The Cat Summer 2012

Summer 2012

Feline fellows Meet the Oxford college cats

The sound of silence Investigating the world of a deaf cat

Stormy weather Meteorological mogs

A journey through time Kitty social climbers

Plus Olympic swimmer – Fran Halsall, early schooling for your kitten and adieu to a CP stalwart!

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From the Editor  www.cats.org.uk/thecatmag www.facebook.com/catsprotection www.twitter.com/catsprotection General enquires  Cats Protection, National Cat Cantre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT.  03000 12 12 12 (calls charged at standard rate) @ cp@cats.org.uk Subscription enquires To change your details, become a Special Friend, subscribe, make a donation or become a member of Cats Protection:  Supporter Services, Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT.  0800 917 2287 @ supporterservices@cats.org.uk Editorial submissions  The Editor, The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT. @ editorial@cats.org.uk We reserve the right to edit material for clarity or space. Cats Protection is not responsible for the opinions, advice and factual content of contributed items. The views expressed do not necessarily conform to those of the Trustees.

Advertising enquires  Cats Protection, National Cat Cantre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT.  03000 12 12 12 (calls charged at standard rate) @ cp@cats.org.uk Advertisements are accepted in good faith and we endeavour to check their accuracy.

However, the charity gives no guarantees or endorsements of the products or services advertised. Cats Protection cannot accept responsibility for any correspondence between the parties, nor can they be expected to arbitrate should any dispute arise.

A

s I write this the National Cat Centre is being drenched by torrential rain storms. All wonderful for the reservoirs but I hope that by the time you read this the sun is back out and giving us the chance of a lovely summer. In olden times cats were considered great weather forecasters and on pages 32 and 33 you’ll get to know whether your cat thinks there’s more rain or sun on the way!

In this issue we take the plunge with our celebrity interview and talk cats with Olympic swimmer, Fran Halsall. We wish her and Team GB the very best of luck in London this summer.

On pages 16 to 18 we take a stroll through the social history of cats and we visit the academic felines of Oxford on pages 36 to 38. On pages 20 to 22 we enter the silent world of deaf cats to learn how they cope and for those of you who have young kittens, we raise the important topic of kitten socialisation on pages 46 to 48.

I’d like to welcome a new member to the Editorial team, Rebecca Evans.

She has joined us as Deputy Editor of the magazine and has started by interviewing one of our Trustees, Eleanor Walls, on pages 34 and 35.

Eleanor recently decided to retire from Cats Protection and Rebecca has learned more about her contribution to the charity.

On a recent trip to Arran I had the privilege to be reacquainted with Alison Prince’s cat Fingal and I met Mitzi for the first time. She is a pretty little cat who was found by our Arran Branch Co-ordinator, Linda Hartley, who’d been travelling across the island on a dark and stormy night. She saw a tiny scrap of silver rush across the road, stopped and managed to find the scared little kitten. Mitzi was feisty and very wary to begin with but she is now a lovely lap cat who, despite an awkward start, has become fast friends with Fingal. All is peaceful in the Prince household… until she knocks down the palm plant…again!

Enjoy the summer months, the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee – see you in the autumn.

Francesca Watson Editor

The Team

Published quarterly by: Cats Protection

Deputy Editor 2 Rebecca Evans

Printed by: Pensord Press Ltd.

Creative Designers 3 Ryan O’Hara 4 Rasoul Hudda 5 Sam Roberts

Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it

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Editor 1 Francesca Watson

1

5

2 4

Photo: Jo Walker

The Cat Summer 2012

3

Contents Summer 2012 Cover photo: 123rf.com/Olga Sapegina

Regulars 6

News

10

Dear CP

14

Cats’ tales

24

Playing detective

26

Ask the vets

31

Ali’s cats

40

Our favourite things

44

Walker on the wild side

45

Capital fundraising

49

Paws for thought

50

Coffee paws

52

How can we help?

54

Cats Protection in focus

60

Diary of events

62

Find your local Cats Protection

66

Kids’ corner

68

Making memories

69

Remembering cats

70

Book reviews

4

The Cat Summer 2012

20 36

46

Feature articles 13 Celebrity interview Olympic swimmer, Fran Halsall, takes the plunge talking swimming, cats and her medal hopes

16 A social history of cats We look back at the rise of this noblest of creatures through to the Victorian era

20 The sound of silence

13

We investigate the sometimes silent world of our feline friends

28 Survey results The facts and figures behind our recent magazine survey

32 Feline forecasters Taking a light-hearted look at the Michael Fishes of the cat world...

32 49

34 Decades of devotion We wish a happy retirement to Trustee and long-term CP volunteer, Eleanor Walls

36 Feline fellows Meet some of the collegiate cats of Oxford

42 Behind the scenes On the road with our Shows & Exhibitions Team

46 Kitten socialisation Early schooling for the cats in our lives

34

Cats Protection’s vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs.

Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) SC037711 (Scotland)

The Cat  Summer 2012

5

Cat lover Jan signs up for the Feline Oscars

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PURINA® – Together We Can recycling campaign

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The 2011 Together We Can campaign raised an incredible £10,000 for Cats Protection. This went towards the isolation ward at our Nottingham Adoption Centre, helping to secure the future of many kittens and older cats.

Our adoption centres play a pivotal role in the process of cats’ and kittens’ lives, as newborns require constant care and attention.

PURINA® is once again supporting Cats Protection through their 2012 Together We Can campaign. Simply pledge to recycle your cans* on the Together We Can website and when they reach the target of 75,000 pledges they will donate £40,000 in total to their charity partners: Cats Protection, Canine Partners and the Dublin SPCA. £10,000 will go to each charity and a further £10,000 will be split between the three charities based on your vote, so you can choose a charity to benefit most from your pledge!

To support Cats Protection simply enter your unique code found in FELIX® or WINALOT® can promotional multipacks and pledge to recycle your cans online at www.purina.co.uk/wecan. If you do not have a unique code you can still pledge to recycle your pet food cans and help us reach the target of 75,000 pledges. When we reach our target of 75,000 pledges PURINA® will donate £10,000 to Cats Protection, and the more votes we get, the bigger our proportion of the extra £10,000!

Through your code entry and pledge you also have the chance to be one of the five lucky winners who could each win £2,000 off their energy bills – happy recycling! ®

Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

* Please recycle cans in your usual way ie. recycle bin collections, supermarket recycle points

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The Cat Summer 2012

Photo: Dragan Mikki

Former BBC newsreader Jan Leeming is showing her support for unwanted cats by becoming a celebrity judge for the National Cat Awards 2012.

Jan, who owns a ginger tom called Tamby, will be judging the Outstanding Rescue Cat category.

Known as the ‘Feline Oscars’, the National Cat Awards are open to living cats in the UK and celebrate real-life stories of companionship, bravery and heroism in the cat world.

The winner of this year’s National Cat Awards will inherit the title from previous winner Marmite a one-year-old puss from Fareham who became a ‘Moggy midwife’ when his pregnant owner Lindsey Davies started having contractions while at home alone.

Jan is looking forward to judging shortlisted cats in her category after the call for entries closes on 31 May 2012.

She said: “I’m pleased to be judging the Outstanding Rescue Cat category. I adopted Tamby after I found him living rough in a country lane and, over the 12 years that I have owned him, he has developed into the most charming, loving, amusing and loyal pet. Rescue cats have so much to offer and I’m looking forward to hearing stories of how other cats have brightened up the lives of their owners.”

Jan will announce her winner at the awards ceremony which takes place at The Savoy in London on Thursday 16 August.

If you would like to enter your cat’s story before the closing date of 31 May, please visit cats.org.uk/national-cat-awards where you can complete an entry form online.

NEWS

Don’t forget the Catathon!

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Photo: CP Library/Mandy Thomas

The greatest gathering of people dressed as cats will take place in Adare Street in Bridgend’s town centre on Saturday 30 June at 12.30pm. Staff and volunteers from the Bridgend Adoption Centre are attempting to break the world record of more than 800 people dressed as cats in the same place.

Let’s make it happen! More details can be found on their website www.cats.org.uk/bridgend

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Distances in Australia are vast and setting off across its unforgiving red heart can be daunting for the most wellprepared traveller. It is all the more amazing that one small tabby cat appears to have walked almost 2,000 miles from Berry Springs, in the country’s Northern Territory, to Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, turning up at her old house over a year later.

The cat’s owner Sherree Gale and her husband had moved from Eyre Peninsula but the cat, Jessie, disappeared soon after their relocation.

Sheree is in no doubt, however, that Jessie had walked the entire distance. “She hates getting into cars,” Sherree told Northern Territory News , “so I think she has walked.”

The new owners of Jessie’s house in Eyre Peninsula, Mr and Mrs Humby, had already agreed to keep Sheree’s other two cats as it was feared they would not deal well with the move. One day they noticed that a new cat had joined the other two. “I thought it was strange because this cat was hanging around with the other two and I thought a wild one wouldn’t do that,” Mrs Humby said. “I took a photo and sent it to Sheree, and she said it was definitely Jessie.”

Jessie’s initial trip up North had been by air via several airports which makes her trek across the great unknown all the more incredible, as she had no previous knowledge of the route. She is now being looked after by Mr and Mrs Humby.

Photo: Matteodelt

June is National Microchipping Month

Gone walkabout

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It’s June and Cats Protection is once again supporting microchipping month, when leading companies – including Petlog and Identichip – put the spotlight on this invaluable identification process and responsible pet ownership. You’re likely to see posters and leaflets encouraging you to ask about microchipping at your local vets. Microchipping is a simple, safe and permanent way to identify your cat. Each chip carries a unique ID number linked to a database containing details of your cat and your name and address.

If your cat is already microchipped then perhaps it’s a good opportunity to ensure your microchip company has your correct details as updating your address can be easily forgotten in the stress of moving house. If a cat is scanned and the details are out of date then it may delay or even prevent your cat being reunited with you.

Sadly, latest figures show that 83 per cent of the stray and unwanted cats that are brought to CP each year are not microchipped and therefore cannot be identified immediately. For two weeks after a cat is brought to us we will try to find its original owners before arranging for it to be rehomed.

We spend £220,000 each year on microchipping these unidentifiable cats, taking away precious funds that are needed for the charity’s core work – finding homes for unwanted cats, promoting neutering and providing cat care information to the public.

If all cats were microchipped it would result in many more tales with happy endings: reuniting owners with their beloved pets. So if you haven’t microchipped so far, please enquire at your vets today.

AGM – 21 July 2012

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Just a reminder that our AGM will take place on Saturday 21 July at the Derby QUAD. The day will provide an overview and highlights of the charity’s year, as well as some stimulating presentations and the opportunity to visit Derby Adoption Centre. It’s also a great opportunity to meet fellow volunteers from around the UK to share stories, experiences and tips.

The business of the day includes the audited annual report and accounts of Cats Protection being placed before the members, the reappointment of auditors and election/ re-election of Council members.

To register your interest in attending, please email agm@cats.org.uk or phone our Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 – calls charged at the standard rate – but hurry as places are limited. Full details are available on our website at www.cats.org.uk/news/agm

The Cat Summer 2012

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NEWS

Where are they miaow?

We meet some of CP’s prominent graduates…

Cheers to Cyril!

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Cyril was adopted by Sally Urwin from the Gateshead & District Branch in 2000. He was a skinny little black and white cat thought to be about two years old. He is now a stately 14-year-old and lives with Sally and her husband Steve on their farm in Northumberland. He also has the distinction of having an ale named after him and his image is seen on the pump clip in pubs across the North East!

Sally tells us: “He is a very good hunter and all summer we have to clear up trophies of dead mice from the front lawn. He patrols the hemmels and barns and is very good at keeping out vermin.

“He has been known to try and ’stalk‘ the cows in the fields. It is very funny to watch Cyril trying to hide behind a tussock of grass while stalking an enormous heifer.

“We set up a micro brewery making real ale on the farm, High House Farm Brewery in 2002 which was then taken over by Heather and Gary Scott in 2009. As I had seen an ale in Denmark called Tabitha the Knackered – named after their brewery cat – I thought Cyril the Magnificent would be a good name for our new beer. Cyril is beautiful but not really magnificent…he tends to sleep a lot on hay bales and is the soppiest pet you’ve ever seen so it was a bit of an inside joke. The graphic designers took a picture of Cyril and turned it into a wonderful hand-drawn pump clip. He looks very fierce on it, which he’s really not!

We brew this once or twice a year and it’s very popular. It is sold right across the North East in cask, right down to Durham and Darlington and across to Cumbria and up to the Scottish Borders. We also sell the pump clips featuring Cyril, which many people like to collect.

“Now we have two children and Cyril is incredibly patient with both of them. We love him to bits, and he is definitely part of the family. A cat makes a house into a home.”

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The Cat Summer 2012

Edible advertising!

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Glasgow Adoption Centre hit on a unique way to remind people of some of their long stay cats. At the recent Easter Open Day one of their very kind supporters, Liza Hamill, donated this wonderful cake featuring some of the centre’s residents. She had taken photos of the cats who’d been needing homes the longest and tasked the talented cake makers with recreating their likenesses in icing sugar. The cake was auctioned off on the centre’s Facebook page raising money for the resident cats. Skippy, one of the cats depicted, is actually featured in our Looking for a Home section on page 56.

Gone but not forgotten

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Moves are afoot in Fishguard to reinstate a loving tribute to a cat which worked as a rat-catcher at the town’s Goodwick railway station in the 1920s. The station, which closed in 1964, fell into a state of disrepair soon after and it was during this time that the plaque, honouring this unnamed much-loved station cat, disappeared.

Thankfully a photo of the original appeared in The County Echo and the call has now been made for a replica to be erected in the new station building, due to reopen in May. According to the newspaper, the Great Western Railway used to employ cats to control vermin and were even on the payroll where money was allocated to provide them with food. This particular cat was taken home every Friday night

by Guard Peter Williams before both returned to duty on Monday morning.

The plaque reads – In memory of the station cat. Died 2 August, 1931. Here lies the dear old station cat. She killed some mice and many a rat. Her days are gone. She did her best and now in peace she’s laid to rest. Sadly missed by Goodwick station staff .

Charlie 42 Church Road

Ollie

10 Crown Sq

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Make it easier to find your pet... get a microchip fitted.

For more information, please phone our National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

Do you have an interesting story to tell, a point of view you want to air or something that you just have to get off your chest?

Send your thoughts, views, stories, funny photos and ‘mewsings’ to The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email us at editorial@cats.org.uk. Don’t forget to tell us your return address and please remember that your letter may be edited for length.

✪ STAR LETTER

Eldercats for elderfolk!

From Mrs Olive Bond, Bulwell, Nottingham he staff and volunteers at Cats Protection are good and kind but there’s nothing better than a home to call your own. People who visit hoping to adopt often bypass the older cats on their way to coo over the pretty kittens and young cats.

If like me you are an older person, retired and perhaps living alone, you need to consider the options. Kittens are full of energy and need to play. Can you see yourself chasing about and rolling around on the carpet playing? Are you nimble enough to avoid falling over the little bundle darting in front of you and weaving around your ankles as you go up and down the stairs? If you do take a kitten make sure that you provide for it in your will for obvious reasons.

Young cats, come what may, will manage to go out roaming.

Goodness knows where he is and what he’s getting up to. It’s a constant worry.

Think about a senior citizen feline. They ask for so little and give so much affection. His needs are simple: a cosy bed, sitting in the garden when it’s sunny and, of course, your company. It’s great to know that you are not returning to an empty house; you’re sure of a warm greeting, even warmer when you have been for groceries and cat food is seen being unpacked.

I know this because I adopted a ginger treasure three years ago – he is now 15 years old. He is my little ray of sunshine.

T

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The Cat Summer 2012

There’s always hope

From Anne Lawrence, Hedge End, Southampton his is Vinnie. We adopted him and his sister Lulu from the Southampton Cats Protection last June. They were practically feral kittens and had been domesticated by a devoted CP fosterer. They settled down with us gradually.

Eventually we allowed them to venture into the garden. Unfortunately, one day a sudden noise made Vinnie jump over the bottom of the six foot fence. Despite every effort to find him, which included hundreds of flyers with his picture, notifications to the local vets etc we couldn’t find him. Five long weeks went by when there was a knock on the door. A neighbour had seen him in some bushes a few roads away.

After much persuasion lasting several hours he eventually got into a CP trap!

He was very thin and bony and only weighed two kilos. The vet said he wouldn’t have lasted much longer. After a lot of TLC and careful feeding he is now restored to full health and is back playing with his sister. Moral of the story, don’t give up!

T

Mewsings

From Mr HM Scharf, Solihull. ne or two small matters: a cat person is a likeable person because such a person tends to purr, unlike a dog person who is inclined to bark or snap or growl. Two cat persons meet and find they have a rappaw . From my work in the Crown Court I am able to say judges like cats because when they sentence they are pussillianimous .

Over the years we have had two ginger strays. The first left his mark on the bedroom carpet. The second, Thomas, knew when I was approaching home by foot. When I was two or three hundred yards from home he would come down the pavement to meet me, then return home via the front gardens and we would meet by the front door.

O

YOUR LETTERS

Our little lion

From Pamela de Barra, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire he whirlwind blows in through the cat flap with a train of brown oak leaves in his wake. His energy is at its peak in the morning. Can this be the same Leo, the tiny motionless kitten who first visited the vet snuggled into a red bootee slipper? The vet thought he might have congenital deformity of the back legs.

Three months previously we had been watching Sister Wendy Beckett on TV. She said that “cats are people.”

We suspect that Leo who was the runt had been bullied by his brothers and sisters. He is an elegantly marked black and white cat who looks very similar to the one in the Felix adverts.

Leo soon adapted to life and freedom here. There was a lot of anger and frustration bottled up in the tiny kitten. He regularly attacked us – sometimes it was very scary, like the time he leapt on to my sleeping face from the top of a wardrobe. We bathed our wounds every day. When we visited the surgery to have our tetanus injections brought up to date, the nurse thought we must breed cats from the number of scratches we bore.

We learned to fight him off with water pistols. Looking back, this seemed to give him the satisfaction of play-fighting which he had missed out on with his siblings. We rarely have to use the water pistols now. He refuses to sit on our laps but he likes being tickled under the chin and purrs.

He never, well hardly ever, scratches us now.

He will probably always be small and though he stands up to humans he has a problem with other cats who come in and eat his food. We have invested in a cat flap which is only activated by his microchip and will probably pay for itself by what we save in food. We are glad we persevered with him and it is a pleasure to have him curled up snugly with us at night. Sister Wendy was right, cats are as individual as humans. We are relieved he has outgrown any problem with his back legs, he leaps to our shoulder height as he attacks the shadows we make on the wall for him.

Open wide!

From Brian Martin, Norwich, Norfolk hen I saw your Ask the vets article in the Spring 2012 issue of The Cat I was reminded of an illustration I found in an old encyclopaedia.

I have made a copy and added a title which I think explains everything.

I hope you find it amusing. Thank you for everything you do for cats.

T

W

A lone survivor

From Mr and Mrs Firth, Charlton Mackrell, Somerset ome 15 years ago we moved to this address and brought with us an old cat who sadly did not survive very long and old age necessitated a final visit to the vet. That was Smudge, originally a stray.

After a while we saw a small cat new to us, eating eagerly the remains of party food which we’d put out on the lawn for the birds. The lure of possible further free food saw the cat return the next day and some 12 years on he still comes am and pm for his food. We call him Sox – a black full tom cat with four white paws. Of unknown years, but clearly now a pensioner, we can get no nearer to him now than on day one! No cuddles and still a spit.

Remarkably he remains in good condition, and obviously has had no vet’s help. He’s cured himself of battle scars over the years gained through scrapping and has had abcesses and swollen paws after fights etc but has managed to heal himself so far.

We would dearly have wanted a house cat but fear that he would then have another problem, so have avoided the temptation.

He lives in a shed down the large garden. It is dry but cold. He survived last winter’s freezes with some nights of – 10c or – 12c. We shall support him as best we can in his solitary lifestyle and hope he’ll survive longer as he seems to enjoy his life.

S

The Cat Summer 2012

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YOUR LETTERS

Taxi!

From Pauline Dewberry, Erith, Kent immy and his twin brothers, Billy and Joey, were all rescued from appalling conditions and they joined me and my other three ginger cats. As they were ginger too, I now had six ginger cats.

I got a call one day from someone who was ‘getting rid’ of a little female kitten. She was 10 weeks old, had been kicked and beaten and put down the toilet. My home was to be her fourth – and final – home. Ellie was the sweetest little girl and within a few days she had all my neutered boys eating out of her paws.

One day she came into the dining room and sat on one of the chairs. Within a few minutes, Timmy came into the dining room on his way out to the garden. Instead of going straight through to the kitchen, he walked under the dining room table to the chair that Ellie was sitting on. He paused as he emerged from under her chair and she carefully got onto Timmy’s back. He took her into the kitchen and stopped by her food bowl where she alighted. Without a backward glance he continued on his way out through the cat flap while Ellie got on with her dinner.

It looked as if she had been waiting for a ‘cab’ and Timmy had fulfilled that role! I only wished I had managed to take a picture of this, but unfortunately I didn’t reach my camera in time. But I do have this picture of Timmy telling Ellie the House Rules.

T

It’s a breeze with cheese

From: Miss M Parker, London was interested in what your vet had to say in the Spring 2012 issue about administering pills to cats, as I had plenty of experience of that when my 16/17 year– old-female developed hyper-thyroidism two years ago.

After much trial and error, I finally hit on the solution.

At my vet’s suggestion – all credit to her – I tried wrapping the pills in cream cheese, by means of two small teaspoons. This was no mean feat, at one point Goldie was on no fewer than four different tablets, and some mornings I had to give her half of one and a quarter of another as well as the standard daily one – all coated in one lump of soft cheese. Once I had established the sort she liked she used to come up to me morning and evening for her ‘cheesy-weesy’(!). Some days I had to have two or three attempts to get all the pills down her but mostly it was ‘easy-peasy’.

When she died last May the sales of a certain wellknown branch of cream cheese must have gone down!

I have a friend who used fish paste to similarly good effect.

Note from CP Veterinary Department: We’re really pleased to hear you found a stress-free way of medicating your cat. Just a reminder to other readers to double-check with their vet before trying to disguise medications in foods, firstly to ensure the food supplements are safe to give regularly – which may in part depend on the condition the cat is suffering from – and secondly to check there aren’t any constituents in the food that would bind and stop the medication from being absorbed properly – indeed some medications are best given on an empty stomach. It would be a shame to find a successful way to get a tablet down only to find the medication then doesn’t have a chance to work effectively! Miss Parker obviously had great success with the recommendation made by her vet.

I

Our Star Letter wins their own SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap. All other printed letters will win a SureFlap cat mat for your puss to wipe its paws on!

The SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap is ideal for cat owners needing a simple, stylish solution to the problem of intruder cats. SureFlap identifies your cat using his unique microchip number, unlocking only for your pet and leaving unwanted visitors outside.

SureFlap is compatible with all European identification microchips and does not require your cat to wear an uncomfortable, restrictive collar.

Available in brown and white, SureFlap can be installed into doors, windows or walls and fits into the hole left by most existing cat flaps. It runs on four AA batteries which last up to 12 months with normal use.

To find out more visit www.sureflap.co.uk or visit their Happy Cats page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/sureflap.

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The Cat Summer 2012

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Fran Halsall

Photo: Vaugn Ridley

One of Team GB’s top swimmers, Fran Halsall, talks to Francesca Watson ahead of the London Olympics about swimming, cats and going for gold

QUESTION Can you tell us a little bit about your cats?

ANSWER I got my cats from a cat rescue last year. Banks is a one-year-old ginger domestic longhair, who mainly likes to eat and play. Bella is a one-year-old tabby Siberian longhair whose main hobbies are singing loudly and sleeping under my bed.

QUESTION How old were you when you first got into swimming and when did you realise you wanted to take this further?

ANSWER I first got into swimming when I was eight, I joined my local swimming club and attended three to four sessions a week. When I was about 13 and had won my first national race I thought to myself, this is something I could be really good at.

QUESTION You’ve won medals in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships and set a British record at the 2008 Olympics. What has been the highlight of your career so far?

ANSWER I have two highlights that come to mind. The first one was my first senior international medal at the World Championships in Rome in 2009. I didn’t expect to get a medal so it was a great surprise. The other one was the European Championships in Budapest when I became the most successful British swimmer ever at one championship, it was a pretty cool feeling knowing I’d done something that no one else had!

QUESTION You swim freestyle and butterfly; which do you prefer and why?

ANSWER My favourite event is the 50m freestyle. It’s short and all about who’s the fastest in the pool. The butterfly is definitely the toughest event!

QUESTION You’re busy preparing for the 2012 Olympics; what makes them so different to all the other championships?

ANSWER I think it’s because they only come around every four years and the fact that they’re the biggest competition for lots of different sports so it makes it really special for the competitors. You’re living in the village with lots of different people from all different kinds of sports – it’s a completely unique environment.

QUESTION What do you do to unwind?

ANSWER I like to chill at home watching some films snuggled up with Banks and Bella. A bit of shopping also relaxes me.

QUESTION If you weren’t an athlete what would you have done?

ANSWER I think I would have liked to have been a politician, getting the country into shape!

