Yoga with Cats

What is Yoga?

Yoga is a system of exercises which originated in India about three thousand years ago.  Its benefits include physical and mental (and some say, spiritual) well-being.  

What is Yoga with Cats?  (Surely you mean Yoga FOR Cats?)

Yoga with Cats is a system of exercises which originated when cats were first domesticated and started sharing a space with humans.  It is therefore probably older than three thousand years old.  Its benefits include learning how to cope with sleep deprivation and feline well-being. 

It is NOT the same as Yoga for Cats which is what cats naturally do when they lick their bums or stretch and arch their backs after a refreshing sleep.  Their innate flexibility and grace is what makes cats natural yogi gurus and the perfect teachers for Yoga WITH Cats.

What equipment do I need for Yoga with Cats?

You need very little equipment for Yoga with Cats!  Just yourself, a bed and a cat or cats.  Since you already probably already have a bed and cat/cats, there is very little expenditure involved! 

The size of the bed and the number of cats are the main factors determining how far you can advance in Yoga with Cats.  In general, a beginner should start out with a king-sized bed and one cat.  Progressing to two or more cats should only be done when you have mastered the basic one-cat series of poses. 

If you have a smaller bed then beware!  You may end up performing Yoga with Cats on the edge of the bed or on the floor.  Neither is comfortable and not recommended for beginners.

Does it matter what size cat I have?

Yes.  With small breeds like the Singapura you can fit more cats on a bed and experience very quickly group exercises.  With the larger breeds like Maine Coons you would be wise to start off with one cat. 

Do I need special yoga wear for Yoga with Cats?

Yoga with Cats can be performed in your pyjamas or whatever you sleep in.  However, if currently nothing comes between you and your duvet but skin, it is advisable that you invest in some pyjamas to avoid any problems when encountering the Cat Claw asana.

What is the advantage of Yoga with Cats over conventional Yoga?

Yoga with Cats is done while you are asleep.  That’s right.  While you are deeply asleep, your body relaxes and forms itself into positions to accommodate the cat who is sharing your bed.   As you can see, it is a very natural form of yoga.  Because it is done while lying down it does not require as much effort as conventional yoga. 

After a few nights of practice, your body effortlessly assumes positions never achieved before thanks to the gentle guidance of your cat tutors.  Thus Yoga with Cats works more deeply than conventional yoga, on the subconscious level.  Because of this, results are often quicker and last longer.

Furthermore, there is no need to set aside special time for practice – Yoga with Cats can be done every night!

What sort of asanas will I learn in Yoga with Cats?

Asanas means pose or posture. 

One of the basic asanas is  Adho Supta Marjari (trans. Sanskrit for Downward Reclining Cat.  Marjari = cat).  In this pose, your body lies face downwards on the bed. 

Downward Reclining Cat leads naturally into another basic pose – Simapatrikonadasana (= Lion Triangle Legs). 

When a cat discovers you are lying on your back (or front) it assumes a position between your legs and curls itself into the shape of a ball.  This ensures that your legs form a triangle (trikona) shape and your hip joints open up.  Any attempt to persuade the cat to sleep longways and not curled up usually come to nothing.  After several hours any discomfort is assuaged by the knowledge that you are keeping your cat warm and snug!

Then there is pranayama (or breathing exercises) that yoga is famous for.  Breath control takes on a new dimension with a 10-lb cat asleep on your chest or stomach! 

More advanced asanas require greater strength and patience.  Once your yoga cats are confident that you are able to sustain a pose for a length of time without tossing or turning, they will be prepared to share with you the further mysteries of Yoga with Cats.

This is my human …

 
This is my human …

I’m a firm believer that cats and kittens choose their owners.  That’s why I always insist that prospective kitten owners must visit in person so that kittens and owners can size each other up and bond.

Yesterday, that magical moment took place again.  A young couple visited.  She was a cat lover, he was more of a dog person.  Anyway, he sat down on the floor cross-legged, and the boy clambered onto his lap and lay down.  They locked eyes and suddenly, in that split second, something passed between kitten and human and a bond was formed.

The eyes of the kitten say it all in the photo:  “you may think I’m your kitten, but really, I’ve chosen you … you’re my human.”

Later, both kittens clambered onto the man’s lap and fell asleep.  Photos speak louder than words … enjoy.

