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)

Ragdoll Breeders

Ragdoll Breeders -Welcome to Love Ragdoll Cats! We are a group of small in home catteries that specializes in Blue Eyed Traditional Ragdolls and Rare Aqua Eyed Mink Ragdolls.

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.

Meows in movies

Who says it’s just dogs who have all the fun on big screen? A good number of feline actors have so far been acclaimed for their roles in various blockbuster movies. Let’s catch them through a flashback. Little naughty, little cunning, but full of affections in their traits, kitties always go well with wise guy type characters in almost every movie they act. Since the early days of world cinema, feline actors have been recognised for their outstanding roles in drama, action, adventure and animation movies.

Tabby cat in Breakfast at Tiffany (1961)

A small town girl named Holly Golightly arrives in New York City to earn fame, fortune and money. She develops a circle of wealthy and intellectual friends, among them her feline friend, a tabby cat is her true companion. Holly unfortunately gets trapped into a ring of drug and narcotic abused people and gets arrested. All tragedies come to an end when Holly comes out of jail and is reunited with the man she loves and above all, the tabby cat whom she vulnerably left in the rain.

Jake in The Cat from Outer Space (1978)

An unidentified flying saucer from the outer space lands on earth under an emergency situation and the occupant was a cat named Jack who was taken into custody by the US government. With the help of Frank, a space scientist, Jack attempts to repair his spacecraft. In the end, Jack helps Frank accomplish a rescue mission to save some colleagues from a helicopter crash. Jack receives a big applause for his heroic act and happily applies for US citizenship with Frank as his sponsor.

Milo in The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1989)

Adapted from the original Japanese version titled Koneko Monogatari, story of this film opens in a barn with a mother cat who has given birth to kittens, among them is Milo the orange tabby cat, quite curious and known to everyone around for getting himself into trouble. He befriends Otis (a fawn pug) who is tired of running from a young chick who thinks he is his mother. One day, when Milo plays inside a floating box in a river, he accidentally drifts downstream. This is where the adventures begin in The Adventures of Milo and Otis!

Sassie in Homeward Bound (1993)

A group of doggies with a Himalayan cat named Sassie assumes that they are being abandoned by their pet parents who are out on a trip to San Francisco, leaving all the pets at a ranch. All of them head to wilderness. When all the doggies swim across a river, Sassie reaches a path of wood which breaks halfway across. While the dogs manage to swim across the river, Sassie falls into midstream and straight into the waterfall. And the crescendo of the movie is the moment when all the companions are united after a long struggle and are homeward bound.

Snowbell in Stuart Little (1999)

Desired by their son George Little, Eleanor Little and Frederick Little adopt an observant and thoughtful mouse from an orphanage. They name him Stuart Little and introduce to Snowbell, their family tabby cat. Snowbell is extremely jealous of the way Mr and Mrs Little treat Stuart as though their own biological son. But Snowbell has changed heart and become a true friend to Stuart whom he saves from the attack of a local clowder led by mafia don-like Russian Blue in the concluding part of the movie.

Mr Jinx in Meet the Parents (2000)

Greg and Pam visit the latter’s house to meet her parents. Fun and comedy happen at the introduction of Mr Jinx, a Himalayan cat to Greg by Pam’s father as they discuss about kitty care and other topics over a dinner. Though Mr Jinx appears in cameo role in the movie, his short appearance leaves a lasting impression to everyone who enjoys this comedy flick.

The stories continue…

Apart from the real life actors, animated feline characters successfully rule both the worlds of big and small screens. Right from Thomas, known popularly as Tom, in MGM’s Tom & Jerry Show upto Till Davis’ Garfield, animation world has big room for our feline protagonists.

Picture purrfect!

Chausies don’t lie on the sofa…they drape themselves over it. They don’t run…they lope. They don’t sit…they pose. For many people, one Chausie is the beginning of a love affair with the breed. Which breed of cat looks like an Egyptian cat statue, but is too tall, too long, and far too deep-chested to be an Abyssinian? He doesn’t have long fur, but he has ear tufts and a unique tabby pattern. Some of them like water and might even eat frogs if given a chance. Yes, we are talking about the Chausie.

The wild heritage…

[caption id="attachment_4707" align="alignright" width="300"] Chausie[/caption]

Pronounced CHOW-SEE, Chausie is a breed derived from breeding non-domestic species Felis chaus (also called jungle cats) to domestic cats. Today’s Chausies usually have much more domestic blood than non-domestic blood, but they retain many of the best traits of their wild ancestors.

The wild looks…

The Chausie is a domestic breed which preserves the type of the jungle cat as well as his colours and patterns like the brown (black) ticked tabby, solid black, and black grizzled ticked tabby. The grizzled pattern is unique to the jungle cat and thus to the Chausie breed.

The recognition…

The first cats were registered in TICA 1995. The breed was accepted to begin showing in TICA (The International Cat Association) in 2000. On May 1, 2013 the Chausie will begin competing in the Championship Class.

Living with Chausie…

The Chausie tends to be a long, tall, lanky cat. He’s not as heavy as he looks, but can be quite an armful to pick up. This is a cat who likes to have room to spread out, to run, leap, and jump. The Chausie is active, social with humans and other cats, and quite intelligent. This is not a breed who likes to be left alone all the time or in a boring environment. Chausies from the third generation onward are quite domesticated. They have no litter box issues and are not more challenging than any other active domestic breed. They are comparable to Siameses and Abyssinians in energy and activities. They probably won’t eat your shoes, but certainly will learn how to open all the doors, cupboards, and drawers.

(Bobbie Tullo was breeding Persians, British Shorthairs and Pixiebobs for many years, until she fell in love with Chausie in 1997. Since 1998, she has been exclusively breeding Chausies.)