QUESTION How do you fit owning a cat into your busy lifestyle?

ANSWER I train in the morning and in the evening so the cats have a pretty good routine. They go out to play while I’m at training in the morning then come in for a nap with me at lunchtime. Then they’re out again for another play while I’m at training in the evening, then in for dinner time and bed.

QUESTION What’s the best thing about owning a cat?

ANSWER I love the fact that when I’ve had a tough day of training, I’ll get home and they’ll always cheer me up and make me smile.

QUESTION What is the funniest thing that any of your cats have ever got up to?

ANSWER Well…we have found Banks on the roof of a garage and had to get the ladders out to get him down! He also likes to wake me up by nibbling my nose! Bella thought it would be a good idea to jump in the bath with me. She didn’t like it at all. Her fluffy hair was soaked and she looked tiny – bless her.

The Cat Summer 2012

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Funny, weird, or just plain photogenic; this is the place to show off your cat for the remarkable creature he is. If you think you’ve got a cat who deserves his 15 minutes of fame then write to us at Cats’ Tales, The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email editorial@cats.org.uk including a contact number and a photo of at least 500kb in size. If you would like your photos returned, please enclose a self-addressed envelope. Your letters may be edited for clarity and length.

We’re ready for our close up, Mr DeMille!

From: Elaine Mepham, Haxby, North Yorkshire I thought that you might like to see my two cats, Bonnie (tortie) and Clyde in a perfectlyposed position. It was almost as though they wanted to have their photo taken and they stayed like that while I rushed for my camera.

I only had one chance to capture this and I am absolutely delighted with the result. I have had it enlarged and put on a canvas to hang in the house. Such a sweet brother and sister pose, nothing like their normal behaviour!

Drowsy miaowsy From: Rita Kort, Danby, North Yorkshire This is my cat Scusy, who really knows how to enjoy a good nap!

She joined Coco as a kitten. Coco was not at all sure he liked this ball of energy, but gradually they became friends. Coco’s peace of mind got shaken up again with the arrival of Pushkin a year later.

Oh no – another ball of energy! Scusy and Pushkin play together a lot and they both get rid of their excess energy. Then they sleep and sleep and sleep some more. We live on a farm, so there are a lot of interesting things and mice to be found. Looking at Scusy sleeping is just the most relaxing thing – with a stressful job my three cats keep me sane. Once one sits on your lap, that’s it! You have to stay put and can’t jump up to do whatever. Coco also has the delightful habit of going for walks with me, who needs a dog?! It brings a smile to everyone’s face, and after five years it still makes me melt...

Barney weighs in From: Michael Chandler, Charlton all Saints, Wiltshire This is Barney on a recent visit to the vet’s. He is now nearly 15 and he came to us with his tortoiseshell sister who is a lot smaller and doesn’t trust him, with good reason. We always thought that he was a cast off Turkish Van but recently we saw a photo of a Siberian cat that he also resembles.

He is very laid back and has a beautiful coat, which – within reason – he enjoys you combing for him; we then put the hair out for the birds to line their nests with in the spring.

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READERS’ CATS Don’t hog the covers From: Elizabeth Munro, Aneres, France A sure sign of the coming winter is when ‘The Creaker’ takes up her cold-weather quarters under the sofa throw. This lady has 2,500 square metres of garden to patrol and thus needs a lot of rest. She is pretty selfish in as much as she always expects first go at the sofa, armchair or our bed. But as with most pets, it is difficult to deny her the little luxuries.

Boxing clever From: Daniela Zastrow, Staines, Surrey Here a picture of our cat Tiger. Why should he sleep on the bed or sofa instead when this cardboard box seems to be so much more comfy and smelly? Good for him that we did follow the instructions to recycle the boxes eventually, but never recycled him!

A Great Uncle’s legacy From: Karen Lunt, Bootle, Merseyside We had just replaced the flowers on my greatuncle’s grave in Bootle cemetery. I could hear a persistent mewing sound the whole time. The source was eventually spotted in the bole of a tree – a tiny feline.

Three lads helped to get him down and left him in my mum’s arms. Fortunately we were within walking distance of my gran’s house, so we carried him there. The next morning gran rang to say that he had regained energy and was proving hard to handle, so we brought him home. We took him to the vet’s. He was pronounced healthy but for a small population of fleas which were soon eradicated with spray.

I’ve never brought up a kitten and my mum hasn’t for years, so this has been a fascinating learning curve. The lodger’s days are spent ‘hunting’ everything that moves, devising problem-solving activities for himself and falling into sudden sleeps. He has already displayed territorial behaviour towards other cats after launching himself at a neighbour’s mog when they unexpectedly came face to face in the kitchen. We’ve called him Harry after my great-uncle who fortuitously took us to the cemetery that day.

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Suzanne Grogan looks back at the rise of this noblest of creatures through to the Victorian era

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he early history of cat-keeping is well documented. Scientific and archaeological research, showing how the relationship between cats and humans can be traced back to Israel and Cyprus over nine thousand years ago, has fired the imagination of historians who have been keen to understand why this working relationship developed. Our feline friends have long resisted the inclination to perform tasks at human bidding and as such, this has meant the size and shape of the domestic cat has changed little in nine thousand years, unlike dogs whose physiology has adapted through breeding for their working roles.

Focusing on the early history of domestication has resulted in many an anthology of poetry or prose but little in the way of reliable historical research into the importance of cats in society over the past three hundred years. This has resulted in myth and folklore prevailing over fact, fostering a continuing superstition that has led to cruelty, even in the recent past. Until the 17th century cats were widely associated with evil: versed in black magic, an associate of witches and the embodiment of Satan himself. Even into 18th century France, large numbers of cats were rounded up and burned in grotesque ‘celebrations’ and in Britain a live cat would often be sealed inside the wall of a new house to ward off evil spirits.

Eventually it was recognised that the destruction of cats was counter-productive. A decreasing population led to an increase in the number of plague-bearing rats. As people encouraged them into their homes it was inevitable that a greater level of domestication would occur.

A noble creature In fact, from the 17th century onwards cats became increasingly important and useful members of the most affluent households in Europe. With the decline of falconry as a sport cats became valued for their ability to catch vermin. Where dogs would pose at their master’s feet for hours, a cat could not

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easily be persuaded to sit still so they are less well represented in works of art. In France, however, the association of cats, witchcraft and impotence led to their presence being banned in any royal portrait from Louis XV, crowned in 1715, onwards.

Louis the XV kept Angora cats; Catherine the Great of Russia was given a kitten by her lover; Queen Victoria kept Persians; and most movingly, Russia’s Tsar Nicholas II’s cousin Grand Duke Nikolai, seized by revolutionaries in 1917, was allowed to take his cat with him to the fortress where he was killed with his pet in his lap.

Nineteenth century nobility and political dealings are therefore at least partly responsible for the popularity of the ‘lap cat’ and a number of breeds popular with owners today. Auguste Pavie, French Ambassador to Siam, convinced the French public that the ‘Siamese’ breed was the exclusive property of the King of Siam, causing imports to rise dramatically. Abyssinians were afforded the same level of promotion in the 1860s when they were accorded the role of favourite of Emperors, and the Burmese was introduced as a direct result of colonial expansion. Households keen to emulate the upper classes lavished affection on their spoiled pets.

A literary muse The 18th and 19th centuries also saw the rise of the cat as an important presence in the lives of literary greats. As the general public were offered increased access to books and newspapers, writers gave cats their best marketing opportunity yet.

Hodge, belonging to Dr Johnson was immortalised

by Boswell in his Life ; Hinse belonging to Sir Walter Scott featured in his writing and Selima, the pet of Whig politician Horace Walpole, was immortalised by poet Thomas Gray. Seen in print as objects of affection - Johnson bought all the food for Hodge himself, in case a servant resented the trouble and mistreated the cat - as well as useful members of the household, keeping them purely for pleasure became more common.

FEATURE

Twice the food...

As the 18th century saw Britain expand trade routes across the globe, the mass of shipping involved relied upon the ship’s cat to control the vermin on board the unwholesome sailing boats. In addition, with increasing populations to be fed at home, an agricultural revolution resulted in ever larger stores of grain and root crops. With food becoming such a valuable commodity merchants and farmers regularly employed a family of felines to ensure mice and rats didn’t eat into profit margins.

Populations with a long heritage still exist on many farms today.

However, as cats became more popular with the middle classes during the 19th century it was widely thought they would be better at catching vermin if already well-fed by their owners. In 1876, Gordon Stables said, “Oatmeal porridge and milk, or white bread steeped in warm milk, to which a little sugar has

been added, are both excellent breakfasts for puss; and for dinner she must have an allowance of flesh.

Boiled lights are better for her than horse-meat, and occasionally let her have fish…”

This highlights a social divide amongst cat owners. While cats of the upper classes might be treated to a little poached chicken or fish, a poor household would have to resort to the ‘cat’s meat hawker’ or cat’s meat shop where horse flesh was sold to families who would often feed the cat’s belly better than their children’s.

It was said that a cat kept hungry would eat more of the owner’s larder than the vermin and if well fed a cat would ‘take many and eat few’.

Whether milk and sugar, or even horse flesh, improved their ability to catch a rat is debateable but it certainly suggests that cats quickly recognised the benefits of submitting themselves to the company of humans.

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FEATURE

Cat calls….

As cat owning for pleasure grew in popularity towards the end of the 19th century, so the public’s desire to read about them increased. Writers, both amateur and professional, would anthropomorphise them and include them as characters in books or eulogise them in poetry, most notably Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll and Beatrix Potter.

They became the regular subjects of sensational news stories. Cats saved their owners from house fires, killed babies by sleeping on them and bit gentlemen on a night out at the opera causing a ghastly death from rabies – no details spared.

Letters and features appeared bemoaning the ‘cat convention’ in neighbourhoods over-run with noisy felines and raising the possibility of owners losing their pets to a gunshot if they ‘failed to keep the peace’. Physicians advertised cures for alopecia made from cat’s dung, cat’s urine, mustard seed, onion and bear’s grease. Cruelty to cats was regularly reported and those taken to court received significant fines At the same time, the Victorian delight in anthropomorphised beasts was extended to cats in the highly popular images created by artists such as Louis Wain. Wain’s illustrations were published in magazines and children’s books and showed cats playing cards, musical instruments, smoking and taking part in popular human pastimes such as fishing.

The cat was no longer a mere vermin-catching beast; it had become part of the fabric of Victorian society.

Cat shows and charitable causes

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Illustration: Sam Roberts

Louis Wain was also involved with a number of charities that philanthropically-minded Victorians established to protect cats and fight cruelty, including the Society for the Protection of Cats and the Anti-Vivisection Society.

He was also active in the National Cat Club. As the popularity of cats grew, particularly among

the burgeoning and wealthy middle classes, the new passion for things feline spawned a natural competitive or ‘scientific’ interest resulting in the development of particular breeds for particular characteristics.

Although cat shows haven’t, in modern times, had the draw of those showing off the range and variety of dog breeds, in the 19th century they were a sensation. Harrison Weir, known as the ‘Father of the Cat Fancy’ organised the first cat show in 1871, founded the National Cat Club in 1887 and was judge at the first show at the Crystal Palace in London that same year. It is said that the cats were barely visible for the crush of humans that pressed to admire them.

Weir published the first book of ‘pedigree’ cats in 1889, entitled Our Cats and All About Them . In it he says: ‘…if it is nurtured, petted, cosseted, talked to, noticed, and trained, with mellowed firmness and tender gentleness, then in but a few generations much evil that bygone cruelty has stamped into its often wretched existence will disappear….’

Weir, and Louis Wain, were determined that cats should be admired for their beauty, temperament and usefulness. Their intentions with cat shows and the promotion of high standards in cat breeding were honourable but as is often the case competition can go too far. The British were becoming a nation of cat lovers and all over the world Victorian Britain is now recognised as the ‘birthplace’ of many of the pedigree breeds owned and shown today. In many ways the day-to-day existence of our feline friends was improved during the 19th century; but in the first half of the next century that affection was exploited as new breeds were developed and older ones in-bred, bringing criticism of the cat fancy as the integrity of a breed’s health was compromised.

Perhaps the Victorian legacy is more complex than we might at first think….

I can’t leave my best friend behind!

We know that for many victims of domestic abuse, leaving violent relationships is made impossible simply because they cannot bear to lose their pets. That’s where Cats Protection, in partnership with Dogs Trust, steps in. Through the Freedom Project we take in and provide safe refuge for victims’ cats until their owners are in a position to reclaim them.

Since 2004, we have helped more than 120 families to escape domestic abuse.

By making a donation today you can help us to support even more.

Make a difference today:

T: 0800 917 2287 W: www.cats.org.uk/freedom-project Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

“Deaf cats tend to have a normal quality of life; they cope by using their other senses to compensate for the hearing loss.”

20 The Cat Summer 2012

HEALTH CHECK

The sound of silence Valeria Higgins investigates the sometimes silent world of our feline friends

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The CP vets say: “Where deafness is inherited from birth, it is almost always in cats with white coats. It is caused by degeneration of the auditory apparatus of the inner ear and may affect one ear (unilateral) or both (bilateral). The gene responsible for the defect is linked to coat and eye colour and it has been determined that if a cat has two blue eyes, it is three to five times more likely to be deaf than a cat with two non-blue eyes. A cat with one blue eye is twice as likely to be deaf than the cat with two non-blue eyes.”

Day-to-day life Deaf cats tend to have a normal quality of life; they cope by using their other senses to compensate for the hearing loss. It’s important to remember that these cats are unable to hear danger signals – such as cars or other animals – and need to be kept indoors for their own safety, or only allowed outside into an escape-proof garden. But what else should owners be aware of?

“A deaf cat is easily startled because he won’t be aware that you are approaching. Make sure that you walk heavily so he can feel the vibrations. At close range, sharp hand claps or stamping on the floor might still be sufficient to gain a partially-deaf cat’s attention,” advise the CP vets.

Photo: Valeria Higgins

eeting Casper, a white cat with blue eyes who was deaf, at Cats Protection’s Belfast Adoption Centre was an eye opener.

I never knew that much about deaf cats and how adept their coping mechanisms are, so I decided to examine how these felines cope without one of their senses.

Cats, like humans, have five senses with which they navigate the world around them. Most of the cat’s senses are much more acute that a human’s. They can see better in the dark and hear higher-pitched sounds; their sense of smell is about 14 times stronger; they have a well-developed sense of touch all over their body which is far more advanced than ours – their paws are able to pick up slight vibrations in the ground and their whiskers are important for picking up air movements and telling them about objects they make contact with.

Taste is the only sense where humans have a wider range – cats have far fewer taste buds than either humans or dogs and, because they are carnivores, their sense of taste is focused on protein and fat and they are far less able to distinguish sweet tastes.

When a cat is deaf from birth or begins to go deaf later in life, it compensates for this by using its other, better developed senses more, and it is thus sometimes hard to tell whether it really is deaf.

According to the Cats Protection (CP) Veterinary Department, “Some cats are born deaf but many cats lose their hearing gradually as they age. Sudden loss of hearing is normally the result of illness or injury and may be temporary or permanent.”

There are two main types of deafness: • Where the sound cannot pass into the ear, as in the case of tumours, outer and middle ear infections, wax build up or ear mites. This type may be reversible by treating the root cause • The second cause is where the nerves associated with the ear do not function properly; this can be due to genetic problems as in the case of some white cats, inner ear infections, drug toxicity, noise trauma or age-related degeneration. This type can produce permanent deafness

Diagnosis

Photo: CP Library

“Some deaf cats call out more often and more loudly, because they cannot regulate their own volume, while others may become mute,” say the CP vets. “It can be difficult to determine if a cat is deaf, particularly if he has been deaf from birth and is very used to his condition, but other signs may include a failure to respond when spoken to or called; being easily startled; signs of dizziness or disorientation; no longer being afraid of the vacuum cleaner or other loud appliances; shaking the head or clawing at the ear; pus or other discharge coming from the ear or an unpleasant odour emanating from the ears.”

A vet will attempt to detect deafness by making sounds outside the visual field of the cat and looking for a twitch of the ears, or a movement towards the sound source. The only way to get a definitive diagnosis is through a Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) test – involving a clicking sound being directed into the ear while computers measure the brain’s electrical activity in response to the sound.

Ken Davidson and Shirayuki

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HEALTH CHECK Gillian McMullen and Izzie

Photo: Valeria Higgins

This is confirmed by Ken Davidson, a Cat Care Assistant at CP’s Belfast Adoption Centre, who has a deaf cat called Shirayuki.

Ken says: “I find it amazing how sensitive cats are to vibration. If I’m playing with him and try to sneak up behind him, Shirayuki can sense even subtle changes in the floor.

Or if I click my fingers from quite a distance away, he will turn his head.”

The CP vets say: “Deaf cats can learn to recognise hand signals or the flashing of a torch. Make sure the signal you choose to call your cat is distinct and consistent so he doesn’t get confused.

“We recommend that all cats are microchipped. This is as important for cats that are kept indoors as those that go outside, in case indoor cats escape. A properly fitted quickrelease collar that states that the cat is deaf and explains he is microchipped is also recommended.”

Just a few minor changes can be implemented to enhance the quality of life of a deaf cat: you can provide feeder puzzle balls, toys, climbing towers, scratching posts and places both to hide and also to observe what’s going on from up high.”

Adapting to owning a deaf cat Owners can take it for granted that cats comprehend the world around them by using all their senses. But what if one of those was no longer there – how would cats change their behaviour and what do owners need to know?

Nicky Trevorrow, CP’s Behaviour Manager, says: “Deaf cats are very adaptable and can compensate for their lack of hearing by using their other senses more. One of the most important senses for a cat is their sense of smell as they rely on scent for distant communication signals that last over time, so that they feel safe and secure when they smell their own rub scents.

“Cats mark their territories with long-lasting scent signals that can be topped up – from their faces, scratching and spraying. Modern cleaning means we are constantly removing cats’ scents from their environment which can cause some anxiety and disorientation.

“We also frequently bring new scents into our homes. It is really beneficial for any cat, whether deaf or not, to always have something that has their familiar facial pheromones – if not, you could rub scent on something to provide reassurance.”

Humans who are born or become deaf later in life can use sign language. Cats use body language to communicate with us and other cats, but can we use sign language to communicate with them?

Nicky explains: “Our domestic cats have learned to use vocalisation to interact with humans. Just like any cat, deaf cats can learn other cues, whether they are from ourselves or the environment, and can still interact well with us.

“They get a response from us – for example, pawing the door means that we open it for them – and so they repeat the behaviour as it was successful. Much of our ‘talking’ to our cats by itself doesn’t mean much to a cat, it’s only when we combine words with our actions that they may pick up on the sound of the words, such as ‘fish!’

“It’s important for owners of deaf cats to be more observant of their cat’s body language, facial expression and actions as well as their own non-verbal cues to ensure

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good channels of communication. Consistent and predictable communication can help deaf cats get into a routine.

“Cats can be trained to use hand signals through positive reinforcement, in the same way you can train a cat to do other things. It would take time, a consistent approach and accurate timings as well as finding the right type of reinforcement for that specific cat.”

This technique is used by Gillian McMullen, the Coordinator of the Armagh Branch of Cats Protection, whose cat Izzie is deaf.

Gillian says: “Izzie comes to hand signals. I kneel down and clap my hands when I want her to come in from the garden.

“Izzie mainly stays in my back garden and doesn’t venture further than the driveway. I also use a harness and lead, which I trained her on from when she was a kitten.”

Gillian says: “She is fascinated with light beams and stares at the wall for long periods of time just waiting to see a beam of light reflected. Izzie also has a very peculiar miaow and this becomes very high pitched when she is alone in a room.”

Ken Davidson also taught his cat sign language. He says: “Prior to cuddling or a treat, I will flash the palm of my hand at him, in rapid succession, spreading the fingers wide. I chose that as it is a very strong visual signal and can’t be mistaken for anything else. Consistent reinforcement meant that after about six weeks he understood what it implied, ie nice stuff, and after a year he would come when I called him using it.”

Although owning a deaf cat does present its own unique issues, cats are very adept at coping with the loss or partial loss of one of their senses, and few adjustments need to be made to accommodate them. This ‘disability’ does not diminish their ability to be a cat. Next time you are out looking for a feline addition to your family, don’t bypass those that are hard of hearing, these cats will give just as much love and pleasure as ones with full hearing.

Adoption centre education visits

From youngsters to seniors, all community groups are welcome to see how our adoption centres work and learn about responsible cat ownership.

For further details on how to book a tour, please visit: www.cats.org.uk/learn/talks-tours Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

A day in the life of a cat behaviour counsellor

Square cat, round house! Vicky Halls investigates…

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va adopted a beautiful female cat from her local shelter, named her Misty, and for the first few weeks they enjoyed a blissful existence together. Then, as Eva reported when she called me recently, the relationship changed for no apparent reason and took on a new sinister dimension. Misty seemed to change from the angelic feline she had previously been to an unpredictable creature that bit Eva on a daily basis.

When I visited Eva shortly after that first phone call we had an opportunity to discuss Misty’s behaviour at length. A visit to the veterinary surgery, during which Misty behaved impeccably, confirmed that she was healthy and not suffering from any pain or illness that could explain her aggressive outbursts. It was now my job to delve further into the finer details of her lifestyle and behaviour to see what clues I could find to explain her distressing attacks. Eva felt confused and betrayed; she loved Misty so much and yet her response in return was to reject Eva violently at every opportunity.

While Eva and I were deep in conversation I was also watching Misty out of the corner of my eye. She seemed oblivious to our presence but I did note that every time she entered the room or passed within Eva’s line of vision there was a tickle or a quick word of acknowledgement from her owner.

The extended environment I found out a great deal about Eva and Misty that day. Eva had lived on her own since her husband passed away. She had always loved cats and when her last ginger tom died several years ago she promised herself that, one day, she would have another cat. She had been so delighted when Misty had come into her life and was determined to be the perfect cat owner. She had read that it was good to allow cats the freedom to be outdoors so, after a

Vicky Halls is a registered Veterinary Nurse, a member of the FAB’s Feline Behaviour Expert Panel and author of several best-selling cat counselling books. For further information regarding these please visit her website: www.vickyhalls.net Vicky also hosts a cat behaviour Facebook Group and you can join in the cat discussions by searching for ‘Vicky Halls Cat Behaviour’ from within Facebook.

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couple of weeks, she had opened the back door for Misty to explore. Coincidentally, it was shortly after this that Misty developed her alter-ego. I wasn’t sure it was such a coincidence as I went outside and looked around the low-fenced garden that enabled me to see for some distance in both directions.

Although this may be a slight exaggeration, there appeared to be cats everywhere! They were on shed roofs, fences, lawns, rockeries – some camouflaged and some blatantly flaunting their presence in a mildly sinister way. I can imagine the area was heaven for cat lovers but hell for cats. A pattern was emerging here…

On further investigation it was confirmed that an elderly gentleman was putting food out for stray cats four doors down and this had resulted in the formation of a sizeable colony of waifs, strays and opportunistic pets looking for an extra dinner.

Eva also confirmed that many of the more severe bites occurred outside – when Eva bent to stroke Misty – or indoors shortly after Misty came in from the garden.

My thoughts were as follows: Misty was a cat who appreciated human contact and affection on her own terms and wasn’t backwards in demonstrating her frustration when Eva constantly focused on her and touched her. Misty was also suffering greatly from the pressures of the cat population outside.

She wanted to establish territory as a ’new cat on the block’ but found herself in a state of permanent conflict between the desire to claim the right to roam and the desire to keep safe. Her adrenalinefuelled state of readiness to deal with the everpresent threat of attack was easily triggered at its most extreme when Eva chose to touch her when she was outside or shortly afterwards. The stress and pressure of her environment had started to have a permanent impact on Misty’s tolerance of contact from her highly focused and tactile owner.

There was a further complication. Eva was on medication for chronic illness and was immunosuppressed. Each bite wound was taking longer to heal and she was on her second course of antibiotics. The stress of dealing with the situation with Misty was also taking its toll as it exacerbated the symptoms of her illness, often leaving her unable to do anything but lie down for long periods in the day.

HEALTH CHECK

I had a dilemma as I wanted to make this work for Eva but I didn’t want to compromise her health.

Misty wasn’t robust enough territorially to cope with the high cat population and this was impacting on her behaviour and reducing her already low frustration tolerance. I felt that Misty represented the ultimate definition of a ‘square cat in a round house’. Drastic measures were required, starting with a frank and honest chat with Eva. I explained that Misty was struggling with the cat population outside and that, whatever programme of change I put in place, I could not guarantee that Eva wouldn’t be hurt again in the future and I was worried about her health. I am pleased to say that Eva was equally honest in return and she agreed that she was disappointed that I couldn’t turn Misty into the cuddly cat she had always wanted and needed. We talked at some length at that point about how Misty might feel about all this and how beneficial it would be for her to live somewhere else.

