Thursday, July 30, 2015

The cat and the mosquito checker

As everyone in India knows, many people here don't particularly like cats. They are superstitious about them, and keeping cats as pets is a relatively new phenomenon. But just keeping a cat leads to a change in approach of all who come in contact with it. Sweetie met many people who visited my house--friends, electricians, plumbers, and several others. She hissed ferociously at some, scratched one or two, made friends occasionally[very rare--I actually employed a packer because Sweetie went and sat on their representative's lap]and ignored others.
Among the latter was the MCD mosquito checker, who arrives every monsoon in Delhi to check that there are no mosquitoes breeding in the water coolers [there are mosquito courts where one has to pay a fine if they find any!]. After checking, he puts some poisonous stuff in the water.
I wouldn't let him do this to one cooler, as I said my cat may get affected. Cat? He wanted to see it,and I showed him Sweetie asleep on the bed. 'You have a cat on your bed?', he couldn't get over it, but after that used to ask about her whenever he came.
One day the doorbell, rang, and there was S, the mosquito checker. 'You just came a couple of weeks ago', I said. 'It's not about that', he said, 'Have you lost a cat?' 'No', I replied. 'There's one in our office. It won't leave, please come and see', he said. I took a cat carrier with me, and we reached his office, just a two minute walk away. Sure enough, a large orange cat was sitting in a high-walled courtyard, where the workers were eating their home-packed lunch. 'I told them they should not harm it, but should feed it', said S. Orange cat was happily eating all the scraps of food that were being thrown to him. But now S and the others felt I should put him in the carrier and take him home! I tried to explain he wasn't my cat--he would go back to wherever he had come from. 'He can't jump these high walls', said S, so I agreed to take him. The carrier was placed on the ground, tempting food was put into it, and the cat soon put his nose and front paws in. An over-enthusiastic worker then gave him a push from the back. Cat hissed, snarled, turned around and was out of the carrier,still hissing, and as everyone moved back,he gave a smooth leap to the top of the high wall and disappeared. By the time we went out to see where he had gone, there was no sign of him.
I was sure he was okay, but I thought that not only S, but all the workers there, had become a little more cat-friendly.

Friday, July 10, 2015

An introduction to cats and cat care


[This is a somewhat basic introduction to keeping a cat, for the many in India who have never kept one and know little about cats. There will be more details in subsequent posts.]

Why adopt a cat?
Cats are fun, cuddly and playful.
They require less care than a dog, but make great companions.
They are very clean and usually don’t need baths—most cats lick themselves clean.
Cat companions are known to reduce stress and high blood pressure. Their purrs have a specific effect, of not only being very soothing, but of healing and strengthening bones! Scientific tests have proved this.

Where do I get a cat?
There are many cat breeds, just as there are breeds of dogs. But please do not buy an expensive Persian or other breed. Adopt a cat or kitten from a shelter, or take in a kitten from your garden, terrace, or anywhere you see one.

About cats
Cat nature
: Cats are shy and sensitive. They do not respond or become friendly immediately, but they will do so gradually. Be very patient and gradually you will be rewarded with a wonderful friend.

Purrs: a cat purrs when it feels comfortable or happy. A purr is a vibratory sound emanating from the throat, and can be soft or loud, depending on the cat. Sweetie purrs so softly I can hardly hear it, sometimes I can only make out she is purring by touching her throat. Minty is rather loud. The loudest cat purr recorded in the world is of a cat named Merlin. He is in the Guinness book of records.

Wagging tail: a cat wags its tail when it is angry. If you see the cat’s tail swishing from side to side, stay away. It may scratch if you approach. However, Minty is different. Her tail wags for no reason at all. I don’t know if there are other cats like her.

Food: Cats need non-vegetarian food. They cannot survive on vegetarian food. They can be fed packaged cat food, or home cooked food. Raw food is sometimes recommended, but in India it is safest to stick to well- cooked or packaged food. Milk is not a good food for cats, but dahi [curd or yoghurt] can be given.
How often should a cat be fed? Sweetie and Minty have their bowls full at all times, with dry cat food. They don’t gobble everything in one go, and nibble at different times. Sweetie likes to eat mainly at night, Minty, morning and evening. The outside lot usually eat everything they are fed immediately. Nandu and Ashi eat the most. They are all fed three times a day, but their last meal is between 4.30 and 6 pm, the next meal early morning.

Cat litter: Cat litter comes in packets, and is made of different substances, including betonite or more eco-friendly material. Fill some in a litter tray or a plastic basin, for the indoor cat’s bathroom. When the cat does something in it, that portion can be removed with a scoop, put in a plastic bag, and thrown away with the garbage. Cat litter is not available in many smaller cities and in other areas, and is also expensive. Alternatives are sand, wood shavings or dust, mud, or newspaper.


Friday, July 3, 2015

Remembering Sweetie’s visit to the vet

I just read an article about a rise in lost cats, because of their carriers breaking. I was reminded of when Sweetie’s carrier broke.
Sweetie is 12 years old, but her last visit to the vet was when she was six. This was in another city, and it was so traumatic [for me at least!] that I decided not to take her again.
The problem was not that Sweetie escaped, but that she refused to get out of her carrier. She retreated to the furthest point, and braced her feet in the corners, so that no one could pull her out. When neither I nor the vet’s assistants could budge her, they decided to unscrew the top of the carrier--but in the process the carrier broke! I had to hang on to her by her fur. We had come in a taxi, and getting her back home in a broken carrier was a real problem. The carrier was somehow tied up in string. Now Sweetie, when she wants can open some carriers, and even chew through them, and is so strong that no one can hold her. Fortunately I managed to get her home safely, and she has never been to the vet again, though one has visited her at home. After that, whenever we had to travel, she was on a harness and in a double carrier, that is, a smaller one inside a larger one. If one breaks or opens, there is a second carrier for safety.