The Cat Autumn 2012

Autumn 2012

Cat loving creators Meet the designers inspired by felines

Office cats Paw prints on the paperwork

Top cats Announcing our fabulous feline award-winners

Playroom pals How cats can help children develop

Plus Jan Leeming, missing cats and an itchy problem

From the Editor  www.cats.org.uk/thecatmag www.facebook.com/catsprotection www.twitter.com/catsprotection General enquiries  Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT.  03000 12 12 12 (calls charged at standard rate) @ cp@cats.org.uk Subscription enquiries 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 enquiries  Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, 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.

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t’s been a full summer of celebration for the United Kingdom with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics but nothing compares to our own National Cat Awards! These took place on 16 August in the very swanky surrounds of The Savoy Hotel in London with the great and the good gathering to acknowledge our feline heroes. There were tales of friendship, courage and survival and we found out which cat, out of the 15 finalists, had been judged as National Cat of the Year 2012. You can learn more about this amazing feline, and the five category winners, on pages 30 to 32.

Fresh from her duties as judge for the Awards, Jan Leeming spares us some time to tell us about her cat in our Celebrity interview on page 11. It seems she was originally more a dog person but the arrival of Tamby has made her a cat convert.

There is a strong theme of friendship in our National Cat Awards and it continues in our special about cats and kids. On pages 20 to 22 we meet two Cats Protection staff who feel their cats make a vital contribution to the upbringing of their children.

A very strong young woman called Elise finds great strength and comfort from her cat, despite a debilitating illness. She writes about her unique bond with Luka on page 23.

If you are of an artistic bent then you’ll enjoy seeing just what’s possible when cat meets craft on pages 34 to 36. Rebecca Evans meets several inventive artists who now make a living out of their imaginative feline creations.

We scratch well below the surface of the perennial problem of fleas on pages 42 to 44 and find out how cats make perfect office colleagues on pages 16 to 18.

Enjoy the read and we’ll be back in November with the next issue!

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

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5

2 4

Photo: Jo Walker

The Cat Autumn 2012

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Contents Autumn 2012 Cover photo: istockphoto.com/Sarah Braden

Regulars 6

News

8

Letters

12

Cats’ tales

19

Capital fundraising

24

Playing detective

26

Ask the vets

28

Walker on the wild side

39

Ali’s cats

40

Our favourite things

45

Paws for thought

46

Coffee paws

48

How can we help?

50

Cats Protection in focus

56

Diary of events

58

Find your local Cats Protection

62

Kids’ corner

64

Making memories

65

Remembering cats

66

Book reviews

4

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20

30

11

Feature articles 11 Celebrity interview Interviewer, newsreader and actress Jan Leeming talks about cats, celebrities and career ambitions

16 Office cats We investigate an antidote to the stress of working life

20 Baby love Cats and babies can be a winning combination!

23 A constant friend A young girl tells of the importance of her feline friend

30 National Cat Awards Meet our fabulous feline winners

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34 Crafty cats We meet some of the cat-loving British artisans making an impression online

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42 Fleas!

We scratch below the surface of a perennial problem

28

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  Autumn 2012

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Save money and help Cats Protection!

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Massed mogs reach for record

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In late June, the streets of Bridgend, South Wales were thronged with outsized mogs hoping to set a new British record.

On 30 June, Catathon participants donned fluffy ears, tails and feline masks and hoped to go down in history as part of the largest gathering of people dressed as cats.

Tension mounted as the felines gathered in the town centre for the official count.

CP’s Bridgend Adoption Centre, which organised the event, is waiting to see whether Guinness World Records will recognise the gathering of 211 people as an official British record.

Centre manager and Catathon organiser Sue Dobbs said: “We’ve had an absolutely fantastic response from the local community – I want to say a big thank you to them all! I hope that everyone had a fun day, and they also remember what it’s all about.

“At Cats Protection, we see so many cats abandoned because people either don’t understand how to care for an animal, or just don’t care.

I hope that everyone who supported us this weekend will consider adopting a cat or kitten.”

Catathon participants could dress up as any member of the feline family, as long as they wore head-to-toe outfits. Costumes included Sylvester the Cat, Hello Kitty and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. Vet Laura Henderson travelled down from Scotland for the event; her handmade Siamese outfit included a moving mouth!

Speaking after the Catathon, Sue said she felt “exhilarated” and thanked her team, local supporters and companies for helping out. She plans to organise another Catathon in 2014, when the centre celebrates its 25th anniversary. This time, the team hope to set a new world record; to achieve that they must attract at least 800 people!

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Cats Protection has announced a new partnership with Verdo Wood Pellet Cat Litter.

Verdo Renewables is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of wood pellets and they recently launched their own brand of cat litter. The litter has been trialled at 12 Cats Protection adoption centres and has now become our official supplier. The wood pellet cat litter product is made in the UK from locally sourced virgin softwood, using 100 per cent natural materials. All Verdo wood pellets are accredited by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) meaning they are produced from sustainably managed forests.

For every 10kg pack sold to the public, Verdo will ensure that CP receives 20p towards the care of cats! Each order comes with free next day delivery* and retails at £9.99 per 10kg bag. To take advantage of your exclusive CP discount enter the discount code: CPVCL12 at www.verdocatlitter.co.uk to receive £1 off per 10kg bag. *Next day delivery is available to 97 per cent of UK ‘mainland’ addresses.

NEWS

Reunited!

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Cats Protection recently reunited a lost cat with his owner – after he had been missing for over a decade!

Ginger puss, Nuts, had gone missing from his Derbyshire home in 2001 and, after desperate searches sadly resulted in nothing, his owner, Bunny McCullough had long since given up hope of seeing him again.

However, in May of this year, a ginger tom was handed in to our Chesterfield & District Branch after the elderly lady who had been taking care of him passed away. A routine scan revealed a microchip and, with it, the identity of the cat – it was Nuts! He and Bunny have now been reunited in an unexpected happy ending.

Cats Protection champions microchipping as the best way of identifying pets and, as Nuts has proved, it can make the difference between being reunited with a lost cat and never seeing him again.

Things that make us go…. awhhh!

The Lifeline Animal Project in Atlanta, USA, recently took in an abandoned cat who had been found caring for three kittens. Nothing unusual in that but on closer inspection it turns out that the ‘mother’ was actually a male cat. Zen, a ginger cat estimated to be about two years old, apparently is very patient with the kittens, letting them lie all over him. The kittens are now with a fosterer and Zen is waiting to be adopted. After this lovely tale of feline fatherhood we don’t think he’ll have to wait long before being offered a new home.

Tiny caravan for tortoiseshell cat

Photo: Chris James Photography

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Who will look after your cat when you’re gone?

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Cats Protection recently launched the newly named Cat Guardians service where we promise to care for people’s cat(s) in the event of their death and find them a loving new home.

The service is free to all cat owners. Our Gifts in Wills Team look after the registration process as many individuals also choose to leave a gift in their will while making the arrangements for their cats. More than half of the work we do to help cats and kittens throughout the UK is funded by this incredible generosity.

For more information about the Cat Guardians Service, including how to register, and to find out more about the difference a gift in your will could make please visit our website www.cats.org.uk/giftsinwills or contact our Gifts in Wills Team on 01825 741 271 or giftsinwills@cats.org.uk.

A stray tortie who befriended staff at a caravan dealership had an unexpected surprise – a miniature caravan of her own.

Cat the female tortoiseshell is a regular visitor to the Cosford Caravans showrooms near Wolverhampton where she is fed and entertained by staff.

Visiting the dealership one day, Nick Howard, MD of Bailey Caravans, spotted Cat and asked about her. Showroom boss Mervyn Hughes explained that while she was looked after during the day, they thought she sheltered under the caravans at night while the showroom was shut.

Nick decided Cat needed somewhere of her own to sleep so he commissioned Bailey’s team to make a scaled-down version of its Orion caravan, complete with cat bed.

Cat loves her new caravan, according to Mervyn, and there are plans to fit a heater for the winter months.

The story has been picked up by local and national press, generating a lot of interest from the general public. Mervyn added: “I’ve had people visiting us just to see the cat’s caravan.”

The cat caravan is made of the same materials as Bailey’s full-sized versions, and is the first the company has made for an animal.

Bailey’s MD Nick said: “We’re delighted to both help a cat in need of a home and support Mervyn…Now I’m being continually asked by my children to make one for our cats.”

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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

An abandoned treasure

From: Claire Mole, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire n January 2008 a little ball of ginger fluff found his way into my heart. A very kind lady turned up at the veterinary practice where I work as a receptionist – holding a tiny kitten wrapped in a towel. She had found him under a bush by her house terrified, hungry and almost frozen to death in the recent snowfall.

She spent hours knocking on doors in a desperate attempt to find his owner.

Eventually she realised that the poor thing had most likely been abandoned. We put his age at about seven weeks. I contacted a lady we knew who fostered cats for CP but unfortunately she didn’t have any room for him. So I took him home with me. After one week nobody had come forward to claim the kitten and by then I had fallen in love with him. Our other cats, BA and Hannibal loved him too so Murdock stayed.

He was full of mischief and loved nothing better than climbing on my shoulders and wrapping himself round my neck as I did the housework. The things he did always had us laughing and in the evening he would snuggle up under my chin and purr his heart out. Unfortunately we only had Murdock for three years before he died. A neighbour found him curled up in the alley by his house. We were devastated. Our gorgeous little man was gone and at first it took me a long time to accept that I would never get to hold him again. We never found out what happened to him, we can only speculate but I know in my heart that he was happy and I will never regret taking Murdock home. When I remember the circumstances under which Murdock was found I feel angry and frustrated that anyone could leave a poor defenceless kitten alone to fend for itself in the winter snow. Don’t people realise that they won’t get into trouble if they take unwanted animals to a rescue shelter? After all that’s what they are there for.

My heart is still broken for Murdock and I miss him so much every day. We have two more cats now, Alfie and Mia. I know that nothing can ever replace Murdock as he was so special, but there are so many cats out there that need a second chance of a loving home and I know that if another kitten, abandoned and lost, comes my way he will have a home for life.

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Twitcher in the twilight years From: Helen Bell, Martham, Norfolk completely agree with the letter in the last magazine praising older cats, and would just like to add another advantage of adopting older cats, which I have never yet heard mentioned.

If, like me, you love cats and wild birds in equal measure, an older cat is far less likely to cause damage to the local bird population.

Our two current cats are both old boys of at least 14. We have had Harvey for 13 years and when he was younger he did do his fair share of hunting, but in the last few years he just doesn’t bother.

We adopted Murphy from CP a year ago, and he has never shown any interest in the birds, apart from a bit of gentle bird-watching from the window sill.

So despite the fact that our garden is packed with birds – we do spend a lot on bird food! – and both cats always have access to the garden through cat flaps, the only offering in the last year has been a baby mouse, which we released back into the garden. The fledgling blackbirds, wrens, robins and dunnocks so far are thriving.

Perhaps if CP branches are contacted by people who are interested in adopting a cat but are not sure about the hunting aspect, they could suggest adopting an older cat?

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YOUR LETTERS Margaret Bateman and feline friend

A final salute

From: Tracey Gardiner, Lea Valley Branch am a Fosterer for Lea Valley Branch and had the honour of fostering a real ‘old timer’ for the last years of his life and I would like to pay tribute to my beloved ‘Colonel’ who, sadly, passed away in April. My beautiful boy became ill with a respiratory infection at the age of 26 and was too old and frail to overcome it. My heart is broken but, when I think about him, I always end up with a smile on my face; we have such lovely memories of him.

Although I only had him for the last two years of his life, he brought us as a family so much joy. He was deaf and I would lie with him for ages and talk to him; it was as if he understood me completely. He was gentle and soft and loved having people around him – a true old ‘gentleman’ in every sense of the word. A unique cat in every way, I know there will never be another like him.

The house seems much emptier and quieter now without him to make a fuss of and I look at the empty space where his bed used to be and my heart wrenches.

I always said I feel we should salute him because of his great age and what he had been through before he came to us, a real ‘old soldier’. Well, I’m saluting you now Colonel; God bless you my lovely boy; the day you closed your eyes forever a tiny light went out in me also. We will never forget you, but feel honoured and privileged to have fostered you.

Editor’s note: If others are interested in fostering for their local CP branch then please get in contact by using the Find us section on pages 62-65.

Photo: Richmond Council

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Perfect companions

From: Councillor Geoffrey Samuel, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames ast year Richmond Council took the decision to consolidate on one site its day-centre provision for residents with dementia. In advance I decided to visit the small centre in my ward; I was sorry to discover that it did not have a resident cat and determined that a Centre of Excellence must, of course, be home to at least one cat. This is perfectly possible as the Woodville Centre has a delightful sensory garden, doors suitable for a cat flap and is open every day of the year.

Redwood and Oakland arrived soon after Christmas. They can often be found on a chair next to a client – or sitting on dining chairs prior to lunch. Their evenings can be spent in a Cosy Corner, newly designed from a former cupboard, equipped with bed and blankets, overlooking the sensory garden. To the delight of clients they can be seen washing each other, eating together, rolling around together or playing in the garden, running through the grass, under hedges and hiding in bushes. They are particularly delighted with the two budgerigars and watch them avidly; fortunately the birds are used to cats and take absolutely no notice.

Proof of the benefit cats can provide for elderly residents with dementia!

I am a member of CP with three Colourpoints: two female Seals, 14-year old Hebe, year-old Minerva and male Cameron.

L

The Colonel

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YOUR LETTERS

On yer bike!

From: Julia Stanbridge, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire e really enjoyed reading the article Feline Fellows in the Summer edition.

However, the author failed to catalogue all the duties of a college cat. Here is Simpkin on duty as bike security officer, guarding my friend’s bike – although he has on occasion been caught asleep on the job!

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A view from within

Trustees? Council? Donna Hingley, Co-ordinator of Clackmannanshire & Stirling Branch explains…

Like many volunteers I wondered what the function and use was of Council and Trustees in Cats Protection. Last year I was lucky to be chosen to join Council and therefore was able to find out. It’s been a steep learning curve! As a volunteer in Cats Protection I had thought the job of Council was a walk in the park, well the laugh is on me!

It takes time, commitment, work, integrity and a large dose of common sense.

In my first year I’ve attended all four Council meetings and one Trustee meeting. We start at 8am and go on until 5.30/6pm, the early start is at breakfast, mainly because we’re already discussing cats and what we’ve been up to in our branches back home. The Council meeting takes place on the first day with the Trustees – who are also Council Members – and the management team. Because the Council is an advisory body, we don’t make the decisions, but we do get to have our say. The Trustees take on board our comments and opinions on each item on the agenda. It can get quite warm around the table, depending on the agenda!

Next day is the Trustees’ meeting. I recently sat in on one of these meetings and to say I was impressed at the level of knowledge and integrity that sits at the head of our charity would be an understatement. Not one decision is taken without in-depth consultation and total analysis from every side possible. Our management team – as in veterinary, legal and all others – are second to none. The Trustees are from all walks of life and are experts in their chosen field, we are so very lucky to have the depth and wealth of knowledge that’s guiding us forward as a charity. Its nice to know the same feelings about the welfare of the cats in our care comes from the very top to branch level, everybody with one aim.