Things kittens do that make me go awww …

Kittens for Sale

AWWWW Number 1:  This morning I heard a little mew.  As I was surrounded by five kittens I couldn’t be sure which one was mewing.  So I mewed at them (yes, I’m quite sane!), and one of the little girls (the mackerel tabby) looked up at me and gave an identical mew.  Then she tapped me on my ankle.  As I’d already fed them, it couldn’t mean she was hungry.  So I picked her up and gave her a cuddle.  She lay in my arms trustingly and looked up at me, purring.

AWWWW Number 2:  Last night I was tap-tap-tapping away on the computer when I felt a tug on my trousers, and the next thing I knew, the silver boy with white socks was pulling himself onto my lap.  He sat there, watching me type away and then, tired of not getting any attention, he proceeded to walk all over the keyboard until I plucked him off and gave him a cuddle.  His purrs sounded like a little engine!

They’re all special, this litter of kittens.  They’ve been a joy to have and handle and have cleverly (without any help on my part) litter-trained themselves.  They tumble out of the living room every morning, eager to play and be with me.  Who could help but return the love they give?

Two of these purr machines are still looking for a loving pet home, somewhere where they can love and be loved.  Do contact me by posting a comment either in this blog or on my website (www.catswhiskers.uk.com), if you would like to offer a home to a silver boy with white socks or red silver girl with elegant stripes.  The kittens are currently 11 weeks’ old and ready for new homes at 13 weeks.  All my kittens are raw-fed for optimum health, but will be transitioned to commercial cat food before they leave for new homes.

[6 August 2008 - sorry if this has turned into a kitten-for-sale ad, but I need to reach as wide an audience of cat lovers as possible, and this is one way.  As of 6 August 2008, the little boy has now found a loving pet home - yayyyyy! - photos in next post]

Things a Cat Breeder should never say in front of kittens

1.  “Isn’t it wonderful … the kittens are litter trained!”

2.  “Isn’t it strange how well-behaved they are.”

3.  “They haven’t even tried climbing up the curtains!”

4.  “They don’t half like that raw mince rabbit.  I think I’ll double the next order.”

Kittens at play – 2nd week (video)

The Kittens are now two weeks old and their eyes are open.  They are moving away from crawling to taking their first steps.  It’s more difficult than it looks because it’s a balancing act involving four paws and a large head.  When they take each step they wobble, and it’s hard to believe that by next week they’ll be walking with confidence.

Here is a video of the Kittens at Play.

In a huddle

 

Kittens moving to form a huddle

Newborn kittens have limited ability to regulate their body temperatures.  Until they develop such control, they spend a lot of time cuddling next to their mother. 

When their mother is absent from the nest, they huddle together in a pile to conserve heat.  It reminds me of the behaviour of Emperor penguins who cluster together in a snowstorm.

If the kittens’ body temperature drop too much, this inhibits their suckling reflex, so it is important that they should be kept warm enough.  Some breeders use heating pads or hot water bottles wrapped in towels or infra-red lamps.  Some believe that artificial heating should only be supplied if it is snowing outside and the temperature in the room is cold. 

Maine Coon Kittens – 4 days old – sense of smell

Maine Coon kittens – 4 days old enjoying mum’s bounty

The kittens are now 4 days old and (touch wood) doing fine, which is to say, they’re suckling loads and sleeping loads.

They seemed to have sorted out the teat hierarchy because they’re shuffling into place much faster now with fewer squabbles.  Occasionally I still hear them shouting at each other, but it’s much quieter. 

I peeked into the box yesterday and there they were, good as gold, two kittens on the top tier and three kittens on the bottom tier of teats, neatly interleaved like sardines in a can.

They’re beginning to take more notice of their environment, even though their eyes aren’t open yet and they can’t hear anything. 

When I’m nearby I’ve noticed that one of the kittens will lift its head, open its mouth and snuffle-in the air. 

I’ve discovered this snuffling action is called the flehmen reaction.  It allows air to pass into the mouth and contact a special sensory organ called the Jacobson’s organ which is located just behind the teeth on the top of the mouth.  It allows a cat to analyse the scent molecule by molecule, almost as though it is tasting the air.

Ananda, the mother cat, is a little bit more relaxed too because the kittens have sussed out where the teats are and are getting full bellies faster.  While they slumber she’s been taking time out to get out of the kitten box and lying outside and washing and cleaning herself.

This is the most relaxed she’s ever been.  In previous years I would open the bedroom door and she would charge frantically out of the box, shedding kittens from her teats, wanting to be let out.  So I was pretty much stuck in the bedroom with her as I didn’t want her to get agitated.  This year, by leaving the bedroom door ajar, she can still hear me wandering round the house and is happy to stay in her kitten box.