This is one of the hardest dilemmas that loving cat owners face. As the cat is a territorial species the environment it lives in is fundamental. The space available and the other cats sharing that space, together with the owner’s interactive style, will dictate which elements of the cat’s unique character and temperament is expressed and to what extent. Sometimes, with the best will and care in the world, ‘square cats’ find themselves in ‘round houses’ and no amount of shaving off the edges will make them fit. Over the next few weeks, after putting in a temporary safety programme that basically involved Eva only interacting with Misty on the cat’s initiation, she bravely agreed that her health complications and Misty’s inability to cope with the high population of cats meant it would be preferable all round for the two to part company. Eva had already been giving me little covert messages about another cat and how awful and lonely it would be without one and, when the time was right, I decided to address the question of the sequel to Misty. We both agreed that another cat, chosen wisely, would be a good idea but we disagreed on the timescale. Eva wanted one in and one out – a quick swap – and I felt that a short period without a cat would help Eva resolve her fear and expectation that she would be bitten.

I had a horrible suspicion that her hesitant and anxious behaviour might provoke attacks from otherwise placid cats in response to a human behaving very strangely.

I had already made enquiries of a rehoming centre that I frequently used with a particular talent for finding homes for cats with special needs. Eva was adamant she wanted a part-exchange so, after careful discussion with the rehoming centre, she took Misty in and left with Suki.

Photo: CP Library/Karl Brackenbury

What’s for the best?

A happy ending for all Eight months later Eva and Suki are very much in love. Suki is five years old and takes no prisoners outside in the ‘territory from hell’. She adores Eva and loves nothing more than fulfilling the brief of a lap cat extraordinaire. Eva took a little while to adjust to the fact that not all cats bite, as I suspected, but she coped with great bravery and determination and she now has exactly what she had wanted all along. Whenever I embark on this sort of solution to a cat behaviour problem I always make a point of monitoring the square cat and ensuring that the right square house is found.

Only last week Misty’s new owner, Jonathan, sent a lovely email and accompanying picture to the rehoming centre to forward to Eva and me. He said that Misty was gentle and loving, the perfect cat for him and he was so happy she had come into his life.

The photograph showed Misty on her back with all four feet in the air, fast asleep on a luxurious raised cat bed placed strategically adjacent to a radiator.

There were very few cats in the territory and Misty had spent many hours outside enjoying the spring sunshine. She fits at last.

This is an composite of cases where names have been changed to maintain the anonymity of the clients involved.

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vets Ask the

Have you got a question?

Send your questions to: ‘Ask The Vets’, The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email: editorial@cats.org.uk

CP’s team of veterinary experts tackle your feline-related questions…

I recently got a gorgeous white domestic short hair (DSH) cat. She is already hunting out the sunny spots at home – she hasn’t ventured outside yet. Please would you advise regarding using sun cream on her ears, which are quite pink with very little fur on them? She has reacted to Frontline so may be a sensitive kitty. Should I go for high factor sun creams suitable for babies or is there a specific product for felines?

Ms J Arnfield via email Exposure to the sun can be a trigger-factor for a type of cancer that is more commonly seen in cats with unpigmented, white ears or noses so it is certainly a good idea to try to offer some protection, even though we know how much cats love to lie in the sun!

You may consider using a sunscreen on the parts of a cat’s ears and nose if you can’t restrict your cat’s access to the sun, but it is recommended you discuss this with your vet first – it is very important that it is suitable for cats, as they can be more sensitive than some other animals to the chemicals included.

Cats groom themselves regularly and the efficacy of sunscreens in protecting against sunburn or feline skin cancer is not known.

The best way to protect cats is to try and keep them indoors during the hottest part of the day and to provide shelter in your garden, either by planting shrubs and trees or putting out a box of some kind so that they can sit in the shade.

I have a lovely little Siamese cat who is nearly three.

I have had him for two years and he was a rescue cat who initially was very nervous, although he does go out into the garden. His name is Dusty.

The only problem I have with him is that he does not always use his tray to pass urine. I’ve had this problem with him since I first got him, although he has improved.

I’ve tried discouraging neighbouring cats from visiting and also Feliway diffusers in each room but he tends to wee on the beds or piles of laundry! His litter tray is always available and is kept clean and fresh. Help! Any ideas?

Ms B Nuttall, Leigh, Lancashire It is important for you to take Dusty to the vet for a health check to rule out medical reasons for this behaviour. Once Dusty has been given a clean bill of health, the aim is to try to ascertain the reason behind the behaviour and take action to alleviate it. We recommend that you speak with your vet about referral to a suitably qualified behaviourist. Alternatively, you could get in touch with the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) (PO BOX 46, Worcester, WR8 9YS, 01386 751151, www.apbc.org.uk) to find your nearest qualified behaviourist.

26 The Cat Summer 2012

When a cat has urinated in an area, the scent will encourage him to use that place as a regular toilet. The best way to break the habit is to remove any smell that the cat can detect using an enzymatic cleaner and provide an alternative toilet in an area acceptable to the cat. Avoid using household cleaners that contain ammonia, eg bleach. Ammonia is also found in cat urine, and the smell can actually encourage a cat to toilet in an area.

Appropriate toileting areas tend to be quiet and private, away from noise or other pets, which can be accessed without having to pass other pets, noisy appliances, strangers etc. Fill the tray with a cat litter at least 3cm deep, of a type which the cat finds acceptable - often, although not always, one it was happy to use when a young kitten or a soft sandy litter type.

Some cats don’t like to use a tray once it is dirty so having more than one tray in different locations also gives him the opportunity to always be able to find a clean tray. To clean the tray, use hot water to rinse it followed by a cat-safe disinfectant from your vet. Avoid using disinfectants that turn cloudy in water as these may contain phenols which are toxic to cats.

Feliway used correctly, together with removal of the perceived threat and enhancement of the environment, does often help to reduce inappropriate toileting. Your vet will be able to provide you with further information on the product.

You may wish to try the following to reduce any possible stress: • Provide high vantage points for him to sit on such as empty shelves or stools to help him feel safe • Provide plenty of safe hiding places such as upturned cardboard boxes and igloo beds, preferably in several different places. He shouldn’t be disturbed while using his hiding places • It is ideal to have at least one toilet upstairs and one downstairs, and the same with the food and water if possible, although cats don’t like to eat near to their toileting area so this should also be avoided • Exercise is a good stress reliever so try playing short games with Dusty several times a day. Interactive toys that squeak, have feathers or move are good for keeping attention • Try a feeding puzzle ball or hiding small parcels of dry food around the house so that Dusty has the opportunity to search for his food. This enables him to act like he would in his natural environment and will be another source of exercise • Have a look for anything outside the windows that might be upsetting Dusty. If necessary, put a screen up at a window to block out the view of other cats in the garden or on walls and sheds. This can be as simple as misted sticky plastic and only needs to be to the level at which the cat can see out We hope that this information can help you to continue to have a satisfying relationship with Dusty.

HEALTH CHECK My lovely cat Amber was recently hit by a car and suffered a fractured pelvis. Thankfully she has pulled through after a scary first few days when the vet was worried about whether she could empty her bladder or whether the nerves had been irreparably damaged. It was a relief when she was well enough to take home, although she had to stay cage rested for several weeks with lots of TLC to help the bones to heal. However, when she was initially treated and placed in a cage at the vets, I was amazed to hear her purring. I never thought to mention it at the time because, as you can imagine, I felt quite traumatised. But, why was she doing this? I thought cats only purred when they were happy.

Sandra Hill, Paisley, Scotland We’re so sorry to hear about Amber’s accident; it’s not at all surprising that you found the incident very distressing, but we’re glad to hear she has recovered well. Your question, perhaps surprisingly, is not that uncommon, as although the cat purr is something everyone is familiar with, very little is actually known about how and why cats purr. It is commonly believed that cats purr when they are relaxed or content – as it is often most obvious when people have social interaction with their cats, for example when stroking them. Kittens are able to purr almost from birth and primarily purr when they are suckling – it’s used as a form of communication between the mother and the kitten that all is well, without attracting the attention of predators – though cats will purr by themselves. However, cats are also known to purr when they are in pain or suffering severe ill health, such as when they have been involved in a road traffic accident as you have experienced – and sometimes, sadly, even shortly before passing away. Purring can also be triggered by the use of certain painkillers, which your cat may have been given. The vibrational sound frequency at which purring occurs has been found to improve bone density and promote healing, so it has been postulated that as well as a form of communication, cat purring may be a potential means of self-healing – contrary to the popular belief that purring always means a happy cat. It’s a lovely thought that the innocent feline purr, which is so soothing for humans can lower our blood pressure as well as increase feelings of peace and well-being – though not a ‘cure-all’ – may actually bring benefit to our feline friends too.

I am considering getting my cat microchipped. Will a microchip really make it more likely for me to get my pet back if it is lost?

Jim Holden, Darwen, Lancashire Yes! Microchipping provides an excellent means of reuniting cats and their owners, as it provides a permanent means of identification and enables an authorised person – eg animal charity or vet – to trace your contact details by scanning the microchip. Of course, the system is dependent on you keeping your registered details on the national database up to date – so don’t forget to notify them if you move home or change phone number.

CP believes that the benefit of microchipping vastly outweighs any risk involved in the procedure. The charity rehomes around 50,000 cats each year, many of which come to us as strays. It would save a huge amount of our resources, relieve a lot of worry to distressed owners and greatly reduce stress for the cats if more of them could be reunited, but unfortunately only the minority of them have identification, and we are only able to reunite a little over 3,000 cats each year. Collars get lost or can be removed and, if ill-fitting, can cause severe injury or even death, so as an organisation we promote microchipping as the preferred method of identification. The sad reality is that currently there is not enough accommodation in rescue centres for all the stray and unwanted animals in the UK and many more could be helped if a greater proportion could be identified and quickly returned to their loving owners.

CP would like to encourage all owners to get their pets microchipped and keep their details up to date; I am sure that anyone who has experienced the pain of losing a much-loved pet without ever discovering what had happened to them would agree.

The experts Maggie Roberts BVM&S MRCVS After qualifying at Edinburgh University in 1986, Maggie went on to work primarily in private practice. Maggie first worked for CP as Veterinary Officer from 1997-99; her interest in feline medicine brought her back to the charity as Head of Veterinary Services in 2006. She has three cats, Trevor, Frankie and Ronnie.

Beth Skillings BVSc MRCVS Beth qualified at the University of Liverpool in 1998 and went on to work in general veterinary practice until 2005 when she joined CP as Head of Veterinary Services.

Beth moved into a new role as Clinical Veterinary Officer in November 2006. Beth has two CP cats, Starsky and Vincent.

Lisa Morrow BMLSc DVM MSc(BE) MRCVS Lisa graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, Canada in 2000. Lisa first worked with CP as an Adoption Centre Vet at Derby Adoption Centre and was CP Head of Veterinary Services from 2003-2005. Lisa recently rejoined CP as Field Veterinary Officer in the northern region of the UK. She has two elderly cats called Ginger and Skinnie Minnie.

Karen Hiestand BVSc MRCVS Karen graduated from Massey University in New Zealand in 2001 and spent two years in mixed practise in her home country. Since then, she has interspersed locumming around the UK with volunteer veterinary work. She has one cat called Dexter.

Our veterinary surgeons have provided the advice on these pages, but for specific cases and health concerns it is important that you consult your own vet who will be able to look at your cat’s history and do a clinical examination.

The Cat Summer 2012

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Readers survey – the results

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n the spring issue we addressed some of your concerns, questions and suggestions raised by our Reader survey. Thankfully the comments received suggest that the majority of our readers think we’re doing well, providing “an excellent”, “interesting and informative” magazine. Naturally we’ll “keep up the good work” and continue aiming at improvement and giving our readers what they want. Thank you once more to everyone who contributed their thoughts to the survey, your opinions are always very important to us.

Average number of people that will read your copy of The Cat magazine

Gender

Importance of the magazine 8% Not important

Female 90% 39%

Fairly important

Male 10%

53%

Very important

1%

4%

Your interests 16%

Reading

Age 24% Arts

24%

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Cooking

21%

Travel

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

What do you like most about The Cat?

Gardening

10%

We asked you what you liked most about The Cat and looking at it through a text analyser we found that the word ‘photographs’ featured highly.

When it came to individual sections of the magazine then pretty much each one had positive praise when specifically mentioned. Veterinary advice was mentioned often and we have responded to this by increasing the number of veterinary topics in each issue.

Survey response Time spent reading The Cat magazine

How long have you been reading The Cat? After collating all the years that you’ve been reading the magazine we’ve worked out that the average reader has read it for just over 10 years.

One person responded by saying they’d read it since it was first established so that’s over 80 years now, very good going! We hope it’s still as entertaining.

3%

0-15 mins

11%

15-30 mins

23%

30-45 mins

26%

45-60 mins

37%

60+ mins

Number of cats owned

19%

38%

Content preferences When it came to the breakdown of The Cat’s sections and your thoughts we’re glad to say that they were all popular. The sections scored the following per cent saying they were ‘very good’ to ‘excellent’:

26%

17%

Percentage of cat food chosen by palatability – what your cat likes best

80%

• Veterinary articles 83.3% • Humorous articles 75.8% • Reader submissions 76.7% • Features 67.2% • CP articles 81%

Supporter type

78% 8%

CP member Special Friend

11%

Subscriber

3%

Other

What other publications or websites do you read?

Our readers are a well-read lot and the top 10 other publications or websites mentioned were Saga, RSPCA, Good Housekeeping , The Guardian , Gardeners’ World , Dogs Trust, Blue Cross, The Daily Mail , Country Living and The Daily Telegraph .

The Cat Summer 2012 29

You can help cats every time you hit the shops, thanks to the Cats Protection Credit Card from MBNA. You’ll receive a competitive rate on purchases and you can even manage your account online. Even better, once your card has been approved and used, Cats Protection will receive a contribution of £20 from the issuer, MBNA Europe Bank Limited, and the cats in our care will continue to benefit as 0.25% is contributed from every retail purchase thereafter at no extra cost to you.

For full details please visit: www.cats.org.uk/creditcard

0% for up to 12 months on balance transfers made in the first 90 days of account opening (3% handling fee)* and 0% on card purchases for the first 3 months*

Representative example 16.9% p.a. variable on card purchases. This is equivalent to 16.9% APR representative† variable based on a credit limit of £1200 * From the date you account is opened. Promotional rates will no longer apply from the beginning of any statement period during which you have breached your terms and conditions, for example if you haven’t paid on time or have gone over your credit limit. You cannot transfer balances between MBNA accounts. † We treat each customer’s application individually. We review the information you supply and verify your credit and repayment history so the APR we offer you may be higher or lower than the APR shown in the representative example. At least 51% of customers will receive this representative APR. We are unable to tell you the interest rate you would receive personally as we do not provide quotation searches. If you proceed a full application search will be registered at the Credit Reference Agencies.

The Cats Protection credit card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited, a Bank of America company. Registered Office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in England number 2783251. MBNA’s consumer credit activities are licensed by the Office of Fair Trading and MBNA’s general insurance activities are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Credit is available, subject to status, only to UK residents aged 18 or over. We will monitor or record some phone calls.

ALI’S CATS

Miss Mitzi Mitzi may create chaos but Alison Prince wouldn’t be without her

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he won’t remember being scooped up from a moorland road by a CP lady with a butterfly net, but Mitzi still has outdoor instincts. Not that she actually likes the outdoors, you understand – if she takes a brief foray though the cat flap, the sound of a car coming along the road sends her hurtling in again. But she likes climbing and she likes carrying things about. These two activities come together perfectly in the palm-tree-type houseplant that lives beside the CD player. It has long, thin leaves that can, if she is lucky, be pulled off and taken onto the floor to chuck in the air and carry around. But the trouble is, the direct route to the floor is via the CD player, which has its control buttons handily placed on its top surface. So every time Mitzi walks over it, she switches it on.

In theory, I turn it off at the wall, but often forget, so there is apt to be a blast of Radio Four at unexpected moments. I’ve tried picking Mitzi up and demonstrating that she has the paw power to control this. “Look, Mitz – press paw on button.

Get noise. Press again. Stop noise.” No good, of course. She pulls her little grey paw free and goes scampering off with her latest foot-long palm leaf, in search of somewhere inventive to put it. Yesterday, she tucked it under the mat in the downstairs room and had a lot of fun untucking it.

Fingal came in and looked perplexed at the sight of his little friend underneath the corner of the mat, having a private fight with a palm leaf. He went to have a closer look, so she sprang up and left him to do leaf play on his own. He was nonplussed, since his idea of a game is patrolling the night time garden in search of a mouse, so he sat and thought for a bit. Mitzi came back and tumbled him over then went rushing upstairs with her palm leaf.

Fingal recovered himself then looked at me and sighed.

From upstairs came the sound of a cascading clatter. I knew what that was. A stack of CDs stands beside the CD player. Is it unreasonable to keep the current disks beside the player? Well, yes – with a Mitzi in the house, it’s asking for trouble, as they are bang in the middle of the feline flight path. Sure enough,

Illustration: Alison Prince

CD boxes lay scattered across the floor, while the little grey demon was dancing up and down, trying to snatch another palm leaf. She has the attention span of a gnat and needs constant stimulus. Lucky she isn’t human or they’d have had her on Ritalin weeks ago.

What she likes best of all is a fly, but the management is unable to supply much in the way of flies during winter months. I’m secretly glad of this, because at the sight of anything with wings – often so small that I can’t even see it – she is on top of doors or mixing it with the clutter on the bathroom shelf, hurling sticking plasters and talcum powder to the floor. She seems to have super-acute vision, lashing her tail and making twittering noises at something the size of a dust mote. What we’ll do in the summer when windows are open and bees come bumbling in, I tremble to think. But perhaps by then she will be outside, terrorising caterpillars.

Right now, we are having a moment of peace. Mitzi has undone a large ball of string, which I roll up again every evening, and mixed it very thoroughly with the telephone cable. That seems to be enough fun for now. Time for a snooze. So she has picked her way across my desk with no more ill effects than causing a mouse-skid that sent the cursor flying, and inserted herself on my lap, where there is just room for her under the desk surface. She’s now curled up, asleep, with a paw across her nose. I’m quite grateful, because the Esse stove that keeps our house warm and provides hot water got muck from the tank into its works 10 days ago. It has suffered from crippling indigestion ever since, and is sitting there with its eyes shut, pretending to be dead.

Its attendant expert has been trundling in and out with spanners and grubby jugs and a vast amount of kitchen roll, but the stove seems to have developed a case of terminal colic that will call for radical surgery.

As a result, the house has been absolutely Baltic and a nice warm cat on the lap is very welcome. If she imports a palm leaf or 25 feet of hairy string, that’s fine. She’s a dear little thing.

The Cat Summer 2012

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Feline forecasters Esther Newton takes a light-hearted look at the Michael Fishes of the cat world...

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ed up with the weatherman predicting glorious summers which will break all records, only for June, July and August to be wet, miserable and dull? Well, according to folklore, you should look a little closer to home and to your cat. Legend has it that cats are flawless weather forecasters.

A cat continually staring out the window indicates rain and be prepared for a storm if your feline friend is sitting with his back to the fire. Though, everything is all right if claws are being sharpened on a table leg, as this signifies a change for the better. In these modern times, it’s so easy to find out what the weather has in store for us. Television, radio and the internet are ready and waiting with a long-term forecast at the press of a button or click of a mouse. But when modernday technology was a thing of the future, animals were often used as forecasters and it appears cats were thought to be very adept at this.

Around the world It seems that cats foretold the weather in various ways according to where you lived. In Iceland, if a cat laid down and stretched his paws out in front, then very bad storms were on their way. In certain parts of the USA, a cat eating grass didn’t signify a furball problem, but that rain and storms were imminent. New Englanders held the belief that if someone stroked the fur of a cat backwards and sparks flew, then cold, dry weather was in store. In Wales, rain was thought to be on the cards if a cat’s eyes broadened and in England, a delightful age-old proverb stated that, ‘If a cat washes her face over her ear, ‘Tis a sign the weather will be fine and clear.’

All aboard A ship’s cat wasn’t just a useful rat catcher; sailors also thought that their feline companions could affect the weather during their voyage. Some even believed cats could control the weather and it was even further suggested that they could do this by way of their tails. Therefore, sailors took great care to please the moggy so bad weather wouldn’t be released from the tail and it was considered very bad luck to throw a cat overboard. A storm was sure to follow and even death. A cat’s behaviour indicated a range of weather.

A playful one meant a voyage with plenty of gusty winds and if a cat licked its fur against the grain, it signified a hailstorm brewing. Rain was about to come if the feline sneezed.

The belief that they could affect a sailor’s voyage was so strong that their wives often kept a black cat at home, in the hope that the cat would protect their husbands while they were at sea.

Kiddo became a ship’s cat by accident when she stowed away on board the airship America in 1910. It’s said she wasn’t keen on being a ship’s cat at first, but it didn’t take long for her to become accustomed to her new role. Records report that she soon overtook the barometer in successfully predicting bad weather.

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Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Napoleon the weather prophet Napoleon, a beautiful white cat, lived with his owner in Maryland, USA, in the 1930s. His owner noticed that Napoleon would lie on the floor, front paws extended and head tucked between them just before rain came.

One particular month, there had been a drought. It continued on into the next month when, suddenly, Napoleon lay down, paws extended and placed his head between his paws. The official forecast for the area was that it would remain dry. Napoleon’s owner telephoned a local newspaper, warning them that it was going to rain. Rain it did and, from then on, Napoleon’s weather forecasts were printed in the paper. In all six years of his predicting the weather, it is said he never got it wrong.

Catty quotes Lots of amusing, interesting and well-known quotes have been written about cats over the years and some of them relate to the relationship between felines and the weather.

Judith Merkle Riley quite rightly said: “A cat improves the garden wall in sunshine and the hearth in foul weather.”

Jules Verne was quoted as saying: “A cat, I’m sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through”. Joan Asper McIntosh stated that: “If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up.”

Michael McGarel, meanwhile, saw cats in a different light: “The sun rose slowly, like a fiery furball coughed up uneasily onto a sky-blue carpet by a giant unseen cat.”

Finally, Jeff Valdez answered the age-old question, are cats smarter than dogs? We all know the answer to that, but he phrased it magnificently; “Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.” He’d surely be hard pressed to find one! So, if you look out the window and see your cat eating grass or if his eyes suddenly broaden, you’d best stay indoors or else grab your brolly.

FEATURE

Decades As a branch Co-ordinator and Trustee, Eleanor Walls has made a huge contribution to Cats Protection. As she steps down from the Board, Rebecca Evans finds out how she achieved such success

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Photo: Rebecca Evans

leanor Walls has fostered and rehomed thousands of cats and raised six-figure sums for the branch she led. She served on Cats Protection’s (CP’s) Board of Trustees and was appointed MBE for her work. Quite an achievement for a piano teacher who joined the charity looking for a little something to do in her spare time.

Eleanor, who has just retired as a Trustee, says volunteering for CP has changed her life for the better. “The woman that came into the job, a piano teacher, has become quite a different woman…I’m a much stronger person.”

A lifelong animal lover, Eleanor had a modest start with the charity. In 1988, she signed up as a volunteer with Croydon Branch. “I thought I’d do them a favour and join,” says Eleanor of her initial motivation for joining the branch in Greater London. “To my surprise, they expected me to do some work. I volunteered to do one morning a fortnight taking cats to the vets.”

Eleanor admits she is an “all-or-nothing sort of person” so as time went on, her commitments grew. “I found I was helping a lady called Alma out, she had a lot of cats, a house full of cats…I took some of them from her and fostered them and it grew and grew.”

As her role as a Fosterer grew, so did her branch responsibilities. In 1992, Eleanor became Joint Co-ordinator of Croydon Branch with her husband Dick.They’d agreed to take on the role for six months but she and Dick went on to hold the post jointly for 15 years.

One of Eleanor’s first achievements was to change the branch’s policy and take in cats from outside of the immediate area. Croydon bordered London boroughs like Brixton, Clapham and Tooting which all had particular problems with stray cats and no branches to help them. Under the previous strict postcode policy, these cats were overlooked. And Eleanor couldn’t ignore that.

“I used to sneak them in and not say anything,” she says. Once she was Co-ordinator, she could do that openly.

Eleanor also put more emphasis on fundraising.

Opportunities came her way, and she grabbed them. Her actor and singer friend Stephen Hanley, who had rehomed one of the branch’s Eleanor Walls encourages anyone thinking of volunteering to cats, persuaded his National Theatre friends to give it a go. “There are enormous rewards to working with put on a show in Croydon for free. animals. You get as much from it as you give, you really do.”

“We had the lead from The Phantom of the Eleanor says that volunteering has given her “an inner strength – Opera singing in Croydon for us…we filled the and I wouldn’t have got that without the branch”. hall and made thousands of pounds.”

There is a particular need for people with branch experience to Open days, held at her house, were a big become Council members, she says. “They need people with that success. One attracted 500 people and raised sort of experience to put themselves forward as a Council member. £9,000. She laid on hot food, organised an They could make an enormous difference. We don’t want the alcohol licence and invited everyone to picnic on charity to become top-heavy with professionals. We need people her lawn. “If you make fundraising fun, people from the branches to go and do what I did.” will want to do it,” she says.

See www.cats.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering-home for With more funds available, Eleanor could volunteering opportunities. advertise for Fosterers, boosting the branch’s annual rehoming figures from fewer than 100

Volunteering made me stronger

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of devotion felines to almost 1,000. In 1993, Eleanor bought a large house in Purley, Surrey where she still lives today. The house came with a cattery, and Eleanor set up her own cattery business. She also had eight pens built on the side for CP cats. Mogs were fostered in the new house too, with cats in all the rooms. Each year, she personally fostered and rehomed around 300 felines.