As a volunteer in Cats Protection I’ve come across some fantastic people as volunteers and as supporters and every one of them has their own cat story and all have praise for us as a charity. For every cat there should be a warm lap to lie on and a cuddle when they want it, that’s what keeps me doing what I do.

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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CELEBRITY INTERVIEW

Jan Leeming

Photo:

Interviewer, newsreader and actress Jan Leeming talks to Rebecca Evans about cats, celebrities and career ambitions

QUESTION Tell us about your cat.

ANSWER I have been a dog person all my life but my cat Tamby came to me late one night in July 1998. He had been found in a lane near my house. He immediately made himself at home with my two dogs, a boxer and a standard poodle.

His purr was so loud and he was so appealing, I decided to keep him.

QUESTION What is it about cats that most appeals to you?

ANSWER I feel that cats have very distinctive characters. It is said that you own a dog but a cat owns you. They don’t fawn over you – you must earn their love and affection. Tamby and I have grown very close over the years and I dread the day when he is no longer with me. He is extremely intelligent and wraps me round his little paw.

QUESTION Would you pick out two or three career highlights?

ANSWER From my theatrical days, I would choose playing Natasha in a stage adaptation of War and Peace . Because of my profile as a newsreader, I was invited to fly with the Red Arrows in display – that really was an amazing experience.

Appearing in two Royal Variety Shows was great fun and very memorable. I met both the Queen and the Queen Mother.

QUESTION Which personal qualities have helped you succeed?

ANSWER This is a difficult one to answer. I give my all to any project on which I’m working and am a perfectionist – this latter quality can be a disadvantage because I’m very critical of myself and always wish I could have done better.

QUESTION Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

ANSWER Yes, I do. Obtaining a commission for a documentary about the Free French Fighter Pilot René Mouchotte. For the last five years I’ve been researching his life and attempting to have a documentary made as a tribute to this courageous, honourable, respected man. He was the first Frenchman to become an RAF Squadron Leader and shared the prize for the downing of the one-thousandth enemy plane. He’d written diaries which were not meant for anyone other than himself. They were printed, after his death in combat in 1943, in French and later in English. I obtained a copy of Mes Carnets and found it fascinating.

QUESTION In your professional career, who have you most enjoyed interviewing or meeting? And least?

ANSWER When I had my own programme Women Only and then when I worked as an interviewer on Pebble Mill at One , I met so many interesting and diverse characters. For enjoyment and good value, the ones that immediately spring to mind are Omar Sharif, Joss Ackland, Peter Ustinov and Virginia McKenna – all such outgoing people and very kind to interviewers. Least? You’ll get me shot! I had to interview the Lloyd Webber brothers in the 1970s. Julian was a delight. The same cannot be said of his brother.

QUESTION Who would you love to meet, that you haven’t met yet?

ANSWER If they were still alive, I’d love to meet Audrey Hepburn and Eleanor of Aquitaine – two of my heroines. Of the living, Mark Harmon from NCIS and Sharon Penman – author of superb historical novels.

QUESTION What do you do for fun?

ANSWER I don’t really do things for fun but I do become involved in things for interest; being an Assistant Guide at Canterbury Cathedral and researching my Huguenot origins. I love reading, especially historical novels.

QUESTION And to relax?

ANSWER I find it difficult to relax but it would either be with a good book, giving a dinner party for friends, or watching good documentaries and crime dramas on television.

QUESTION Apart from CP, do you support any other charities?

ANSWER I am a life member of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and Born Free and I’ve worked with cheetahs in South Africa.

QUESTION Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us?

ANSWER I wing-walked for the RAF Benevolent Fund at Shoreham in 2007. www.jan-leeming.com

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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.

Wake me up tomorrow…

From: Mrs T Medhurst, Brunhan-on-Sea, Somerset Here’s a photo of my lovely cat Chloe, a nineyear-old brown marble Bengal, crashed out in my warm conservatory. She likes nothing more than stretching out to have a relaxing sun bed after playing in the garden with her brother Willow and her ‘boyfriend’ Ice.

Surveying the savannah From: Thom Moore, Surrey This is my cat Bart, taking a break from his hectic life to take a minute underneath his favourite bush. He is a 14-year-old male long-haired tabby. He likes prowling the garden like a lion would the Serengeti. He likes to be affectionate in small bursts and lets you know when he’s had enough of a fuss!

Daisy in the sun From: Samantha Edwards, Hastings, East Sussex Here is Daisy-May. Born on 7 April, five days after my seventh birthday at the bottom of our garden on a sunny spring day. I called her Daisy because she has the same colourings as daisies and I fell in love with her from day one. She was a very boisterous and loud kitten and was the last left in the litter. When my mum said we could keep her I was over the moon.

I am now 27 years old and she is 20 and she still loves to sunbathe and sleep in the very same garden she was born in. We have had three other cats as well in Daisy’s life span, including a 16-year-old three-legged cat and a cross-eyed, blind-in-one-eye, seven-year-old boy but she has managed to outlive them all. She has been through everything with me. I am very lucky and hopefully will have her for many further years to come! Older cats are wonderful and I would urge people to consider rehoming them.

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READERS’ CATS Basin beauty From: Barbara Clayden, Gosport, Hampshire I have been a member for years – I am going on 91 – and have a formerly stray tortie cat who adopted me about four years ago and who is a joy and delight and extremely clever. I enclose a photo of her – Kelty by name – in one of her favourite places! I love the magazine and appreciate the hard work all your members and helpers do. Long may you continue.

Storm force kitty From: Ann Wilson, Ellerton, East Riding We adopted Fabian after our beloved ginger cat was lost to cancer. We had been through the ‘can never go through this again’ phase before reaching the ‘but the house is so empty’ phase. As we had a holiday booked, we thought it sensible to wait until our return. On holiday we were caught in hurricane Fabian and jokingly said that this would be a good cat’s name.

Once back at work I mentioned to a colleague that we were thinking of adopting another cat. Next thing I knew, her friend was ringing me to say that she had a male kitten in urgent need of a home. Who could resist a desperate story like that? That evening, my husband, a cat basket and I were on our way to bring him home.

Fabian has lived up to his hurricane inspired name. He is destructive, chaotic and lives in a perpetual whirlwind. He can also be extra-loving. He is in fact – as my friend’s son commented – an “extreme cat”.

It’s all about me!

From: Hazel Wright, North Shields, Tyne & Wear Meet Dexter. We’ve had him for about two months now, from a local animal shelter.

All we know about him is that he was a stray before being handed to the shelter and he’s about 11 months old. He is so curious about everything and is still very kittenish. He wakes us every morning at 5am, demanding food – it’s like having a baby in the house! Even so, he is so cute he gets away with it. He just has to roll over onto his back or pat my face with his paw and all is forgiven. Sound familiar to anyone else?

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A little battler

What you looking at?

From: Erik Engels, Newcastle-upon-Tyne I caught these two watching me while I was working on the computer.

Wolfie (near) is an amazing cat who loves company.

He’s so loyal-follows me everywhere, sleeps on my bed and keeps me warm.

He has a very special connection with me and has curled up next to me when I’ve had seizures – I’m epileptic – which helped because I knew he was there, his purrs are very soothing. Bela (far) is a clumsy kitty and was nicknamed Santa after he fell down a neighbour’s chimney when he was a kitten. He is quite nervous, I would not blame him after his accident, but he is also very caring. He grooms us which could be a sign of dominance as he is the “alpha” so to speak or perhaps it is a caring instinct.

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From: Maria Carradus, Hythe, Southampton Harry and his two sisters joined the family four-and-a-half years ago when they were eight weeks old. In July 2011 Harry came in from his morning patrol of the garden in a great deal of distress and unable to use his back legs. We thought he had been hit by a car but the vet discovered that he had an enlarged heart and had had a blood clot in his main artery to his back legs (aortic thrombosis). We weren’t sure whether he would survive or not or whether he would be able to walk normally again if the nerves to his back legs had been damaged. Harry was walking on his knuckles for a month or two and his sister Molly took to licking his back legs to try to make him better. Fortunately he only had muscle damage and he made a full recovery; he is our little miracle. He is on two injections a day and two tablets so has a walk out on a harness every day and his two sisters always accompany him. I have now been christened the ‘cat woman’ as I usually have a following of cats when I walk up and down the road!

Double mischief From: Lindsey Carter, Essex Introducing my two lovely ‘Bombay Boys’, Dime and Loki! Although they might look like an angelic mirror image of one another, nothing could be further from the truth!

They are typical tom cats who love to play and everything is a game to them and their characters are diverse even if their appearance is not. Dime loves to plod around, chasing the occasional butterfly, while Loki is an adventurer, who dives into every bolt-hole or cardboard box he can find! This picture was taken after a long day out in the garden. In true brotherly style they came back to settle on our bed for a night-time cuddle. As different as they are, I wouldn’t change a single thing about them.

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Why every office should have a cat Linda Harrison investigates an antidote to the stress of working life

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Photo: Linda Harrison

or the past few weeks there’s been a new addition to my office – Archie, our black rescue cat.

Archie’s a lively young boy and very inquisitive. But he’s also a real scaredy cat who has been known to jump at his own shadow.

He didn’t venture up to the attic, which doubles as my home office, for many weeks after we brought him back from Cats Protection in York, preferring to hide in his favourite spot under the spare bed.

But one day he popped his head round the top of the stairs, had a sniff under the desk, and made himself at home on the rug next to where I work. Since then, he’s become a regular visitor and seems to like sitting in the office doorway and keeping an eye on me. And apart from one loud ‘miaow’ when I dared to be on the phone when it was clearly lunchtime, I’ve found him a very calming influence on my working day.

Archie on guard

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An aura of calm Clinical psychotherapist and stress expert Terri Bodell says cats are the perfect work companions in many ways.

“Cats are brilliant in the workplace for the simple reason that you don’t have to take them for a walk like a dog,” says Terri. “If you’re having a stressful day, you’re adding to your own stress if you have to take a dog out. Of course, you should always take a screen break but some days are busier than others, and cats are fantastic because they’re so independent.

“Cats are great stress relievers – the act of stroking an animal has been shown to lower people’s blood pressure. They’re also great for team building – having a cat gives colleagues something to bond around.”

Terri shares her home office with her four female American Ragdoll cats.

She adds: “I have cat beds in the office and put out biscuits and water. I sit working and they just wander around. They keep me centred and balanced. They’re so laid back that if I’m getting stressed with work I just look at them and think, ‘what am I getting so wound up about?’”

FEATURE Photo: Gravytrain

Back Cat takes it easy

Morale-booster

Day visitor

One boss who agrees with the benefits of felines in the workplace is Kevin Taylor, whose digital marketing agency Gravytrain, near Twickenham, was adopted by a black tom more than three years ago.

Kevin says: “We don’t know his real name but he got ‘Back Cat’ because at the time we had another cat at the front – called Front Cat. “When Back Cat first started coming into the office he was extremely nervous but he’s quite comfortable now. In the summer he likes to spend time sunbathing on a tin roof nearby and in the winter he’s in the office all the time. He doesn’t have a collar but he’s definitely not a stray – every now and then his fur smells of cigarettes, and we don’t feed him but he’s certainly very well fed!”

Back Cat loves having little play fights with staff and laying on desks and laps. However, he’s quite wary of new people and usually gives new starters and visitors a wide berth.

Kevin adds: “He’s fantastic for office morale and team building – everyone loves him. We’re quite a friendly bunch and like to work in a relaxed atmosphere. Having a cat around the place makes it feel more like home.

“He seems to enjoy it here a lot. We often have to turf him out at the end of the day!”

Another cat that has to be escorted from the premises after the workday is Donte, who’s been a popular addition to Dulwich Garden Centre in south London since he was a kitten.

According to employee Nick Tuck, Donte lets himself into the centre in the morning and usually spends all day there.

“He’s lovely, very cute, and the staff and customers think he’s great,” says Nick. “He mainly just likes to sit or lie around. But he catches the occasional mouse and enjoys lying on the till and being stroked by customers.”

Meanwhile, Donte gets on well with the other pets at the garden centre – two giant Leonberger dogs called Barclay and Abbey.

Nick says: “They all sit together, Donte and the dogs.

We just let them do their own thing, really.”

Meeting-loving mog One feline who takes his job of de-stressing staff very seriously is Eddie, a regular feature in the offices of Carymoor Environmental Trust, an environmental charity in Somerset.

Chief executive Frances Stuart says Eddie was befriended by staff after he was found living on a

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FEATURE Photo: Carymoor Environmental Trust

In tray Eddie

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Over in Worcestershire, the offices of PR and social media company Mad As A March Hare have two cats plus some goldfish and one tortoise. Oliver, a blue and white British shorthair, and Arlo, a silver tabby, belong to the company’s joint Managing Director Sara Stewart and like to make their presence known.

“Oliver likes walking over the desks, so that means muddy paw prints over paperwork if it’s been raining,” says Sara. “He also enjoys sharing people’s breakfast, he’s partial to granola and yoghurt.

“If he doesn’t get enough attention he starts knocking things off desks, and he’s been known to accidentally set off the printer and turn on the radio. During meetings he likes to wind his way through people’s legs and yowl.”

Sara believes having pets around the office has many advantages: “Cats are a great ice breaker when people come for meetings.

“They’re also really great tension relievers. If you’re on the phone they think nothing of coming onto the desk and turning around to stick their bottom in your face. You can’t take life too seriously when that’s going on.”

Photo: Mad As A March Hare

landfill site three-and-a-half years ago and has been a valuable team member ever since.

She says: “Eddie was taken to the local vet when a bite wound on his leg became infected. When he came back it seemed mean to put him back out to fend for himself so he was given a temporary bed in the finance office. By the end of the week he had his own office chair, a cat flap in the back door and a permanent bed next to the computer server. He’s now as much a part of the team at Carymoor as any of the staff or volunteers.”

Eddie is most definitely a people cat and loves attention – talking his way into every meeting, activity and school visit at the centre.

“He knows how to turn on the charm, regularly upstaging his human colleagues in front of visitors,” says Francis. “And he doesn’t hold back with his demonstrations of affection – particularly on a Monday morning. Schoolchildren, volunteers and staff all benefit from having Eddie at work.

He relishes being stroked and fussed over, which endears him greatly to visitors, including groups of special needs students and recovering mental health volunteers who come to the centre regularly.

“And he’s a vital stress reduction tool, particularly for members of the management team who have pressured and demanding roles. Gill, the charity’s Finance Manager, puts in long days at the computer and her job is made much more pleasurable for doing it with a cat sat on a chair next to her desk.”

There are also financial benefits – Eddie’s helped Carymoor develop a partnership with a local pet food manufacturer, Crown Pet Foods, which provides his food and makes regular donations to the charity.

Frances adds: “And our bills have gone down now that regular pest control visits to keep the mice at bay are a thing of the past!”

Paw prints on papers

Ollie, the unofficial Office Manager

FUNDRAISING

Building a future for cats

W

e are proud to be the UK’s leading feline welfare charity and although we rehome and reunite an impressive 48,000 cats each year we are keen to increase that number by at least 2,500 every year.

