The badass loners

Last year when the lockdown was imposed to control the spread of the Coronavirus the only silver lining for this writer was that shersquod now get to spend more time with her three cats And cuddle we didmdashsometimes without consentVets are now raising a red flag over this unsolicited attention that felines are finding overbearing Cats Protection a UK charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray unwanted or homeless cats and educating people about their welfare has warned that cats are experiencing stress that can act as a threat to their lives as pet parents are spending more time at home Our furry companions are reportedly developing dangerous conditions that are associated with stress including blocked bladder in the case of male cats and cystitis in both female and male catsSakshi Jain AjmeraMumbaibased animal communicator Sakshi Jain Ajmera too has come across ldquostressed outrdquo cats since the outbreak ldquoWhat happened in the pandemic is that we humans began looking for emotional support and in moments of crisis pets offered us comfort and calm But not all pets enjoy excessive affectionrdquo This she adds interferes with the animalrsquos ldquorest and repairrdquo cycle ldquoIn our selfishness of wanting to cuddle we are unwittingly disturbing their resting periodrdquo A catrsquos level of interaction and activity hinges on whether itrsquos being able to recharge its energy battery While this may be the most cat thing wersquove possibly heard it can apply to dogs too For instance Ajmerarsquos Cavapoo she says is ldquoa cat in a dogrsquos bodyrdquo ldquoHe doesnrsquot like people wonrsquot pee in front of strangers and wants his space So different pets have different personalities whether cat or dog They can be introverts and extroverts and itrsquos important we understand thisrdquoSejuti Ghosh a PR professional lives with three cats at her Kandivli apartment ldquoWhile Snowy doesnrsquot mind an extra cuddle Joey is the happiest when he gets belly rubs quite unusual for a catrdquo she says Joe however dislikes any overt show of affection and prefers his own company According to Ghosh if you do go in for a hug with your cat it is usually quite easy to tell if they are unhappy with the situationmdashthey may hiss puff up their tail or try to scratch you Claustrophobia isnrsquot just for humans cats can have it too And it can manifest in different ways shares Ajmera For instance they may experience difficulty in breathing or sudden choking Look out for these signs say experts ldquoIf you approach your cat and it slinks away moves into a crouched position itrsquos a strong indicator that it wants space If they try to run or jump away then you can also be confident that they donrsquot want physical contactrdquo reads an instruction on the Cat Protection website Ears turned back sudden grooming and dilated pupils are other signals for us to lay off Ajmera often has a hard time driving this home to pet parents ldquoThere are times when Irsquove explicitly told them that their cat or dog doesnrsquot like to be dressed up but they still go ahead because itrsquos lsquoso cutersquo That said Irsquove also come across cats that love being dressed You have to take your petrsquos will and personality into considerationrdquoIf your cat doesnrsquot like to cuddle donrsquot take it personally Ghosh assures ldquoSome cats just donrsquot like being picked up or arenrsquot physically affectionate But all three of my boys definitely love me and express this in their own unique ways ldquo Ajmerarsquos advice to pet parents is to spend quality time with their cats and dogs and but if the animal is not interested leave them alone