not only are they unique in looks, they can quickly steal your heart with their love and loyalty.

When we got our first Japanese Bobtail eleven years ago, I was amazed at how quickly she bonded with my daughter and our family. We got her when she was a year old and she bonded immediately with our family. She follows my daughter around the house. If she hears my daughter but does not see her, she will ‘call out’ to her with her sing-song voice until she finds her.

Body beautiful…

The Japanese Bobtail is a medium sized cat, well muscled but straight and slender. The unique short tail resembles a bunny tail with the hair fanning out to create a pompom appearance which camouflages the underlying bone structure. The head is triangular in shape. The high cheekbones and unique set of the large eyes lend a distinctive Japanese cast to the face. They come in many colours. Their eyes can be odd eyed, blue, green or gold. They come in longhair or shorthair.

Friendly and intelligent…

The Japanese Bobtail is active, energetic and very affectionate. Their outgoing and loving temperament makes them excellent pets. They are loyal to their pet parents. All of my Japanese Bobtails have gotten along well with my dogs and other cats. They love attention. They are people oriented breed. They are high energy but not destructive or hyper. They will keep the entire family entertained. They are lively and active; love to play well into their later years.

Good learners…

We have had many Japanese Bobtails who could turn on the faucet to get a drink or flush the toilets, many could open doors and drawers to get their own treats and many played fetch. They can be taught to walk on a leash as well.

Kitten kare…

Japanese Bobtails kittens are intelligent and learn to use litter box quickly. They love to play and love to cuddle and be held. Since they are healthy breed, their kittens are always hearty and healthy.

Grooming…

As they have no undercoat, Japanese Bobtails come either in longhair or shorthair for which a weekly brushing is all that’s normally required.

Activities…

Climbing, running, playing with other kittens are normal activities of Japanese Bobtails who also play ‘fetch’ if taught. Fond of playing with toys like balls, feathers, catnip, etc for hours, they do well in agility courses at cat shows.

How’s it to live with them?

Japanese Bobtails are entertaining and always put a smile on your face. They are in fact loyal companions who wish to please their owners and be with them.

(Lisa Rowe with her daughter Samantha own the cattery Samiz Cats homing Japanese Bobtails in Ohio)

Thought for food…

In the last issue, we gave you tips on how to make your kitty comfortable to his new environment. Here are a few more tips for feeding your kitty:

Why interval feed?

• Interval feeding is important, that is food’s not available at all times.


• Smell of the food and not the taste triggers the cat’s brain sending out the message to slow down the whole metabolism so that the body can concentrate on digesting…this is perfect for digesting the food efficiently, but not a state of affairs we want to continue 24 hours a day. So, while we often think we need to leave the food out for a cat who is finicky and/or needs to gain weight, we are actually achieving the opposite, as the cat’s appetite is not stimulated naturally.


• Recent research states that cats who fall ill with urinary blockage almost always come from homes where food was left available all day long.


• Leaving food available all day long is also the primary cause of the finicky eater syndrome. Slowed metabolism is a cause of several health problems–among them dandruff, obesity and skinniness. If a cat has a poor appetite, the answer is not to leave more food available for longer periods but just the opposite.


• Putting food out identifies you as the source of the food and helps you and your kitten to bond.


• We start training our kittens to come to “Here Kitty Kitty Kitty…” when we feed them. Adding the cat’s name to this sequence, teaches him his own name and to come when called.

How to feed?

• For a 9-12 wks old kitten, try just 1/8th cup three times a day. Call the kitty: “Here kitty, kitty, kitty, NAME-kitty” when you put food out, every time. Let the cat eat and leave. Then after 10-20 min, discard the leftovers where the cat will not smell it.


• If you have more than one kitten, give each his own bowl, which lets you monitor how much each kitten eats and

keep them from competing for food.

• Some male adult cats want more than 1/3rd cup every 8 hours and some females eat barely 1/4th cup total in 24 hrs at 12 wks though this is very low.


• Males eat twice as much as females during their rapid growth phase of five to ten months, usually. Males’ appetites sometimes increase rapidly.


• The ribs should be identifiable as ribs but not countable, having a slight layer of fat over them.


• Use cat food as it has proper supplements and vitamins.


• Dishes need to be wide enough so that he does not need to bend his whiskers when eating off the bottom of the dish, or drinking from the bottom. Cats do not like to bend their whiskers, and will eat and drink less, rather than go through this unpleasant experience.