To achieve this goal, Cats Protection has launched ‘Building a future for cats’ – a programme where new centres will be built in areas of the country where major feline welfare and rehoming problems have been identified. At homing centres, potential adopters can meet ready-to-home cats and this accelerates the adoption process. The programme will also oversee the continued monitoring and improvement of existing centres.

New Homing Centre in Gildersome, Leeds Later this year, we plan to start building a new homing centre in Gildersome, Leeds, to be completed in 2013. The centre will address a huge need in the Leeds area where sadly there are many cat welfare issues; according to the RSPCA’s Cruelty Statistics 2012, West Yorkshire has the highest number of animal cruelty cases in the UK. Cat care work is currently undertaken by our volunteer-run branches who do wonderful cat welfare work in Leeds and Yorkshire. In 2011 they rehomed 733 cats. The new centre aims to rehome 500 cats per year which will give an amazing 68 per cent increase in the number of cats being rehomed. The centre will also offer essential support to our volunteers.

So far, we have raised 90 per cent of the money required for the project but still need a final £50K to complete the build and for fixtures and fittings. Any additional funds raised will then go towards the running costs of the centre. Those who contribute to the appeal can be assured their money will be used specifically to help cats in Leeds.

Events diary For more information about the Cats Protection Gildersome Homing Centre, come along and see us at our events in Leeds throughout September 2012 Thursday 27 September: Feeding the 500 Victoria Gardens, The Headrow, LS2 3AD Saturday 8 September: Cats Protection Shop Community Fun Day Bramley Centre, LS13 2ET Join us at our Bramley shop for all the fun of the fair including a bouncy castle and face painting. Why not bring along some donated stock for the shop at the same time?

The new centre at Gildersome has plans to rehome 500 cats per year so we will be displaying 500 cats bowls to represent each of these cats. Find out about the work involved in finding loving homes for these cats and how you can help.

There will be lots of fun attractions and activities too!

For more information or to make a donation please visit www.cats.org.uk/future-for-cats Or contact Tracey Wilson on 01606 74 991 or email tracey.wilson@cats.org.uk

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Photo: istocklibrary.com/Nikolay Suslov

Baby l ve F rancesca Watson meets two Cats Protection staff members who know that cats and babies can be a winning combination…

H

aving a baby is one of the most amazing events in anyone’s life and it will mean a whole change of lifestyle, attitude and routine, not least if you’re a cat owner. With a little forethought and planning families and felines can live alongside each other very happily.

The importance of pets and kids should never be underestimated. Many children regard their cat as their best friend and it is through this friendship that important lessons are learned: trust, empathy, care and love, which help children become responsible and caring adults. There are many physical benefits for children too. A number of studies in the UK and USA report that exposure to pets during infancy may significantly reduce the risk of asthma and allergies in later childhood and it has been indicated that primary school children

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from pet-owning households have lower sickness absenteeism from school. The benefits are many!

Sadly, however, Cats Protection receives many calls from prospective parents who feel they must give away their beloved cats as they mistakenly believe that having a baby and a cat in the same house is incompatible.

Joel Scott and Leanne Pilbeam both work for CP’s National Cat Adoption Centre at Chelwood Gate in Sussex. As firm believers that cats and kids most definitely mix, they share their personal experiences with us.

Joel Scott – Deputy Manager As I spend quite a lot time trying to educate youngsters about cats, I believe it is important that children grow up with animals; it teaches them care, respect and love as well as many other things.

Children benefit so much from having animals in their life. We have many cats brought into Cats Protection because of new babies, which is a real shame because with a little thought and organisation both cats and kids can live happily together.

CATS AND KIDS When my wife Charlotte and I found out we were going to have a have a baby it really was the most superb news I had ever heard. Although really exciting, it hit me how much our lives were going to change – I wondered how Penny and Pepper, our two splendid Persian girls, would take to the new arrival.

After Charlotte became pregnant, Pepper became very attached to her belly. As soon as Charlotte sat down Pepper was there snuggling up to her and she seemed to sense something was going on.

As we started to organise the nursery, the cats were very interested by all the new baby equipment and started sniffing and rubbing everything just to make sure it was safe. Pepper likes to get in things like boxes, bags – anything she can fit into really – and instantly took a liking to the Moses basket. Our way round that was to cover it with a net; she didn’t take any notice of it then.

The new arrival

I grew up with a cat and as an adult we have always had cats in our household, so when I fell pregnant I began to think about the best way forward. Having worked on the reception at Cats Protection for a long time I was used to frequent calls saying: “I’m having a baby so I need to rehome my cats.” There are still a lot of people who see pregnancy as a reason for rehoming their cats, but I did not, and still don’t, see why the two are mutually exclusive.

Preparation is key I began to research how best to tackle the issue and the best piece of advice I came across was to get the house and the cats ready for a baby and the new routine before the baby arrived. So once I had had my 12-week scan and I knew everything was alright we gradually started adapting the house for our baby. We cleared the nursery and started shutting the cats out of that room. We bought covered litter trays to replace the open ones and we gradually moved the litter trays to areas of the house where the baby would not be. We put one in the downstairs toilet and even cut a cat flap in the door! This meant the cats could do their business in peace. We cleared special sleeping areas for the cats up high and in the bedrooms. We got cat nets for the Moses basket and cot and we set everything up for the baby. As this was done over time and before the baby arrived the cats had time to get used to it and adapt to all the changes.

When Russell was born it was a difficult birth and we were in hospital for a few days so when we finally got home the cats were quite unsettled and upset – they were also terrified of Russell! We tried our best to reassure them and give them

Photo: Joel Scott

Evangeline Hope Scott was born on the 25 February 2012 and it was the most wonderful experience of my life. Charlotte was in hospital for a couple of days so I had to nip home from hospital to feed the cats, clean their litter trays and give them a fuss. When Charlotte and Evangeline came home, I was delighted how the cats took to having the baby around; they didn’t mind the crying and Pepper even upped her maternal ways, becoming extra cuddly!

Cats are creatures of habit, so keeping in a routine helps them settle with a new person or animal. As always I keep up good litter tray hygiene, washing my hands regularly. At night the cats are kept in the living room and kitchen, separating them from our bedroom. Cats like to have places to hide – which during the day is under the bed for Pepper – and to have their litter trays, food and water bowls placed in quiet areas of the house. It’s also important to provide plenty of toys and enrichment.

We have recently moved to a larger house and have taken on another Persian, Matilda, a very playful tortoiseshell.

We have all settled in nicely and haven’t had any issues or problems. The cats haven’t tried to get into the Moses basket but it is always sensible to be vigilant – I’m sure they would soon move if Evangeline started screaming anyway!

Leanne Pilbeam, Receptionist

Penny stands guard over Evangeline

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CATS AND KIDS Photo: Leanne Pilbeam

Russell and Moonbeam take a well-earned nap

attention and over time they settled and got used to our new arrival.

We always encouraged the cats to spend time with Russell – to smell him and rub up against him –and we encouraged Russell to try and stroke the cats as early as we could. I believe it is important to encourage positive interactions. If you are always trying to keep them separate then tensions can arise. I think it is also important to make the cats feel involved and a part of the new family, as the feeling of being pushed out or replaced can also lead to behavioural problems from them.

Consolidation Now Russell is two-and-a-half years old and I believe having the cats has enriched his life. He has learned to be gentle and considerate to them. It has involved constant reminders on my part not to chase them…sit on them…grab their legs…but he is really starting to understand now.

He helps me call them in at night, get the cat food out the cupboard and put the food bowls down for them. When our cat, Whiskers, was unwell and had to go to the vets recently he helped to look after her and he was constantly checking she was ok. The cats are still a bit wary of Russell and more often than not they will retire upstairs away from all the noise, but more and more often we are now finding them snuggled up with Russell enjoying a big cuddle or tickle.

There are lots of old wives’ tales warning about cats while pregnant or with babies and if I had a pound for every time someone said to me, “Are you going to have to rehome the cats now?” I would be a rich woman, but my advice would be to at least give it a go.

I think having cats has helped with Russell’s emotional development in many ways and also with his speech development. On a wider note, if we can bring up the next generation of children with an inbuilt kindness and compassion for animals and an understanding of their needs surely this can only be a good thing?

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Practical tips!

Before baby arrives: • Make sure your cat is in good health by taking him for a check-up at the vet • If your cat is not neutered, get this done without delay • Pregnant women should wear gloves and apron when clearing the litter tray – or better still, get someone else to do it!

• Introduce your cat to any baby items you buy, such as nursery furniture or prams – let your cat investigate but don’t let him climb on them – and then keep them shut away.

It is important to ensure the items are off limits because some will be very tempting places for your cat to sleep • Begin getting your cat used to the sounds of the baby. Record a friend or relative’s baby, or buy a CD that you can play on a very low volume to begin with and gradually increase the noise. Crying can be worrying for a cat that hasn’t heard it before Once baby has arrived: Do: • Use a safe cot or pram net to keep the cat at bay – pull it taut to deter your cat from using it as a bed • Keep the nursery inaccessible to your cat while the baby is asleep and make sure any open windows are cat proof • Keep all of the baby’s feeding utensils out of the cat’s reach • Keep the baby and cat food separately, you don’t want to get them mixed up in a sleepdeprived moment!

• Try and set aside a part of the day to make a fuss of your cat as it’s important that his normal routines are maintained and it will give you a chance to grab a quiet moment and relax • Remember your cat should be regularly treated for fleas and worms and his litter tray kept clean • Provide your cat with a high window sill, cupboard top or add some cat shelves so they can keep out of the way but still observe • Teach children not to disturb the cat while he is in his safe place, sleeping, eating or using the litter tray And don’t: • Leave a baby and a cat together unsupervised, even if you trust your cat 100 per cent • Leave any children’s sandboxes uncovered, allowing cats to use it as a giant litter tray

CATS AND KIDS

A constant friend

Continuing the theme of cats and kids, Elise Roberts gives us an insight into the importance of cats in her life…

M

y name is Elise. I am 11 years old and have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome [a group of inherited connective tissue disorders] which means I have to spend a lot of time home with my Mum and cannot interact with other children as much, which means I can get very lonely. When we first went to the National Cat Adoption Centre (NCAC) it was very thrilling because I got to stroke all sorts of cats. “Remember, no more cats,” my Mum used to say as we already had 13-year-old Smokey, our cat at home, and two others at my Dad’s house, two-year-olds Rue and Jiji.

My illness means I have to have a feeding tube, which of course makes a brilliant cat toy for all the cats I live with, so I have to be careful. In early April my Mum and I kept on going back to the NCAC and repeatedly falling in love with fluffy cats, trying to find ways to drag ourselves away. On one of our previous trips we met a cat called Beryl. She was old, but my Mum had fallen head over heels in love with this little cat.

After spending ages preparing for Beryl and having our home visit and adoption approved, we went back there to finally pick her up. When we got there, as we hadn't reserved her, we crossed our fingers that she would still be there. It had only been a day since we saw her, of course she was going to be there, waiting for us! But no, she was gone, and as much as we were upset, we were also happy for her. Gloomily, we went to look around and see new cats and after a while, we cheered up enough to actually stroke some and just feel lucky that we were going to get a new cat.

You’ve got to have Faith

This time, we reserved her, leaving her with a pillow so she could get used to our scent. The next day, Mum and I came in and took her home. Faith sat on my lap, because I am in a wheelchair, and Mum talked to the receptionist. "Good girl, it's going to be all right," we whispered to her with her quietly miaowing with confusion and worry. When we finally got her home, she ran under the bed, of course, but once things had calmed down and my Mum had left, I sneaked back in and persuaded her to sit on my lap and have a cuddle. Jo, my sister, wasn't keen on getting a new cat because she was worried for Smokey and didn't want to anger him. But when she saw and cuddled Faith, she was instantly in love. The only thing that was a problem for her was that she didn't like the name Faith. After a week of squabbling over what the name should be, we finally came up with Luka.

A new beginning Luka finally settled in with me, Mum and Jo. She was aware that Smokey was in the house and he was aware of her. She was so nervous she could barely look outside the door, let alone spend some time outside my room, where she was staying. Luka is confident and brilliant with people but shy and timid with animals so we have trouble getting her out of the room. Whenever she comes downstairs, a single movement or a peep of noise and you can see her scuttling off back upstairs. She has been with us for a while now and she is finally getting comfortable with short trips downstairs. Everyone who has met her has wanted to take her home because she is a long-haired, six-yearold, beautiful bundle of love! I will never forget how ill and upset I was until I met Luka and how much my life improved once I had an everyday friend to keep me company at home and to distract me when I'm at my worst. Everyone cherishes her and to me, she isn't just a cat, she's a perfect cat!

Elisa and Luka – Best friends forever

Looking around, we met Faith who was dribbly and got along with me rather well considering we were new to her. She was black and white with a blended brown tummy and extremely fluffy. Her purr sounded as if it were an engine – although, no miaowing – and she dribbled like a dog! We were so happy, we went into the socialising room to see her and she immediately came over for cuddles, curling up on my lap. Looking down, her fur and dribble had spread all over my legs but her shining green eyes stared at me innocently. They said she was very dribbly and they had to even trim her neck fur because it got so tangled and knotted. When we were in there, the Cat Care Assistant told me how her previous home had a lot of chaos and as such she wasn't suitable for a home with lots of other animals and younger, more excitable kids.

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A day in the life of a cat behaviour counsellor

Cuthbert the confused – a case of feline Alzheimer’s. Vicky Halls investigates…

H

aving had the good fortune to own several cats in their twilight years I admit to a particular affection for elderly felines. There is a quiet dignity about them and a wisdom that comes with age. The wisdom that tells them to get owners up at 3am “just because I can” and that learns to use the ‘miaow’ as a language to include the phrases “stroke me, entertain me, feed me prawns” and any other number of demands based on a whim or a fancy. Most of us will at some stage willingly fulfill the role of servant to yet another ageing Abyssinian or tottering tortoiseshell.

I was therefore delighted when I was asked to visit Cuthbert and his owner, Sam, as here was an 18-year-old cat that was clearly a much-loved character. Unfortunately my delight was short-lived when I read the veterinary history and the owner’s emails. Cuthbert had, in Sam’s words, become quite ‘odd’ recently and she was so concerned that she had taken him to her veterinary surgery for a thorough health check. Her vet had excluded many of the age-related diseases but diagnosed cognitive dysfunction syndrome and referred Sam to me to discuss management at home.

As I suspected, Cuthbert was a delightful cat although the ‘wisdom’ had been replaced in him with a rather more confused demeanour. I spent some time explaining to Sam the significance of Cuthbert’s diagnosis.

The life expectancy of the nation’s pet cats has increased dramatically – it has doubled since 1930 to 16 years – but as the geriatric population increases in number, so does the incidence of senility and cognitive impairment. A number of causes for this have been suggested, including compromised blood flow to the brain, increased production of free radicals leading to cell damage and the deposition of ‘plaques and tangles’ in the brain similar to changes seen in human sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease.