Eleanor is particularly proud of her work taming feral kittens, with every visitor asked to spend some time talking gently to them. In a week, the kittens were tame and ready for rehoming. “The real joy for me was to see those same kittens coming into our boarding cattery as boarders and being perfectly well-adjusted and happy.”

Eleanor’s dedication to cats was recognised in 2007; she was appointed MBE in the New Year Honours List. While other MBEs were “more or less fainting” with nerves, Eleanor “just loved” the occasion.

While she cannot remember what the Queen said to her – it’s something of a blur – she has a very clear recollection of a conversation afterwards with a man, dressed smartly in tails, who approached and congratulated her. “I was in tears. That was the highlight of me going to the palace. I wish I’d taken his name, I don’t know who he was. It was wonderful.”

That same year, Eleanor and Dick retired as Croydon Branch’s Joint Co-ordinators. The pair had been working hard, Eleanor had turned 65, and she believed it was time to make way for younger volunteers.

While Eleanor’s retirement as Joint Branch Co-ordinator brought to an end much of her practical, hands-on cat work for CP, she was still heavily involved with the charity. After serving as a Council member from 1997, she was asked to join the Board of Trustees in 2001.

“You have to be brave enough to put your point of view across, and stick to it,” she says. “I was a Trustee who would put forward the practical side of things. That’s the knowledge I’ve got. I’m not a lawyer or accountant, and I hadn’t worked in an office. I was the one that was going to say ‘sorry, that won’t work’ because I’d done it all.”

Eleanor’s practical knowledge proved invaluable and in 2002 she was elected as the Board’s Chair, a post she held for three years. The charity moved forward at a “rapid rate” after this, she says.

One of her proudest achievements as Chair was to stop branches rehoming by postcode. The approach she’d adopted at Croydon Branch went national. She is also proud of helping to foster a culture of greater openness and transparency, including inviting the charity’s Directors to Board of Trustees meetings.

FEATURE

Eleanor attracted great volunteers Heather McCann is the current Chair of CP’s Board of Trustees.

She’s known Eleanor Walls since 1998, working alongside her at Croydon Branch and on the Board of Trustees.

What do you think were Eleanor’s main achievements?

At Croydon Branch, she recruited an awful lot of excellent volunteers, many of whom we’re still operating with today. Part of the reason she attracted so many volunteers to the branch is she’s totally dedicated to cat welfare and cats. She gathered around her people with a similar outlook who were willing to work hard for the branch. She let people get on with things.

And she was very fair.

As Chair of the Board of Trustees, she raised the profile of the branches and what they were doing tremendously. She started to make the Board much more open. Eleanor introduced a process of inviting Council members to sit in on Board discussions and that still carries on today.

What will the Trustees miss about Eleanor?

Because of her experience in the branch, she has done almost everything…The quality I’ll miss most is her ability to ask the sensible questions about operational policy and cat welfare.

She’s got a huge amount of experience with so many different cats…There are other people who’ve got branch experience but I don’t think any of the rest of us have quite the depth of handson experience.

She’s been with the charity through a period of huge change, and she’s handled it all extremely professionally. I will miss her on the board and so will her fellow Trustees.

Eleanor retired from the Board in March this year, and admits to feeling sad about leaving.

“I’ve had a great career with CP, it’s been fantastic. But obviously, as you get older you haven’t the energy…I’ve always felt that you should step aside and let younger people with fresh ideas through.”

She has plenty to keep her busy: running her cattery; cat welfare work in Gocek, Turkey – not connected to CP – where she and Dick have a villa. And she’s looking forward to spending time with her husband, walking her two collie-cross rescue dogs and reading.

Eleanor has achieved much during her 24 years as a volunteer with CP. She’s organised charity concerts and opened her house to hundreds of people. As Co-ordinator, she raised thousands of pounds, building Croydon into one of the charity’s largest branches. As a Trustee and Chair, she’s influenced policy and encouraged greater openness.

Looking back over her many successes, though, Eleanor doesn’t find it hard to name her greatest achievement. And it’s not about power, position or praise. For Eleanor, love of animals drew her to the charity and the cats have always come first. “I’ve rescued and rehomed so many cats and of that I’m so proud. It’s my biggest achievement.”

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Feline fellows Katy Edge meets some of the collegiate cats of Oxford

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Photo: 123rf.com/imagesource

amous for its dreaming spires and academic heritage, Oxford is the birthplace of Lewis Carroll’s Cheshire Cat and TS Eliot’s clowder of Practical Cats. But outside the literary sphere, the city has a thriving feline contingent of its own.

Little known to Oxford’s tourists are the college cats – a sociable and pampered group – that inhabit several of the University buildings. Armed with my notepad and a packet of cat biscuits, I’m off to meet some of them.

36 The Cat Summer 2012

I begin by trying to find out which of the 38 colleges currently keep a cat. As it turns out, this isn’t a straightforward question for the hapless porters to answer: a few responses are along the lines of “We have a visiting cat, but he’s not ours” or “We used to have one, but she’s moved in next door”. Many of the staff whose colleges don’t have a cat say they wish they did have one…“We don’t have one at Wadham, more’s the pity!” laments one email…“Being a cat lover myself, I have to apologise and say we don’t keep cats, sadly,” says another.

It soon becomes clear to me, as I wander along Catte Street and past St Catz (Catherine’s) College, that Oxford’s cats have negotiated a good deal.

They have the run of enormous, secure sites; they’re fed amply; they’re adored by staff and students alike. They’re also extremely good at evading would-be writers with cameras.

FEATURE Julie, Christ Church Next I head over to Christ Church, one of Oxford’s most imposing colleges, to meet the Dean’s cat, Julie.

In immediate contrast with Burbs’ boyish mischief, Julie presents a picture of serenity and composure. I get the impression she’d have been most disdainful had I been late. Without a doubt, she is one of the most photogenic cats I’ve met – long-haired, elegant and graceful; sitting by the fireside in the Dean’s lodgings, she looks like a Renaissance painting.

“I inherited her from the previous Dean, which would make her about 10 years old at least. I believe she came originally from the Blue Cross,” says the Dean, the Very Revd Christopher Lewis.

“She is looked after by the Deanery and sleeps on a sofa in the Dean’s study. She prefers to stay mostly indoors.”

Extraordinarily, I learn that a rare outdoor appearance of Julie’s is immortalised on the Royal Opera House’s poster for a 2011 performance of Alice in Wonderland .

“She’s sitting in a doorway in the garden, caught in a shaft of late afternoon sunlight,” recalls the Dean’s wife Rhona. “Friends would call us and say ‘We’ve just seen Julie in the tube!’”

Julie’s penchant for theatre was again made apparent when she ran across the stage during an undergraduate performance of Daisy Pulls It Off in the college cathedral.

“She loves parties; we have a lot of gatherings here and she’s always in the thick of them,” smiles Rhona. However, despite her celebrity status, Julie’s reassuringly in touch with her ‘inner cat’: “Her favourite place is the arm of the sofa, and she’s always on the lookout for unguarded jugs of milk.”

A cat nap for Professor Burbank

Burbank, Green Templeton College

Julie in Wonderland

Photo: Katy Edge

My first appointment is with Burbank, the usual resident of Green Templeton College. A solid and very handsome tabby with white chin, bib and paws, ‘Burbs’ is based in the college library, where he has a favourite window seat and ornate feeding station.

“He is a grumpy and faithless individual,” reflects librarian Debra Farrell fondly. “He is also a welllearned cat and spends most of his time on chilly days in the library. He gives me lots of cuddles and purrs – although that might have more to do with me feeding him!”

As well as having a Facebook profile under his full name (Professor Felix Burbank), which he uses to miaow diligently at his 452 friends, the surly Burbs has his fair share of stories to tell.

“He appeared by accident in an episode of Inspector Lewis , which they filmed at the Observatory Tower,” Debra tells me. “He jumped onto the seat of a police car in the episode called Dark Matter. Sadly I think the scene was cut.”

And Burbs’ exploits don’t end there: “He once gatecrashed a student ball being held in a marquee – just strutted in!”

Although Burbs has been living at Green Templeton since before its merger in 2008, like many cats he has numerous identities.

“He’s known as Mr Bojangles at the Saab garage up the road and as Alfie in Observatory Street. He’s also been seen at two other colleges, St Anne’s and Somerville, which has sparked a bit of a dispute...”

Despite his wandering ways, Burbank is well adjusted to college life. His busy lifestyle involves hunting rats, sleeping in the toasty laundry room or in empty book cartons and occasionally getting shut in the IT office. He features in the unofficial prospectus - where he’s called “an important member of the GTC community” - plus, unsurprisingly, he is routinely nominated for the college’s Nautilus Award, given annually to the staff member of the year.

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FEATURE Artemis, Trinity When I arrive at Trinity College and ask after Artemis, the reply is delivered in hushed tones: “Ah, you mean the cat that doesn’t exist. You should find her in the Academic Office.”

The porter – who, in keeping with this mysterious welcome, does not wish to be named – explains that, since pets are generally not allowed in college, there is no ‘official’ college cat. To complicate matters further, the rules steadfastly ban dogs, so the President’s King Charles spaniel is instead recognised by the college regulations as a cat!

“She just turned up one day,” says the porter, of Artemis. “She was checked at the vet by a member of staff and then she stayed. We leave a window open so she can always get inside.”

When I find Artemis’ window, sure enough, a black furry head duly emerges – and the dainty moggy is only too pleased to be fussed when she realises I’ve brought biscuits to bargain with.

“We think she has a man-friend,” another porter confides, “and she’s certainly a bit of a six-dinner Sid, going to other colleges for food even though we put bowls down for her.”

Alison Truesdale, the Development Director’s Secretary at the neighbouring Balliol College, backs this up: “During the summer we get to share her at Balliol as she suddenly appears in the back quad as if she owns the place. She seems completely happy around people and often sits on the Hall steps or touts herself around for affection from tourists.”

She adds, “I often pick her up for a quick hug on the way to the Lodge. An office cat would be so nice!”

The role of the college cat fits perfectly into Oxford’s quirky world of bookish eccentricity More tails to tell

Artemis, a multi-college cat

Photo: Katy Edge

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During the course of my weekend in Oxford, I meet more college cats – and am told of others. There’s Simpkin, who sleeps in a cardboard box on the Hertford College porters’ desk and has his own cat flap; Erasmus, named by undergraduates, whose presence at Mansfield College is announced by a ‘Beware of the cat’ sign on the Lodge door; and Edwin, who lives at Worcester College but is often sighted at St Peter’s. “He’s a bit of a tart. No, he’s a lot of a tart. You’ll hear him before you see him,” I’m told.

New College, which has a tradition of keeping a cat, prints a section in its prospectus that reads: “The College may from time to time have a College cat. Junior Members may not feed it, nor allow it into College rooms for any reason. Any baiting which goes beyond normal play is a disciplinary offence.” An affable porter at New recounts the story of Merlin, a characterful black cat adopted by the college some years ago. “I reckon he’s the best cat we’ve had,” he says. “He’d just run at you! We kept getting cats but they’d wander off – we’d have to order taxis to pick them up from other colleges.”

When a recent cat of New’s – a marmalade kitten called Otis belonging to one of the lecturers – went missing, his eventual return from the nearby town of Cowley followed a desperate and far-ranging appeal by his student entourage. The well-loved puss left with his owner when she retired.

I’m sad to leave Oxford and its cats behind; as a graduate of the University, it’s been fascinating to glimpse the esteemed institution from a different angle. I’m left in no doubt that all the cats I’ve met are attentively cared for, and very safe in a largely pedestrian environment where few cars pass through. At the same time, their occupation is a noble one, since their calming presence among the book stacks and landscaped lawns provides a unique form of stress relief to students beset by exams, tutorials and essays. Yes, the role of the college cat fits perfectly into Oxford’s quirky world of bookish eccentricity – though I have to admit, I’m a little relieved to slip back home to my own two crazy kitties. Herding cats is an exhausting business.

Talking Cat

An audio version of this magazine is available free to all subscribers.

Contact Supporter Services on 0800 917 2287 or email supporterservices@cats.org.uk to request your copy.

There are so many great things out there for cats and their owners. Here are just a few of our favourites…

OFFER

Memories are made of this In the Autumn 2011 edition of The Cat magazine, Cherished Lives gave away one of their popular memorial books which retails for £125.

Cherished Lives help you gather photos or videos of your pet and put them into either a book or a DVD. The winner, Mrs Tilley, was very pleased with the finished book which she dedicated to her beloved cat Joseph, short for Josephine.

Cherished Lives are now offering a 10 per cent discount to all readers of The Cat magazine with a further 10 per cent donation to Cats Protection.

To take advantage of this offer get in contact with Cherished Lives on 01753 652889, info@cherishedlives.co.uk or www.cherishedlives.co.uk quoting code ‘ CP10044 ’. The offer is available until 1 September 2012.

By royal appointment

Let’s go crazy!

WIN

The Natural Pet Toy Company manufactures pretty, animal-shaped cat toys. They are handmade using a selection of colourful cotton fabrics and packed full of pure, dried catnip herb and nothing else, so are very strongly scented and last for ages. They’ll drive most cats wild with excitement!

Why not indulge your feline friend with a natural cat toy that will keep them amused for hours? The toys are exclusively available from their online store and priced at £4 each. To discover more or to order, please visit us at www.naturalpet-toy.co.uk.

We have six toys to give away. Send your entry to the usual address and mark it ‘ catnip ’ and state your preference of rabbit, bird, mouse or fish.

40 The Cat Summer 2012

How better to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee than with an obligatory mug of good old British tea? And what better to drink out of but the ‘Treat me like Royalty’ mug designed by popular cartoonist Ann Edwards? Readers of the weekly Waitrose Weekend newspaper will already be familiar with Ann’s humorous artwork and now, in collaboration with the fine china company Muglamania Ltd she has released a range of mugs with 24 different designs – so even if the royal celebrations leave you cold there’s sure to be a feline-themed drinking vessel to suit you.

The mugs are priced at £5.50 and are available online at www.muglamania.com – phone number 07966 866 840 – or via Ann’s own site www.annedwardsart.co.uk You can sign up here to receive a regular Chef & Sue email newsletter too!

We have five royal mugs to give away; enter in the usual way, marking your entries ‘ royal mug ’.

WIN

OUR FAVOURITE THINGS Stuck on you There’s nothing more annoying than needing to leave a note for a loved one or family member reminding them to buy more cat food and having nothing to pin the note to the fridge with. Fret no more! dotcomgiftshop.com sell these very cute Lucky Cat fridge magnets, that are both practical and stylish.

They come in a pack of five and are priced at £4.95. Five lucky readers can claim these for free by entering our giveaway competition and putting ‘ fridge magnet ’ as the subject heading. Visit www.dotcomgiftshop.com for a greater array of magnetic fridge décor or phone them on 0208 746 2473.

WIN

Debonair dining This bowl is the cat’s whiskers. The design harks back to a bygone age and wouldn’t look out of place in Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s art deco home. Made from cream painted enamel – with a non-slip rubber base – you can be in no doubt whose bowl this is – dogs be gone! This bowl can be purchased from www.dotcomgiftshop.com priced at £7.95, and a cat food container with lid and food scoop is also available from the same range priced at £14.95.

Cats are obviously a favourite with this company as you’ll find a whole selection of feline-themed gifts alongside their full range of delightfully quirky, stylish and sometimes kitsch products. Visit them online or phone them on 0208 746 2473.

We have five bowls from which lucky readers can feed their cats, so enter in the usual way and mark your entries ‘ cat bowl ’.

The

cat’ s miaow

Taking it easy

What’s better than settling down with your favourite feline friend to watch TV? This Cat Sofa Loafer not only gives your cat a comfy seat but also protects the sofa from excess wear and fur. The fleece bed is designed to fit snugly to one side of your sofa while the rolls cover the arm rest and edge, preventing your cat’s claws from snagging the fabric, and fur from being trodden into the seams and pile. With a non-slip, waterproof backing and a soft fleece lining, the bed is attractive, comfortable and also practical as it’s fully machine washable.

The Cat Sofa Loafer is available from www.nicecatstuff.co.uk for £24.99.

Contact them on 0844 324 9172.

WIN

For a chance to win one of our fantastic giveaways, send your name and address on a postcard or sealed envelope to: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT. You can also send your entries via email to competitions@cats.org.uk. Don’t forget to mark your entries in the subject header so we know which competition you’re entering as well as including your name and address in the email body. On occasion we may need to pass on the details of competition winners to the prize suppliers for products to be posted direct.

Closing date for all giveaways is 13 July 2012.

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Getting the on the road Photo: L. A. Croft-Elliott

Advance preparation

C

ats Protection (CP) has attended large external shows and trade events for about 15 years, primarily as a way of raising the organisation’s profile and attracting new supporters.

During this time the Shows team has flown the flag for the charity all over the UK and Northern Ireland, introducing CP’s work to millions of people from all walks of life via its brightly coloured promotional vehicles, friendly staff and, more recently, the wind machine lucky dip – a highly visual people magnet if ever there was one!

In keeping with the difficult economic times in which we find ourselves, the shows function is undergoing some changes to maximise its contribution to the charity – it’s important that our shows activities demonstrate value for money by working closely with other departments and complementing our other marketing activities.

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Arranging a CP presence at a show requires an enormous amount of planning and behind-the-scenes work involving a large number of people. Applications for the summer county shows start during the preceding autumn, so we have to start the internal process of planning the following year’s shows timetable in September! Many of the county shows are extremely popular and are often over subscribed. There is a rich history of hundreds of years in some cases, so it’s essential we submit our application on time in order to have a chance of getting a place.

Most of the county shows traditionally take place well before the harvest, starting towards the end of May and running through to the beginning of July. While many of them have moved away from their early agricultural origins, some remain firmly rooted in their local farming communities, including the Royal Wales Show, the Royal Highland Show and the Royal Cornwall Show. All have shopping areas and local food courts as well as a large, mainly non-companion animal presence, making county shows a fun but exhausting place to work.

Once we’ve decided where we’re going and made the various applications, the next stage is to plan what we would like to do at each show. We need to be focussed about our activities and ensure that what we do is working and worthwhile. Attending shows and events is an expensive business so we need to constantly ask ourselves if the charity’s considerable time and money investment is appropriate.

Spreading the word These days, the idea for the outdoor county shows is that they offer a display case for the CP network in that region. To this end, a regional staff member manages CP’s presence at each event and works closely with local branches and adoption centres to maximise local fundraising and communications opportunities and promote local rehoming, neutering and education initiatives. Anyone visiting the CP stand at their local show can expect good information about cats looking for homes, volunteering opportunities, local low-cost neutering initiatives or how to set up an education talk. They could also buy merchandise or a raffle ticket, have a go on the wind machine, pick up some CP literature and last, but by no means least, share their favourite cat story. We love to hear them!

show

BEHIND THE SCENES

mma Osborne , Cats Protection’s Shows & Exhibitions Manager is out and E about promoting the charity…

satisfying for staff and volunteers to be a part of the show and to discuss after the event how we can continue to improve our presence at external events.

Given the current climate, a satisfying part of the shows experience is introducing those interested in rehoming a rescue cat to a local CP volunteer or staff member from an adoption centre. We are always keen to help find the right feline from the many in our care. Enabling the network to have greater ownership of regional shows can only assist in this regard as well as providing a platform for sharing information about CP’s work around the country.

We always love to meet our supporters, so if you are visiting any of these events please drop by and say hello!

Photo: CP Library

Hopefully our stand visitors will leave feeling a little more acquainted with CP’s work and therefore warmer to the idea of supporting us in some way. Our job is to welcome, answer queries and suggest ways in which we can help – and how people can help us. It’s not a one size fits all approach and stand staff soon realise how important it is to respond appropriately to each person, some of whom have been loyal supporters for many years and are often thrilled to talk to their favourite charity.

In addition to the summer outdoor show season, we also attend a range of indoor shows during the year including Crufts, the London Pet Show and several veterinary trade shows. The idea is much the same as for the outdoor shows: to promote our many activities to new and existing supporters as effectively as possible. It’s worth mentioning that our timetable is not fixed year on year. So while it’s worthwhile for us to attend some shows regularly, such as Crufts and the Great Yorkshire Show, we also actively research new and different opportunities to promote our work in specific regions. The London Pet Show, The Big Cheese Festival in Caerphilly and the Anglesey Agricultural Show are just three examples of events that we’ll be trialling this year.

Cats at a dog show?

We are often asked why, as a cat charity, we attend Crufts.

Part of the answer is that many dog owners are also cat lovers and are delighted to see a strong feline presence at this predominantly canine event. As a leading dog show attracting worldwide visitors, Crufts’ audience tends to be well informed and can certainly put us through our paces at times! But we welcome the opportunity to share our knowledge and discuss our work with visitors. This year for the first time we had specialist staff from the charity’s Education, Veterinary and Fundraising Departments on hand to meet and greet stand visitors, as well as representatives from the network locally. It was great fun but it was also

See page 61 for a full list of shows we will be attending between now and September.

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WALKER ON THE WILD SIDE

Feline favouritism Dexter will always love John Walker the most, despite his wife’s efforts

D

exter is not the sort of cat who welcomes you home.

After a few hours of solitude, his studious indifference in the face of company ensures I always remember my place. I may want a cuddle from him, but he merely tolerates a cuddle from me. I need him, not the other way around.

Remember it. Now put food on that plate and then go away.

But of course this is all a big act. Dexter can’t stand to not be in the room in which the action is taking place, although like the surliest of teenagers he’ll make an enormous effort to ensure he appears reluctant to be there. “I guess I’ll sit in this corner, in the room you all happen to be in, but it would still be better if you all left, or preferably died so I could eat you,” says his little kitty face. Then we’ll change rooms, and would you believe it, we’ve all gone into the room Dexter needs to be in now, much to his disgust and inconvenience.

Which means he follows me around the house, usually managing to appear put out by my psychically selecting his imminent destination. But there are moments, more often than he’d care to admit, where this façade cracks and he reveals the desire for some attention. Attention on his own terms, of course, where he sits on my chest – never my lap – I am required to slump – possibly with his bottom pressed against my face, and isn’t altogether too angered by the notion of having his ears rubbed, possibly, if I would. And it’s always me. Never my wife. Laura is to be shunned, preferably by being walked over on the way to reaching me.

One cute little trick he’s learned is responding to my making kissy sounds by giving me a little peck on the lips – there’s some comfort in writing to an audience of people who go, “Yes, of course” in response here, rather than, “EW! You kiss your cat on the mouth?!”

Laura, however, can make kiss noises until her lips are chapped and will still be ignored. I’ll walk past this embarrassing spectacle of desperation and rejection, give a quick “Sma!” and instantly get a smooch.

44 The Cat Summer 2012

It recently happened that work was to take me away for 10 days, leaving Laura behind on full Dexter duty. And instantly a switch flipped in his kitten brain. With daddy gone, mummy was suddenly in favour and Laura spent a week and a half living the dream. His indifferent micro-affections were directed entirely her way. First thing in the morning it was her face that was sat on. After she’d get home from work it was her that he’d sort-of-want-to-but-not-quite-but-I-suppose-Iwill give a cuddle to. If there was a chest to awkwardly climb onto, it was hers. As I’d chat to her via Skype from the other side of the globe, there would appear Dexter, offering her the highest honour: a sniffed eyeball. He was finally accepting her into his heart, recognising that this new human-thing was here to stay, and willing to tolerate her without incessant sneering.

The day I got back it all stopped. And has stayed stopped.

She’s gone again from his mind, attentions and sniffs, because daddy’s home! Hooray for John! He’s the one we kind of like, we guess, if we had to put a word to it and suppose it wouldn’t be so awful if he didn’t die for a bit! Laura is once more stepped over, wriggled free from, and entirely unkissed.

I suppose I should feel guilty about this. But I don’t. Not for a moment. To be selected, to be the one who is preferred, feels brilliant! If he were to spread his semiaffection between the two of us, I’d feel perturbed, as grossly unfair as that may be. It’s useful proof that I’m best, too. In an argument, what better line to whip out than, “Yes, but Dexter prefers me!”?

(Answer: all other lines.)

And she may pretend that she doesn’t care, that it’s only the attention of a stupid cat, so what? But she cares! Oh, she cares!

If she didn’t care, I’d not see that pitiful spectacle of her desperate “Mmmsma!

Mmmssmaa!” to coax him into sort of prodding his nose toward her mouth.

And I’d not saunter past, lean over and say, “Hey, Dex, gizza kiss,” and have him plant a smacker right on my lips.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

FUNDRAISING

Building a future for cats C

ats Protection (CP) is committed to increasing and expanding our work across the UK to ensure as many cats as possible are treated with kindness and an understanding of their needs. We currently rehome and reunite over 55,000 cats and kittens a year; we want to increase this amount by finding homes for at least another 2,500 cats each year.

As well as constantly monitoring and improving our existing services, we have a programme of new adoption centres planned to be built in specific areas of the country with major cat welfare and rehoming problems. Over the next few years we will be raising money to fund this programme and help even more cats.

Gildersome, Leeds Planning permission has been granted for a 12 pen homing centre in Gildersome, Leeds which will open early in 2013.

