Feline territorial issues

Cats are royal companions who like separate space for their own, just like us. Mostly they consider the area where they spend most of their time as their territory and they are always prepared to defend it against other cats - and other animals as well. The same applies to wild cats (lions, tigers, cheetah and leopards) but they live a different life to their smaller cousins and except for those in zoos, they live free in their natural habitats.

Feline monarchs...

Felines rule their area or territory like an emperor and they won’t allow any intruders in this place. They clearly demarcate their territory from the other and build around a safe spot or their home base. Even cats that are companions and live in a home will consider this home to be their territory and often do not like new cats coming into the house.

Their kingdom...

Their kingdom, the home spot, may be one single area, or a series of areas. It is a place for eating, drinking, sleeping, napping, watching the world or playing. For most companion cats, their home base is closely related to their owner’s home whereas home bases for free-roaming cats are generally near the owners’ home or surrounding yards. All cats who live with their human parents still consider that special places in the home to be their territory and guard it against all others. Sometimes it is a windowsill, on top of a particular cupboard, on top of a scratching post or one special room in the house.

Royal food...

Kitty kings are gourmet for food. They generally raise their empire where they get abundance of food and water. More cats can be seen in such places. When little food and water is available then fewer cats will be seen. Male cats who are not neutered will roam a great deal further than males who have been neutered. They are always on the hunt for mate and will fight to the death with any other male.

Cat wars...

Obviously cats who are free and have no home are inclined to seek an area that is theirs alone, as they do not want to share their territory and the food that is available. In the case of feral cats they seek an area where they are in charge and do not have to combat with other feral cats. Unfortunately a cat’s territory must be staked and this can involve physical confrontation with other wild cats. They often make a lot of noise and try to intimidate their opponents but if that does not work, then the battle can be terrifying and a lot of blood shed. Most attacks are directed to the head or tail region and a lot depends on the strength of the individual cat. Wounds are inflicted by teeth and claws but generally once the fight is over, regardless of the winner, they rarely fight with each other again. One part of fighting males and males who roam free is the spraying of urine. This is scent marking and generally used by tomcats. This is to mark their territory and is almost always done on the boundaries of the territory that the cat considers his/ her own.

Prevention is better than cure...

Cats should not be left to roam free, as they can be injured, hit by cars, treated badly by humans and dogs. For this reason, all cats, who are not registered breeding animals, should be neutered and kept indoors, loved and cared for.

Joan E Henderson of Melbourne, Australia has judged furry felines in Australia, USA, Bermuda, Malasya, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand.

British Shorthair... Brits sweetheart

British Shorthair cats are real sweethearts...they are simply irresistible. These calm and cute kitties are natural charmers...what make them even more lovable is their full cheeks, giving a chubby-faced ‘Cheshire cat smile’ look. Here’s a bit more about these antique kitties.

Brits rich heritage

The British Shorthair, probably the oldest English breed of cat, traces her ancestry back to the domestic cat of Rome. This breed was first prized for her physical strength and hunting ability, but soon became equally recognized and valued for her calm demeanor, endurance and loyalty to man. Because of her easy-going nature and intelligence, she has become a favourite of animal trainers, for use in Hollywood films and television commercials.

Meow stunners

These cats are of medium to big size, and have stout, muscular, loudly and semi-cobby body. The tail is short and thick. The head is broad and round, without angles; the snout is definite well, with the short, broad and straight nose in line with the firm jaw. The eyes are big, and round, and are of preferably intense copper or orange colour (in some variety, they can be greenish). The mantle is short, dense, compact to the tact, with good subhair, type “plush”. The most known colour of British Shorthair is blue (British Blue), though they can come in all the uniform colours: black, white, chocolate, lilac, red, cream; besides smoke, chinchilla or the two-colour, calico and tabbys (tiger-striped).

Loving...always

British Shorthairs are very affectionate, they quietly follow you from room to room until they can settle contentedly by your side. Gifted with lasting patience and confidence, Brits are especially good with children and other types of pets. They are very balanced, calm and controlled, with a strong and determined personality. They are always in quite control of their environment, supervising everyone and everything that happens in the family. When gracefulness is observed, the British Shorthair is daily embarrassed, quickly recovering with a ‘Cheshire cat smile.’

Natural charmers

These cute and good-looking kitties are blessed with all the looks...that don’t require much of grooming. The coat is short, plush and dense with luxurious feel and the cat can easily look after it herself...so it’s great to pet such kitty charmers.

Loving care

British Shorthairs are very healthy and long-lived. Care must be taken not to allow her become fat. If your cat seems to be heavy, contact your vet.

(Inputs from M V Maria Luisa Lópe, a Medical Veterinarian, member AVEFA (Association Veterinary Specialists in Felines of Argentina), and a breeder of British Shorthair and Nina of Empire of Glamour Cattery, Châteauguay, Qc Canada, the breeders of British Shorthair (blue, cream, lilac, lilac & cream and blue & cream).

