Sonu's Blog on Cat and Kitten Care

Till about five years back, I used to be someone who thought cats NEED to be outdoors, they're not creatures who can or should be restricted indoors. I stand humbly corrected now, after seeing my flatmate's happy and healthy indoor cat, and then having my own indoor cats for the last five years. Cats can be and are happy enough to be indoors all the time. It's a question of how they are brought up, and how enriching you can make their indoor life. All my rescues now get adopted as indoor cats, and I'm happy to report that they're all thriving. Indoor cats have a much longer life - up to 17 years, as compared to their outdoor counterparts - an average lifespan of 3-6 years! How's that for an endorsement? The arguments for keeping a cat indoors revolve around two important aspects: safety and health. An outdoor cat faces many dangers. Talking specifically about India, the sheer number of street dogs (who I love, for the record) is the biggest danger....

First things first, the best thing would be to try and prevent such a situation by spaying your cat once she is six months old. However, if you have a stray cat trying to nest in your home, or you rescued an already pregnant cat, here is what to expect. A cat's gestation period is around 65-67 days, so she will give birth a little more than two months after she conceives. Try and estimate this date, so you can be prepared for the birth. Interestingly, cats can give birth to a litter which has kittens fathered by different males! Once she is pregnant, you will notice your cat putting on weight, and wanting to eat more and rest more. Her nipples will become more prominent and pink. A few weeks into the pregnancy, your cat may experience nausea and throw up. Unless the vomiting is excessive, it is not to be worried about. It is recommended that you give your cat some kitten food as well during this time, as it has more calories, and she is eating for more than one now...

Spaying refers to sterilizing a female cat (or any animal) by removing the ovaries, whereas neutering is the removal of the testicles in male cats (and other animals). This essentially means that your cat will not be able to mate and have kittens. Female cats typically reach sexual maturity at six months of age, and males at 7-8 months. Both genders are mature enough for the sterilisation, or birth control surgery at six months of age (this is done at a much earlier age abroad, but in India, it is typically done at six months for both male and female cats and dogs). The surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. It is advisable to get the cat examined by the veterinarian first, to make sure it's healthy enough to undergo the surgery. Please follow the instructions of the vet carefully, and keep your pet empty stomach for 8 hours prior to the surgery. The procedure for female cats is a bit more complicated as compared to male cats, and the recovery period post operation r...

Adopting a pet is a big decision and not something that should be done on a whim. The decision needs to be thought through, discussed with family, roommates, future partners, and then thought through again. Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself: Am I ready for a long-term commitment? This will be a 15-year commitment for you, so please think it through.If you can't think that far into the future, then this is not the right time for you to adopt a pet. Try fostering instead! Life events like job change, marriage, moving houses, moving to another city/country, having a baby etc. should be considered carefully, and you should be able to commit that the pet will stay with you through any of these events. Am I financially ready and able to care for a cat? You will need to spend on cat food and litter, and expenses related to vaccinations and regular health check-ups - these are recurring expenses. Toys, brush, a crate for transportation - these are s...