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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What to look out for The first signs that a cat may be suffering from cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) are predominantly behavioural and this is exactly what Sam observed and found so alarming. Cuthbert had started to be extremely vocal at night: a distressing howl that led to many disturbed nights and comforting cuddles. He had regularly failed to return from his routine evening constitutional, only to be brought back in the arms of a friendly neighbour who had found Cuthbert sitting facing a shed in the corner of her garden, crying pitifully. He had also started to look a little unkempt and suffer from the indignity of the occasional toilet accident.

These are all sadly common signs that could indicate a diagnosis of CDS; others include: • A change in sleep/wake cycle • Decreased appetite • Change in social behaviour, eg increased dependency or aggression • Decreased response to stimuli in the environment • Reduction in grooming • Repetitive pacing Once obvious and severe signs of senility are seen it is difficult to prevent further deterioration. At this time, environmental changes should be kept to a minimum, as senile cats cope poorly with change. I recommended that Sam maintain Cuthbert’s food bowl, water, favourite bed and litter tray in stable locations within one room. Cats with CDS that have a history of nocturnal howling usually become significantly less stressed and generally happier when a core area has been created within one room and they are shut into it at night.

Various drugs, diets and supplements have been used to assist sufferers and Sam’s vet had recommended a particular diet rich in Vitamin E, ß-carotene and Essential Fatty Acids. I suggested that Sam include a Feliway Diffuser in Cuthbert’s new room, a plug-in device that emits a synthetic analogue of a natural feline pheromone that promotes a feeling of security and familiarity. I felt that, with a few other practical suggestions, a great deal of understanding and tender loving care, Cuthbert would be able to live out his days in relative comfort.

HEALTH CHECK Photo: istocklibrary.com/Ira Bachinskaya

If you don’t use it, you lose it!

Evidence suggests that activity and environmental enrichment can stimulate the growth and survival of neurons, thereby delaying the onset of CDS. It is not uncommon for various diseases and age-related deterioration to occur simultaneously and this should always be taken into consideration when planning lifestyle changes in an elderly cat; for example, the incidence of degenerative joint disease is high in older cats so stiffness and a decrease in mobility is often a consequence.

The stimulation you choose should encourage both physical and mental activity. Exercise can be interactive or solitary and take the form of predatory play, exploration of new objects, patrolling or foraging for food. The nature of the activity undertaken should be appropriate for your cat’s mobility and provided ‘little and often’. Whatever your cat feels able to achieve is beneficial as it still constitutes positive exercise.

If your cat previously spent a lot of time outside, he will still benefit from experiencing familiar sights and sounds. Many cats curtail their activity outside partly through insecurity and pressure from other younger, fitter cats in the territory. If you accompany your cat and take a walk round the garden he will have the opportunity to explore in safety. If you restrict the activity to times when the weather is warm and dry it will further enhance the pleasure. If the great outdoors isn’t an option then don’t underestimate the joys of looking out of a window but make sure that there is an easy way to access a favourite look-out for the less mobile.

If your cat has a favourite toy then use this to its best advantage, if not, try those toys that appear to have the majority appeal. These tend to be the size of a small

rodent – mimicking the size of a cat’s natural prey – and be made from a material that is close to the texture of fur. Larger toys can also be useful to encourage your elderly cat to lie down, grab and kick. This gives important ‘range of movement’ exercise for stiff hind limbs and is a form of play enjoyed by many.

The cardboard box is a real favourite but the principle may need adapting for the elderly as they may find it difficult to jump in and move around, so a larger box placed on its side may be your best option. Tucking some catnip, biscuits, treats* or a toy in a corner will give your cat a reward for his perseverance. Smaller boxes can be useful too if they are sealed and paw-sized holes are cut into the upper surface. Toys or kibble can be dropped inside and your cat can spend time manipulating the object through the holes with his paw. Commercially-available puzzle feeders can also be used to stimulate the older cat to work a little for his food. Paper bags also provide opportunities for exploration, particularly if they crinkle, but handles should be removed to avoid any accidents as cats can easily get them caught round their necks.

When you next wave that feather on a stick in front of your geriatric ginger, remember it’s not only about the body beautiful but a workout for the brain too! *All extra biscuits or treats should be approved by your vet as suitable for your cat This is a 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 have two cats, Theo who is four years old and Hi-Ho who is seven. They get on fairly well but one problem we have is that Theo keeps stealing Hi-Ho’s food. My concern is two-fold, firstly that Theo is constantly overeating and secondly that Hi-Ho is not getting enough food. I have tried feeding them at separate times but I simply can’t be around to police Theo all of the time. Can you give me any tips on reducing Theo’s food obsession and give Hi-Ho a fair chance?

Tabitha Walters, Isle of Wight Our first advice is that both cats are taken along to the vets for a health check to ensure that there is no medical reason behind Theo’s constant hunger and to get both cats’ weight checked. Once the vet is happy that there is nothing causing the constant search for food, and that both Theo and Hi-Ho are being given appropriate portion sizes, you may like to try some of the following ideas.

Try putting Theo into a separate room at feeding time. If you feed dry food, put the meal into a feeding ball. This is designed to release the food slowly as it is pushed around.

Using the food ball makes Theo work for his food and it will take him longer to eat. It mimics the way that a cat would eat in the wild. Make sure he has access to water and a litter tray in this room. This process can be repeated several times a day if you split up the daily portion. Make the room nice and inviting by placing a bed in there, a few toys and a scratch post. Give Hi-Ho time to eat his food while Theo is shut away.

If Hi-Ho doesn’t finish his meal, take the food away when letting Theo out so that it can’t be finished off. You may find that Hi-Ho has a smaller appetite and if his weight is deemed suitable, you may be able adjust the portion sizes over time.

The next step is to increase the amount of exercise both cats get if the vet advises this is appropriate. It can act as both a great stress reliever and it also helps to keep waistlines trim!

Try to play very short games with both cats several times a day. One or two minutes per session is fine. Interactive toys that squeak, have feathers or move are good for catching their attention. Try to mimic their prey.

It should be remembered that cats living in the wild are solitary and aren’t used to living in social groups like dogs so it can be stressful for cats to live together. Although it may not be obvious, Theo stealing food could be causing Hi-Ho some stress. To help alleviate this potential stress, try to provide some high vantage points for the cats to sit on such as empty shelves or stools. Being high means one cat can avoid the other if it wishes and cats tend to feel more comfortable if they are higher up. It is also worth providing plenty of safe hiding places such as upturned cardboard boxes and igloo beds, preferably in several different places. This will allow

26 The Cat Autumn 2012

both cats to have ‘time out’ from people and the other cat in the household. The cats shouldn’t be disturbed while using their hiding area.

It is also good practice to split up the cat’s resources, maybe with one set upstairs and the other downstairs. This gives both cats the chance to choose to eat, drink or go to the toilet in either area, and away from the other cat. Cats don’t like to eat next to their toileting area and prefer to drink away from their food and toilet so try to spread these facilities around the room if possible.

Please discuss any concerns you have with your vet, as they will be able to further advise you.

My cat has always been a very affectionate pet but recently he has become very aggressive which is totally out of character. He’ll just take a swipe at me or try and bite me at no particular time and for no particular reason. He doesn’t seem to be ill which was, of course, my first concern and he still craves attention and cuddles, but it’s now always on his terms and I only find out he’s not happy too late. What can I do?

Ross Lyon via email Whenever a behaviour changes, the cat should always be taken for a health check at the vet, as you’re right, there are medical reasons behind some aggressive behaviour – sometimes the cat is in pain. It is important to mention your cat’s aggressive behaviour and all your observations of the behaviours – even if you think it might not be relevant – to the vet when having the check up so the vet can rule out any medical causes.

If the cat is given a clean bill of health and the vet feels that the problem is purely behavioural, they may recommend a referral to a suitably qualified behaviourist, preferably one that specialises in cats. Alternatively, you can have a look on the website of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) www.apbc.org.uk to find your nearest qualified behaviourist.

There is always a reason for a cat to be showing aggressive behaviour, a common behavioural reason being anxiety or fear and a behaviourist will look at the cat’s medical history, will meet the cat, you and your family and will look carefully at the cat’s environment and your interaction with him. The causes behind aggressive behaviour are often multifaceted and the aim behind this investigation will be to try and ascertain what the problem or perceived ‘threat’ is for the cat and to help you take action to alleviate it.

There are some immediate interventions that can be taken.

If the cat has bitten or scratched anyone, where the bite or scratch breaks the skin or causes bleeding, then medical advice should be sought.

HEALTH CHECK Always provide a cat with easy access to an escape route – this needs careful thought if he/she is experiencing any mobility issues – and a safe, reliable place to hide without being disturbed, as the cat’s primary response to a perceived threat is to avoid it and hide. Do not use any form of punishment to try to control the aggression as this is likely to make the problem worse.

Try to avoid any possible situations that are likely to be triggers for the aggressive behaviour. Cats find people staring very threatening, so try looking away from the cat or only looking at the cat briefly or with half closed eyes.

Where possible, prevent the cat coming into contact with the person that the aggression is aimed at, or supervise the cat around that person.

Never attempt to handle a cat when it is frightened or showing signs of aggression. It is also important not to attempt to soothe or calm the cat when showing aggressive behaviour or if the cat is ‘frozen’ in a selfdefensive crouch as you may provoke an attack. The best thing to do is to look away from the cat and slowly move away.

It’s not always easy to read cats’ body language or facial expression. If the cat shows any of the following signs, the best thing to do is to look away from the cat and slowly move away: tail twitching, flattening of the ears, stiffening of the shoulders and legs, dilation of pupils,hissing, spitting, growling.

If you have other cats in the household, some of the tips mentioned in the response to Tabitha’s question regarding multi-cat households may also be helpful.

We are having building work done, extending the house, for the next couple of months and we’re worried about our two cats, Felix and Jess, as it’s bound to have a massive impact on them.

Zoë and Steve Stuttard, Tunbridge Wells, Kent Strangers in the house, loud noises and building work can be a worrying and stressful experience for cats, even a few days can cause disruption. It may be less stressful for both of you, especially if the work is going to take weeks/months, to board Felix and Jess in a cattery while the work is ongoing.

If you would prefer to keep Felix and Jess in the house with you it would be better to give them a room, away from the work, where they will feel safe. If possible, make sure it’s one which the workmen will not need access to, with a ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door. About a week before the work is due to begin, place their beds, scratch post, litter trays, feed bowls, water bowls and toys in the room and start to feed the cats in there so they become familiar with their temporary new surroundings. Make sure that there are plenty of places for them to hide; under a bed, inside a wardrobe, remembering to keep the door open, or a cardboard box on its side or upside down with cat-sized holes in two of the sides. Give them the ability to get up high, not only does it increase their territory by providing extra vertical space they can use, but cats feel safer if they view their surrounding from up high. This is another important normal coping mechanism for cats that feel anxious or fearful.

A facial pheromone diffuser can also be useful in stressful situations. We can’t smell a cat’s facial pheromones but it is a scent that they leave to convey a message of well being and a feeling of security. This scent is available in synthetic form as a plug-in diffuser that can be placed in a floor level plug socket near to where your cats sleep to help the cat feel more relaxed. This is called Feliway www.feliway.co.uk and is available from your vet. It may help to provide them with something with your scent on it too, such as an old jumper, to provide familiar comfort. Remember to ‘top up’ the scented jumper regularly by washing it and wearing it again before putting back.

Keep the daily routine as normal as possible to provide consistency for the cats. Take time to play with interactive toys and provide the same levels of fuss as normal during and after the building. If safe to do so, let them out of the room once the workmen have gone for the day.

You may also find this link to a FAB article of interest www.fabcats.org/behaviour/stressed/info.html

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 Autumn 2012

27

WALKER ON THE WILD SIDE

You can’t unteach a cat old tricks John Walker eggs Dexter on

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henever Dexter learns a new trick I always feel an overwhelming sense of pride. I’ve felt pride about twice since I started owning Dexter. One of those two tricks, taught to him by a former housemate, is called Sunny Side Up. This is when, for reasons no one is quite sure of, Dex rolls onto his back and shows his bright white tummy.

We then loudly declare “Sunny side up!” and pretend that our saying it afterward is somehow linked to his doing it in the first place and thus feel a notion of connection to the aloof, indifferent idiot.

In that previous house, despite all four of us being adults in our thirties, we didn’t really have a table. Well, we technically had a table, but it was used for storing food on. It was a larder-table. And as such sitting down for meals wasn’t really a thing we did. Dragged into some semblance of adulthood by having got married, my wife now forces me to occasionally sit at our dining table to eat food, where I’m not allowed to get down to play until everyone’s finished eating.

However, this has also given Dexter a whole new way to beg for food. And yes, I’m sure some people reading are going to be horrified that we let the cat up on the table while we eat. Obviously we don’t feed him off of our plates – we’re not mad – but one time, early on in our living here, in desperation he remembered his Sunny Side Up trick. Flopping dramatically onto his side, he then waved paws in the air and we were weak. It was so cute that he won a small piece of chicken.

is so enormously entertaining that we let it happen until his head just – oh, goodness! – happens to be right by a plate and then, taking advantage of the slippery wooden surface and his friction-preventing fur covering, we hold his tummy and slide him away. This is a good sport.

Nothing seems to stop Dex from doing this tea-time move.

Not getting anything out of it for seven months doesn’t seem to have convinced him and frankly at this point I’m not sure he knows why he’s doing it. He jumps up, flops on his side, and then stares around in confusion while rolling around, sure something’s supposed to happen next. And you may argue that we should just pop him on the floor whenever he does it, but there’s a reason we don’t.

As I hope is well established from past anecdotes, Dexter isn’t the brightest of animals. And this extends, wonderfully, to not looking before he does stuff. And so sometimes, he flops down on to nothing, and disappears over the side of the table with a look of panic on his face. With a Chuck Jones flourish, there seems to be an impossible moment of gravitydefying hovering before he vanishes.

Some cats react to mistakes like this by adopting a snooty aloofness and walking away muttering, “I meant to do that.”

Not Dexter. Dexter reacts as if the floor itself personally attacked him and furiously runs away from this present danger. He is a clot. But he’s our clot.

This was a mistake.

Every. Single. Meal. He jumps up, flops on his side, and then stares in bewildered confusion that we don’t start scraping our plates into his stomach. “But you did it that one time seven months ago!” he cries in confusion, his head flicking back and forth between us both in utter horror at our inaction. And then comes the stealth.

If he stretches in one direction, and then another, squeezing out the cute as hard as he can, he can oh-sosubtly inch his way toward one or the other of us. And by ‘subtly’ I mean ‘ludicrously obviously’. The display

28

The Cat Autumn 2012

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Every year thousands of people put their faith and trust in Cats Protection when looking for a new addition to the family.

Behind each volunteer and member of staff is a wealth of experience and expertise which means when you adopt one of our cats, you can feel safe in the knowledge that he has been given the best possible care.

When he leaves Cats Protection, your cat will have been treated to a top-to-tail medical.

We also provide four weeks’ free insurance (terms and conditions apply) giving invaluable peace of mind and reassurance as you and your cat embark upon this lifelong friendship.