We have many volunteers working in the areas around Leeds. These volunteers, and those of other cat welfare organisations, are stretched to the limits as hundreds of felines are abandoned on the streets of Leeds each month.

Graham Holt from our Wharfe Valley Branch says “This has been by far the worst two years of welfare work we have seen over the last 15 years. We are just swamped with calls, it is as simple as that. We are suffering from rural and urban problems in Leeds because there are now more feral colonies in the city. There are thousands of cats on the streets and a substantial amount of them are breeding.”

In order to home as many cats as possible we will be using a foster network of volunteers looking after the cats in their own homes after admission until they are ready to be homed. The cats will be moved to the homing pens after they have been vaccinated, neutered and socialised so they can be seen by their new owners in an easy to reach, visible and modern environment.

London It is estimated that there may be up to 1.3 million cats living in London, with up to 90,000 of these needing homing each year. Our coverage in London is provided by the North London Adoption Centre in Archway and 18 volunteer-led branches. We are currently homing around 3,500 cats and neutering around 4,600 cats per year. There is obviously still a lot of work to be done by CP in London and we need to increase our capacity to be able to help even more cats each year.

Because of ever increasing property costs and a shortage of suitable sites in London we are planning an innovative new concept for ‘mini homing centres’ to be based from leasehold properties which we will convert for our use. It is hoped that we will open three centres across London to cover areas where we do not currently have branches operating.

Tyneside The North East is a densely populated area with one of the highest levels of animal welfare problems in the UK. Volunteers in the Tyneside area are desperate for additional capacity and support because of local welfare problems and the sheer number of cats needing help. There are no CP centres in the area – York Adoption Centre – a small centre with 20 homing pens – is 90 miles away and Glasgow Adoption Centre is 150 miles away.

A site has been purchased and planning permission granted at Felling in Tyneside for an adoption centre. Work is currently being done on the specification for the centre and project planning.

We will be keeping you updated as each project progresses.

Should you have any questions in the meantime, or if you want to find out how you can get involved, please contact Tracey Wilson, Capital Appeals Fundraiser on 01606 74 991 or email tracey.wilson@cats.org.uk

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Kitten soc Cats Protection’s Behaviour Manager, Nicky Trevorrow , reviews early schooling for the cats in our lives

P

reparing a kitten to cope with the challenges he will be faced with throughout his life has a huge impact on his lifelong welfare. While we know that cat behaviour is influenced by a variety of different factors including genetics and specific learning experiences, there is a complex interplay between nature and nurture.

In order to understand the behaviour and needs of today’s pet cat, it is helpful to explore his wild origins. Today’s domestic cat shares common ancestry with the African wildcat, a shy animal originating in the Middle East sharing many physical similarities with our domestic cat and still found in the dry Savannah today. Following birth, being vulnerable themselves to predation, kittens need to quickly learn what is safe and normal in their environment.

Socialisation period The experiences kittens have within their first two months of life are important in influencing their behaviour right into and through adulthood. During this early period, often known as the ‘socialisation period’, kittens learn what aspects of their environment are ‘normal’ and ‘safe’ so that everything that they come across during this period is likely to be accepted as something that is ‘okay’ later in life. This typically happens in the safe core environment of the nest and its immediate vicinity. Equally, anything that they do not come across during this period is much more likely to produce a fear response in adulthood. The greater the variety of positive experiences they have during this time, the more likely they are to cope with novel experiences in the future.

The socialisation periods can vary between different species – for example – the window of opportunity may be slightly longer in dogs – and socialisation should be species specific.

Studies have indicated that the socialisation period in cats has been identified as being between two and seven weeks of age. During this time, the kitten’s brain and sensory system are still developing and the stimuli he encounters influence how this development occurs.

As cats do not have an inbuilt ‘need’ to be with people – tolerance of and desire to be around people being a learned behaviour – early handling by a variety of people during this time is essential in order to socialise kittens with humans.

The onset of a fear response or hazard avoidance response is six weeks in kittens. It is extremely difficult to socialise

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BEHAVIOUR

cialisation

those which have had no human contact after weaning and almost impossible after they reach sexual maturity. While feral kittens can be brought into a home environment before the onset of fear becomes established, it is worth bearing in mind that genetic influence from the parents and learned responses before coming into human contact will play a role in the friendliness of the kitten in adulthood. In the interests of welfare, it is perhaps best that feral kittens found after weaning are trapped, neutered and returned to their colony.

“The experiences kittens have within their first two months of life are important in influencing their behaviour right into and through adulthood.”

Kitten socialisation programme Being born into and/or raised in a rescue setting can present a unique challenge as the ‘unusual’ environment – compared with the ‘usual’ domestic setting – may be considered ‘normal’ by these kittens. Cats Protection (CP) has a structured kitten socialisation programme developed by Dr Rachel Casey as part of her CP-funded lectureship at the University of Bristol to address these challenges and prepare kittens with a variety of experiences they may encounter later in life.

The programme enables staff and volunteers to introduce and repeat various positive experiences throughout the socialisation period of the kitten.

Ensuring healthy kittens

Photo: istockphoto.com/Hande Guleryuz Yuce

Before beginning to socialise a litter, an understanding of feline infectious disease transmission and appropriate strict hygiene measures are crucial in order to ensure good health and welfare as kittens are particularly vulnerable. In the rescue environment, this is vital as there are commonly a large number of different litters originating from a variety of sources with unknown disease risk and carrier status.

Infectious disease control measures include consistently washing hands before and after handling sessions with an appropriate antibacterial skin disinfectant, wearing personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves, aprons and shoe covers to prevent transmission and only interacting with one litter per handling session to prevent spreading infectious diseases between litters.

Socialisation tips Before handling the kittens, it is worth spending time with the queen to ensure that she is familiar with the handler through positive associations of gentle interaction. One of the most important points to remember about kitten socialisation is the experiences and interactions must be positive for each kitten, as negative experiences can be just as damaging as no experiences. Handling, for example, should be gradually introduced at two weeks of age by gently stroking the kitten and picking him up very briefly before returning him to his

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BEHAVIOUR mother and/or the rest of the litter. The time spent handling the kitten can be gradually increased over successive weeks. Ideally, handling should be carried out by a minimum of four people, including men, women, children and older people. Studies have shown that as little as 40 minutes handling a day during the socialisation period has a profound effect on the friendliness of kittens and their willingness to approach. In addition to holding the kittens, gently performing health checks such as examining sensitive areas like the ears, feet and tail will prove invaluable later in life when the cat attends the vet practice.

In addition to improving kitten welfare, another benefit of kitten socialisation is the effect it has on increasing the owner-cat bond. A study by Dr Casey in 2008 revealed that owners of adequately socialised kittens reported significantly higher emotional support from their cat approximately 10 months after homing. Owners also reported that the socialised kittens showed far fewer fear responses towards people. This is particularly important for the rescue and rehoming charity sector, as owners that are well bonded to their cats may be less likely to give them up and so socialising kittens could reduce the number of relinquished and returned cats.

Gentle positive handling during the socialisation period may also facilitate future veterinary examinations. Although there is some individual variation, the critical socialisation period appears to spontaneously come to an end at about seven weeks of age and so the responsibility for socialising kittens during that narrow window of opportunity lies predominately with the breeder or rescue charity. While it’s too late to start socialisation once a kitten is homed, it is helpful to encourage owners to continue the socialising and social referencing process with positive experiences.

Social referencing Whereas ‘socialisation’ generally refers to animals getting used to people and/or other animals (animate stimuli) another essential aspect of the programme is habituating the kittens to inanimate stimuli such as a variety of novel objects and household sounds. This process is known as ‘social referencing’. Social referencing should include experiences that involve all the kitten’s senses. For example: • provide a variety of safe floor textures for the kitten to walk on • different scents can be collected on a clean cloth by, for example, rubbing it on a healthy, friendly vaccinated dog • provide a variety of new objects in different shapes and sizes that can be investigated • novel sounds can be provided by placing kitten socialisation CDs of common household sounds such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners • during weaning, provide solid food of a variety of flavours

Why is kitten socialisation so important?

In short, early handling produces friendlier kittens. S McCune’s study from 1995 showed that this is important for the kittens’ welfare as, one year on, socialised kittens showed relaxed behaviour when approached by an unfamiliar person. In comparison, unsocialised kittens showed signs of distress in the same situation. It is therefore crucial that cats intended for life as companion animals in the domestic environment are given ample opportunity for sufficient socialisation between the ages of two and seven weeks of age.

Nicky Trevorrow, RVN, BSc (Hons), PG Dip(CABC)

Providing kittens with a variety of different litter types can help them to adapt to change in litter type as adults

Photo: istockphoto.com/perets

48 The Cat Summer 2012

Nicky holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Behaviour from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. She undertook the Advanced Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy from the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) followed by a postgraduate diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling from the University of Southampton. On completion of her degree, Nicky managed a boarding cattery in Wimborne. She then travelled around the world gaining volunteering experience, ranging from Thailand’s stray cats and dogs to koalas in Australia. Nicky is also a qualified registered veterinary nurse and has worked in several small animal practices in Bournemouth and Poole. Nicky joined CP in the post of Behaviour Manager in 2010. She has a varied role as feline behaviour affects all aspects of the charity’s work and has developed the CP behaviour strategy to promote and raise awareness of feline behaviour and welfare. She is also a member of the FAB’s expert behaviour panel and represents CP on the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC).

PAWS FOR THOUGHT

Feline evolution Mike Swaddling ponders on the various cats during his life…

I

’ve been extraordinarily lucky – over the last 20 years I’ve had five gorgeous cats, all of them different, yet linked in a very obvious way. Let me tell you about them.

Let’s go back to 1992. The first one, the one that set the tone for those that followed was Minky, a little madam of a tortie, who came from Cats Protection with an appendage called a brother. Poor Monty – he never had a chance. Not that he cared much. To care you have to have a minimum number of brain cells – about 10, I think – and he didn’t have any. He was incredibly lovable to me, but not to his sister, who made his life a misery – swiping him for no reason, stealing his food – until one day he went out and never came back. I hope some little five-year-old girl picked him up and took him home.

My next one was very different. Whereas the first had been very stand-offish, hating to be stroked or picked up, this one was Daddy’s little girl. All sweetness and light and purring and rubbing up my legs and sitting on my lap – because she had me to herself. Queen of the house...until her perfect little world was threatened by the appearance of my future wife and her children, which broke up her blissful ménage à deux.

Cat number three was a family cat. Having been deprived of a family of her own by the vet’s knife, she proceeded to convert three non-believers into realising what I already knew – that a house with a cat is a house full of love – and cat hair. And she very quickly ruled the roost – I will never forget the day I came into the lounge and saw my wife, son and daughter all sat on the floor watching television, while Her Ladyship had managed to spread her diminutive frame across three seats of the sofa in such a way that no one else could sit on it.

The next middle-aged mog was a very contented creature. She was moderately fond of younger humans, but they had left home and she had worked out that ‘Dad’ and ‘Mum’ needed a substitute object of affection, something to lavish fuss upon. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. Unfortunately, this nirvana-like existence was soon shattered.

One day a rather large black tom came through her cat flap and started eating her biscuits. She took objection to this and there was an altercation in which she, forgetting she was middle-aged, came off worst.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

And so to the fifth and last feline. The one that is with me now. An old lady of 19 - a nonagenarian by human standards - who is the sloppiest thing on four legs. She’s a lap-seeking missile - as soon as anyone sits down she homes in. You can pick her up, cuddle her like a baby and she will lie there, purring like a Harley Davidson, till your arms seize up with cramp. She’s losing her hearing, so if you approach her from behind you have to either cough very loudly or take a wide detour so that she can see you coming. Otherwise you get a cry of pained surprise. She has the best ‘thousand-mile stare’ I’ve ever seen. She’s a bit arthritic, but has overcome this by devising a wonderful way of walking vertically down the front of the sofa to the floor without any need for jumping. She’s on thyroid pills and is dedicated to energy conservation – her own. And, probably because she can’t hear as well as she used to, she talks much more than any of her predecessors.

She’s very different from all of them, especially from the lively little four-month-old thing that crawled across my kitchen floor and into my heart nearly 20 years previously. But she’s actually also incredibly similar, because – if you haven’t guessed by now – she’s actually the same cat. Five in one, but all of them my Minky. She’s been with me through almost a third of my life, through many ups and downs, the perfect friend – always ready to listen, but knowing that advice wasn’t wanted. I know cats have lived into their twenties, so there may be a sixth one to come, but as far as I’m concerned, every day’s a bonus.

The Cat Summer 2012 49

Give your feet a rest and exercise your mind

Ten-minute crossword Purr ‘n’ Fur Midge the runner

Across 1 Aid (10) 7 Mariners (7) 8 Suburban house (4) 10 Italy’s capital (4) 11 Period of unusually hot weather (4,4) 13 Item of neckwear (6) 15 Brigand (6) 17 Emphasised (8) 18 South American country (4) 21 Grassed area (4) 22 Copy (7) 23 Constantly (3,3,4)

Down 1 Proposition assumed to be self-evident (5) 2 Blackthorn fruit (4) 3 Female relative (6) 4 German shepherd dog (8) 5 Order (7) 6 Cut off socially (9) 9 Laboratory glassware (4,5) 12 Cradle (8) 14 Letters sent by plane (3,4) 16 City of canals (6) 19 Rub out (5) 20 Flightless New Zealand bird (4)

50 The Cat Summer 2012

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

To win one of these beautiful Rosina Wachtmeister tealights, complete our crossword correctly, rearrange the shaded letters and find the 3rd century martyr then send it – or a photocopy – along with your name and address to Crossword Competition, The Cat, NCC, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 7TT. Alternatively email the answer with your name and address to us at competitions@cats.org.uk with Crossword in the subject header. Winners will be drawn on 13 July 2012 .

The prizes are kindly sponsored by The Cat Gallery.

Visit www.thecatgallery.co.uk or phone 01904 413 000 to request a catalogue.

Last issue’s winners: Mr J Cross, Mrs G Scullion and Ms C Carr.

The hidden name was Ethelred the Unready.

Answers to Spring Crossword on page 71.

An unlikely one-eyed feline gained her moment of fame from the 2009 Cannes Film festival by taking the leading role in an eight minute film from England that cost just £1,000 to make and was selected for the Short Film Corner. Midge is a tortoiseshell cat from Wrose, a district of the city of Bradford in the county of West Yorkshire; she had come originally from a local rescue centre and was 12 years old at the time.

Midge loved to follow her owner, parish councillor Martin Humphreys, wherever she could, and she started following him when he walked to the local shops. She would wait on a wall outside for him to finish his errands, then jump down and sometimes start the journey back to his cottage by running. One day Martin decided to run with her — but found he couldn’t overtake her! If he ran faster, she accelerated too. “She always wins our races,” said Martin. She was a familiar sight as she accompanied him when he went jogging.

When he won £1,000 in a competition at work, he decided to use it to make a children’s film called The Great Race, featuring himself and Midge running one of their races. The film was made by Motus TV of Oulton, near Leeds; Martin wrote the musical part of the soundtrack, sung by a children’s choir.

Martin flew out to Cannes for the film’s screening, while Midge was looked after by a friend at home in Wrose. His dream was that a major film company - perhaps even Disney - would see the potential for a full-length children’s film starring Midge, and he was convinced it would be a success.

He already had ideas for it, including having Midge run against Olympic 100-metre champion Usain Bolt. He was convinced Midge would win!

For more extraordinary feline tales go to www.purr-n-fur.org.uk Patrick Roberts

COFFEE PAWS

Amusing Heather CP stalwart Heather Cook’s feline clan decide to enjoy ill health We love our old girls dearly, but nobody could ever accuse them of being cheerful. Recently – as the inevitable consequence of seeing our lovely black boy, Count Lucio, spend time at a rather luxurious referral centre – our senior girls have been feeling a little under the weather.

Miss Elizabeth was the first to realise that she hadn’t had her money’s worth lately and made sure I was aware of her indisposition by sneezing into my face as I struggled towards consciousness one chilly morning.

Suspecting that this probably said more about the dust than about Lizzie’s state of health, I dutifully whipped the patient off to the vet and returned not only with a course of antibiotics, which seemed a sensible precaution, but also with an appointment for Lizzie to have an ultrasound check as a flapping heart valve had been detected. Lizzie was thrilled and had stopped sneezing by the time we pulled into the drive.

Dear old Portia Patch, our 19 year-old tortoiseshell matriarch, misjudged things badly by having a dental crisis the day before Christmas Eve. If only she could have hung on, we would have been flying around looking for emergency treatment for Portia as well as for the turkey. On Boxing Day, Portia celebrated her recovery by stealing a mouse from little black Evie and gumming it down before we could lever ourselves off the sofa.

Soon after this, we had 20-year-old Bonnie Bun-Bun leaping on and off the tray one Saturday morning. On the pristine white table, Bun-Bun helpfully provided the vet with a clue as to the nature of her problem by squeezing out a disgusting pool of blood-tinged urine.

Disappointed at receiving a routine anti-inflammatory shot and a supply of antibiotic tablets, Bun-Bun resolved to redress the balance by insisting on consuming each

pill in several ounces of freshly cooked chicken, because – allegedly – the vet said this was a crucial part of her treatment.

Having previously kept a low profile, Miss Isabelle then became desperately ill with pancreatitis and spent a week on a drip. We visited frequently and knew she’d turned a corner when she staggered to the front of the cage to nip our fingers. She progressed rapidly, and once home she revelled in the fuss; her shaved legs looked like particularly thin knitting needles, and the ‘silent miaow’ was always a surefire winner.

I had a bit of a cough recently, but the contemptuous looks I received as I spluttered my way round the lounge had me pulling myself together in no time.

Sudoku Fill in the empty cells so that the digits 1 through to 9 appear: • only once in each row • only once in each column • only once in each 3x3 box (shown by the thicker lines)

Answers appear on page 71.

The Cat Summer 2012

51

How can we help?

03000 12 12 12

While most of us look forward to some warm sunny summer days and equip ourselves well with the necessary ice lollies and parasols, don’t forget your cat!

A place in the sun Most cats love to bask in the sun and being very clever they will limit their activity to suit the environmental conditions. If it’s very hot they will only carry out necessary activities.

To help keep your cat as comfy and cool as possible there are various things you could consider doing to help: • Try keeping him indoors during the hottest part of the day • Make sure your cat has plenty of places he can choose to go that are shaded from the sun • Plant shrubs and trees in your garden so he can sit in the shade and have a cool patch Exposure to the sun can be a trigger factor for a type of cancer that is more commonly seen in cats with unpigmented white ears or noses so it is certainly a good idea to try to offer some protection.

There are sunblocks available that have been manufactured specifically for use on animals, some of which have been designed to be lick proof. Your vet should be able to recommend one or source one for you. It is very important that it is suitable for cats, as they can be more sensitive than some other animals to the chemicals included. Please check with your vet before using anything intended for human use on your cat.

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The Cat Summer 2012

Keeping the curtains closed to stop the sun from shining in will help to keep kitty cool when inside.

This will provide a welcome break from the heat for the humans of the household too! You could also provide some fans to help circulate the air around the room.

Make sure fresh water is available at all times. If you can, provide a few places where he can access the water and make sure it doesn’t get hot as this may prevent him from drinking it. Cats prefer not to put their heads over the top of or in the bowl so keep the water topped up at all times. Try offering a water fountain as cats favour moving water.

Cats need to be able to access their water without having to pass objects that they perceive to be frightening, such as other felines, so ensure the water bowl is sited in a location acceptable to the cat.

The good, the bad and the catnip When arranging your beautiful, cat-friendly garden, be aware of potentially poisonous plants.

Lilies are particularly dangerous and can cause kidney failure if eaten or even if the cat grooms himself after contact with the pollen. Common symptoms of poisoning are: collapse, repeated vomiting, severe diarrhoea or excessive irritation of the mouth or throat – red, sore or blistered.

If you see the cat eat something you think may be poisonous take a sample of the plant, or preferably the label, to the vet’s with the cat, as this will help the vet find the appropriate antidote. Make a note

HELPLINE Catnip can be easily grown in the garden or bought as a dry herb from pet shops.

Being part of the mint family, it can be an invasive plant, so it is recommended to confine the plant to a pot rather than directly in the ground. Pop the potted plant under the shade of a tree or man-made cover to give your cat a little sanctuary to enjoy himself in the shade.

Once you’re sure your cat is happy and as safe as can be, put your feet up, pour yourself an ice-cold drink and enjoy the rest of your day!

Illustration: Sam Roberts

of the time of eating and any symptoms – there can be a delay of several days.

Cats may react to certain plants by developing rashes or a hypersensitivity to sunlight resulting in sunburn.

They can also cause blistering of the mouth or gums which may be confused with gingivitis. The other symptoms are sneezing and eye problems.

Plants such as tomato, strawberry, rhubarb, parsnip, carrot, celery, marrow and cucumber all have the potential to affect the cat in this way.

Common plants to avoid, as well as lilies, are lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), monkshood (Aconitum), spurge (Euphorbia) and foxglove (Digitalis). Garden centres usually label plants that are harmful to humans and, as a rule, these will also be harmful to animals.

For a full list of dangerous plants, contact our National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 - our advisors will be happy to help.

Your cat is less likely to chew on dangerous plants if he has a good supply of yummy cocksfoot grass (Dactylis glomerata) in the garden. Cats love this delicious grass and it can help as a natural medicine for reliving bile and sourness by inducing the bringing up of hair balls. It is really easy to grow and you can ensure a regular supply of grass is available for your cat by sowing a fresh pot or box every week or 10 days.

Sufficient seed to grow six pots can be obtained from Cats Protection – give us a call on the National Helpline to find out more.

Catnip is another garden treat that you could try introducing to your garden.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) contains aromatic oils which act as a mild hallucinogen which makes some cats start to rub, sniff, lick and eat the plant. Cats can often be seen pulling the gums back from the teeth, creating a cat ‘smile’. The reason they do this is to concentrate the smell so that they can taste the catnip too.

Catnip causes behavioural changes, with some people describing their cat to be ‘intoxicated’ or having a ‘wild’ or ‘drunken’ appearance. Basically, cats appear to be having a wonderful time! Effects of this nature will usually last a few minutes and then wear off, not being recreated for at least an hour if the cat returns to the catnip.

To contact Helpline, please phone 03000 12 12 12 or email helpline@cats.org.uk If you see a cat, or indeed any animal, that you think is being mistreated or neglected then do call the relevant animal authority on their cruelty helplines: England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland

RSPCA 0300 1234 999 SSPCA 03000 999 999 USPCA 07739 948 520

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Spotlight

A selection of tales from our branches and adoption centres...

Appeals

Success stories

Sisterly sponsorship needed!

By Framlingham & Saxmundham Angel and Precious, young sisters hand reared from two weeks old are cuddly, lovable and playful. Angel is ginger and Precious is ginger and white. Precious was born with one eye smaller than the other and this may cause problems in the future. Both girls also have very sensitive stomachs so need a special diet.

They are looking for a safe home together with an understanding person who can give these girls all the love and attention they deserve.

The branch will offer help with their wellbeing and also cover veterinary costs. If you could sponsor these very special sisters we would be very grateful or if you think you could offer them a home please phone 01728 723 499 to find out more. Cheques can be sent to Cats Protection, Framlingham & Saxmundham Branch, 28 Double Street, Framlingham, IP13 9BN. Thank you.

A determined little chap

By Maidenhead Slough & District Poor Paddy had a very bad start in life. Just five weeks old he was thrown from a moving car during the recent snowy weather and left to die. We don’t know what happened to his mum and litter mates, but Paddy had a bit of luck and was found barely alive by a kindly dog walker who took him to the vet.

He was very ill when the branch took over his care but, after several weeks at the vets, he is recovering and is able to live in a secure home environment. Paddy is now three months old and he is making some progress, but it is unlikely that he will ever fully recover. His back legs are weak, making it difficult for him to squat properly in the litter tray, although he does use it. He also shakes his head a lot and walks in circles, the result of brain damage caused by being thrown from the car.

He is, however, a lovely affectionate little chap and adores his foster dad. He is unlikely to make a full recovery and we are looking for financial help to clear his vet bills and pay for long-term foster care. The branch would also like donations towards the cost of a brain scan, as we would like to know the extent of the brain damage and whether anything more can be done to help Paddy.

If you can help towards Paddy’s care, please send a cheque made payable to Cats Protection Maidenhead Slough & District, to CP Treasurer, c/o 44 Switchback Road South, Maidenhead, Berks SL6 7PZ or go to our website www.maidenhead.cats.org.uk

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The Cat Summer 2012

A big cuddly old man From Greenwich Branch Henry came into CP’s care after his owner went into a hospice and subsequently passed on.

His prospects of being rehomed were remote due to him being 24 years old. But when Pat and Bernie Midmer visited the cats at Greenwich Branch their hearts melted upon seeing Henry.

He joined the Midmers and their female cats who at first were not impressed with the interloper. But Henry posed no danger despite looking like a real boss cat; he has dementia, arthritis, poor hearing and poor eyesight. In the words of Mr Midmer, “He can be a cantankerous old s** sometimes but we are so glad he came here, our big cuddly old man means the world to us. He is the most loving and affectionate cat you could get. We are now looking forward to his 25th birthday later this year. I would say to anybody, if you have the chance to have an older cat, GO FOR IT!”

