All hail the tail: Keeping cats happy in the time of corona

From preparing nutritious meals to ensuring plenty of ‘me’ time, cat parents are trying their best to keep their feline babies chilled out during the lockdown

In a triumph for cat lovers everywhere, the Kerala High Court recently allowed Narayan Prakash, pet parent to cats Mookie, Kappi and Kunnikappi to travel to purchase their favourite cat biscuits during the lockdown. The stubborn cats were addicted to a certain kind of cat biscuits, and they refused to anything else! With the landmark judgment in their favour, pet parents rejoiced everywhere. But the challenge of finding ready-made food for their furry babies remained.

In these times, it is imperative that pet parents tap the right resources and make choices that could help fight the scarcity.

In these times, it is imperative that pet parents tap the right resources and make choices that could help fight the scarcity. Shrutika Nagpal from Delhi, parent to KittyKat, “Cat owners know felines get bored with the same food choices and enjoy different food items. But it is essential to speak with your vet about what you intend on feeding your pet, because every animal’s macros are different.”

Dr. Aditi Tiwari, veterinarian, says that you can replace ready-made foods with homemade meals prepared with regular items available in your pantry. “Curd rice and mashed paneer with steamed rice can be easy to digest. Boiled vegetables are a good option as they are not very high in calories yet provide the right amount of energy,” says Tiwari.

Dr Dheeraj Bharadwaj, veterinarian suggests buying chicken and other meat from the right sources. He says, “You can give boiled egg without yolk with rice. To add some extra nutrition to the food, garnish it with carrot and boiled beetroot. Rice with lentils like moong dal along with boiled chicken are also good sources of protein too.”

Cats and their ‘me’ time

It’s a new experience for cats to have their parents all the time around during lockdown. Cats are known to love their space and spend a lot of time alone. Nagpal says, “My cat was supposed to go in for spaying when the lockdown was announced. First few days were painful for her and me as well. But now, he has become quite used to staying in and enjoying my company.”

Sonata Parashar, cat parent to Kyle, Monsoon and Foofie says, “I am blessed that I have a large space so my cats and I can co-exist beautifully. On the other hand, Nagpal, who adopted Kittykat one year ago, says “I don’t involve my cat too much into my schedule. I let my cat be as mental health is important for animals too. I give her space. With a large window in my house, my cat loves to sit and see outside the window which builds as her ’me’ time.”

Every pet parent and pet lover understands that pets are facing difficulties but they can’t express. We must understand their individual issues. Each pet is unique and we must celebrate their uniqueness. And as Sonata says, “Cats will dominate the future so it helps to be in their good books.”