All he needs now is a loving home to make his dreams come true – over to you!

T: 03000 12 12 12 E: helpline@cats.org.uk W: www.cats.org.uk Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

This means he will have been: • Fully examined by a veterinary surgeon • Vaccinated at least once against flu and enteritis • Treated against fleas, roundworm and tapeworm • Neutered if old enough • Microchipped

Hailing the cat heroes...

The National Cat Awards 2012 celebrated feline achievement amid the splendour of The Savoy Hotel

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rom burglar-busting felines to therapeutic cat companions, the finalists in the National Cat Awards 2012 were shining examples of cat courage and feline affection.

And it was only fitting that these marvellous mogs should be recognised in equally impressive surroundings. So guests gathered at The Savoy Hotel in London on 16 August to celebrate cats’ achievements amid the Art Deco splendour of the historic venue.

The awards, the sixth held by Cats Protection and this year sponsored by Verdo Cat Litter, celebrate the real-life stories of companionship, bravery and heroism in the cat world with the aim of encouraging people to adopt cats.

This year, the name of the awards was changed to reflect the fact that they are open to all cat owners. There were five categories: Hero Cat; Most Incredible Story; Best Friends; Outstanding Rescue Cat; and Celebrity Cat. The Savoy was chosen because it has a very special feline resident called Kaspar, a two-foot wooden cat sculpture that arrived at the hotel in 1927 – incidentally the same year that CP was founded. When a table is booked for 13 people, Kaspar is brought to the table to make the number up to 14. He is even served a meal – although he’s reportedly a fussy eater and has never touched a scrap!

Celebrity sparkle The hotel’s glamour was matched by an equally sparkling four-strong line-up of celebrity judges, who mingled with guests at the drinks reception.

Model Lucy Pinder told The Cat: “If there’s any way I can be involved with CP I’m there with bells on it!

It’s such a lovely charity and one I’ve supported for years.”

30 The Cat Autumn 2012

FEATURE

Photo: Philippa Gedge Photography

Newsreader and TV presenter Jan Leeming said she was “honoured” to have been involved with the awards, while comedian Ed Byrne said the event showed that all sorts of people are “cat people”. The fourth and final judge, musician Rick Wakeman said: “It’s wonderful to have been involved… although it was hard to pick a winner. I’ve had sleepless nights over it!”

But the real stars of the show were, of course, the cats themselves. And while they were at home, their owners ate lunch nervously waiting for the results to be announced.

Results revealed Stepping up to the podium, judge Lucy Pinder revealed that the winner of the Hero Cat award was Charley (see box).

Delighted owner Susan Marsh-Armstrong said: “I’ve had a wonderful day with lots of like-minded people.” Next, Ed Byrne, judge of the Most Incredible Story, announced he’d plumped for William. Owner Debra Terry told The Cat: “I am absolutely over the moon…and surprised I won because all the stories were excellent.”

Next up, judge Jan Leeming told the audience that Phoenix had been her final choice, in a difficult category. Owner Yvonne Wreath said: “I feel so chuffed, she really deserves it.”

Celebrity Cat was the only category where nominations were invited from, and votes made by, the public via the charity’s Facebook page. Animated favourite Simon’s Cat attracted the highest number of public votes. Creator Simon Tofield said: “People can relate to Simon’s Cat as if it’s their own. And they also feel Simon’s pain!”

While all the awards were well deserved, one winner really stole the show. Jessi-Cat, friend to Jayne Dillon’s seven-yearold son Lorcan, won the Best Friends category. Many guests

The winners and celebrity judges

had tears in their eyes as they heard about how the cat has helped Lorcan, who has a condition called selective mutism.

And the touching nature of Jessi-Cat’s story saw her triumph overall at the awards, as the feline also scooped the title of National Cat of the Year 2012.

Speaking to The Cat magazine after picking up both trophies, a beaming Jayne said: “I’m absolutely shocked, I didn’t expect to get one award, let alone two!”

Then, with the awards over, and congratulations and hugs exchanged, this year’s National Cat Awards winners poured out of The Savoy into the late summer sunshine, already planning where in their homes to display their cats’ wellearned trophies.

Best Friends winner and National Cat of the Year 2012 Jessi-Cat – Davyhulme, Greater Manchester

Photo: Paul Maven

The world can be a lonely place for children with Selective Mutism, an anxiety disorder which affects the ability to speak in social situations. But seven-year-old Lorcan Dillon has a very special friend at his side to help him cope with the condition, Jessi-Cat. The gentle puss is a constant companion to Lorcan, joining in his games and boosting his confidence. When Lorcan struggles to communicate with people, he talks to Jessi-Cat, whose unconditional love is helping him overcome his problems. Lorcan’s mum Jayne says: “She is a loving companion and is always interested in what Lorcan is up to.”

Rick Wakeman had the task of choosing the winner for this category, saying: “All three cats have been a huge support to their owners, but Jessi-Cat is my winner. The bond between Jessi-Cat and Lorcan is incredible and it has clearly had a hugely positive impact on Lorcan’s home and school life. Jessi-Cat helps Lorcan to communicate and express emotions that ordinarily Lorcan wouldn’t be able to do.”

The Cat Autumn 2012

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FEATURE

The category winners...

Hero Cat – Cats that save the day Charley – Haltwhistle, Northumberland

Photo: Vine Photography

When diabetic Susan Marsh-Armstrong collapsed in the bathroom last December following a hypoglycaemic attack in the middle of the night, the consequences could have been fatal. Unconscious and with her husband fast asleep in the bedroom, Susan’s life hung in the balance until puss Charley discovered her. Aware something was wrong, Charley went to the bedroom and woke Susan’s husband by tapping his face and licking his hand before leading him to the bathroom.

Susan says: “If Charley hadn’t awoken my husband I would have lain on the floor until morning and would very likely have ended up in hospital. Charley saved the day and possibly my life!”

Judge, Lucy Pinder said: “I picked Charley as the winner because she helped to save her owner’s life and to me that is just about the most heroic thing a cat can do.

Goodness knows how long Susan could have lain on the floor unconscious if it wasn’t for Charley noticing her and dashing off to wake Susan’s husband. She really is a very special cat.”

Most Incredible Story – Belief-defying, true stories from the cat world William – Chorley, Lancashire

Photo: Paul Maven

Rescue cat William was at death’s door after a horrific dog attack earlier this year severely damaged both his back legs, leaving one broken in two places and dislocating the knee in the other.

Despite appalling injuries, he embarked on an agonising half-a-mile journey home using just his front legs before collapsing on his owner Debra Terry’s doorstep.

Having been rushed to a vet, his condition was critical for 24 hours and one of his back legs had to be amputated.

Amazingly the four-year-old puss beat the odds to recover from his terrible injuries and is making excellent progress adjusting to life on three legs.

Ed Byrne picked William, saying: “I picked William because of his sheer tenacity. Schnookums and Bindi are amazing but William’s refusal to give up on his life is the thing I find most incredible.”

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The Cat Autumn 2012

FEATURE

Outstanding Rescue Cat – Fabulous felines adopted from animal welfare organisations Phoenix (aka Sizzles) – Coleraine, Co. Londonderry

Photo: Stephen Latimer

It was one of the most distressing cases veterinary practice manager Yvonne Wreath had seen – a badly burned kitten found in a coal bunker. Sizzles, as she was named by staff, had appalling injuries. Her paws resembled red jelly and were covered in maggots, her eyes couldn’t open and her face was badly burned. Staff debated putting her to sleep but decided she deserved a chance having survived so far.

With round-the-clock care, Sizzles came back from the brink and has since been adopted by Yvonne. She now has an inspirational new name in recognition of her amazing recovery – Phoenix.

Jan Leeming picked Phoenix, saying: “The other two cats in my category, Smokey and Midge, are lovely but while they achieved records, Phoenix had to overcome horrible mutilations and has proved to be a real fighter.”

Celebrity Cat – Recognising superstar cats in the public eye Simon’s Cat - London As voted via our Facebook page the winner was Simon’s Cat by a landslide. Created by animator Simon Tofield, Simon’s Cat is the mischievous moggy that has had cat lovers the world over howling with laughter at their computer screens.

Making his first appearance in an online short film Cat Man Do, Simon’s Cat ingeniously portrays the quirky and lovable feline traits that make cats so special.

Now a global superstar through a series of books and short films, Simon’s Cat has become one of the best loved animations of all time. In real life, Simon Tofield lives at home with his four cats, Jess, Maisy, Hugh and Teddy – all no doubt a great inspiration.

Illustration: Simon Townsend

The Cat Autumn 2012

33

Craft has enjoyed a recent revival and many makers sell their wares on the web. Rebecca Evans highlights just some of the cat-loving British artisans making an impression online

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orget travelling miles to craft fairs or hanging around in chilly church halls hoping to spot a gem; nowadays there’s an easier way to buy handmade goods. From appliqué to pottery, a new breed of talented artisans are using the internet to create a buzz around their work, spreading the message through their websites and blogs.

They’re taking advantage of the boom in online sales, too, setting up their own stores, or selling through craft websites like Etsy and Folksy.

This is great news for British designer-makers as they can showcase their wares to a global audience with a few clicks of a mouse. And it’s a welcome development if you’re a fan of feline craft, too; you can pick from hundreds of charming cat creations without having to leave the house.

Some of these craftspeople spoke to The Cat about their inspirations, their craft, and their feline friends!

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The Cat Autumn 2012

The glass bead maker Of all Min Fidler’s gleaming, gemlike beads, the cats are her favourite.

They’re also her best sellers.

“No matter what I make, cats are my first love,” says Min, who owns a 16-year-old cat, Kiki, and two dogs.

“Cats appear to be independent and somehow unreachable, yet they interact with us and choose to let us look after them. They are fascinating.”

It seems a little extraordinary that her intricate beads, some less than 2cm high, are created in the high heat and fierce flames of the lampwork technique.

Min, who works from a shed at her home in Saltcoats, west Scotland, says lampwork, unlike the numerous other crafts she’s dabbled in, is so complex that her interest has never waned.

“It’s so challenging,” Min says, of the method that involves using a gasfuelled torch to melt glass around a tool. “Getting to know the palette, the different types of coloured glass and the way they react together really stretches you and it’s an ongoing process.”

Min’s cats – and dogs, birds and doll beads – start life as glass rods of varying hues. She melts the glass in the flame from an oxygen-and-propane fuelled torch, winding the molten substance over a tool called a mandrel to create the bead’s body and decoration.

“Sometimes I think I really ought to make serious grown-up focal beads, but I find myself adding eyes and ears and there’s another cat,” she says. “There’s something about a little sculptural character emerging that is so entertaining.”

Min finds inspiration everywhere, but sometimes an idea can strike by chance.

Her long-haired cat beads were created almost by accident; Min intended to make another doll bead but, feeling uninspired, decided to add a cat face instead. Humour flows through her work; she’s made winged mogs and jumper-wearing Dachshunds.

And she’s also ventured into hollow cat beads.

Each bead is finished in a kiln overnight and Min, who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, says that the excitement of meeting her new creations again in the morning helps to get her out of bed. She only puts them up for sale if she’s completely happy with them.

Min sells most of her beads online, through her shop on www.etsy.com.

Customers buy her beads as a charming keepsake, or to make into jewellery.

Occasionally, Min makes up necklaceand-earring sets herself (see Favourites pages 40-41 for competition).

Unsurprisingly, many of Min’s customers are cat lovers and owners, with some seeing a similarity between their mog and Min’s colourful beads.

“I say ‘really? I’d like to see your cat’,“ laughs Min. Web: www.applegreenmachine.co.uk Etsy: minfidler

FEATURE

The illustrator/fabric designer/jewellery-maker “Sometimes I think I spread myself too thinly doing all these different things,” says Norwich-based illustrator and multi-talented craftswoman Ella Goodwin. “But I think I’d explode if I couldn’t do them all.”

Although Ella’s online emporium spans fabric, toys and jewellery her first love is illustration. Her cat character Percy, the subject of so many of her prints, was inspired by Persephone, her father’s part-Siamese mog.

A lifelong cat lover, Ella volunteered for the RSPCA as a teenager and has two long-haired cats herself, Tiger and Chewbacca, that she thinks are partNorwegian Forest Cats. The pair have “raccoon-like bushy tails, hugely fluffy bodies and manes topped with elegant lady faces” says Ella. “From Tiger’s moon eyes and tendency to sleep on my fiancé’s head as a wee tiger turban to Chewbacca’s furry pantaloons and nudging affections, they are such a pair of characters.”

Ella most admires cats’ independence.

“I’ve never been in love with two cats as much as the ones I have. They are incredibly affectionate cats but at the same time, they know their own mind.”

Unsurprisingly, her work is shot through with feline themes. Percy the cat features in Ella’s dreamy illustrated landscapes, seascapes and studies; Ella sketches these then colours them in digitally.

Everything else has grown from her illustration. “I love to create characters and their worlds, be it in a drawing, an animation, a soft toy or jewellery.”

Ella’s next love is creating 3D characters from fabric, recycled materials and clothing; she sells both these and the patterns to make them through her online shop.

Ella’s jewellery range, which she sees as an extension of her illustration has been a best seller. It includes brooches, earrings and laser-cut necklaces with subtle cat detailing.

She’s recently branched out into fabric design, her Percy-themed materials are sold through the website Spoonflower. Over the next few months, Ella will also make up a range

of dresses using her own fabric. And she plans to write and illustrate a Percy ABC book for children.

That’s assuming her cats allow it.

“The cats hang around when I’m working and they often run right across the keyboard just when I’m in the middle of doing something, trying to get my attention,” she says.

Web: www.ellagoodwin.co.uk Etsy: ShopMissElla Spoonflower (for fabric): www.spoonflower.com/profiles/miss_ella

The Cat Autumn 2012

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FEATURE The classy cat tree makers The KoogaTree story began in early 2011 shortly after Helena DykesSimmons and fiancé Simon Hills had chosen a Bengal kitten, Kooga.

On holiday near Loch Lomond shortly before Kooga’s arrival, Helena and Simon found a huge oak branch that had blown down in the wind.

“We thought it would be perfect to make a tree for Kooga and much more personal than buying one from a big pet store,” says Helena. “The next thing we knew we were at B&Q, buying sandpaper and tools. We sat by the Loch stripping the bark from the wood and treating it.”

Kooga loved the tree. It became a talking point among Helena and Simon’s family and friends, and earlier this year they set up the KoogaTree business. Customers can choose from a different number of platforms, finishes, base colour and amounts of sisal rope for scratching.

Helena says: “The trees themselves have come a long way since our first one in Loch Lomond…We’ve learnt that cats prefer cat trees that are heavy, both the base and the tree itself, because it feels more like a real tree to them.”

The pair, who marry on 1 September, are developing more products, too, including wall steppers and scratching post art.

Web: www.koogatree.com Etsy: koogatree

36 The Cat Autumn 2012

The appliqué enthusiast “My love of cats influences my work greatly,” says Vicky Houghton, whose colourful mogs decorate her diaries, notebooks and cushions.

A trained industrial designer, Vicky, who lives in North Wales, turned to making and selling her own items after the birth of her second daughter.