At the Milk Bar

Day-old kittens, jockeying for position at the Milk Bar

Last night was particularly noisy on the kitten front.  I was woken up several times by squeals and screams from the kittens.  Each time I stumbled out of bed to discover that the kittens were fine, they weren’t in the process of being squashed. They were just fighting over their spaces at the milk bar.

The first few days (and nights) of a kitten’s existence seems to be taken up with working out where mum’s teats are, which are the best, and who can get the best teats.

It’s a bit of a cat-eat-cat world where the Teat Wars are concerned.  It’s quite shocking to see how these little cute kittens which are smaller than the palm of your hand, and are born blind and deaf can get quite aggressive when it comes to food. 

I have seen kittens scramble around and shove another one off a teat so that the kitten falls off, onto its back, waving its paws like an upturned turtle and emitting a scream that will wake anything up.  I have also seen kittens moving from one empty teat to a fuller one, never mind that they have already had a teatful of milk.  It’s all me-me-me, where milk is concerned.

Kittens must orientate themselves towards the teats by mostly smell.  The urge to suckle must be all-driving.  I watched as a kitten from this litter, newly-born and barely 15 minutes old, wriggle out of mum’s grasp and cleaning tongue, to unerringly find its way to a teat.  Mind you, on occasion, I’ve felt sorry for a kitten bumbling its way helplessly around the rotund landscape of mum’s belly, and picked it up and held its nose to a teat until it latched on.

 

Oops, just missed it!  The cream kitten on the left tries to locate a teat by smell and touch.

I think that in most cases, the largest and strongest get the best teats.  These are the ones located towards the rear of the mother cat – they are the plumpest and most engorged with milk.  The two at the frontmost, the ones just next to the front legs aren’t as juicy.

 

Umm … a bit lower down … towards your right.

One year I had a litter of 7 kittens which meant that one kitten always ended up at the front.  In the end I had to top up with commercial milk because the kitten wasn’t getting as much nourishment as it needed and was losing ground to its siblings.  I fed just enough to give it the strength to fight for its teat.

 

Er … not that low.  Watch out – Ginger has smelt your teat!

Last year I had a litter of just 2 kittens and it was like a 5- star restaurant for them, with a choice of teats for starters, mains and dessert.  They waxed plump and fat throughout their kittenhood and I named them Roly and Poly.

 

Phew … made it in time.  Ginger will have to find his own.

Mum tries to help all she can.  I can hear her mewing encouragement at the kittens as they stumble around.  Most recently, I’ve heard her growl at the kittens, a strange low rumbling growl that sounds more like an admonishment and warning than a preamble to a smack.

When she had 7 kittens I used to put my hand under her and place her on her back so that her teats were more accessible.  I’ve seen her occasionally turn from side to side, as if making sure that the kittens suckle evenly from the teats.  She also gets up and changes position when she’s fed up of the kittens squabbling over the teats.  Each time she moves a wail of kitten screams rise up as those who’ve got seats at the top table must now relinquish them.

It’s said that by days 3 to 5, the kittens would have worked out some sort of teat hierarchy and tend to stick to the same teats.  Which is good news if I’m going to get any sleep at all.

(With many thanks to Mum cat, Ananda, for inspiring me and letting me out of the bedroom to post this)

Kittens have arrived!

 

Kittens – one hour old

Even as I write this, Ananda is purring and grunting away in her kitten box to her kittens. She had 5 kittens, born in the early hours of 17 May 2008.

The actual birth process didn’t start until about 2.30am. But the lead-up to it was fraught for both of us. I know I’ve been through it before, but I always worry about what ’s going to happen. I spent most of the night apologising for getting her in the family way and rubbing her tummy which she found comforting.

There are apparently two types of pregnant cat behaviour. There are the independent cats who prefer to seek a hiding place somewhere to have kittens on their own. Then there are those who seek out their owners help. Ananda is definitely the latter and sees me as midwife and cheerleader.

She had her first kitten on the bed – it was a messy business and accompanied by heart-wrenching screaming. Not something you really want to go through with a beloved pet and something to bear in mind if you’re thinking of going into cat breeding.

Once her first kitten was through and she’d cleaned it up I quickly put it in the kitten box and picked her up and put her in there. She had the next two in quick succession, and then nothing. So after about 2 hours, and after last year’s experience, worried that there were kittens stuck and possibly suffocating, I tried a few homeopathic remedies. Maybe it was coincidence, but literally minutes after administering caullophyllum she had another two. I helped out with all of the births, I cut the cord on 2 of them and helped to dry them because the ones that were born were trying to suckle which made it a bit crowded. But Ananda did most of the work – she’s really got the hang of it now, eating, chewing, cleaning.