Always worth a second chance From North Ayrshire Joe was signed over to us as his hyperthyroidism was spiralling out of control and his owner could no longer afford the vet bills involved in his care. Joe’s weight loss was making him depressed and lethargic.

He was a much loved pet, and his owner was distraught that she had to give him up for his own best interests. His thyroid readings were off the scale when he came in to our care in January, despite months of previous treatment. His body didn’t seem to be responding to the meds at all and his condition just wasn’t good enough to allow him to be considered for surgical options.

We wanted to give him a chance and after a couple of months on the highest dose of medication available his body finally seems to be responding to a certain extent. He’s put on a bit of weight and his condition is slowly improving.

Lucky for him, one of our volunteers has offered him a home so that he can live out the last part of his life being spoiled and in comfort.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

CP IN FOCUS

Always get a second opinion!

Hopalong Cassidy finds his feet

From Launceston Branch

By Reading & District

Just after Christmas the Launceston Branch took in two brothers, Leo and Harry. Their owners were very distressed at having to part with these lovely boys but they had a baby of eight months who had bad chest problems. The consultant had advised them to part with the cats as he was of the opinion that the baby was allergic to cats.

When the chest infection had cleared up, the baby was able to have allergy testing and it was proved that he wasn’t allergic to cats! By this time, six weeks had passed and we received a call from the baby’s mother, she was naturally very concerned that Leo and Harry might have been rehomed by this time.

Much to her great joy, they were still with the branch and it was arranged for them to come and collect the boys.

The reunion was amazing – as soon as the cats heard their owners’ voices, they came running out, jumping around miaowing and were beside themselves with joy, making such a fuss of their owners. Needless to say, the owners of Harry and Leo were just as happy to be with their cats again.

Beautiful brave boy Cassidy – now aged nearly two – came into care towards the end of last year after he sustained horrific injuries due to an accident. His pelvis was fractured and his back leg was badly smashed up. Sadly there was no way to save his leg and it had to be amputated, following which he spent six weeks on cage rest with lots of TLC to allow the pelvis to heal.

His terrifying and painful ordeal has not soured his personality in any way and he is the most friendly and affectionate cat imaginable. He just adores sitting on laps and being stroked and fussed, lying back in your arms for hours if you let him. He also has an endearing quirk of batting you lovingly round the face with his big front paws, just to show what a little fighter he really is. Cassidy soon regained strength in his remaining back leg and learned to get around, climbing up on things in his own way so he will soon be back to climbing trees and fences and his injury should not stop him having a completely full and normal life.

Following his climb back to health and the loss of one of his nine lives, the best news is that Cassidy has found a wonderful new home where he can be helped back onto his three feet and spend his remaining eight lives getting, and giving, lots of love.

Harry

Leo

Coming in from the cold

This Angel’s found heaven

By Bristol & District Branch

By Glasgow Adoption Centre

Boots and Socks were two of a litter of kittens born outside but they have since been rehomed as domestic cats. When they came in they were terrified and hid a lot but with a lot of TLC and patience it wasn’t long before they became comfortable in their surroundings.

They are real sweeties and so pretty and loved to play just like any other kittens. A lovely family saw them on the website and offered to give them a home despite knowing that they would hide initially and fully realising that they would need to work them to continue to bring them round.

Angel had been at the centre for over year having been originally brought in as a six-year-old for being a bit swipey. She was soon a firm favourite with the CP staff and volunteers and became the centre’s office cat until the right home was found for her.

Angel’s popularity soon spread via Facebook and there were many pictures of her helping Andy, the centre manager, with his paperwork or having a snooze on the laptop. Her fans from all over the UK, and even further afield, would often log on just to catch up with her antics. It was here that Joan noticed Angel offering her the home she’d been waiting for and so Angel left her office duties for the much more attractive proposition of a warm lap and loving owner. Joan still gives the centre’s Facebook page updates on Angel. It just shows what a great tool Facebook is for getting out the rehoming message and introducing these wonderful cats to potential new owners.

Find your local Cats Protection: 03000 12 12 12 • www.cats.org.uk

The Cat Summer 2012

55

Messageboard

from your local Cats Protection...

Framlingham & Saxmundham

Looking for a home Stewartry

Benny

Jensen

their attention on her will continue her progress. She will need to be brushed on a regular basis to stop painful matts forming in her coat.

☎☎ 01992 579 539

☎☎ 01343 860 397

Buddy

☎☎ 01557 339 233

Moray

Pebbles

Eltham, Sidcup & District

Emma

Outer Aberdeen Male, one year five months Benny has been with us from a young kitten. He was quite timid, but has now come out of his shell and is very affectionate and playful, with a lovely soft, shiny coat. He would make someone a lovely companion, though probably not with young children. He has been vaccinated, neutered and microchipped. Is he being passed over because he is black? Black cats are supposed to be lucky!

mummy’s boy so we’d like to home them together if possible to a home where they have safe access to the outside. They are both neutered, vaccinated and microchipped and will make fantastic companions.

Male, teenager We are not sure how old Buddy is, but he seems an older gent. He enjoys his soft bed but still joins in with playtime especially if cat nip or treats are involved. He does like to be top cat and would suit a home as the only pet.

☎☎ 01224 705 252

Male, approx six years Jensen was found stuffed in a cardboard box and left on someone’s drive in the middle of the snow and freezing temperatures.

Unfortunately he has been diagnosed as diabetic. He will need a very special home with a dedicated owner who will inject insulin twice a day. He is coping amazingly well with this.

In the hope that he will find a permanent home, the branch will fund his vet costs.

☎☎ 01728 723 499

Harlow, Epping Forest & District

Marley and Mia

Female, two years Emma is searching for her forever owner. This beautiful fluffy white and black girl was a stray and takes time to get used to new people but will reward you with lots of love. Could you give Emma the chance of a new happy life?

☎☎ 020 8859 2419

Great Amwell & District

Lisa

Glasgow Adoption Centre

Skippy

Marley

Female, six years Pebbles is a very beautiful longhaired cat. When she came to us she was unable to deal with any form of affection. When stroked she used to hiss and lash out but never used her claws, just her paws. She now wants to be stroked but doesn’t particularly like being picked up. She is looking for a home with either no or much older children and no other pets. An owner at home most of the day who will continue to lavish

56 The Cat Summer 2012

Male, six years In all, Skippy has spent over a year at the centre coming in and out three times.

Experience has shown us that he is not happy in a home with young children or with someone allergic!

He’d be fine with an older family and would need access outside. He adores being brushed, loves to nap and cuddle up. Please can you give Skippy the forever home he deserves?

☎☎ 0141 779 3341

Mia

Male, one year, female, 20 months Marley, black and white, came into our care with mum Mia, tortie, from a home where there were just too many cats. They settled in quickly in their foster home and are both friendly. Mia is a petite, outgoing, confident girl who loves being made a fuss of. Marley also has a sweet disposition and is very laid back – he is a bit of a

Female, 12 years approx We understand that Lisa’s owner died and she had been shut out of her home, surviving outside.

This experience has really affected her, but over time she has shown she can be affectionate on her own terms, purrs when stroked and loves sleeping and observing what is going on around her. Lisa needs a quiet new home with a patient owner who can help her regain her trust and confidence.

☎☎ 08453 712 736

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

CP IN FOCUS

Bexley

Grace

Female, approx 11 years Grace has a liver disorder which is being successfully controlled by a special diet. She is now ready for her forever home with the security and love of a special companion. We feel Grace would be better suited to a mature family with no other cats or dogs.

☎☎ 08453 711 851

Glasgow

Keisha

Wolverhampton

Moggy

Male, 10 years Moggy came into our care when his owner died.

He’s a gorgeous, fluffy, affectionate boy who loves fuss and attention – and a good chin rub – and will make a wonderful companion. He would probably best suit a quiet home without too much going on, no young children, and needs access to outside as he’s used to being out and about.

☎☎ 01902 651 173

Luton, Dunstable & District

George and Elvis

Female, seven years Keisha is a black and white short-haired indoor cat who desperately needs a new home as she has been with the branch since January 2011. She would best suit a home without children or other pets. Keisha is a sensitive cat and will need an experienced cat owner who will show patience.

☎☎ 08453 712 722

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell

Capone

Male, approx 10 months Capone was rescued from appalling conditions – as a consequence he is FIV+.

Capone is very sociable, needs to be kept indoors, but with access to an outside enclosed area. We would be involved in the cost of related veterinary treatment and his ongoing support.

☎☎ 08453 714 212

George

Elvis

Males, seven and four years Both George and Elvis are FIV+ cats and we’re looking to rehome them together or separately as indoor cats.

Both came into us as strays but are very friendly and would love a lap to sit in.

George had a hard life prior to coming into our care but we are sure he will make an ideal companion. Elvis is not scared of people or loud noises so would be perfect in a house with dogs or children. Can you offer these lovely boys a home?

☎☎ 08453 712 746

Join the team erby & District Branch has a number of vacancies for D volunteers. We need CatLine Operators answering our helpline.

This job would suit someone who is at home for most of the day and is an ideal opportunity for someone to wants to help cats without leaving the comfort of their own home. We also need fieldworkers/vet runners as we only have a handful of these. We need an Assistant to the Vet Liaison Officer, again mostly an administrative post and can be done from home. And lastly, we need volunteers at both our charity shops in Derby and Wirksworth. Full training and support will be given to the successful applicants for all of the above vacancies. Anyone who is interested should contact our Cat Line on 01332 206 956 (voicemail) or enquiries@derbydistrictcp.org.uk and leave their details. An application form and job description will then be sent to them in the first instance.

Glasgow Branch urgently needs enthusiastic fundraisers to help organise and attend events and to support the Fundraising Officer. Please contact us on 08453 712 722 or CPGlasgow@googlemail.com for more information. arlow, Epping Forest & District Branch is looking for H committed Fosterers who will look after cats waiting for adoption and who are willing to have a Cat Cabin in the garden. You will need to be an experienced cat owner, preferably with your own transport. All expenses are paid and full support will be given. To learn more, please call Carole Lester on 01992 579 539 or email catsharlow@dsl.pipex.com. We are also looking for people to help with our fundraising events, publicity and home visiting. We cover the M11 corridor from Woodford Green in the south to Saffron Walden in the north. To learn more please phone Sue Harris on 01279 503 108 or email catsharlow@dsl.pipex.com tewartry & District Branch is hoping that more volunteers S can be found to help us out. We cover a large rural area with a few towns in south-west Scotland and we are a small committee who could do with some help. We mainly need a Welfare Officer to look after all aspects of care for our cats and to make sure our Fosterers have all the resources they need, Home Visitors and someone to organise publicity. However, we all do a bit of everything, so if you like multi-tasking this is for you! If you would like to help, please phone us on 01557 339 233 or email stewartrycats@gmail.com. More details are on our website www.stewartry.cats.org.uk. eignbridge & Totnes Branch has the following volunteer T vacancies: Treasurer’s Assistant to help with processing the ever increasing mound of paperwork and Volunteer Mentor to help new volunteers assimilate into their roles within the branch and meet fellow volunteers. In addition we are seeking suitable locations to site collection boxes and place cat rehoming posters in the TQ 7 to 14 & EX6 & 7 areas. If you know of anywhere please phone Barbara on 08453 712 727.

Telford & District Branch is looking for volunteers for a variety of roles, including Fundraisers and Fosterers. More information can be found on our website, www.cats.org.uk/telford. If you can help, please contact our Co-ordinator, Ginette Pardoe, on 08452 601 502 or catsprotectiontelford@gmail.com

Find your local Cats Protection: 03000 12 12 12 • www.cats.org.uk

The Cat Summer 2012

57

CP IN FOCUS

Join the team cont…

Thank you…

tockport Branch has several volunteering roles available with S our branch: Publicity role – involves writing articles and news items for our website and newsletters. This role may interest a volunteer with an interest in marketing, publicity or writing.

Volunteer drivers to help with deliveries. We need drivers to transport items such as cat food and cat litter to people who have provided foster homes for cats in our care and also transporting cats for neutering or sick/injured cats to the vets. Helpers at our shelter are needed with such tasks as cleaning out pens. If you are interested in any of these roles, would like to know more about the post or chat to other members of the group, please call Jacky Goodman on 0161 439 1274 or email stockport.cp@hotmail.com or visit one of our events. reat Amwell & District Branch is looking for volunteer G Fosterers in the SG11-14 and EN10-11 postcode areas of Hertfordshire. Most costs are met by the branch and Fosterers ‘home’ a cat while it is waiting for a permanent home – usually for a few weeks – and then along comes another furry friend! Could this rewarding experience be for you? Contact Great Amwell and District Cats Protection on 08453 712 736 or www.greatamwell.cats.org.uk eading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell is looking for Indoor R Fosterers. Please can you help us make use of a spare room in your home, to help us with our waifs ‘n’ strays? We supply everything else for you. Part-time, full-time, emergency cover… it’s now urgent that we find additional Fosterers. Home Visitors are also still needed in Reading RG1 and RG2, RG4 areas please, Lower Earley, Shinfield, Wokingham, Twyford, Hurst. We also need a person who can help to answer the duty telephone line during the day, from their home, on a week day. Full training will be given. 08453 714 212 (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri).

Thank you to Lea Valley Branch for buying Crawley, Reigate & District a double garden pen for one of our new Fosterers.

Glasgow Branch would like to thank the public for their generous donations towards Zippy’s treatment. Zippy was found dying at four weeks old however with the help and support of the public we were able to nurse him back to help and rehome him.

Thanks to everyone who has dropped off goods at Outer Aberdeen cat pens over the last year. Varying between donations due to loss of a pet or just an excuse to pop in past and say hello, all gifts of food, beds, treats or toys for our cats are greatly appreciated.

To the Manager and his staff at Pets at Home store, Brunel Retail Park, Reading , who have forwarded the very generous sum of £384.05 to Reading & District Branch. This included a donation of £250 from Pets at Home’s centrallyrun Support Adoption for Pets scheme, but we were also put forward as the charity of choice for the Reading store’s Santa Paws charity collection over Christmas. We are also grateful to the store for their ongoing support and the wonderful contribution the food from the donated food bin makes to the branch cats/kittens.

Thank you from Stroud Branch to Liz Dart , loyal supporter and helper who is retiring after more than 10 years’ support, raising vital funds for the branch and looking after more than 400 cats. Co-ordinator Helen Munro said, “I would like to thank Liz for her support over the years, she has been a great help and a credit to the charity and will be sorely missed for all she has done over the years. Without people like Liz, we would not be able to look after so many cats and their help means we are able to save the lives of more animals.”

Deadlines All branches are encouraged to send in their success stories and diary dates for every issue. The deadlines for the next three issues are: Scan for Android version

• 14 September – Winter 2012

Scan for iPhone version

• 7 December – Spring 2013 Or search Google Play

Or search the store

www.cats.org.uk

• 15 June – Autumn 2012

www.cats.org.uk

Please send your entries to: CP in Focus, Editorial Team, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email editorial@cats.org.uk.

CP volunteers and staff can now submit their stories online via CatNav. Log on at http://catnav.cats.org.uk Please ensure that Cats Protection in focus stories and diary events are sent as separate documants.

58

The Cat Summer 2012

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Make him the promise of a lifetime At Cats Protection, we have been saving injured, starving and abandoned cats and kittens since 1927. Thanks to our promise never to put a healthy cat to sleep, we have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of cats, giving them all a second chance at life.

You can help us keep our special promise and care for even more cats by leaving us a gift in your will. If cats are close to your heart, make sure your kindness continues to change their lives for many years to come.

Ask us for your free information booklet today.

01825 741 271

(Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm) or email

giftsinwills@cats.org.uk Find out more with our free information booklet Order your free copy of our booklet today. Simply complete and return this form to: Matt Vincent, Legacy Department, Cats Protection, FREEPOST SEA 7678, Haywards Heath, RH17 7BR. No stamp needed.

Title:

Name:

Address:

Postcode: Tel:

It really helps Cats Protection if we can keep you informed about our exciting work, campaigns, activities and fundraising. If you would prefer us to not contact you by post or telephone, please phone 08707 706827, email: cp@cats.org.uk or write to us at the Freepost address: FREEPOST SEA 7678, Cats Protection, Haywards Heath, RH17 7BR. Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

LA1223 LA72

Diary of events ENGLAND BERKSHIRE Newbury Adoption Centre Jumble sales 28 July: Catholic Hall, Bath Road, Thatcham; 11.30am.

Admission 30p – jumble accepted 9-10.30am or previously at Newbury Adoption Centre 29 September: Catholic Hall, Bath Road, Thatcham; 11.30am Admission 30p – Jumble accepted 9-10.30am or previously at Newbury Adoption Centre Open Day 1 September: Open Day at Newbury Adoption Centre.

Please come and visit the cats, browse our stalls and maybe win a prize in our raffle or tombola. Admission 50p. 1pm-4.30pm (cattery closes at 3.30pm)

Reading & District Jumble sales 21 July: All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Square, Reading RG1 6NH; 1-3pm.

15 September: All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Sq, Reading RG1 6NH; 1-3pm.

The branch also regularly holds a Book Stall at Reading Farmers’ Markets – first or third Saturday of the month – and at Purley Farmers’ Markets each second Saturday. Further confirmatory details appear shortly before each of these events on the branch website www.readinganddistrictcats.org

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell Monthly meetings All at Our Lady of Peace (OLOP) Church Hall, Wokingham Road, Earley (Earley Cross Roads), RG6 7DA 28 May: 8pm 5 June: 8pm 3 June: Twyford Donkey Derby – Twyford, Berkshire; 1-5pm 16 June: Winnersh Fête – Bearwood Recreation Ground, Winnersh, Berkshire; 1-4.30pm 16 June: Crowthorne Carnival – Crowthorne, Berkshire

60 The Cat Summer 2012

Find out what’s going on near you...

8 July: Mousers Open Day – Barge Lane, Swallowfield, Berkshire, RG7 1HZ Summer Fair 28 July: Carnation Hall, Chavey Down Road, Winkfield Row, Bracknell, RG42 7PA; 1-4pm Collections 14 June: Woodley Pagoda, Woodley Shopping Centre 21 July: Asda, Lower Earley 11 August: Morrisons, Woosehill, Wokingham 18 August: Morrisons, Bracknell

DERBYSHIRE Ashfield and Amber Valley Street collections and stalls 16 June: Sutton in Ashfield Low Street 23 June: Kirkby in Ashfield Market 30 June: Ripley Market Place 14 July: Hucknall High St 25 August: Alfreton, by Indoor Market

Chesterfield

11 August: Summer Fair at Rose Hill United Reformed Church, Rose Hill, Chesterfield; 10am-2.30pm.

Home made crafts, cakes, refreshments, tombola etc, Cats Protection merchandise and much more.

DEVON

Please come along and support us. Admission 30p

Collections 13 and 14 June: Tesco’s Honiton 22 September: Exeter street collection

Harlow, Epping Forest & District

Coffee morning 11 August: Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre; 10am-2pm

Teignbridge & Totnes Stalls (see local press for times) 3 June: Animals in Distress Jubilee street party event at Ipplepen 15 July: Animals in Distress dog Olympics event at Ipplepen 26 August: Animals in Distress Green Eras event at Ipplepen 27 August: Lustleigh show – all day event Coffee mornings 7 July: Chudleigh Town Hall; 10am-12noon 21 July: Homing Centre, Moor View Farm, Ogwell, Newton Abbot; 10am12noon 29 July: Cream tea & garden party in Dawlish 2-5pm – see website for venue details – www.teignbridge.cats.org.uk 18 August: Homing Centre, Moor View Farm, Ogwell, Newton Abbot; 10am-12noon

ESSEX Chelmsford & District

East Devon Coffee mornings 6 June: Queen’s Jubilee week coffee morning, Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton; 10am-12noon 15 September: Coffee morning and bazaar, The Feoffee Town Hall, Colyton; 10am-12noon Stall 2 June: Lions Gala week fête, on the green, Budleigh Salterton; 2-4pm Cream teas 14 July: Woods Coombe, Bowd, Dot’s Foster Home, on the Bowd Road to Ottery Road; 2.30-4.30pm Garden party 11 August: Homefield, Longdogs Lane, Ottery St Mary; 2.30-4.30pm

Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre

Fairs 28 July: Summer Fayre/book sale, Keene Hall, Galleywood, CM2 8PT, 10-3pm 11 August: Adoption Centre Fun Day – tbc, check www.chelmsford.cats.org.uk; all day 1 September: Autumn Fayre, The Shire Hall, Chelmsford, 10am-12noon.

We will be selling a wide seletion of goods, refreshments will be on sale.

Admission by donation or a tin of cats food. Please come along and support us.

Jumble sales 22 September: Jumble sale and auction, Danbury Village Hall, Danbury, 2pm.

Clothes, bric-a-brac, books, toys etc will be on sale, there will also be an auction, tea and coffee is available.

7 July: Open garden, cream tea and sale stall, The Laurels, Hastingwood Road, CM17 9JX; 11am-5pm 26 and 27 July: Stall, Countess of Warwick Show, Dunmow

Rayleigh, Castle Point & District Homing shows 9 June: Methodist Hall, Eastwood Road, Rayleigh SS6 7ED 8 September: Methodist Hall, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh Stalls 16 June: Hullbridge Village Fair, Hullbridge 23 June: Table Sale, Leigh Beck School, Canvey Island; 12noon-3pm 14 July: Bazaar WRVS Hall, John Burrows Playing Fields, Hadleigh; 10.30am-1pm 27 August: Rayleigh Fun Day, St Georges Playing Fields, Rayleigh 22 September: Bazaar, Richmond Hall, Benfleet 10am-1pm Carnival 7 July: Canvey Carnival – Canvey Seafront, Canvey Island Open Garden Day 27 August: Cats Whiskas Cattery Open Garden Day. Part of Rayleigh Open Garden Trail, Wellington Avenue, Hullbridge; 10am-5pm

GREATER LONDON Eltham. Sidcup & District

28 July: Summer Fair at The Ringway Centre in Grove Park, London SE12 0DS; 12noon-4pm

GREATER MANCHESTER Stockport Fairs 7 July: Hazel Grove, United Reformed Hall, Commercial Road; 10am-12.30pm August: tbc Summer Fair, Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for children and donkeys, Green Fold, Abbey Hey, Manchester

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

DIARY OF EVENTS

Annual Family Fun Day 4 August: Torkington Park, Hazel Grove; 11am-4pm.

Includes dog show, birds of prey, children’s rides and games, a variety of stalls, refreshments available

Car Rally, 12noon-4pm For more details about our events please visit www.greatamwell.cats.org.uk or phone 08452 712 736

Festivals 16 June: Didsbury Festival, Didsbury Park, Wilmslow Road, Didsbury; 11am-4pm 30 June: Heald Green Festival, Outwood Public Hall, Outwood Road We will be selling Cats Protection new goods, brica-brac, books, toys, plants and pet care goods. We will also be running a lucky dip game for children.

Telford

HERTFORDSHIRE Great Amwell Fêtes 16 June: Thundridge School Fête, near Ware, 1-4pm 23 June: Ware St Mary’s School Fête, 12noon-3pm 30 June: Tonwell School Fête, near Ware, 11am-3pm 30 June: Ware St Catherine’s School Fête, 12noon-2pm 1 July: Bengeo School Fête, near Hertford, 12noon-3.30pm 7 July: Broxbourne School 15 July: Hertford Heath School Fête, near Hertford 27 August: Much Hadham Fête, 12noon-4.30pm Carnivals, Open Days and rallys 7 July: Ware Carnival 7 July: Broxbourne Borough Open Day, 2pm-5pm 19 August: Tewin Vintage

SHROPSHIRE 16 June: Table top sale at the Greenwood Centre, Station Road, Coalbrookdale, TF8 7DR. We will be selling a range of CP merchandise, second hand books and various other items in the Woodland Hall. We will also have information displayed on the cats we have available for adoption.

1 July: Stall at Dogs Trust Open Day and Fun Dog Show, Roden Lane Farm, TF6 6BP. There will be lots to see and do at this event, so please come along and support us.