Vicky’s Stella and Friends range is named after her four-year-old cat adopted from a local animal charity.

“Tiny, elegant” Stella had arrived with the charity in a poor state. Once rehomed by Vicky, she took a while to settle, at first refusing to stay in the same room as the family.

“I’m glad to say that, after a lot of love and attention, she will now happily sit on my knee,” says Vicky. “I often wonder what her life was like before she joined our family.”

Stella, and the neighbourhood cats Vicky sees as she walks her daughter to school, inspired her cat design.

Her cushions and notebook covers are created using appliqué; the cat characters are cut out of cotton fabric

of bold colours and designs, and sewn on to a base cotton material. Tiny touches – a fabric fish and tiny collar bell – add appeal.

Fans of Stella and Friends can look forward to more goodies; Vicky plans to expand the range and is working on a small bag design which should be ready this year.

Folksy: mypipsqueak

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ANSWERS Summer 2012 crossword answers Across: 1 Assistance, 7 Sailors, 8 Semi, 10 Rome, 11 Heat wave, 13 Cravat, 15 Bandit, 17 Stressed, 18 Peru, 21 Lawn, 22 Imitate, 23 All the time.

Down: 1 Axiom, 2 Sloe, 3 Sister, 4 Alsatian, 5 Command, 6 Ostracise, 9 Test tubes, 12 Bassinet, 14 Air mail, 16 Venice, 19 Erase, 20 Kiwi.

You can help cats every time you hit the shops, thanks to the Cats Protection Credit Card from MBNA.

0% for up to 12 months* on balance

You’ll not only receive an attractive rate, but you’ll also benefit from our free 24-hour customer service helpline, secure online card services and no liability for loss, theft or fraudulent internet use.†

0% for up to 12 months* on money

transfers made in the first 90 days (3% handling fee) transfers made in the first 90 days (4% handling fee)

0% for up to 3 months on card purchases from the date your account is opened.

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

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.

The 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.

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. * From the date your account is opened. You cannot transfer balances from another MBNA account. † As long as you call us as soon as the card cannot be found or if you notice any unusual transactions on your account.

ALI’S CATS

Fingal infirm Fingal’s mystery adventure causes worry and concern for Alison Prince

T

hree weeks ago, on a Monday morning, Fingal had his breakfast as usual and went into the garden. The weather was warm and the daisies were in bloom, so his sortie seemed entirely reasonable. But he didn’t return for his tea, which was odd. Fingal catches a good few mice, but he doesn’t seem to regard them as proper food – more an occasional nibble, like mouse-flavoured crisps.

He likes his meals.

Mitzi had never been alone in the house without her big companion, who is very nice to her now after a sticky start, and she was deeply worried. She left her food and went out looking for him. So did I. We combed the garden and called with words and mewing, but there was not so much as a leaf-rustle. Mitzi spent the night jumping off my bed for another search then jumping on again. Fingal wasn’t back in the morning. Nightmare imaginings began. He’d been shut in a holiday house that the owners had left. He was going to starve to death. I rang people up and asked them to check garden sheds, and wrote a notice for the village shop, with a photo of him.

After three whole days, he came in late at night, stiff in the hind legs and obviously unwell. He ate a little, then left it. He smelt dreadful.

Mitzi rushed up to him when he came in, but at the first sniff, she recoiled in horror. She watched from a distance as I turned him over carefully, looking for what was wrong. I found a huge, discharging abscess under his tail. It was dripping everywhere – forgive me if you are eating your lunch as you read this – and it stank. I cleaned him up as best I could, and he seemed slightly reassured. He drank quite a lot, which was good as his eyes looked sunken and he was clearly dehydrated. Then he crept under the sofa and lay down. My cats have always gone there if in trouble, feeling perhaps that nobody can get at them. It was by now long past midnight, and I couldn’t face getting the vet out of bed. I crossed fingers that Fingal would survive until the surgery opened the next morning.

He was on his feet the next day, which cheered me up a bit. The vet gave him a couple of antibiotic injections immediately, then cleaned the filthy wound up and irrigated what he called ‘a deep, mucky hole’.

He thought Fingal might have been bitten and it’s more than possible.

A kitten born in a barn and fed by a hunting mum who forages for her family as best she can will of course catch anything that runs.

Fingal has been known to lug rats in and if a rat is not grabbed close behind the head it can be quick to swivel round and bite. But whatever the cause, the vet’s treatment, followed by a squirt of pink amoxycillin by mouth morning and evening, sorted him out amazingly fast.

Illustration: Alison Prince

He started to eat again, and drank copious amounts of water. He set about washing his untidy coat and slept a lot.

Mitzi kept her distance until he smelt acceptably better. Clearly, the stink of sickness that came from him alarmed her. She watched him constantly, but refused to eat beside him in their restaurant spot on the kitchen floor, so I fed her on the work surface beside the sink. Every morning, she sniffed at Fingal cautiously from a distance and only gradually began to come closer. After about three days the infection had gone and the wound was turning a healthy deep pink colour. When Mitzi decided that her companion had safely returned to his normal smell, she went to him with her head held out and her eyes shut, and he washed her face.

This endearing performance had first began when they saw me packing a bag. They’d both watched glumly as overnight things were zipped in, and Mitzi sank down beside Fingal in a heap of miserable foreboding. He had been furiously jealous of her for weeks, but he looked at her in a considering kind of way, then licked her face as if in reassurance.

Definitely an ‘Awww,’ moment. Sweet.

Fingal’s wound looked alarming for a few more days, but it was clean, and within another week, it had totally healed. Nothing can be seen of it now except a small area of smooth, hairless skin, getting darker each day as the new fur grows in. Cats are amazing healers, given half a chance. There seems to be a tipping point at which they decide that they are not going to die after all, so they set about getting better. But thank Heaven for a good vet.

The Cat Autumn 2012 39

From brilliant beads to captivating cards, here are just some of the items that have caught The Cat’s eye

WIN

Kitchen capers

Feline felicitations

We’ve been charmed by artist Jill Latter’s Culinary Cats, the stars of a stationery and giftware range by Heritage Art Papers (HAP).

The quirky, humorous designs on aprons, cards, notebooks and calendars will make a welcome addition to any cat lover’s home. What’s more, almost all of Dorsetbased HAP’s products are made in the county.

We have five Culinary Cats sets to give away to readers; each includes a Head Chef (adult) and Trainee Chef (child) apron plus a 2012 calendar, drinks coasters and a notepad. For your chance to win one of these sets, mark your entry Culinary Cats and enter in the usual way.

While you wait to see if you’ve won, why not browse HAP’s range online and take advantage of a special discount for readers of The Cat? While HAP is primarily a wholesale company, it does have a retail website, www.giftedoptions. co.uk, which helps to raise money for charities. It is offering readers a 10 per cent discount when they buy online until 31 December 2012; just quote code CP2012 .

What’s more, the company will donate a further 10 per cent to Cats Protection for every online purchase, helping the cats and kittens in our care. See the full range of products at www.heritageartpapers.com and get in touch by emailing sales@heritageartpapers.com or phoning 01258 881 514.

If you want to send a cat-loving friend a thank you, birthday greetings or a good luck message, then Celia Pike’s new range of greetings cards could be the perfect choice.

The artist has added new occasions cards to her range.

Some are firmly feline focused while others have more subtle references to cats; such as a reflection of a cat in a window or a cat shape incorporated into a pattern.

We have eight sets of five cards to give away to readers.

Simply enter in the normal way, including the wording Celia Pike .

Celia trained at London’s St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal Academy. She is a regular exhibitor at UK galleries. For further details, see www.celiapike.co.uk

WIN

40 The Cat Autumn 2012

Protect your photos We know from your letters and emails that plenty of The Cat’s readers enjoy taking digital pics of their mogs. And with so many people now storing these images on their computers, and even downloading them on to phones and tablets, security is a real concern.

Devices that are not properly protected can be vulnerable to attack by viruses and other security threats that can harm digital photos, among other files. This is where McAfee All Access software (MAA) comes in. MAA is designed to secure PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets and netbooks. The software protects users from risky websites, stops web and email threats and detects or blocks viruses. Users can browse, shop and communicate on the move, safely and securely.

We have five copies of the software to give away; each is a household licence, protecting up to five users. Enter in the usual way, marking your entry McAfee .

For full product information see http://goo.gl/lQoUh

WIN

OUR FAVOURITE THINGS Family fun As the weather turns cooler and days shorten, the thought of snuggling up inside with a hot drink and a fun game becomes more appealing.

Traditional card game favourite Happy Families has been given a new twist by Cartamundi and it’s sure to be popular with animal lovers. Animal Planet Happy Families card packs are available in three themes; Jungle, Coral Reef and Savanna. Each card pack is illustrated with colourful pictures and fascinating facts.

We have two prizes of three packs to give away; just mark your entry Animal Planet . The games are available at £2.99 from selected retailers. See www.cartamundi.co.uk for more information.

WIN

WIN

Wilder watching The National Geographic Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. One of the ways it does this is through its DVD range covering animals and adventure to science and space.

Happily for cat fans, National Geographic’s collection includes feline films such as the just-released Wild Cats Collection which includes three programmes.

Return of the Clouded Leopards follows the rehabilitation of two orphaned clouded leopard cubs to their natural jungle habitat. Hunt for the Shadow Cat joins one of the USA’s finest trackers, Boone Smith, as he finds and films wild jaguars. Then meet wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn in Jaguar Ambush as he leads an expert team of night-filming specialists into the jungles of Costa Rica on the hunt for Central America’s big cats. Pumas, ocelots and the elusive jaguar all live in the dense tropical forest, and filming them is a difficult task.

We have three copies of Wild Cats Collection to give away; mark your entry Wild Cats DVD .

The

cat’ s miaow Brilliant beads Min Fidler is a talented, independent designer-maker known for her colourful lampwork beads, including characterful cats.

Min, who features in our article on craftspeople inspired by cats (see p 34) uses a gas-fuelled torch to melt rods of glass to make her gleaming creations. As the beads are handmade, each is unique.

She admits she’s tried to make “serious beads” but just can’t help transforming the glowing glass into minature mogs. The beads have gone down a storm with cat lovers, who often see their own felines in Min’s colourful cats.

The beads are sold individually or made up into jewellery sets. Min has generously agreed to give away two necklace-and-earring sets (photo shows an example). For a chance to win, mark your entry Jewellery Set .

To see more of Min’s work, and to buy her beads, go to www.applegreenmachine.co.uk or straight to her online shop at www.etsy.com/shop/minfidler

WIN

For a chance to win one of our fantastic giveaways, send your name and address plus the giveaway phrase on a postcard or sealed envelope to: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 7TT . You can also send your entries via email to: competitions@cats.org.uk . Don’t forget to include the giveaway wording in the subject header so we know which competition you’re entering, and remember to include 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 12 October 2012

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41

Flea control - you can win the battle!

Callum Blair scratches below the surface of a perennial problem…

F

leas! Mention the word and we start to itch – and it’s no comfort to realise that the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is one of the most abundant species of flea on earth. A small sucking insect, the cat flea’s primary host is, of course, the domestic cat but it’s also found frequently on dogs and will bite humans.

Flea bites cause discomfort and inflame skin. Some pets develop an allergic reaction to the flea’s saliva – a condition known as Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD), a skin disease, which causes them to scratch constantly. Fleas can also pass on tapeworm infections while heavy flea burdens in kittens often result in anaemia.

The combination of our mild climate and the growing number of centrally-heated homes makes fleas a yearround problem. What’s even more worrying is that despite a proliferation of products on the market, some pet owners are reporting that, even though they follow the product’s instructions, they are still finding fleas on their pets.

So, what is best practice for a flea-control regime? What are the potential pitfalls and keys to success?

Flea control explained To deal with fleas effectively it’s important to understand the four stages of their life cycle:

Adults Adult fleas live on your cat but represent only 5 per cent of the total flea population in your home. They feed on your pet’s blood, causing distress and discomfort through their bites. The females lay up to 50 eggs a day with your cat acting as a sprinkler, depositing them throughout the house as it moves around. In ideal conditions, 10 adult female fleas can produce over a million eggs in 36 days.

Eggs Eggs probably make up about half of the total flea population in your home. They will be concentrated in areas where the cat spends a lot of time for instance in its bed or yours, but can be anywhere your cat goes. They’re 0.5 mm long, white, smooth and hardly visible to the human eye.

Larvae Caterpillar-like larvae hatch from the eggs in one to three weeks. They burrow down into the pile of carpets and migrate under furniture and floorboard cracks. They have no legs or eyes but have chewing mouth parts. They feed on adult flea excrement, food debris and dead skin.

42

The Cat Autumn 2012

Pupae After one to two weeks, the larvae spin themselves a cocoon in which to pupate. At this stage they are at their most resilient because the sticky, protective cocoons can resist insecticides and are virtually undetectable in the home.

They can also lie dormant for up to a year until warmth and vibrations from passing people and animals trigger them to hatch – hungry for a blood meal. They leap on the next passing animal and the cycle starts again.

Flea control best practice – integration is the key Using an ‘on-animal’ treatment, such as a spot-on, will kill the adult fleas on your pet but won’t kill the eggs, larvae and pupae in your home. Likewise, using an environmental flea

HEALTH CHECK

fleas, although some over the counter products are merely repellents. So it is important to do some research as not all offer the same level of effectiveness while some dog-only products can be highly toxic to cats.

Spot-ons vary significantly in price and in the interval allowed between treatments. Some are also easier to use than others so it’s worth looking around to find a product which offers you a combination of good value, high efficacy and convenience. Your veterinary surgeon or nurse will be able to advise you.

Environmental sprays Environmental treatments in spray form usually contain two main ingredients: an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to prevent the development of the immature stages of the flea and an adulticide to kill adult fleas. They will help treat an existing infestation and stop a new one from becoming established.

They are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive to meet strict safety standards.

When using an environmental treatment, follow the instructions closely and spray directly onto and where possible under carpets and rugs, blankets, upholstered furniture, beds, tiles and skirting boards. Pay attention to cracks and crevices in all areas of the home, including between floor boards.

Mechanical controls

spray will kill the eggs and larvae – but pupae are difficult to kill and adult fleas will remain on your pet. Tackling fleas effectively requires a three-pronged, integrated approach: • An on-animal treatment • An environmental treatment • ‘Mechanical’ environmental controls, such as vacuuming and washing

On-animal treatments It is important to treat all the appropriate pets in the household. The most frequently used treatments are spotons though other products are also available. Most onanimal treatments contain an ‘adulticide’ to destroy adult

Callum Blair BVMS MRCVS

There are some practical steps you can take to make your home a hostile environment for fleas. For instance, frequent vacuuming will stimulate lurking flea pupae to hatch as adults and be killed by the environmental spray. Regular machine washing of your cat’s bedding will also drown any eggs, larvae, pupae or adult fleas.

Golden rules Apply products properly It sounds simple enough and spot-ons are popular because they are easy to use but experts believe that some reports of ‘product failures’ can be the result of owners not actually applying them properly or not using them as regularly as required.