Combating stress level in felines

An ideal home should be a penetralia of peace and we all have dreams about it. It should be a place where you can retreat after a bad day at work. Let’s make our home purrfect for our felines as well. Here are a few ways to make life stress-free for our felines.

• Just like you, cats also need their own personal space. So, create a place, which your cat can claim as his very own. 
  
  


• Your jetsetting lifestyle is not an excuse to connive your cat. Give quality time to your kitty and he will fill your life with happiness. 
  
  


• Everybody loves pleasant voice, including our kitties. Don’t yell or scold him. Talk to him in a cheerful tone and see him react in a positive manner. 
  
  


• If you own a cat family, always give separate space for small kittens and younger cats, otherwise the big one may terrify the smaller ones. 
  
  


• Cat’s hearing is far more acute than humans so noise can severely stress your cats. Sound of vehicles or shouting may make them fearful. Give them a noise-free environment. 
  
  


• Like hearing, cats have a wonderful sense of smell and strong perfumes may irritate them. So be careful while you use that favourite bottle of spray. 
  
  


• Cats are very playful. Playing with them can reduce his stress as well as yours. So, what are you waiting for, pick up that toy and play with your kitty. 
  
  


• Cats need a balanced diet to keep their body healthy and lead a stress free life. Consult your vet to formulate a balanced diet for your cat. 
  
  


• Check out for signs of stress like excessive grooming, pacing up and down the room etc. Your vet can also test his cortisol level - if it is high, your kitty is stressed. Act now to make him happy. 
  
  


• More importantly, love him abundantly and give him attention and you will be blessed with a loving and happy cat.

Declawing cats: more than just a manicure

People choose to declaw their cats for a number of reasons: some are frustrated with shredded drapes or furniture, some are worried about being scratched, and others simply feel that a declawed cat is easier to live with. In many cases, cats are declawed preemptively, as a part of a spay/neuter package offered by veterinarians, even before claw-related problems occur.

Too often people believe that declawing is a simple surgery that removes a cat’s nails, the equivalent of a person having her fingernails trimmed. Sadly, this is far from the truth. Declawing traditionally involves the amputation of the last bone of each toe and, if performed on a human being, it would be comparable to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle.

Declawing can leave cats with a painful healing process, long-term health issues, and numerous behaviour problems. This is especially unfortunate because declawing is an owner-elected procedure and unnecessary for the vast majority of cats.

What about laser surgery?

During laser surgery, a small, intense beam of light cuts through tissue by heating and vaporizing it, meaning there’s less bleeding and a shorter recovery time. But the surgical technique itself is similar to the traditional method (or “onychectomy”), with the laser simply replacing a steel scalpel blade. So while the use of a laser may slightly reduce the duration of the healing process, it does not change the nature of the procedure.

Tenectomy

Another procedure introduced more recently effectively deactivates cats’ claws by severing the tendons that extend the toes. Called a “tendonectomy,” the surgery retains the claws in the paws and is often thought to be more humane because of its shorter recovery time. But the method has its own set of problems. Since cats are unable to keep their claw length in check through vigorous scratching, owners must continually trim nails to prevent them from growing into the paw pads and causing infections. And though tendonectomies are generally considered less traumatic because of decreased post-operative pain, a 1998 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association found the incidence of bleeding, lameness, and infection was similar for both procedures. Furthermore, the American Veterinary Medical Association does not recommend tendonectomies as an alternative.

While there have been changes in the way that cats are declawed, it’s still true that for the majority of cats, these surgical procedures are unnecessary. Educated owners can easily train their cats to use their claws in a manner that allows animal and owner to happily coexist.

Declawing and tendonectomies should be reserved only for those rare cases in which a cat has a medical problem that would warrant such surgery-or after exhausting all other options, it becomes clear that the cat cannot be properly trained and, as a result, would be removed from the home. In these cases, a veterinarian should inform the cat’s caretakers about complications associated with the surgical procedures (including the possibility of infection, pain, and lameness) so that owners have realistic expectations about the outcome. There is just as much evidence to support the case against declawing as there is research to support it, with some studies finding few or only short-term adverse reactions to the surgery and others finding medical complications and significant differences in behaviour.

Purchasing or building a scratching post is an important step in training a cat to avoid destructive scratching.

(Reprinted with permission from The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org)

Kalpaka: the amazing survivor

Our heart bleeds when we witness the life of our loved ones slip away from us. I also stared at the startling reality when my little white kitty Kalpaka fought with the messenger of death. But I was fortunate to get this bundle of joy back and fill my life again with happiness.