• Dishes should be ceramic without lead or arsenic in the glaze, or metal or glass, not plastic.

(Kit Humphrey, featured columnist of Cats & Kittens, is a retire physician. From Siberian Gatos Cattery in the US, she is responsible for cattery policies and choices that include a programme to eliminate Corona Virus, HCM, Bartonella, Toxoplasmosis, etc.)

Training your cat

You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. That’s the theory behind positive reinforcement. Don’t punish your cat for unwanted behaviour; instead, reward her for doing something you like. With encouragement and plenty of treats, you and your cat can accomplish great things.

Do this, not that

If you want your cat to repeat a behaviour, reward that behaviour. People frequently reward a behaviour that they don’t really want to encourage. For example, when your cat talks to you, do you talk to her, do you pet her, do you give her a treat? You’re teaching your cat that meowing brings rewards. If you don’t reward her meowing, in other words, you ignore her when she meows, she’s unlikely to become a meower. If you really like a quiet cat, reward her when she’s not meowing.

Crime and punishment

You may be sorely tempted to yell at your cat if you catch her sitting next to a broken vase or clawing the furniture, but punishing your cat after the fact is ineffective. She won’t connect the punishment with something she’s already done and forgotten about. Instead, she’ll think you’re yelling at her for whatever she’s doing at that very moment, which might be welcoming you home from work.

Yelling, hitting, and shaking will only make your cat fearful and confused and could lead to her avoiding you altogether.

Motivation

Motivation is the key to training. Money and love are great motivators for people. Toys, walks, car rides, and praise can do it for dogs. For most cats, it’s food. They care less about “good kitty” than about good kitty treats.

So, to motivate your cat, you’re going to reward her with a treat every time she uses the scratching post, lets you brush her, or brings you a beer from the fridge. Scratch her head and tell her she’s a pretty girl at the same time, but make sure you give her that treat.

Smart cats will soon link that behaviour with getting treats.

Simmer down

Providing a reward can be helpful in training your cat to be calm during procedures she may not otherwise like, such as nail trims, brushing, going into the carrier, or being picked up. But for some cats, discomfort outweighs eating, so it may not work in all cases.

Timing

Timing is everything in training your cat. Cats have short attention spans, so the reward must come immediately (within seconds) of the behaviour or your cat may not know what it’s for.

For example, if you see her use the scratching post, throw some treats her way while she’s scratching and tell her she’s a good cat, but don’t throw the treats if she has stopped scratching and is starting to something else of it’s that “something else” that she’ll think merits the reward.

Consistency

This is an important part of training. Use same techniques each time for each behaviour, and make sure everyone in the family does the same.

Oh, behave!

You can also reward your cat for a behaviour she does naturally, or you can introduce a new behaviour and reward her for learning it.

• Natural behaviour. An example of rewarding natural behaviour is giving treats for using the scratching post (see above) or standing on her hind legs.


• New behaviour. Use rewards to teach your cat a new routine—to come when you call, for example. Call her name and reward her when she responds. Move to another spot, call her name, and reward her when she responds, and so on.

When to train

The best time to train is right before meal time when your cat is most motivated by food. Only train for short periods at a time (15 minutes max) or your cat may lose interest. As soon as she stops responding, stop training.

Weaning off treats

Because too many treats lead to a fat cat, your goal is to gradually wean her off the food rewards and make her settle for emotional ones such as a “good kitty,” a toss of her fuzzy ball, or a scratch under the chin.

Once your cat is displaying the desired behaviour reliably, you can start cutting back on food. Give her treats three out of every four times she does the behaviour, then reduce it to about half the time, then about a third of the time and so on, until you’re only rewarding her occasionally with a treat.

Continue the praise and non-food rewards. Your cat will learn that if she keeps offering desired behaviours, eventually she’ll get what she wants—your praise and an occasional treat.

Don’t try this at home

There are a couple of things you shouldn’t do while training.

• Don’t force a behaviour. Don’t pick your cat up and take her to the scratching post or litter box to get her to use them. She won’t understand what you’re doing and will likely get frightened and run away.


• Don’t turn your cat into a beggar. Use treats only for training. If you give your cat a treat every time she paws you, she’ll quickly learn that pawing is equal to a treat and won’t leave you alone.

(The article is contributed by Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Established in 1954, HSUS seeks a humane and sustainable world for all animals; www.hsus.org)

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).