It’s important to part the fur to ensure that the treatment goes directly onto the animal’s skin. It’s also important to ensure that the whole dose is applied and that it is repeated at the required interval. At Virbac we take the art of applying spot-ons so seriously that we’ve coined the term ‘spotonology’ and work with veterinary practices to help pet owners become expert ‘spotonologists!’

Callum graduated from Glasgow Vet School in 1994 and spent six and a half years in general practice in the south and east of England. He joined Virbac’s Technical Support Team at the end of 2000. His current role involves training and advising vets, nurses and pet owners on pet healthcare and all aspects of Virbac’s product range.

The Cat Autumn 2012

43

HEALTH CHECK

Illustrations: Sam Roberts

Treating the environment is vital Some owners are rigorous in their use of an on-animal treatment but ignore the eggs, larvae and pupae also in their homes by not using an environmental treatment.

The problem is that, as pupae can survive for up to a year, if you don’t treat the environment, you’ll still be faced with adult fleas hatching and jumping onto your pet where they will start laying eggs before they are killed by the on-animal treatment. On-animal treatments aren’t always 100 per cent effective for the full duration of the treatment interval which means that the odd one can survive and lay eggs. And the odd one is all it takes...

It’s also worth bearing in mind that it will take a very long time to eliminate an established infestation if you are only treating the animal because pupae hatch out at different stages. However, by using an environmental spray you can then take positive steps to accelerate the hatching of pupae from the house and thus eliminate the infestation more quickly.

Ask your veterinary practice for advice The fight against fleas never stops so if you are unsure what product to use or how to use it, your veterinary nurse or veterinary surgeon will be able to give you up to date advice and show you how to use treatments. They will help you win the battle!

Competition time! 10 Vibrac Indorex environmental flea treatments to be won!

Virbac is offering a can of its Indorex environmental flea treatment free to 10 lucky readers. You will need to send us your name, address and most importantly the name and address of your local vet. Due to postal restrictions we are unable to send aerosol cans via post so they will need to be picked up from your vet. The 10 winners will be notified as will their vets who will be sent the Indorex direct from Virbac.

Enter in the usual way: to either competitions@cats.org.uk or by post to The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Sussex RH17 7TT. Do remember to mark your emails and envelopes with VIRBAC. Competition deadline 12 October 2012.

Award winning Indorex is the UK’s leading veterinary household spray. Indorex kills both adult fleas and dust mites while also preventing development of eggs and larvae. It’s the only veterinary household flea control spray proven to be

44 The Cat Autumn 2012

stable in UV light (sunlight) and will keep your home flea free for up to 12 months. A single can is sufficient to treat an average sized three bed semi-detached home.

Active Ingredients: Permethrin (rapidly kills adult fleas), Pyriproxyfen (controls growth of eggs and larvae from fleas and house dust mites), piperonyl butoxide (reinforces the action of permethrin).

Please follow the instructions on the can.

PAWS FOR THOUGHT

Moggies in Mallorca Annie Sofiano reflects on life with her cats under the Spanish sun “Let’s sell up and move to Mallorca to open a Bed & Breakfast!” This was our crazy idea nine years ago and little did we know how much our lives would change and our cat family increase.

Arriving at Palma airport on a December night in 2003, my husband Martin and I expected to collect the cats – 18-year-old Posy and three-yearolds Monty and Bertie – from the handling centre, so were alarmed to see their boxes going round on the conveyor belt. Still, we had arrived safely and our new lives were about to begin.

Home is now a Mallorcan farmhouse, Finca Son Jorbo, set in eight acres and quite different from our Birmingham house and garden. Our family grew immediately as we adopted Catalina the resident cat. Unfortunately, she has not taken to the many new arrivals and is a little grumpy on occasions!

We soon got to know our farming neighbours and they often give us baskets of fruit or vegetables. One day, old Juan appeared with apricots for jam making and also a sack, tied at the top and kicking furiously – the sack, not Juan! Inside were two eight-week-old tabbies, wet and frightened.

Paco and Pedro are now enormous cats described by the locals as ‘pumas’ and often with the exclamation “Que grande!”

We seem to have a knack of finding abandoned kittens – or are we simply in the right place at the right time? Teddy had been living rough.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

His fur was matted, full of brambles and his head misshapen. He still walks in a lopsided way, but he is a feisty little animal seeing off any rivals. Sidney was sitting in the middle of the council rubbish tip. We suspect he was an unwanted Christmas present as he had a bad case of runny tummy, but he overcame his problems and is now as huge as the others.

Harry was found near a motorway running between cars. Nobody stopped, just driving around him and he was seconds from being flattened. He had been abandoned some time because his ears were badly sunburnt and had become curled and crispy like poppadoms.

However, after moisturising, they soon returned to normal. We realised why he was so fearless with cars; he is deaf. We have invested in a tracking device and now he wears a transmitter on his collar. We can find him, whether he wants to be found or not!

As most cat owners know, there is always a tom – or two – fighting the resident cats and stealing their food. However hard we tried to discourage the toms, they wanted to stay.

Of course, they had to adhere to house rules and get snipped, but this did not deter them.

Now Tomas is a loving animal dribbling with contentment. Catching Cyril was not so easy.

While he was undergoing his minor op, Martin was with the doctor having anti-tetanus jabs for his wounds! Cyril is not completely integrated, but we can now stroke him. Having been badly treated, it will take time to completely gain his confidence, but we are getting there.

So that is our Mallorcan – and Brummie – family. We are one fewer as Posy passed away peacefully at the age of 20 after a wonderful two years warming her old bones in the sunshine. We didn’t set out to have so many, but we have the space so it never seems like there are 10, except at meal times! When we started our hotel, we worried that some people may not like cats, so Monty is on our website as a warning. In fact, it is the reverse with guests booking because of them. Often, the first thing they ask is “where are all the cats?” Their photos are included in our room information and many guests set themselves a challenge of finding and naming every one. It helps that they are all incredibly sociable animals, seeking out guests for a fuss or cuddle, wishing them good morning or lying with them at the pool.

Fortunately we have been able to home others we have found and these are the lucky ones. Mallorca, like many places, is overrun with homeless cats. There are several groups of residents doing a wonderful job feeding and neutering colonies of strays, rescuing and rehoming abandoned animals. Sometimes the number of cats needing help seems unending, but I guess that once you start caring for animals, you can’t stop – they need us too much for that.

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Give your feet a rest and exercise your mind

Ten-minute crossword

Amusing Heather CP stalwart Heather Cook’s cats attempt a Great Escape

Across 1 Loosen (4) 3 Friendly (8) 9 Haven (7) 10 More competent (5) 11 Something of value (5) 12 Gas essential for life (6) 14 Fisherman (6) 16 Out of sorts (6) 19 US island state (6) 21 Bait, rag (5) 24 Longest river in France (5) 25 Exact (7) 26 Pacts (8) 27 Nuisance (4)

Down 1 Great disturbance (8) 2 Pub game (5) 4 Looking-glass (6) 5 Mad (5) 6 Credit (7) 7 Multi-national currency (4) 8 Container for liquid (6) 13 Use badly (3-5) 15 Hard stone (7) 17 Aromatic spice (6) 18 Small wave (6) 20 Turn aside (5) 22 Join together (5) 23 Conspiracy (4)

To win one of these these beautiful Rosina Wachtmeister tealights, complete our crossword correctly, rearrange the shaded letters to find the name of a famous actress then name her just-as-famous daughter. Write the answer, plus your name and address, on a letter or postcard, and send 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 12 October 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: Mrs Batts, Mr Hill and Miss Griffiths.

Answers to Summer Crossword on page 37. The hidden name was Valentine.

46 The Cat Autumn 2012

As anyone who has visited us will be aware, we have a high proportion of special needs felines. This being the case, we set about making the back garden escape proof – not to cats like Evie and Lucio, who fly across six-foot fences as if they didn’t exist – but to disabled cats like Blind Sammy, for example.

A large, ginger, gentlemanly cat, Sammy settled in quickly. We knew that he wouldn’t be able to scale the six-foot fence, so when he disappeared from the garden it was clear that he must have been abducted by aliens. After rushing up and down the road like mad things, we sighted him strolling round next door’s garden.

We were more confident with Benjamin Wobble, a porky ginger boy with brain damage. We knew that Benjamin couldn’t climb very well, but we reckoned without the badgers digging a tunnel under the fence that would have comfortably accommodated Eurostar. Benjamin did what any self-respecting cat would do and wobbled off into the woods. He was missing for three days, before being discovered, tired and hungry but none the worse for his adventures, which is more than could be said for us.

Poor little Stumpy Malone was born without hind paws which made climbing difficult. We watched him in the garden, smiling indulgently as he scooted after flies and moths, then smiling not quite so indulgently when we saw him strolling along the top of the wooden fence.

But everybody knows that a three-legged cat couldn’t scale a six foot fence. Everybody, that is, apart from little Whizzy. She had been an adored only pet before joining the Special Needs Unit, so she found it hard at first to settle with so many cats. For this reason we were particularly worried about letting her out for the first time – and even more worried when she took off like a greyhound and reached the top of the fence in one bound. Poor Roger, taking off like a rather more substantial greyhound, grabbed her round the middle and hauled her down.

All of this proves that – as we’ve always suspected – cats will always have the last laugh, particularly if they’re dealing with stupid humans who flatter themselves that they know a bit about cats.

COFFEE PAWS Purr ‘n’ Fur

The ginger darlings of Pembrokshire Artist, book illustrator and writer Jackie Morris lives in ‘a ramshackle cottage held together with spider’s webs’, as she puts it, by the sea on the Pembrokeshire coast of south-west Wales. She shares the cottage with her children Tom and Hannah, dogs Bella and Floss – and cats.

Max is a dark tabby who enjoys posing for paintings and appears in several of the books Jackie has illustrated. Martha* is the oldest of the four ginger cats; she sees it as her duty to purr Hannah to sleep at night and to wake her in the morning. And then there are the Ginger Darlings, otherwise known as The Three or We Three – Maurice*, Pixie and Elmo.

The first two arrived after the death of Arthur, Martha’s ginger brother; Jackie meant to get one kitten, but ‘Arthur had been such a big cat, and they were so small’ that she took home two.

They liked to curl up to sleep on top of dog Bella – so it was natural that when Bella went for a walk, the kits followed, ‘prowling like tiny tigers through the forest of grass, running and hiding and tumbling’. As the youngsters grew, the walks became longer. Elmo, the third of The Three, was taken in after black cat Bird died of old age; right from the start he took to joining the walkers. They walk up to four miles a day.

Now, morning and evening, two dogs and three cats accompanying their human make an unusual sight along the Pembrokeshire coastal path. The cats pick their way across moorland, have learned to navigate stiles, and sometimes climb up onto signposts. They don’t seem to mind what the weather is like, but they do carefully avoid boggy and muddy areas. Generally Elmo likes to lead, Maurice will wander here and there investigating things and running up hills and gateposts, while Pixie likes to stand as though admiring the view – and then leaps out at Jackie as she walks past. The cats will mew for her and the dogs to wait if they get left too far behind.

Ramblers and other walkers, of course, do a double-take when they meet Jackie and her entourage. One walker told her “you’re supposed to keep your dog on a lead” to which Jackie replied “but he’s a cat”.

Generally, the cats are wary of other humans, preferring to sit under a bush and watch them pass, but occasionally they’ll say hello. Wild ponies and the Highland cattle that came to share the hillsides made them nervous at first, but now they take most things in their stride. They especially love bees and dragonflies, whose movements fascinate them, and in late summer they enjoy watching and listening to the grey seals and their pups below them on the coast.

For more extraordinary feline tales go to www.purr-n-fur.org.uk Patrick Roberts * Sadly it is recently reported that Maurice and Martha have now passed on.

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 37.

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How can we help?

03000 12 12 12

You’re probably used to your cat’s comings and goings but what happens when suddenly the usual friendly greeting you receive when you arrive home isn’t there?

Don’t panic!

Even if your cat does have a routine like clockwork, cats will often go ‘missing’ only to arrive home later that evening, the next morning or even a week later looking very pleased with themselves and showing no concern about their poor, worried and often fraught owners. So, if the worst happens and puss doesn’t show up what should you do?

Step 1 – Have an action plan!

First things first – check your home and garden.

Cats can be crafty little things and can hide themselves in all sorts of places. If you have checked every nook and cranny and are positive he is not at home then start to check the garden. Check sheds and shady places especially if the weather is hot as they will often try and find a nice cool spot to sit and relax. Still no luck? Take a walk around the

48 The Cat Autumn 2012

neighbourhood and call their name. Sometimes the sound of a familiar voice will be enough to bring them running back home.

Next, make all of the neighbours aware and ask them to also check their sheds and garages. If you are able, make some flyers up. When preparing a flyer make sure to include a good description of your cat, the gender, age, colour, colour of the cat’s eye, breed and any distinguishing features they may have. A photo is a big help. A contact telephone is necessary but for your safety do not give your address. It’s also worth asking the local postman or milkman to keep their eyes peeled.

HELPLINE Once all of this has been done then it’s time to make some telephone calls: • Notify your local Cats Protection. To find out your local branch please call 03000 12 12 12 • If your cat is microchipped, call Petlog: 0844 4633 999 so that they can register your cat missing, and also to check any ‘found cat’ reports in your area – lines are open 365 days a year 24/7 • Register the details of your cat at www.animalsearchuk.co.uk • Contact the RSPCA helpline on 0300 1234 999 • Call all local vet practices in your area – not just your own vet • Most local councils’ Environmental Health Departments will keep a record of cats found killed on the roads. Although not an easy call to make it is worth giving them a quick call to help rule this out • Get in touch with any other local animal rescue organisations in the area

Step three Take your flyers to local shops, vets, local notice boards and put them anywhere where it is legal to do so.

The internet and social media sites can be a great tool to help track down a lost animal. If you have a Facebook and Twitter page make sure you put the details on there and notify all of your friends. Ask your friends to notify their friends. Post it on your local animal charities’ Facebook pages too.

Get in contact with your local radio station, police station and fire station.

Hopefully by this time puss will have sauntered back in as if nothing has happened but if not now is the time to intensify the search. Use a few tricks and put them into action: • If your cat has a favourite toy, try leaving it in your garden • A cat’s main sense is smell so if it has a regular blanket or bedding it usually sleeps on leave it out in a dry spot to try and entice it out of hiding • Cats may be more active at night, especially in the hot weather, so go out with a friend or relative when it is dark and call for it by name • Leave a bowl of water out and some food. Food may attract other animals but it’s still worth putting something out to help lure puss out of his hiding spot

If you do get any calls claiming to have found your cat don’t build your hopes up too soon. Be prepared for the disappointment that it may not be yours.

For safety reasons, make sure you take a friend or relative with you if you do follow up on any calls.

Hopefully your cat will soon be safely back home but you can help to ensure this doesn’t happen again by following two steps: • Keep your cat in at night • Make sure your cat is microchipped Cats get themselves into all sorts of mischief, especially at night. A cat’s natural instinct is to hunt so by keeping him in between dawn and dusk you’re helping to keep him safe and also helping other wildlife that is active at night.