I met Kalpaka accidentally on the pavement when I was a volunteer with a local cat shelter three years ago. He was breathing hard from a severe upper respiratory infection and looked half starved. A man at the pavement teashop told us that he survived mainly on biscuits thrown to him. I picked him and brought him home and fed him. Slowly he started responding to medications and seemed to do fine. But soon, I noticed that his stomach looked enlarged, and his breathing laboured.

I rushed him to the vet and further investigations revealed that he had an enlarged liver and ascites. He had to be given small doses of lasex every second day to clear the fluids in his system. Since he needed personalized care, I didn’t have the heart to leave him at the shelter and so Kalpaka stayed with us.

With the help of my vet and a senior homeopath, Kalpaka returned to life like nothing had happened. What is more interesting, he did not seem to need the lasex anymore. From a heavy cat who puffed and panted every step of the way, he became more active (although he still prefers the lift to the stairs and is known as the lift cat!). We are quite sure it was the diet of biscuits (rich butter biscuits!) that made him ill, and the cat food that restored the balance gradually!

Today Kalpaka still purrs like a busy engine, loves to bully the younger cats, and has the softest corner in my heart!!

What your cat’s body communicates?

Love is a communion of hearts and needs no language... While two souls are bonded with love, silence becomes the most beautiful thing between them... a look or a gentle caress speaks thousands of words. However...while sharing quality time with our kitty cats, we all wish they could speak.

Truly, they speak to us but we should be intelligent enough to understand their language.

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I never knew why my husband always had a cup of tea waiting for me, no matter what time I came home from a meeting at night. One night I asked him and he said Sophia - our Siamese cat - lets me know you are coming! When I asked him how she did this he said that about 15 minutes before I arrived home, Sophia would get up from her sleeping spot and just walk to the front door and wait for me to walk through the door and, after a few meetings, he decided she knew I was on the way and he just made the tea. I can only believe she was telling my husband, in her own way, that I would soon be home. Sophia and I were very close, we bonded very quickly and remained so until she left us so I always felt that she just knew I was almost home and that she was waiting for me. Such is the power of body language of cats!

Cats are very affectionate and loyal to their owners. They appear to accept everything that is done for them but in fact, they do not take it for granted and appreciate our every attention and care and the security we give them. They are both dependent and very independent which is why they are so special.

Kitty cares

We all have seen that cats rub up against furniture and even on our legs and chins. This is their way of leaving their scent on us and letting any other cat know that we belong to them and ‘stay away’. We should be flattered when our cat or kitten does this, because it means they care about us and we belong to them rather than they belong to us.

Kitty bonding

Another interesting activity with cats is that they wash themselves and each other constantly. But if we happen to touch or pat them, they start all over again. Cats also appear to enjoy washing each other and spend an incredible amount of time washing their feline companions. Obviously they are transferring their scent but we have to wonder if the reason is companionship and real affection. It is possibly the body language they have with each other.

Kitty dislikes

Some cats, irrespective of breed or sex they belong, have a definite dislike for each other and nothing we do makes any difference. It is very difficult to make out the reason behind this disharmony. But if we sit quietly and watch them circle each other, arch their backs and hiss and snarl they are obviously, in their own way, giving off the language that they are very unhappy in each other’s company.

Kitty territory making

Stud male cats spray on anything and everything in their surroundings. Sometimes desexed males and females do the same but not so often. This is another way of letting other cats know that this is their territory and they do not want any intruders. Another form of body language!

Kitty communicates

Whilst cats cannot actually use the words, they are extremely clear about letting us know what they want in their own way. Sometimes all of us feel that someone is staring at us, we look around and there is our cat just looking at us, sitting very still but never taking their eyes off us. One of my Siamese used to do this for quite a while and then calmly jump up on top of the refrigerator and sit there until I opened the door and prepared her dinner. I was in no doubt what she was asking me to do. No purring, no meowing, just silently communicating in her own way.

You should never ignore the message your cat is trying to pass on to you. We hug and embrace each other and our purr friends, no doubt, do the same, but in their own way, by rubbing against our legs, sitting on our laps and purring. How lucky we are to have the joy and affection of such beautiful companions who tell us, every day, how much they love us.

(Joan E. Henderson of Melbourne, Australia has judged furry felines in Australia, USA, Bermuda, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand. She can be contacted at felines@hotkey.net.au)

Tips for a cool and confident kitty

• For the healthy development of the kittens, it is important that they stay with the mother till they are eight weeks old.


• Socialize kittens as they react more readily in the presence of the mother cat.


• Kittens who are not socialized become scared and stressed and the chances of succumbing to diseases grow larger.


• The more contact and handling a kitten receives from human, the better adjustment she can make.

(Sudhersena is a volunteer at Blue Cross since 1998, an avid animal lover; she has 9 cats and 3 dogs. She is associated with a number of animal welfare campaigns and programs. For further info, contact: Blue Cross of India, 72 Velachary Road, Chennai - 32, or email - bci@bluecross.org.in)