Meow Times

Radial nerve paralysis is a common nerve injury in cats and dogs. The radial nerve is the largest nerve in the cat’s front leg. Paralysis of the radial nerve normally occurs when the cat receives a severe blow to her shoulder after being knocked down by a car. Other causes include tumours and excessive stretching of the brachial plexus. Symptoms… When the radial nerve is injured, the cat is…

Many diseases common to cats can be prevented in two ways: by keeping your cat indoors, and by having your cat vaccinated according to your veterinarian’s advice. Common feline illnesses include the ones which are mentioned here. Upper respiratory infections (URIs): These are similar in many ways to the common cold in humans and produce many of the same symptoms - sneezing, runny nose and eyes,…

Elegant, athletic, lively, social, shaggy curls and ringlets… the LaPerms are the epitome of beauty and fun. Large but beautiful A curly kitten breed is born… In the spring of 1982 on a farm just near to Dallas, Oregon the LaPerm cat was born. Linda Koehl (founder of the LaPerm breed), was surprised to see an unusual looking bald kitten out of a litter of plain barn cats, and at first dismissed…

Meow! It’s difficult Herding cats - This commonly used cat phrase means to bring together many different people together for a common cause… Well! It’s an uphill task, we all must agree. Now you know what it means when they say – ‘Managing a team of professionals is like herding cats’ or ‘Teaching li’l kids is like herding cats.’

Compassion cannot be inculcated…it is embedded in our heart and soul. When human companions are lost, animals are still there for us. Here’s a live example of unique human-feline bond. She once lived a fulfilled life but destiny had other plans for her. In her time of need all cruelly abandoned her. She had lost everything- her home, her husband, her children and her dignity. But this tragic…

A famous poet, dramatist, and literary critic T S Eliot was indeed a great feline fan. In 1939, he published OldPossum’s Book of Practical Cats, a set of whimsical poems, which affirmed his kitty love. His devotion for our furry angels ended up in these literary expressions, highlighted feline psychology and sociology…Well done…

The Tufts College of Veterinary Medicine, a major resource center in veterinary research, has found that cats exposed to second hand smoke are at increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth and malignant lymphoma.  The study reveals that the increased risk of mouth cancer was five times higher in cats living with smokers than in cats living with non-smokers. Yet higher risks occurred if…

The far truth of declawing is very painful. It involves amputating the last bone of each toe. Do you know that, if we compare it with humans, it is equivalent to cutting one’s finger off at the knuckles? Now you can imagine the pain inflicted to our adorable felines.

Summer heat is on…it is the time to protect our furry felines from getting a heat stroke. It could be life threatening and require prompt treatment. Here’s how to protect our kitties from scorching heat. Cats generally do not cope well with high temperatures and try to cool off themselves by licking. Some cats are more susceptible than others; these include short nosed breeds such as Persians,…

The journey begins... Walking down the road on the outskirts of Kalimpong, a hill-station in West Bengal, I was shocked to see two small children playing recklessly with a kitten. I realized that the problem had to be addressed at the core – too many kittens and too little understanding. Fortunately, I received an offer from the Animal Protection Network based in Sweden to help fund a cat ABC at…

Muscular long body, silky coat, amber eyes – these sensational beauties are none other than the Turkish Van Cat. They have a passion for swimming, no doubt, these silky coated beauties invade the hearts of all kitty lovers. Journey down the lane... The Turkish (semi) longhair cat is probably one of the oldest domesticated cats. It is said that he is the ancestor of all other longhair breeds. There…

Cats are mischievous little angels, their playfulness, wagging of tail, soft meows, gentle touch are all welcome. But we should be careful about cat bites because they may cause serious problems. Here’s some valuable information about cat bites. Cats are mischievous little angels, their playfulness, wagging of tail, soft meows, gentle touch are all welcome. But we should be careful about cat bites…

Salem Saberhagen? Yes! The famous American Shorthair cat in the TV series (and a movie too) Sabrina – the teenage witch. Formerly a warlock, he is the one who dispenses (bad) advices to Sabrina. Although Salem retains some of limited magical prowess, for his attempt to conquer the world, Witch’s council punished him with a sentence to serve 100 years in a furry feline form. Sometimes witty and at…

The area around Lake Van in Eastern Anatolia is mountainous and suffers extremes of temperature to which the Turkish Van Cat has fully adapted, shedding his long hair for a shorter cooler coat in the summer, and with tufts of hair between his pads to protect his paws from the cold in the winter.

Detecting illness in your cat Our furry angels can’t tell us where or when they hurt. In fact, many animals will try to mask pain or illness. That’s why it is extremely important that you get to know your cat’s regular habits and behaviours. Any deviation from his or her normal behaviour could indicate a problem with his or her health. Some symptoms and behaviours are obvious: diarrhea, vomiting,…

Don’t be surprised! Your kitty’s tongue is covered with papillae, the backward facing hooks, which helps her to groom her fur and to scour meat off the bones. So, now you know why your feline’s tongue looks so rough!

How do you know whether a cat is frightened or is ready to prowl? Just look at his fur. If he is frightened, the hair all over his body would stand up but if he is ready to attack, his hair would stand up only in a narrow band along the spine and tail. If he is frightened, give him all the love to make him comfortable but if he is in an aggressive mood, just watch out!

If your cat is clumsy, bumps into objects or sleeps excessively, she may be blind. Here’s more on cat blindness. Blindness is loss of vision in both eyes. Some cats become blind in one eye and some in both eyes. Your cat could be born blind or become blind due to age or illness. Blindness could also be a sudden or gradual. Gradual blindness is due to conditions like glaucoma, progressive retinal…

Introducing a new cat to another is not a child’s play. Here are a few things to be kept in mind before they meet. If aggression, be it smooth… Sometimes introducing one cat to another goes very smoothly, without any fur flying or scratching and biting. Regrettably, this is not always the case and steps need to be put in place to do this slowly. Make absolutely sure that both cats have had their…