That was about 5am and my eyes were nearly glued shut with tiredness. I felt her belly and it still felt swollen. So in the end I decided to wait until the vet opened and ask for a home visit. In the meantime I changed her bedding, fed her water from a dropper and gave her some Arnica and Animal Magic drops which contain Royal Jelly, Ginseng and Honey.

The vet visited and thought he may have felt something, but it was very high up, and if it was a kitten the only way to make sure was with an X-ray. He thought it was probably impacted faeces. As a precaution he administered oxytocin to push any potential kittens or placenta through – I didn’t quibble this time – and said he would pop in after the surgery closed this afternoon. When he came by later, he palpated her again, and he thought this time it wasn’t a kitten – hooray! No need to tell me me how lucky the vet’s is nearby, and it’s something I’m going to have learn to do, to feel a cat’s belly and know whether or not there are kittens waiting to come out and when to wait or when to worry.

I suspect that the mass was probably the 5 placentas Ananda had eaten that morning. She made a relatively quick recovery, considering it was childbirth. She’s a bit anxious and clingy though and whenever I’ve left the room, she’s followed. And what’s happened sometimes is that a kitten who’s been nursing on her teats has held on and then fallen off outside the box. At first I was worried in case it was injured, but praise be, kittens are more robust than you’d think they’d be. In fact, another breeder told me how one of her cats used to rush out of the kitten box with kitten clinging onto a teat, the kitten would fall off, and the impetus of the charge would cause the kitten to slide across the wooden floor!

As mentioned there are 5: 2 gingers (probably male), 1 cream, 1 mackerel and 1 mackerel with white paws. Weights are good, well over the 100g mark each. I haven’t sexed them yet because whenever I pick them up they scream blue murder and Ananda gets upset. It probably feels like some eagle has plucked them up into the sky.

I could do with a good night’s sleep though. I doubt I’m going to get one for a long time. Nursing kittens are noisy when they fight over teats. But I don’t mind – it’s a special time, watching them grow up.

Kittens – 6 hours old

She’s back!

Ananda, my queen is back from the stud cat’s at Koonikki Maine Coons.

She was due back on Wednesday, but as we couldn’t get away from work at short notice, Fiona Nicholls kindly offered to let her stay for awhile longer.

We picked Ananda up on Good Friday and according to Fiona, she had been as good as gold. She did try her princess act with Fiona though. During one of our telephone conversations earlier during her stay, Fiona told me that she had to open the door to the shed where the cats had been sleeping, because Ananda didn’t know how to use the cat flap that gave access to the shed. I was mortified! Of course Ananda knew how to use a cat flap – we’ve got one in the kitchen door, leading to the garden. I must confess that Ananda much prefers to sit daintily by the door until I open the door for her, rather than use the cat flap. That, and waiting to be picked up and put onto the kitchen counter space where I feed her is part of her princess act. And of course she had to try it on with Fiona. We shouldn’t take it personally when our cats play up, but of course we do.

Apart from that sudden outburst of prima donna behaviour, she was fine. Vespasian the stud cat decided to help her finish her food, and this led to much good-natured head-butting between the pair. She was also, according to Fiona, relatively gentle with Vespa. Apparently queens on heat have been known to draw blood from the male after mating, and chase the male around the pen! It goes without saying that a good stud cat must be strong, courageous, and canny, able to leap about six feet vertically onto a perch to avoid the swiping claws of an irate, yet sex-crazed female!

An interesting consequence of her visit to the stud cat has been a slight change in the dynamics between her and Maya the Bengal. As readers of this blog are aware, Maya is a typical Bengal, with a need to be top cat. When Ananda returned, she must have reeked of stud cat (not that I could smell anything) because Maya started sniffing her, and when Ananda growled, Maya backed away and walked off instead of initiating a power-fight.

Also, Maya has always occupied the best spot on the bed. Ananda decided to curl up on the bed and fell asleep, a hidden lump under the blanket. Maya saw the lump and started stalking it, but Ananda growled and once again, Maya didn’t rise to the challenge, but simply jumped off the bed.

I’m not sure how long this welcome change will last as Maya’s not the sort of cat to put up with displacement. A friend of mine who has Bengals has reported that her Bengals have become much calmer now that they’ve reached middle-age.