Picture purrfect!
Purrfect homecoming!
Ask the Expert..
Love expressed!
Meows in movies
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Monday, 21 January 2013
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.
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.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
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.
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.)
Friday, 16 November 2012
Art of nail clipping...
Some cats disappear as soon as they see you with the nail clippers! Not any more...here’s how to make nail clipping a pleasure, not a chore.
Start young
Kittens should be introduced to nail clipping when they are young and in this way, they will become accustomed to having their nails clipped on a regular basis and not try to hide away.
Quiet atmosphere
Nail clipping should be done in a quiet and calm atmosphere and the cat should be handled gently but securely on your lap with as few distractions as possible.
Build up the rapport
It is a good idea to take one paw at a time and gently massage the paw for a very short period of time. Don’t squeeze, don’t pull or pinch. Most cats will settle down and not resist their pet parent who has always been kind to them. Always speak calmly and lovingly to your cat during the nail clipping procedure and this should help to settle her down.
Spring into action
The cat should sit on your lap and be facing away from you. Take one of her toes in your hand, massage and press the pad until the nail extends. Check how much nail needs to be clipped and where ‘The Quick’ begins. Trim only the sharp tip of the nail and continue on until all nails have been clipped. Start slowly and never rush cutting your cat’s nails so you do not make any mistakes. Once all nails have been cut, use an emery board to smooth off the rough end of the nail. Trimming nails every 10-14 days should be enough.
Word of caution
The pink part of the cat’s nail called ‘The Quick’ is where the nerves and blood vessels are. Do not cut into this very sensitive area. Snip only the white part of the claw. It is far better to be cautious and only clip a small portion of the nail rather than clipping too much and cause bleeding of the pink area of the nail. A styptic powder or stick (available from your veterinarian) is worth having on hand to stop any bleeding. If you have any problems, then have your veterinarian or groomer to do this for you.
Tips to follow
If your cat resists and becomes angry, never raise your voice or growl at her. She won’t forget that and you will always have problems. Sometimes it is easier to only trim 3-4 nails at a time and then trim the remaining nails at a later time. Provide your cat with a scratching post and she will help to keep her nails smooth in between clipping.
(Joan E Henderson is based in Australia and she has judged furry felines in many other countries including USA, Bermuda, Malaysia, South Africa, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand).
Snowshoes: kittens for life!
Snowshoe cats are like snowflakes, no two are the same; they vary in their own unique patterns and personalities.
The alluring looks…
[caption id="attachment_4710" align="alignright" width="300"]
Snowshoe Cats[/caption]The Snowshoe’s coat is very silky, with a bounce that’s close lying and short. All Snowshoes have beautiful blue eyes and white feet, except the colour points who do not have any white on them at all. The colour point pattern Snowshoes resemble the old style Siamese in looks. The most preferred pattern is white mitts and inverted ‘V’ on the face with coloured ears and tail, giving the distinctive snowshoe look. You can get Snowshoes in all varieties of Siamese colours, including tortie and tabby Snowshoes.
Their expected lifespan is 12-15 years. Males can be quite a bit bigger than the females and weigh around 5 kg.
Lovely personality…
Snowshoe cats are naturally assertive and confident cats and are true people pleasers. When bred in the right circumstances and socialised well, they are very adaptable cats who love change. Snowshoes are very intelligent cats and like to make eye contact. They use a wide variety of different sounds to communicate and will happily talk to you, although some are quieter than others. They have softer voices than Siamese with a gentle melodic voice.
Living with them…
Snowshoes require very little grooming and love water, so enjoy a good bath every now and then. Health of the Snowshoe cat is considered very good, with little or no problems. What’s more? They thrive in busy homes and love families, other cats and children. They can be clicker trained and need quite a lot of exercise, so access to a secure garden or walk out on a harness is recommended. Snowshoe cats feel secure with set boundaries and will try to get their way especially during the growing up phase. They love lots of interaction and play and are pretty much kittens for life. Snowshoes have a laid back attitude and will happily flop in your arms for a cuddle.
To live with a Snowshoe Cat, expect to be accompanied everywhere you go and any changes will be fully investigated. Snowshoes have a ‘need to be touched attitude’ and love interactions with people and animals alike. If left on their own, they can get mischievous, but another Snowshoe or lots of games usually keep the Snowshoe occupied. They are very social and make wonderful companion cats.
(Kelly Cruse of Destrier Snowshoe Cats Cattery is based in the UK and Secretary for Snowshoe Cat Club.)
Wednesday, 19 September 2012
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