Meow Times

If you have a male cat and do not wish to breed him, get him neutered to keep him safe and healthy. Tomcats…vulnerable to fights Many intact Tomcats come to the Blue Cross Shelter with severe bite wounds that result from fights with other male cats. These wounds, frequently, develop into abscesses and become infested with maggots. These wounds can also become infested with viral diseases that…

Nobody likes a cat who attacks other cats or dogs or even you. Territoriality and fear are usually the causes and the good news is both can be controlled. Cats don’t plan nasty behaviour. They probably don’t lie around the house waiting to punish their humans for some perceived behavioural infraction or slight. “It’s more likely they are saying, Hey, This is my house,” says Katherine A Houpt, VMD,…

Regular visits to the veterinarian are an essential part of keeping your cat healthy. An excellent way for you to keep tabs on him in between vet visits is to do your own, nose-to-tail checkups at home. Get in the habit of running your hands all over your cat’s body whenever he’s cuddling with you or you’re grooming him. This is the best way to discover problems before they become serious. Call…

Comb up their tresses The fur of Siberian does not tend to mat usually. They only tend to shed heavily twice a year, which can be prolonged depending on weather. You can comb your Siberian weekly but in shedding season, they ought to be combed every day, maybe more than once and I recommend a Furminator for shedding season. Different combs for different age groups Kittens: Use plastic combs to…

If you are fascinated by leopard but wary of his temperament… get home an Ocicat, who has the look of a leopard and a heart of gold! French writer Fernand Mery rightly said, “God made the domestic cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger.” And Ocicat, a new domestic breed, has been selectively bred from pedigreed ancestors to resemble a wild jungle cat and may be…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

Here are some interesting facts about the ah-so-attractive feline eyes. A cat’s nocturnal vision is far keener than that of a human. She needs only one-sixth of the light that we humans need. A cat’s eye has more rods and fewer cones than ours. Cones are sensitive to high levels of light and rods are sensitive in low levels of light. This means that while we have better colour vision, a cat…

If you have a cat at home and somebody in the house is pregnant, beware of Toxoplasmosis…but a little care and awareness can go a long way in preventing it. Cats can transmit a protozoan disease of human importance, which is a serious disease during pregnancy. If you have a cat at home, I would suggest that all would be mothers should undergo a blood test to find out if they are carriers of this…

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…

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…

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…

If you do not wish to breed your feline friend, it is always advisable to get her spayed. Spaying not only prevents unnecessary litters but it also helps in preventing your feline friend from deadly diseases like pyometra. I first saw Shy, a timid cat, at the animal shelter in obvious pain with a large distended abdomen. The X-ray revealed that she had an enlarged uterus. She was diagnosed with…

The Australian Mist is one of the most lovable feline breeds. What makes them so lovable is their ability to get along well with all–toddlers, young and old. Best of the gene pool The Australian Mist proudly wears the label ‘Made in Australia’. They have been developed by Dr Truda Straede for more than twenty years. They have a large gene pool, derived from over 30 foundation cats. Their ancestry…

Our furry angels love to keep themselves neat and clean but still sometimes, they can suffer from skin allergies. Here are some of the most common types of skin allergies. Cats are not usually born with allergies but they can develop after prolonged exposure to whatever the irritant might be. They are allergic to flea saliva, which is the most common cause of skin allergy. It is therefore…

If you are planning to bring home an adorable kitty, then it’s your responsibility to make transition easy for your loving feline. Here’s more on how to make the physical environment conducive for this little angel. Kittens in a new home deserve time to get used to their new situation, gain confidence and start bonding to their new family without getting too overstimulated. Here are a few tips to…

If you observe your kitty closely, you can know exactly what she has on mind. Here are a few behaviours she displays and what they mean… If you are blessed with a cat, you inherently know when she is happy to see you and when she is angry, fearful or upset. Here are a few common signals which tell you exactly how your kitty is feeling. Watch her head… If your kitty rubs her head on your body, she…