For more information, please see our website www.cats.org.uk/telford or phone 08452 601 502

SUFFOLK Framlingham & Saxmundham

7 June: Suffolk Show; all day 24 June: CP Stall at Woodbridge Regatta 30 June: Homing Fair, St Michael’s Rooms, Framlingham; 10am-12noon 6 July: Coffee Morning, Kettleburgh; 10.30am12noon; to be opened by local MP Dr Dan Poulter 22 July: CP stall at Ufford Bygones; 10am-5pm

Cats Protection presence at national shows 2-3 June: Hertfordshire County Show 7-9 June: South of England Show 7-9 June: Royal Cornwall Show 17 June: Cosford Air Show, West Midlands 19-21 June: Cheshire County Show, Tabley, Cheshire 10-12 July: Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire 13-15 July: Kent County Show, Detling Kent 27-29 July: The Big Cheese Festival, Caerphilly 5 August: Hereford County Fair 14-15 August: Anglesey Agricultural Show, Holyhead, Anglesey 15-16 Sep: Royal Berkshire Show, Newbury, Berks October: BVNA Congress, Telford, Shropshire – vet nurse trade show November: London Vet Show, Olympia – vet trade show

SURREY Crawley, Reigate & District

Homing Shows 10 June: Colman-Redland Centre, Croydon Road, Reigate, RH2 0LZ; 11am-3pm 1 July: Horticultural Society Hall, Ifield Ave, Crawley, RH11 7AJ; 11am-3pm 22 July: Barnfield Care Home, Upfield, Horley, RH6 7LA; 11am-3pm 12 August: Colman-Redland Centre, Croydon Road, Reigate, RH2 0LZ; 11am-3pm Fundraising stalls 9 June: Smallfield Market, Redehall Road, Smallfield; 9am-12noon 16 June: Banstead Antiques Fair, Banstead; 9am-4pm 16 June: Crawley Lions Festive Fair, Queens Square, Crawley; 9am-5pm 23 June: Smallfield Market, Redehall Road, Smallfield; 9am-12noon 7 July: Smallfield Market, Redehall Road, Smallfield; 9am-12noon 17 and 18 July: Ardingly Antiques Fair, Ardingly 21 July: Smallfield Market, Redehall Road, Smallfield; 9am-12noon 21 July: Banstead Antiques Fair, Banstead

SUSSEX Mid Sussex Fairs 30 June: Stall at Smallholders’ Show Ardingly showground; 9am-5pm 1 July: Stall at Smallholders’ Show Ardingly showground, 9am-5pm 12 August: Annual Garden Party Cuckfield, Cattery, Deaks Lane, Cuckfield, RH17 5JB, for sale: collectables, bric-a-brac, plants, fancy goods, toys, books, tea, cakes, also tombola, raffle, cats for rehoming, live music, free entrance and parking, cover if wet. Main fundraising event so please support; 2-5pm 8 September: Stall at Haywards Heath Summer Festival, Victoria Park, Haywards Heath; 11am-5pm Collections 29 September: Sainsbury’s Haywards Heath; 9am-5pm

Find your local Cats Protection: 03000 12 12 12 • www.cats.org.uk

National Cat Adoption Centre

1 July: Summer Fun Day, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, East Sussex, RH17 7TT

YORKSHIRE Doncaster Stalls 2 June: Barnby Dun Old School Gala 23 June: Thorne Methodist Chapel, table top sale Fayre 27 August: Summer Fayre, New Hall, Bawtry; 12noon3pm. Please check local press for details of our events nearer the time

SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE Stonehaven Coffee morning 16 June: Stonehaven Town Hall. Home-made goods, bric-a-brac, face painting, teas/coffees and CP goods; 10.30am–1.30pm Table top sales 4 August: Stonehaven Market Square, selling home-made goods, bric-abrac, books and CP goods; 10am–2pm 8 September: Stonehaven Market Square, selling home-made goods, bric-abrac, books and CP goods; 10am–2pm Collection 29 September: Co-op in Stonehaven; 10am–4pm

LANARKSHIRE Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre

25 August: Annual Open Day. Entry 50p. Come and see all our cats and kittens up for adoption. Many stalls, prizes, tea room and barbecue. Glasgow Adoption Centre, Cardyke Farm, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, Glasgow, G66 5LD; 12noon-4pm. Look on our website or Facebook page for details of other events

The Cat Summer 2012

61

Contacts England South East Bredhurst Kent *Matts * Hill Road, Hartlip, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7XA ☎☎ 01634 232 471 88www.bredhurstkent.cats.org.uk Friends of Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre Chelmsford & District *Willow * Grove, Deadmans Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford, CM2 8LZ ☎☎ 01245 478 389 88www.chelmsford.cats.org.uk Eastbourne *63 * Marshfoot Lane, Hailsham,* East Sussex, BN27 2RB ☎☎ 01323 440 101 88www.eastbourne.cats.org.uk Friends of Eastbourne Adoption Centre Haslemere *Chase * Lodge Studio, Upper Hammer Lane, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 1QD ☎☎ 01428 604 297 88www.cats.org.uk/haslemere

Find your nearest CP branch, adoption centre or charity shop...

Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey ☎☎ 08453 712 739 88www.eastsurrey.cats.org.uk

Rayleigh, Castle Point & District ☎☎ 01268 750 831 88www.catsrayleigh.org.uk

Eastbourne & District ☎☎ 01323 440 101 88www.eastbourne.cats.org.uk

Romford & District ☎☎ 01708 451 341 88www.romford.cats.org.uk

Eltham, Sidcup & District ☎☎ 07772 679 854 88www.cats.org.uk/elthamsidcup

St Albans & District ☎☎ 08453 712 064 88www.stalbans.cats.org.uk

Epsom, Ewell & District ☎☎ 01737 640 882 88www.epsom.cats.org.uk

Southend & District ☎☎ 01702 710 630 88www.catsprotectionsouthend* .pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Folkestone & Hythe ☎☎ 01303 237 744 88www.folkestonehythe.cats.org.uk

Sutton & Cheam ☎☎ 0208 330 0176 88www.sutton.cats.org.uk

Great Amwell & District ☎☎ 08453 712 736 88www.greatamwell.cats.org.uk

Swale ☎☎ 08453 712 755 88www.swale.cats.org.uk

Greenwich ☎☎ 0208 8538 666 88www.catsgn.org.uk

Tendring & District ☎☎ 08453 712 742 88www.tendringcats.org.uk

Guildford & Godalming ☎☎ 01483 422 529 88www.guildford.cats.org.uk

Tenterden & District ☎☎ 01797 366 379 88www.tenterdencats.org.uk

Harlow, Epping Forest & District ☎☎ 01992 579 539 88www.harlow.cats.org.uk

Three Rivers & Watford ☎☎ 01923 283 338 88www.cats.org.uk/threerivers

Friends of Haslemere Adoption Centre

Hastings & District ☎☎ 01424 754 328

National Cat Adoption Centre *Chelwood * Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 7TT ☎☎ 08707 708 650 88www.ncac.cats.org.uk

Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted ☎☎ 08453 711 851 88www.cats.org.uk/dacorum

Friends of the National Cat Adoption Centre North London *135 * Junction Road, Archway,* Greater London, N19 5PX ☎☎ 0207 272 6048 Basildon, Brentwood & District ☎☎ 01268 285 778 88www.bascats.org.uk Bexley & Dartford ☎☎ 01322 611 911 88www.cats.org.uk/bexley Bromley ☎☎ 0208 402 8860 88www.bromleycatsprotection.org.uk Camberley & District ☎☎ 08453 712 745 88www.camberley.cats.org.uk Canterbury & District ☎☎ 01227 266 838 88www.cats.org.uk/canterbury Chelmsford & District ☎☎ 01245 478 389 88www.chelmsfordcatsprotection.co.uk Chichester, Bognor Regis & District ☎☎ 08453 712 760 88www.cats.org.uk/chichester Chiltern ☎☎ 08452 602 396 88www.chiltern.cats.org.uk Crawley, Reigate & District ☎☎ 08453 712 734 88www.catsprotection.co.uk Croydon ☎☎ 0208 763 0072 88www.croydoncpcats.org.uk

62 The Cat Summer 2012

Hendon, Finchley & Mill Hill ☎☎ 0208 952 1350 88www.hendon.cats.org.uk High Wycombe & South Bucks ☎☎ 01494 448 849 88www.buckscats.org.uk Hillingdon ☎☎ 01895 443 637 88www.hillingdon.cats.org.uk Hornchurch & District ☎☎ 01708 755 211 88www.hornchurch.cats.org.uk Horsham & District ☎☎ 08453 712 749 88www.cats.org.uk/horsham Lea Valley ☎☎ 08453 134 746 88www.leavalley.cats.org.uk Lewes, Seaford & District ☎☎ 01273 813 111 88www.lewes.cats.org.uk Maidenhead, Slough & District ☎☎ 01628 620 909 88www.cats.org.uk/maidenhead Maidstone ☎☎ 08453 712 758 88www.maidstone.cats.org.uk Mid Sussex ☎☎ 01444 414 884 88www.cats.org.uk/midsussex Milton Keynes & District ☎☎ 01296 738 558 88www.mkcats.org.uk North Hertfordshire ☎☎ 01438 228 877 88www.northherts.cats.org.uk Paddington 88www.paddington.cats.org.uk

Thurrock & District ☎☎ 08453 712 752 Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough & District ☎☎ 01892 516 377 88www.uckfield.cats.org.uk Welwyn Hatfield & District ☎☎ 08453 711 855 88www.welwynhatfield.cats.org.uk Woking & District ☎☎ 01483 721 700 88www.woking.cats.org.uk Worthing & District ☎☎ 01903 200 332 88www.worthingcatsprotection.org.uk Chichester, Bognor Regis & District *7a * Crane Street, Chichester,* West Sussex, P019 1LH ☎☎ 01243 774 737 Colne Valley **75 High Street, Halstead,* Essex, CO9 2JD ☎☎ 01787 274 667 Croydon *13 * High Street, Purley,* Surrey, CR8 2AF ☎☎ 0208 763 9898 Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey *20 * Chipstead Valley Road,* Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RA ☎☎ 0208 660 7475 Ealing & West London *3a * Albert Terrace, Pittshanger Lane, Ealing, W5 1RL ☎☎ 0208 998 3940 Eltham, Sidcup & District *14 * Tudor Parade, Well Hall Road,* Eltham, London, SE9 6SX ☎☎ 0208 859 6009 Folkestone & Hythe *139a * High Street, Hythe, Kent,* CT21 5JL ☎☎ 01303 238 661

Greenwich *18 * Old Dover Street, Blackheath,* London, SE3 7BT ☎☎ 0208 858 2220 Hastings & District *43 * London Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 6AJ ☎☎ 01424 203 778 Lea Valley *145 * Chase Side, Enfield,* Middlesex, EN2 0PN ☎☎ 0208 367 4813 Medway *34 * Canterbury Street, Gillingham,* Kent, ME7 5TX ☎☎ 01634 571 270 *142 * Franklin Road, Gillingham, Medway, ME7 4DG ☎☎ 01634 578 436 Sutton & Cheam *16 * The Broadway, Cheam, * Sutton, Surrey, SM3 8AY ☎☎ 0208 642 1575 Tenterden & District *Lakehurst * House, Unit 1, * 94c High Street, Tenterden,* Kent, TN30 6JB ☎☎ 01580 765 277 Worthing & District *35 * Rowlands Road, Worthing,* West Sussex, BN11 3JJ ☎☎ 01903 200 332

South & South West Exeter Axhayes *Little * Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2HS ☎☎ 01395 232 377 88www.axhayes.cats.org.uk Isle of Wight *122 * Marlborough Road, Ryde,* Isle of Wight, PO33 1AW ☎☎ 01983 562 609 Newbury & District *Heatherpine, * Curridge Road, Curridge, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9DH ☎☎ 01635 200 111 Cornwall *Point * Road, Carnon Downs,* Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6JN ☎☎ 01872 870 575 Ferndown Homing Centre *51 * Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne,* Dorset, BH21 7QZ ☎☎ 03000 120 175 88www.ferndown.cats.org.uk Andover & District ☎☎ 01256 892 019 88www.andovercats.org.uk Barnstaple & District ☎☎ 01271 860 787 88www.cats.org.uk/barnstaple Basingstoke & District ☎☎ 01256 352 281 88www.basingstoke-cats.org.uk Bath & District ☎☎ 01225 835 606 88www.bath.cats.org.uk Blandford & Sturminster Newton ☎☎ 01258 858 644 88www.blandfordcats.org.uk

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

FIND US KEY:

Adoption Centre

Homing Centre

Branch

Charity shop

Bournemouth & District ☎☎ 08453 712 762 88www.bournemouthcats.org.uk

Newbury & District ☎☎ 01635 200 111 88www.newbury.cats.org.uk

Bridgwater ☎☎ 01278 684 662 88www.bridgwater.cats.org.uk

Okehampton & District ☎☎ 08453 712 751 88www.okehampton.cats.org.uk

Bristol & District ☎☎ 01179 665 428 88www.bristol.cats.org.uk

Oxford & District ☎☎ 01235 221 147 88www.oxford.cats.org.uk

Callington & District ☎☎ 08452 602 398 88www.cats.org.uk/callington

Plymouth & South Hams ☎☎ 08453 712 753 88www.cats.org.uk/plymouth

Cheltenham ☎☎ 08453 712 730 88www.catsprotection.net

Portsmouth ☎☎ 08453 712 743 88www.cats.org.uk/portsmouth

Cherwell ☎☎ 07716 596 212 88www.cherwell.cats.org.uk

Reading & District ☎☎ 08452 602 395 88www.readinganddistrictcats.org

Cirencester, Tetbury & District ☎☎ 01285 657 894 88http://cirencats.tripod.com/

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell ☎☎ 08453 714 212 88www.cats.org.uk/readingeast

East Devon ☎☎ 01404 811 089 88www.eastdevoncats.com

St Austell & District ☎☎ 01726 817 837 88www.staustell.cats.org.uk

Exeter ☎☎ 01392 276 291 88www.exeter.cats.org.uk

Salisbury & District ☎☎ 08453 712 068 88www.salisburycats.co.uk

Falmouth, Helston & District ☎☎ 08453 712 729 88www.cats.org.uk/falmouth

Southampton ☎☎ 08453 712 718 88www.cats.org.uk/southampton

Fareham & Waterlooville Districts ☎☎ 08452 601 504 88www.fareham.cats.org.uk

Stroud ☎☎ 01453 828 326 88www.stroud.cats.org.uk

Truro & District *23 * Pydar Street, Truro,* Cornwall, TR1 2AY ☎☎ 01872 276 351

Farnham & Wey Valley ☎☎ 01252 334 644 88www.weyvalley.cats.org.uk

Swindon ☎☎ 01793 644 536 88www.swindon.cats.org.uk

Central

Forest of Dean ☎☎ 01594 841 511 88www.cats-forestofdean.co.uk

Taunton & Wellington ☎☎ 08452 602 397 88www.taunton.cats.org.uk

Frome & District ☎☎ 07733 390 345 88www.cats.org.uk/frome

Teignbridge & Totnes ☎☎ 08453 712 723 88www.teignbridge.cats.org.uk

Glastonbury & Wells ☎☎ 01749 850 660 88www.stray-cat.co.uk

Torpoint & Rame Peninsular ☎☎ 01752 829 104

Gloucester ☎☎ 07891 112 654 88www. gloucester.cats.org.uk Gosport Town ☎☎ 02392 582 601 88www.gosport.cats.org.uk Holsworthy, Bideford & District ☎☎ 08453 712 717 88www.holsworthycats.org Honiton ☎☎ 01404 452 41 88www.honiton.cats.org.uk Launceston & District ☎☎ 01566 773 814 88www.launcestoncatsprotection.org Mere & Gillingham ☎☎ 01747 840 621 88www.mere-gillingham-cp.co.uk Midsomer Norton & Radstock ☎☎ 01761 436 486 88www.midsomer.cats.org.uk Minehead ☎☎ 08453 712 761

Torquay & District ☎☎ 01803 557 014 88www.torquay.cats.org.uk Truro & District ☎☎ 01209 861 134 88www.trurodistrict.cats.org.uk Weymouth & District ☎☎ 01305 262 737 88www.westdorset.cats.org.uk Weston-Super-Mare & District ☎☎ 08453 712 066 88www.westonsm.cats.org.uk Winchester & District ☎☎ 01962 883 536 or 01962 884 468 88www.winchestercatsprotection.co.uk Wootton Bassett & District ☎☎ 07928 674 433 88www.wootton.cats.org.uk Yeovil & District ☎☎ 01935 412 755 88www.yeovilcatsprotection.info Bournemouth & District *333-335 * Charminster Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH8 9QR ☎☎ 01202 530 757

Bristol & District *272 * North Street, Bedminster,* Bristol, BS3 1JA ☎☎ 0117 963 9028 Cheltenham *20 * St James Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 2SH ☎☎ 01242 234 494 East Devon *72 * High Street, Sidmouth,* Devon, EX10 8EQ ☎☎ 01395 513 394 Forest of Dean *28a * Newerne Street, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 5RF ☎☎ 01594 841 848 Honiton *137 * High Street, Honiton, EX14 1LW ☎☎ 01404 423 12 Mere & Gillingham *High * Street, Gillingham, Dorset, * SP8 4AA ☎☎ 01747 833 669 Reading & District *11 * The Triangle, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4RN ☎☎ 0118 945 3733 Taunton & Wellington *48 * Bridge Street, Taunton,* Somerset, TA1 1UD ☎☎ 01823 322 244

Birmingham *Packhorse * Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B47 5DH ☎☎ 01564 822 020 88www.birmingham.cats.org.uk Friends of Birmingham Adoption Centre Evesham *c/o * Dogs Trust Kennels,* 89 Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, Evesham, Worcester, WR11 6RT ☎☎ 01386 833 343 88www.eveshamcpl.org Hereford *Cobhall * Villa, Allensmore, HR2 9BP ☎☎ 01432 277 543 Friends of Cats Protection Hereford ☎☎ 07787 434 756 Mansfield *Mansfield * Road,* Warsop, Mansfield,* Nottinghamshire, NG20 0EF ☎☎ 01623 845 846 Nottingham *The * Gate House, New Farm Lane, Nuthall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG16 1DY ☎☎ 0115 938 6557

Burton on Trent ☎☎ 01283 511 454 Cannock & Burntwood ☎☎ 01543 279 641 88www.cannock.cats.org.uk Corby & District ☎☎ 08453 714 209 88www.cats.org.uk/corby Coventry ☎☎ 02476 251 491 88www.coventrycats.org.uk Evesham & District ☎☎ 01386 833 343 Halesowen & District ☎☎ 08453 712 062 88www.halesowen.cats.org.uk Leicester & District ☎☎ 01162 881 318 Lichfield & District ☎☎ 08453 712 741 88www.cats.org.uk/lichfield Ludlow & District ☎☎ 08454 815 599 88www.cats.org.uk/ludlow Luton, Dunstable & District ☎☎ 08453 712 746 88www.luton.cats.org.uk Mansfield & District ☎☎ 01623 845 846 Mid Warwickshire ☎☎ 01926 334 849 88www.cats.org.uk/midwarwick Northampton ☎☎ 08447 003 251 88www.cats.org.uk/northampton North Birmingham ☎☎ 08452 601 503 88www.northbirmingham.cats.org.uk North Shropshire ☎☎ 08452 602 389 ☎☎ 07792 165 437 88www.cats.org.uk/north-shropshire Nottingham ☎☎ 01159 386 557 88www.cp-nottingham.org Ross-on-Wye & District ☎☎ 08453 712 763 88www.cats.org.uk/ross-on-wye Rugby ☎☎ 01788 570 010 88www.cats.org.uk/rugby South Birmingham ☎☎ 08453 711 854 88www.southbham.cats.org.uk Stafford & District ☎☎ 08452 601 509 88www.stafford.cats.org.uk Stoke & Newcastle ☎☎ 01782 515 167 88www.stoke.cats.org.uk Stourbridge & District ☎☎ 08448 848 520 88www.cats.org.uk/stourbridge

Ashfield & Amber Valley ☎☎ 01246 825 165 88www.cats.org.uk/ashfield

Telford & District ☎☎ 08542 601 502 88www.telford.cats.org.uk

Bedford & Biggleswade ☎☎ 08442 496 911 88www.bedford.cats.org.uk

Walsall Borough ☎☎ 01922 682 005 88www.walsall.cats.org.uk

Find your local Cats Protection: 03000 12 12 12 • www.cats.org.uk

The Cat Summer 2012 63

KEY:

Adoption Centre

Homing Centre

Branch

Charity shop

Wellingborough & Rushden ☎☎ 08453 714 209 88www.cats.org.uk/wellingborough

Breckland ☎☎ 01842 810 018 88www.cats.org.uk/breckland

Cambridge *172 * Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3LP ☎☎ 01223 566 997

Crewe & District ☎☎ 01270 588 710 88www.crewe.cats.org.uk

Wolverhampton ☎☎ 01902 651 173 88www.wolverhampton.cats.org.uk

Bury St Edmunds ☎☎ 01284 850 887 88www.cplbury.org.uk

Ipswich *184 * Bramford Lane, Ipswich, IP1 4DP ☎☎ 01473 742 226

Culcheth & Glazebury ☎☎ 01925 764 604

Worcester & District ☎☎ 01905 425 704 88www.worcestercats.org.uk

Cambridge ☎☎ 01223 441 880 88www.cambridge.cats.org.uk

Lincoln *381 * High Street, Lincoln, LN5 7SF

Bedford & Biggleswade *12 * The Springfield Centre, Kempton,* Bedfordshire, MK42 7PR ☎☎ 01234 840 827

Chatteris, St Ives & District ☎☎ 01480 465 226 88www.chatteris.cats.org.uk

Coventry *34 * Far Gosford Street,* Coventry, CV1 5DW ☎☎ 02476 222 105 Halesowen & District *9* High Street, Blackheath, Rowley Regis, West Midlands, B65 0DT ☎☎ 0121 559 3135 Hereford *13 * Commercial Road,* Hereford, HR1 2BB ☎☎ 01432 278 016 Ludlow & District *5* Old Street, Ludlow,* Shropshire, SY8 1NW ☎☎ 01584 878 606 Mid Warwickshire *27 * Regent Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5EJ ☎☎ 01926 338 250 Pershore *Royal * Aracde, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1AG ☎☎ 01386 550 440

Dereham & District ☎☎ 01362 687 919 88www.derehamcats.org.uk Ely & District ☎☎ 01353 699 430 88www.ely.cats.org.uk Framlingham & Saxmundham ☎☎ 01728 723 499 88www.framandsax.cats.org.uk Grimsby & District ☎☎ 01472 399 810 88www.grimsby.cats.org.uk Haverhill & Stour Valley ☎☎ 08453 719 599 88www.stourvalley.cats.org.uk Horncastle & District ☎☎ 01526 388 535 88www.horncastle.cats.org.uk Ipswich ☎☎ 08453 712 069 88www.ipswich.cats.org.uk Milton Keynes ☎☎ 01296 738558 88www.mkcats.org.uk

Stafford & District *Market * Stall 48, St John’s Indoor Market, Stafford

North Walsham & District ☎☎ 01692 535 858 88www.cats.org.uk/northwalsham

Stourbridge & District *27 * Lower High Street,* Stourbridge, DY8 1TA ☎☎ 01384 422 208

Norwich & District ☎☎ 08454 941 900 88www.norwich.cats.org.uk

Telford & District *75 * High Street, Broseley,* Telford, TF12 5EX ☎☎ 01952 884 388 Wolverhampton *54 * Warstones Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 4LP Worcester & District *53 * St Johns, Worcester, WR2 5AG ☎☎ 01905 426 748

East Dereham *Hoe * Road Farm, Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 2RP ☎☎ 01362 687 919 Friend of Dereham Adoption Centre Downham Market *Wards * Chase, Stowbridge, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3NN ☎☎ 01366 382 311 Friends of Downham Market Adoption Centre Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk

64 The Cat Summer 2012

Peterborough & District ☎☎ 08453 712 750 88www.peterborough.cats.org.uk St Neots & District ☎☎ 01480 476 696 88www.stneots.cats.org.uk Scunthorpe & District ☎☎ 01652 651 001 88www.scunthorpe.cats.org.uk Skegness, Spilsby & Alford ☎☎ 01754 830 621 88www.skegnesscats.org.uk Sleaford & District ☎☎ 01529 488 749 88www.cats.org.uk/sleaford Spalding & District ☎☎ 01775 725 661 88www.spalding.cats.org.uk Stamford & District ☎☎ 01778 571 343 88www.stamford.cats.org.uk Waveney ☎☎ 08453 714 202 88www.waveney.cats.org.uk

St Neots & District *10 * Cross Keys Mall, Market Square, * St Neots, PE19 2AR ☎☎ 01480 476 696 Waveney *2* Blyburgate, Beccles,* Suffolk, NR34 9TA ☎☎ 01502 713 167

North Derby *White * Cottage, Long Lane, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 5BJ ☎☎ 01332 824 950 88www.derby.cats.org.uk Friends of Derby Adoption Centre St Helens *100 * Chester Lane, St Helens,* Merseyside, WA9 4DD ☎☎ 01744 817 718 Warrington *Animal * Village, Slutchers Lane,* Bank Quay, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1NA ☎☎ 01925 411 160 York *582 * Huntington Road, Huntington,* York, North Yorkshire, YO32 9QA ☎☎ 01904 760 356 88www.cats.org.uk/york Atherton & Wigan Metro Areas ☎☎ 01942 888 693 88www.athertonwigan.cats.org.uk Barnsley ☎☎ 01226 762 658 88www.cats.org.uk/barnsley Beverley & Pocklington ☎☎ 01482 861 866 88www.bpcp.org.uk Blackburn & District ☎☎ 01254 260 107 88www.blackburn.cats.org.uk Bolton & Radcliffe ☎☎ 07760 780 759 88www.bolton.cats.org.uk Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk Burnley & Pendle ☎☎ 01282 693 400 88www.burnley.cats.org.uk Burscough & Liverpool Bay ☎☎ 0151 526 5999 88www.liverpoolbursc.cats.org.uk Calder Valley & District ☎☎ 01706 810 489 88www.caldercats.org.uk Carlisle & District ☎☎ 01228 540 330 88www.carlisle.cats.org.uk Chesterfield & District ☎☎ 08453 712 754 88www.cats.org.uk/chesterfield

Derby & District ☎☎ 01332 206 956 88www.derbydistrict.cats.org.uk Dewsbury, Wakefield & District ☎☎ 01924 261 524 88www.cats.org.uk/dewsbury Doncaster ☎☎ 01302 840 777 88www.doncaster.cats.org.uk Durham City & District ☎☎ 01388 720 689 Gateshead & District ☎☎ 0191 420 3180 88www.cats.org.uk/gateshead Halifax, Queensbury & Brighouse ☎☎ 01484 711 728 88www.cats.org.uk/halifax Harrogate & District ☎☎ 01423 889 598 Hull & District ☎☎ 01482 790 284 Lancaster & Morecambe ☎☎ 01524 850 112 88www.lancaster.cats.org.uk Macclesfield ☎☎ 01625 667 966 88www.macclesfieldcats.org.uk Newcastle upon Tyne ☎☎ 0191 296 3512 88www.cats-protection-newcastle.co.uk North Sheffield ☎☎ 01142 456 371 88www.northsheffield.cats.org.uk Northumberland East ☎☎ 07749 713 142 (6–9pm) 88www.east-northumberland.cats.org.uk Preston ☎☎ 08451 770 708 88www.cats.org.uk/preston Rochdale ☎☎ 01706 522 440 88www.cats.org.uk/rochdale Sheffield Hallam ☎☎ 01142 493 330 88www.catsprotectionshop.com South Wirral ☎☎ 0151 355 9813 88www.southwirral.cats.org.uk Stockport ☎☎ 0161 439 1274 88www.stockport.cats.org.uk Teesside ☎☎ 01642 589 090 88www.teesside.cats.org.uk Trafford ☎☎ 0161 610 2189 or 0161 969 0331 88www.trafford.cats.org.uk Wear Valley & Darlington ☎☎ 07792 699 918 88www.cats.org.uk/wearvalley West Cumbria ☎☎ 01946 590 079 88www.westcumbria.cats.org.uk

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

FIND US

Wharfe Valley ☎☎ 08451 947 292 88www.wharfevalley.cats.org.uk York ☎☎ 01904 760 356 88www.yorkcats.org.uk Barnsley *95 * High Street, Wombwell,* Barnsley, S73 8HS Burscough & Liverpool Bay *1* School Lane, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 4AE ☎☎ 01704 893 393 Chesterfield & District *13 * Stephenson Place,* Chesterfield, S45 9PN Derby & District *31 * The Wardwick, Derby, DE1 1HA ☎☎ 01332 360 080 *Institute * Buildings, North End, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, DE4 4FG Leeds *Suite * 26, Bramley Shopping Centre, Leeds, LS13 2ET Newcastle upon Tyne *162-166 * High Street East, Wallsend,* Tyne & Wear, NE28 7RP ☎☎ 0191 2627 377 Teesside *7–8 * Ramsgate, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS18 1BS ☎☎ 07432 379 292 York *13 * Walmgate, York, YO1 9TX ☎☎ 01904 620 361

Wales Bridgend *Green * Acres, Pant Hirwaun,* Bryncethin, Bridgend,* Mid Glamorgan, CF32 9UJ ☎☎ 01656 724 396 Wrexham *Alma * House, Madeira Hill, Wrexham, Clwyd, LL13 7HD ☎☎ 01978 313 574 88www.wrexham.cats.org.uk Aberystwyth & District ☎☎ 01970 822 120 Cardiff ☎☎ 02920 369 138 88www.cardiff.cats.org.uk Colwyn & District ☎☎ 01492 660 221 88www.colwyn.cats.org.uk Gwent ☎☎ 08453 712 747 88www.gwentsouthcp.org.uk Newtown & District ☎☎ 01686 670 277 88www.newtown.cats.org.uk Swansea & District ☎☎ 08452 179 648 88www.swanseacats.co.uk

Swansea & District *85 * Brynymor Road, Swansea, SA1 4JE Wrexham & District *60 * Chester Street,* Wrexham, LL13 8BA ☎☎ 01978 310 555

Scotland Arbroath & Carnoustie *15 * Kinaldie Holdings,* Arbroath, DD11 5SH ☎☎ 01241 434 605 88www.arbroath.cats.org.uk Clackmannanshire & Stirling *The * Marion Hunter Cat Adoption Centre, Ochivale Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 720 555 Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 Glasgow *Cardyke * Farm, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, G66 5LD ☎☎ 0141 779 3341 Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre Shetland *Gott, * Shetland, ZE2 9SH ☎☎ 01595 840 517 Alness & District ☎☎ 08453 714 204 88www.alness.cats.org.uk Ardnamurchan & Mull ☎☎ 01967 431 203 88www.cats.org.uk/ardnamurchan Barra & Uist ☎☎ 07050 121 586 88www.cats.org.uk/uist Caithness ☎☎ 08453 714 217 88www.caithnesscatsprotection.org.uk Central Aberdeen ☎☎ 01224 749 568 88www.catsprotection.org.uk Central Dumfries ☎☎ 01387 710 083 88www.centraldumfries.cats.org.uk Clackmannanshire & Stirling ☎☎ 01259 720 555 88www.clackscats.org.uk Cumnock & Doon Valley ☎☎ 08453 714 219 Deeside ☎☎ 07837 342 660 88www.cats.org.uk/deeside Dundee & District ☎☎ 01382 450 035 East Neuk of Fife ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.eastfife.cats.org.uk Dunbar & District ☎☎ 07581 162 260

Wrexham & District ☎☎ 01978 313 574 88www.wrexham.cats.org.uk

Ellon & District ☎☎ 01358 721 204 88www.cats.org.uk/ellon

Colwyn & District *28 * Sea View Road,* Colwyn Bay, LL29 8DG ☎☎ 01492 535 655

Eskdale & District ☎☎ 01387 376 738 88www.eskdale.cats.org.uk

Fort William & District ☎☎ 01397 772 071 88www.cats.org.uk/fort-william

Stewartry & District ☎☎ 01557 339 233 88www.stewartry.cats.org.uk

Fraserburgh ☎☎ 07876 513 593 88www.cats.org.uk/fraserburgh

Stonehaven ☎☎ 01569 739 396 88www.stonehaven.cats.org.uk

Giffnock ☎☎ 01416 385 110 88www.cats.org.uk/giffnock

Stranraer & District ☎☎ 01776 840 619

Glasgow ☎☎ 08453 712 722 88www.glasgow.cats.org.uk Huntly & Keith ☎☎ 01466 760 311 88www.cats.org.uk/huntly

Strathspey ☎☎ 08453 712 725 88www.strathspey.cats.org.uk Tain & District ☎☎ 08453 712 737 88www.tain.cats.org.uk

Inverclyde ☎☎ 01475 529 462

Tomintoul & Glenlivet TNR ☎☎ 01807 590 573 88www.cats.org.uk/tomintoul

Inverness ☎☎ 07815 910 861 88www.inverness.cats.org.uk

Turriff & District ☎☎ 07050 241 846 88www.cats.org.uk/turriff

Inverurie & Alford ☎☎ 01467 625 695 88www.cats.org.uk/inverurie

West Fife ☎☎ 01383 419 975 88www.westfife.cats.org.uk

Isle of Arran ☎☎ 01770 820 611

West Lothian ☎☎ 08453 712 719 88www.cats-westlothian.org.uk

Isles of Lewis & Harris ☎☎ 01851 830 749 88www.cats.org.uk/isle-of-lewis Isle of Skye ☎☎ 07817 943 072 Lanarkshire ☎☎ 08453 714 213 88www.lanarkshirecats.co.uk Montrose & Brechin ☎☎ 08453 712 738 88www.montrosebrechin.cats.org.uk Moray ☎☎ 07837 342 646 88www.cats.org.uk/moray Nairn ☎☎ 08453 712 714 88www.nairn.cats.org.uk North Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 218 88www.northayrshire.cats.org.uk Orkney Islands ☎☎ 01856 771 642 88www.orkneycats.co.uk Outer Aberdeen & District ☎☎ 01224 705 252 88www.cats.org.uk/outeraberdeen Peebles & Biggar ☎☎ 0707 4357 228 Perth ☎☎ 08458 622 206 88www.perthcats.co.uk Peterhead & District ☎☎ 07791 834 226 88www.peterhead.cats.org.uk Renfrewshire ☎☎ 0141 876 4133 88www.renfrewshire.cats.org.uk

Central Aberdeen *96 * King St, Aberdeen, AB24 5BA ☎☎ 01224 634 894 *187 * George Street, Aberdeen,* AB25 1HZ ☎☎ 01224 658 565 Clackmannanshire & Stirling *The * Marion Hunter Cat Adoption Centre, Ochivale Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 720 555 Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 *5* Reform Street, Monifieth,* Dundee, DD5 4BA ☎☎ 01382 534 316 Outer Aberdeen & District *187 * George Street,* Aberdeen AB25 1HZ ☎☎ 01224 658 565 West Fife *6* Arberlour Street, Rosyth,* Fife, KY11 2RD ☎☎ 01383 417 548

Northern Ireland Belfast *270 * Belfast Road, Dundonald,* Newtownards, Northern Ireland,* BT16 1UE ☎☎ 02890 480 202 Friends of Northern Ireland Adoption Centre Armagh ☎☎ 07709 483 550 88www.armagh.cats.org.uk

Shetland ☎☎ 01595 840 588 88www.cats.shetland.co.uk South Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 216 88www.southayrshire.cats.org.uk

Find your local Cats Protection: 03000 12 12 12 • www.cats.org.uk

The Cat Summer 2012 65

Welcome to Kids' Corner! We love to hear from our younger readers so please send in your cat-themed letters, jokes and drawings – every picture printed wins a prize for both you and your cat! Write to us at: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or via email editorial@cats.org.uk. Don’t forget to tell us your name, age and address. Remember that you can also submit drawings and photos of your cats to the Cats for kids website.

Also, have you seen our behind the scenes video blogs? Check them out at www.cats.org.uk/cats-for-kids

Me and my cat

This is Connie – on the right – from Sussex and her best friend Beryl – the one with the whiskers. Beryl has always stuck by Connie since she was born and will fetch Mum and Dad if Connie gets upset. While Connie may not be the gentlest of strokers, Beryl will always purr to let everyone know that she’s ok with the attention.

Would you like to tell us about your cat?

Email your story and a photo to editorial@cats.org.uk

Thank you to Caitlin, aged 6, from Ulverstone for sending in her picture of Kiara.

Caitlin says, “Kiara stares at me as if I am mad but I think she is the mad one!”

Caitlin wins a Jellycat for her drawing.

Runway cat reunited with owner

Lucky cat Luna has been reunited with her owner after she was spotted at an airport. Staff at George Best City Airport in Northern Ireland saw the tortoiseshell tabby ambling across the runway in early April.

With planes taking off and landing, it wasn’t a safe place for the cat to be so the airport workers used a turkey sandwich to lure her off the runway and into a car.

They turned to Cats Protection’s Belfast Adoption Centre for help and shortly after a volunteer turned up and took the cat, who was a little scared but unharmed.

Once the cat was back at the centre, volunteers found she was microchipped and got in contact with owner Susi Reilly, who lives in Newtonabbey, almost 30 miles from the airport. “It just seems unbelievable that she walked all the way there,” says Susan. “So we think that she must have jumped in a van which was then driven towards Belfast.”

Luna had gone missing from her home at the end of March and Susan had searched everywhere for her, putting posters up, asking neighbours to check their buildings and calling her vet. But the call from Cats Protection three weeks after Luna went missing reunited cat with owner. “She’s absolutely fine now, and I’m very happy,” says Susan.

Susan had adopted Luna from the Belfast Adoption Centre four years ago. “I’m very glad she was microchipped,” Susan adds.

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Garfield Puss n Boots Tigger Sylvester

Top Cat Bagpuss Felix

Custard Jess Bagheera

Cats get flying start to new life

Two Cats Protection moggies travelled to their new home in an unusual way – by helicopter!

Long-haired cats Scampi and Blodwyn, who were being looked after by Falmouth, Helston & District Branch, were rehomed to the Isles of Scilly in April.

The cats’ new owner Carly Doherty searched on the islands and through Cornish newspapers for a cat, before contacting the branch to see if they had any suitable felines.

John Barrett from the branch suggested Carly take both Scampy and Blodwyn, as the pair were used to being together.

Branch volunteer Melanie Lowndes drove the cats, in their cat carrier, to Penzance for the short helicopter flight to Tresco, one of the Scilly Isles. The cats had their own seat on the chopper and their carrier was strapped in safely.

“Twenty minutes after take-off they were landing in their island paradise home with their new owner waiting for them,” says Paula Rosewarne of the branch.

“They seemed quite happy after their flight and an hour after they arrived at their new home Carly phoned to say they were happily looking around.”

Carly says the pair have settled in well to their rural home and spend hours exploring the fields and hedgerows.

The remaining letters spell out a secret question from left to right across the grid.

Can you work it out? Send in your name, age and address together with the answer to the hidden question on a postcard or sealed envelope to: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Sussex RH17 7TT. You can also send in your entries via email to competitions@cats.org.uk with Kids’ Corner in the subject heading. Don’t forget you can ask an adult to help you with this but only kids can win! Three winners will be drawn on 13 July 2012.

Thanks to Kong who provide our cats’ prizes for Kids’ Corner. Kong design toys and grooming products for both cats and dogs. www.kongcompany.com

The Cat Summer 2012

67

Holy Moses Anne Waddingham remembers an unexpected visitor at her mother’s memorial service who came to say farewell

T

he vicar paused mid-sentence. “Is that a cat I can hear?” he asked. The parishioners at the back of the church nodded vigorously and there was a mild commotion in the back pews by the door.

The occasion was my mother’s memorial service, in the church of the small south Devon village where she was a faithful servant to the community, serving 27 years as village postmistress, before she sadly passed away, aged 81.

The family and I were sitting in the front pew and the vicar had been reminiscing about how, whenever he visited the post office, he was always greeted by the delicious aroma of lunch on the stove and the sight of a purring feline curled up contentedly in the fireside armchair.

The post office was in the living room of the old cob cottage where five generations of our family had lived.

My carpenter father had made the four-foot wide wooden counter, mounted on castors. The post office was created every day by the simple act of swinging the counter across the living room doorway. Customers entered the front door and stood in the hallway. Gold-coloured curtains hanging from the ceiling behind the counter provided a modicum of privacy between family life and the customers.

The main purpose of the velour screen, however, was to protect the private life of the current feline resident, whose presence in the armchair by the fireplace sometimes caused much excitement and noise when a dog arrived with a customer. A canine nose, sniffing warily, would be pushed

into the small gap between the counter and door. The nose’s owner would be distracted by a biscuit proffered by my mother and peace would be restored. For those customers without a doggy friend, and whom my mother knew to be cat-lovers, the curtain would be drawn back with a flourish, so that the customer could admire and coo over the slumbering tenant in the armchair by the hearth. My mother seldom had the chance to sit in the armchair herself, as there was always a steady stream of customers. There weren’t that many, it was just that each lingered for a chat, catching up on the village news, sometimes over a cup of tea. The pace of life was slower then.

At the time of my mother’s passing, the post office cat was Twinkle, a black-and-white stray who had lived for years in my mother’s porch because the current feline, Suzie – herself a rescue cat – wouldn’t tolerate a rival. Eventually Suzie died and Twinkle finally attained her only desire – to fill that coveted spot in the armchair by the fire.

But back to the unfolding events in the church. The vicar had been rudely interrupted by the persistent sound of determined scratching and mewing on the other side of the heavy oak door at the back of the church. “Could someone let him in please?” he said. The church warden obliged – and much to everyone’s amusement and astonishment, in came … not Twinkle, who was now living with me in Kent after my mother’s death – that would have been too Disney - but the church cat, Moses, who knew my mother well, being a frequent visitor to her cottage garden, only a hundred metres away.

Moses strolled down the nave, tail in air – why hurry? He was self-appointed guest of honour after all, fashionably late, representing the many cosseted, adored feline companions who had graced my mother’s life over the years.

He carefully selected a pew about halfway down, and jumped up on the back of it – not the seat – so as to get a good view of proceedings and to inspect the audience.

Suitably gratified by the attention he was getting, he settled down for the rest of the service. No one dared disturb him, let alone eject him; he was clearly meant to be there.

When we finally filed out of the church, I asked the vicar whether Moses made a habit of attending services. “No,” he said, “he’s never done it before!” He was flabbergasted – but I wasn’t. Cats were an integral part of mum’s life and it was only fitting that one was present that day to share our memories.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

MAKING MEMORIES

Remembering cats through helping others This section offers readers the chance to pay tribute to a beloved cat by helping others. Donations go towards pens for our branches, which help house cats and kittens while they wait for new homes. Please send your donations to: Remembering Cats, The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT. Cheques should be made payable to ‘Cats Protection’. Tributes will be printed in the next available issue. Please note that this is an increasingly popular page and we cannot guarantee that your dedication will appear in a particular issue. Please print your tribute clearly to avoid errors (no more than 20 words) . Thanks to readers of The Cat, 312 pens have now been bought.

AM – my white, oneS eyed beautiful boy, killed 31.01.12 RTA. Together for six short months and loved and missed forever. Life is empty now. Your mother.

In loving memory of M AISY , age 9, PTS 2011 in Florida. Also remembering LUCY .

Much loved and missed by Eileen, Gene and Katy.

ITZI PTS 12.08.03 M aged 18 ½. A much loved furry friend always in our thoughts. Never forgotten.

The two moms.

KITTY – about 18, died 13.02.12 at home. A dear, sweet, clever little cat, much missed. Linda.

B ONNIE and CLYDE

turned house cat. Much loved for 11 years and much missed by Doc and Wendy. 2000-2012.

TOBIAS – for many years my faithful feline friend.

Thank you, dear Toby. Love ever and always, E.

B EN – passed away 11.07.05 aged 16. At rest in his favourite garden.

From Peter.

C UMFY – passed away August 1965 aged 16.

Reunited with our mum and dad. From Peter.

CINDY – passed away 24.05.83 aged 16. At rest in her favourite garden.

From Peter.

M AX and JAKE . Always remembered. Always missed. Mary.

H AROLD ‘Big Paws’ 1999-2011. 20 ½ years with my lovely boy. Forever in my heart. Now with K ITTY and TIGGER .

Miss you so much, precious boy. Mummy and Thomas x.

– PTS 2002. Two loving little angels, who brought much comfort. Always remembered.

Love Dorothy xx.

L UCKY – RTA 22.06.2010, age 2 ½ years. Our beautiful sleek black boy.

In our home for only 2 years. But in our hearts forever. Goodnight lucky boy, miss you. Sheila and Ivan xx.

S PIKE 20.01.92 and W ILLIE 24.10.95. My best friends – remembered always – Gwen.

In memory of LINUS , a Benedictine cat of character. He graced the Gatehouse and the Abbey.

S ASHA 16.02.94, P ORTIA 15.07.99, S ASHA 2ND 22.12.05 and PURDEY 16.11.11.

My beautiful Siamese babies all now reunited in ‘Pussy cat heaven’. Missed so very much, in our hearts forever. Love Mummy and Tia xxxx.

J ESTER – Farm cat

HAMISH passed away 06.01.12. A very kind cat. Now with JAMIE STEWART and SADIE .

I miss you so much.

Mummy.

To our beloved RORY , 27.07.2004-06.04.2012. Our beautiful, precious, sweet, lovely boy. We’ll love and miss you always. Jenny and Gus.

ILLOW – Everyone W loved you. Died 02.03.12.

In our hearts forever. Pat, Ralph and Bridget.

G INGER , EMMA , PURDIE , BLACKIE , P ERKY , SCRUFFY . You are our family and we love you more than ever. God bless, little ones. Mommy and Daddy and Isabella.

FELIX – A very brave, handsome boy who chose us 16 years ago. PTS 09.03.12, aged approx 20 years. Missed and loved so much.

In loving memory of

T WIGGY – 16.05.07.

Loved and sadly missed.

Always in our thoughts and hearts. Love Mummy, Daddy and Leo.

J UMBO PTS 22.03.12 aged 14. Brave handsome black and white boy. You gave so much love. At rest in your garden. Forever in our hearts. Judy and Roy.

The Cat Summer 2012 69

B k reviews Looking for a great book about cats? Check out our reviews before you buy...

Tales From the Tail End by Emma Milne Despite the rather unprepossessing front cover, I was quickly immersed in this engaging book.

Emma Milne relates her experiences as a newly qualified vet – a demanding induction exacerbated by its documentation on BBC’s Vets in Practice . She recalls her transition from treating farm animals on the wildly beautiful but windswept Exmoor moors to specialising in small animals and dealing with their often eccentric – and sometimes certifiable – owners. From working hectic, sleepless weeks in the height of lambing season to rescuing kittens from a cat hoarder’s free-roaming monitor lizard with a voracious appetite to evading attack by an errant cobra and spotting the signs of a near-fatal undetected feline road traffic accident, Emma’s tales are often funny, sometimes sad and always insightful. Petra Coghlin Tales From the Tail End (£7.99) is published by Summersdale Publishers Ltd (www.summersdale.com; ISBN 9781849532136)

Jack the Station Cat and the Vanishing Lady

by Alan Cliff This is a fast-paced adventure story for children. An assortment of imaginatively-named animals, including Ozimandius the Owl and Harri P. Otter, join forces to try to solve the mystery of vanished cat, Lady Tilly. The book is interspersed with endearing illustrations and half the royalties are donated to Action for Children which is a nice touch. Petra Coghlin Jack the Station Cat and the Vanishing Lady (£2.95) is published by Gwasg Helygain Ltd (www.gwasg.com; Tel 01745 331 411; ISBN 9781906800031)

Enter in the usual way

Caring for an Overweight Cat by Andrea Harvey and Samantha Taylor As the debilitating condition of obesity in our feline friends becomes an increasingly reported welfare issue, this well-illustrated book, written by cat-owning RCVS Specialists in Feline Medicine, provides an easy-to-read, valuable source of information for all cat owners interested in safeguarding their cat’s health and welfare – not just those who find themselves with an overweight pet.

Discussing the natural or wild feeding behaviour and nutrition of cats provides insight into and understanding of how cats’ diet and lifestyle has changed and why obesity is increasingly recognised in the modern pet cat. Differences between cat and human feeding behaviours are discussed, highlighting the great social significance people place on eating and feeding, compared with the solitary feeding habits of cats.

Full of practical tips, this book features sympathetic guidance for achieving controlled weight loss – while acknowledging there can be no quick fixes in feline weight loss programmes. Case studies help to apply the theory, including the story of ‘Boo’ which highlights not only the challenges but also the opportunities for success in feeding cats differently in multi-cat households. Beth Skillings Caring for an Overweight Cat (£9.99) is published by Cat Professional (www.vetprofessionals.com; Tel 0131 208 0298; ISBN 9781908583000)

Miaow!

by Sir Patrick Moore CBE FRS CP’s favourite astronomer and author of numerous books on the stars above us has turned his hand to writing about cats. Sir Patrick has been a devoted cat owner since he was a child and this is a personal account of those feline friends who have been a part of his family over the past 80 years. Photos are taken from Sir Patrick’s private collection and are accompanied by his own inimitable style of writing. Readers are guaranteed to be entertained by this wonderful tribute to these lovely cats while learning a little bit more about the national treasure that is Patrick Moore.

Francesca Watson Miaow! (£7.99) is published by Hubble & Hattie (www.hubbleandhattie.com; Tel 01305 260 068; ISBN 9781845844356)

Books received

Your Pets’ Past Lives and How They Can Heal You by Madeleine Walker Cat Speak by Brigitte Rauth-Widmann Cozy Cats Cottage plc by John Schroeder.

70 The Cat Summer 2012

Enter in the usual way

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THINKING of RESCUING find CATS & KITTENS needing HOMES in YOUR area!

Coping with the loss of a pet?

Pet Bereavement Support Service 0800 096 6606

You’re just a click away...

WWW.

CATCHAT.ORG

The Cat Rescue Resource

Reg. Charity 1100649

pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk www.bluecross.org.uk Registered charity no: 224392 (England and Wales), SC040154 (Scotland). SCAS registered charity no: 1070938.

This issues sudoku answers

ANSWERS Spring 2012 crossword answers Across: 1 Playwright, 7 Hit it off, 8 Ripe, 9 Tutu, 10 Amended, 12 Perpetually, 14 Cavalry, 16 Omit, 19 Numb, 20 Appraise, 21 Stay-at-home.

Down: 1 Point, 2 Aviator, 3 Wood, 4 Infamous, 5 Heron, 6 Speedy, 11 February, 12 Plague, 13 Lumbago, 15 Abbot, 17 Taste, 18 Spot.

Naturally hypo-allergenic cat food wholesome, complete and healthy

Give your cat the best chance at a healthy life with James Wellbeloved Made with natural ingredients and all the nutrients your cat needs throughout life, including cranberry extracts.

Complete food, which means you don't need to supplement your cat's diet with anything else.

Uses a single source of meat protein and excludes many ingredients known to cause tummy upsets.

Ideal for cats with food intolerances and coat issues.

Š Crown Pet Foods Ltd 2012 - All Rights Reserved.

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