Cats Protection believes that all owned cats should be identified in order to trace their owner should they become lost or injured. The preferred method of identification is an implanted microchip as this is permanent and safe. If an owner also chooses to fit a collar with their contact details attached, CP advises the use of a quick-release or snap-opening

Illustration: Sam Roberts

Step two

collar in preference to an elasticated one. This means that the cat is less likely to be trapped should the collar become caught or tangled. The collar must be fitted correctly; two fingers should fit snugly underneath it when the cat is wearing it. A cat’s leg or jaw may become caught in an elasticated or illfitting collar and this can result in serious injury.

Above all, don’t give up hope. We hear so many tales of cats being found and reunited with their owners, sometimes years after they have gone missing.

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

The Cat Autumn 2012 49

Spotlight

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

Appeals

Marty’s on the mend

By Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted Branch Marty arrived at our vet in a terrible state. He’d been injured by a car and weighed only 2.5 kilos. He could not swallow or lap, he had a deep wound on his face and his eyes were bulging out of his head.

He was tube fed while his problems were investigated.

Our vet thought as he was so thin, there must be some underlying condition. But tests revealed only that Marty was starving – whether due to his injuries, or because he was a long-term stray, we don’t know. But his main problem was not being able to eat on his own and unless this improved, he had no future.

He was, however, an extremely friendly and gentle boy.

He spent two weeks at the vet and won the hearts of the vet nurses who lavished fuss and attention upon him.

Thanks to their efforts, Marty eventually did start to feed himself. He put on weight rapidly and is now in peak condition. His injured eye has now healed with only a tiny scar left and his vision is normal.

Marty’s veterinary treatment has cost us more than £800.

If you would like to help, please contact Suze Gomme on 01442 214 459 or send a donation to 6 Scriveners Close, Hemel Hempstead HP2 4XP. Cheques payable to ‘Cats Protection Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted Branch’ please.

Give Henry a sporting chance

By Basildon, Brentwood & District Branch Friendly tabby Henry needs help for an operation to cure a condition called Medial Patella Luxation affecting both knee joints. One of his lower leg bones is clicking in and out of the joint and the other is completely loose.

Henry came into the branch’s care with his brother Harry when they both were five months old, as they were no longer wanted by their owners. It very soon became obvious that Henry had a problem with both his back legs, even though he dashed around his Fosterer’s room like runner Usain Bolt!

Although this didn’t cause Henry problems as a kitten, as he grows he will start to experience pain and limited mobility. A specialist orthopaedic vet has explained that Henry will need separate operations on each knee joint to pin back the bones, followed by six weeks of rest after each procedure. The branch will have to raise more than £2,000 to cover the two operations and veterinary aftercare needed so is appealing to fellow cat lovers for any donation, large or small, towards the cost of his operations.

If you can help, cheques payable to Basildon Cats Protection should be sent to Basildon Cats Protection, c/o the Branch Treasurer, 2 Reed Pond Walk, Langdon Hills, Basildon, SS16 6AX. Any donations received over and above those needed for Henry will be put towards the branch’s monthly veterinary bills.

Help Matty get better

By Atherton & Wigan Metro Branch Matty is a Persian cross who had been living on the streets for more than a year. She was in a dreadful state so we had no choice but to have her shaved. Matty, who is about 12 years old, has hyperthyroidism, an enlarged kidney and pneumonia. She is responding to treatment but feeling very sorry for herself and a long way from recovery. We would be very grateful for any help with Matty’s vet costs. Please send to Atherton Wigan Branch Treasurer Betty Jones, 3 Rosedale Drive Leigh, Lancs, WN7 2TN. Cheques payable to ‘Atherton & Wigan Metro Cats Protection’ please.

50 The Cat Autumn 2012

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

CP IN FOCUS

Abused puss making progress Bright future

By Stockport Branch for Bindi Tabby-and-white Jess lived in a drug-fuelled violent household. One day, she was thrown from the window of a block of flats onto the car park below. Jess lived under the bushes there for days before finally being coaxed out.

Gradually, Jess is gaining confidence and is starting to eat an acceptable amount. She now growls less.

She is still very wary and cowers in response to any sudden movement. It is going to take some time but we are hopeful that with lots of TLC Jess will move on from her ordeal and learn to trust again. Any donations towards her care and rehabilitation would be welcome.

Donations can be made (cheques payable to Stockport Cats Protection) to Ms J. Goodman, 3 Hexworth Walk, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3DF. Alternatively, contact the Branch Co-ordinator on 0161 439 1274 or email stockport.cp@hotmail.com

By Eltham, Sidcup & District Branch White cat Bindi was found in woods; she was thin, grubby and hungry. We were able to trace the owner as she was microchipped.

The seven-year-old cat had been missing for four years. Her owner still had her black sister but, instead of being overjoyed at Bindi’s discovery, refused to have her back. The owner said she did not want to deal with a ‘new’ cat at her advancing age. So Bindi, who has one blue eye and one yellow, was put up for homing. It was soon clear that she was deaf and needed an indoor home.

Bindi attracted a lot of interest because of her unusual colour and went to a lovely new home with Katie and her fiancé in their flat. They think Bindi is marvellous and have fallen in love with her playful ways. They have also been very taken with the odd noises she makes because she cannot hear. So, despite being rejected by her original owner, Bindi found the loving home she deserved.

Miraculous mog Success stories

Pedigree puss finds loving home

By Maidenhead, Slough & District Branch Harvey came into the care of the Maidenhead, Slough & District branch when his owners couldn’t afford vet fees following a road traffic accident. He had no pedigree papers but has beautiful long cream fur with apricot ears and blue eyes – we think he is a cream rag doll type.

Luckily, Harvey’s injuries were not as serious as first thought. He made a good recovery and was soon rehomed.

New owner Amber gave him lots of love and affection, encouraging him to find his feet and regain his confidence.

She gave him the second name Hope in memory of all other rescue cats looking for new forever homes and to show that cats found on the street or abandoned can find a safe place to live.

By Beverley & Pocklington Branch Dottie lived in a paper bag at the side of the road and survived on scraps. She was found late at night by someone hoping for a bed in one of Hull’s hostels.

Fortunately, the police were already at the hostel and delivered Dottie to us. She was a bag of bones. Our first job was to feed her and try to clean her face. She was wormed and after four days blood tested and fortunately was negative. But three days later she developed a very high temperature and we had to take her to the vet every day for four days of treatment. We hoped Dottie would be discharged but no – the diagnosis was anaemia and jaundice and liver tests were recommended. The vet rang and told us her liver parameters should be less than 115 but were actually 317. Her red blood cells were damaged and all her results were either much too high or much too low.

The vet’s feeling was that we should consider euthanasia.

But Dottie had had such a rough start and days of painful injections and she did not appear to be in any pain. We wanted to give her a few happy days, on the understanding we would take her straight to the vets if she was suffering.

Dottie confounded all the vets. Her weight increased by over 50 per cent and she regained her energy. She has gone to a new home and is now called ‘Naysa’; Hebrew for miracle.

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

The Cat Autumn 2012

51

Spotlight

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

Social media helps Suzy

Success shorts

By Peterborough & District Branch One very hard-to-home cat in Peterborough has gone to a new home, thanks to the Facebook posts of a Birminghambased branch volunteer.

Katie Vine has been a lifelong cat lover but her new home with fiancé Pete was cat-free, until she became Facebook friends with Denise Atkins.

Katie says: “When I became friends with Denise Atkins on Facebook, little did I know that I was about to be bombarded with cute cat photos. Denise is a volunteer with the North Birmingham Branch of Cats Protection and has three gorgeous cats of her own so there were plenty of pictures!”

Katie was inspired to attend Peterborough & District Branch’s homing event, where she met Suzy, a three-year-old black cat with a missing tail. She says: “When I saw Suzy and heard her story, I phoned Pete and neither of us felt we could leave her behind.”

Denise, who is Publicity Officer for North Birmingham Cats Protection, says: “I’m glad my cat appreciation has rubbed off on others. Katie can expect to see a lot more photos of my cats cuddled up together – maybe that will persuade her that one is not enough!”

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: • 14 September – Winter 2012 • 7 December – Spring 2013 • 15 March – Summer 2013 Please send your entries to: CP in Focus, Editorial Team, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex, 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.

Images must be sent separately (not embedded in documents), and should be high-resolution and in jpeg or tif format, at least 300dpi.

52

The Cat Autumn 2012

ristol & District Branch has B rehomed Tinks , who came to the branch because her owner didn’t want her any more. She was pregnant and had three male kittens. Once neutered, vaccinated and chipped, Tinks went to live with new owner Chrissy and her partner, who renamed her Maisy. t Austell & District S Branch has rehomed its one thousandth cat. Juliette was brought in as a stray in a very sad condition. Her coat was matted and full of ticks and her teeth were damaged. She received veterinary treatment and was put on a special diet, and started to respond to Fosterers Penny and Colin Gibbs. Juliette was eventually rehomed with new owner Alison, who thanks the branch on behalf of all other happy cats and their new owners. est Fife Branch W has reunited a cat missing for three years with his owner.

Penny Macdonald had given up hope of seeing Tipsy again after he vanished from his Edinburgh home but the mog turned up in Fife earlier this year. The branch was able to reunite the cat with owner Penny Macdonald thanks to his microchip.

Stray cat Bonnie was helped by Bournemouth & District Branch . The cat was taken to a local vet who said had never seen a cat in such a poor state. She was dramatically underweight at less than 2kg and in desperate need of dental work. Her fur was badly matted and her skin was in bad condition. Bonnie has been treated for an overactive thyroid and has become a firm favourite with her Fosterer, who knitted her a coat to keep warm. Bonnie was recently deemed well enough to undergo a thyroidectomy and her Fosterer hopes to adopt her.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Messageboard

CP IN FOCUS from your local Cats Protection...

Torquay & District

Looking for a home Framlingham & Saxmundham

Jensen

TJ

Male, around five years old

Bracknell & Wokingham Districts

Chloe and Clara

Females, two years old

Reading & District

Copper

Male, 10+ years

Male, six years old Chloe

Jensen was found abandoned and unwell in a cardboard box on someone’s drive in freezing weather last winter. He is now well on the way to full recovery but does need to have daily insulin injections for his diabetes – the branch will fund his vet costs. He is desperate to find a new loving owner who will give him that little extra commitment and love he deserves.

☎☎ 01728 723 499

Preston

When handsome Copper came into care he was pitifully thin and very unhappy. After treatment, and lots of TLC he has emerged as a cuddly teddy bear with a lovely coat and a wonderfully friendly character. Copper’s future prognosis is unknown due to possible repercussions from the thyroid which was removed, but for now he is on medication and is absolutely fine.

Warrington Adoption Centre

Jodie and Jess

Females, five years old

Clara

Chloe and Clara need to be rehomed together. Chloe is chocolate brown and long haired, while Clara is ginger.

Both love to be brushed and need a quiet home with no children or other pets, ideally with an older person who is experienced with cats.

☎☎ 08453 714 212

Stockport

Agatha and Violet Female, under 12 months

South Birmingham

Ted

Male, approx two years old

Male, two years old

☎☎ 08451 770 708

☎☎ 07880 922 158

☎☎ 08452 602 395

Timmy

Timmy is a young neutered male black and white ‘tuxedo’ cat. He came to us after spending some time as a stray. We think he may have been abused in the past, because he has an aversion to feet. He will need a patient home with experienced owners.

TJ was found as a stray. This black-and-white cat adores human company but would prefer not to live with children. TJ is looking for a home where he will get lots of fuss and attention and access to a nice garden.

Ted had been living rough before he came into our care and was in a bit of a state; however a wash and brush up revealed the most handsome cat. He is a real character who knows his own mind but he is also very affectionate, loves company and fuss and sitting on laps.

Ted needs to be the only pet as he is nervous of other cats. He would settle best in an adult household or one with older children.

Jodie and Jess are both five years old; they came to us after their previous owner had a baby. They are both very friendly and like attention. Jodie is currently on a diet as she is carrying a few extra pounds, so she will need to be encouraged to move around and play.

These two would prefer a home without young children as they are both quiet cats.

☎☎ 01925 411 160

☎☎ 0845 371 1854

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

Agatha and Violet were found in a challenging area of Greater Manchester. The initial plan was to neuter and release them but it was too dangerous to put them back. They were extremely distressed and didn’t seem to have had a lot of positive contact from people. We decided to persevere. To date they are much more at ease, friendly and confident.

They would be best suited to a quieter environment and a patient and understanding owner.

☎☎ 0161 439 1274

The Cat Autumn 2012

53

CP IN FOCUS

Join the team erby & District Branch has vacancies for volunteers. We D desperately need fieldworkers/vet runners as we only have a handful of these. We also need Cat Line operators. This job would suit someone who is at home for most of the day. It is an ideal opportunity for someone who wants to help cats without leaving the comfort of their own home. We also need a Fundraising Co-ordinator. 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. ltham, Sidcup & District Branch needs a new Treasurer as E the current holder of the post is stepping down due to family illness. Another helper can carry out this vital role temporarily but we need someone in the longer term. You can fit it around other commitments as it is flexible. To find out more, please phone Jan on 07772 679 854 or email Jenny at jennyorme@live.co.uk. The branch is also looking for more Fosterers so we can help more cats and kittens. You supply the TLC and shelter in a spare room or pen in the garden (which we can put up) while we pay for food, litter and vet bills. It’s very rewarding; find out more from Jacqui on 020 8859 6009. There are also loads of other ways to help, such as in our shop, shelter, providing transport, admin – even knitting! Full details at www.elthamsidcup.cats.org.uk

Thank you… ettina Gruninger , a practitioner at The Straids Veterinary B Clinic in Beaconsfield, took part in the London Marathon on the 22 April. She was running on behalf of the High Wycombe & South Bucks branch of Cats Protection and completed the race in an amazing 04:00:05, raising more than £2,400 for the branch.

The Framlingham & Saxmundham Branch would like to say thank you to those kind and generous people for sending donations towards the wellbeing of the two sisters, Angel and Precious, featured in the summer issue of The Cat magazine. We are extremely grateful to you and can assure you that we will do everything we can to find them a lovely home together.

toke & Newcastle Branch has opportunities in many S areas of fundraising from the odd few hours with a collecting bucket in stores or helping with street collections to running a whole event. We have vacancies for creative people, for self-motivated, experienced volunteers and for those who would like to work gradually and include new skills in their repertoire. Whether you have limited time or all the time in the world we can use your talents. Can you make craft items? We want you! Can you help with stalls?

We want you! Can you sell raffle tickets or theatre tickets to friends, colleagues and family? We want you! Anyone and everyone can bring something to the branch to help with fundraising – whether it be doing a car boot sale or hosting a coffee morning, jewellery sale or handbag party at home. Help us and have fun at the same time!

The Fund Raising Officer Margaret will be there to provide whatever support is required. Phone her on 07842 286 382 or email mbostock41@btinternet.com Contact her or Sue, the Secretary, if you would like to volunteer or want more information. Sue’s phone number is 01782 316 724 or email koschka@btinternet.com eignbridge & Totnes Branch needs more volunteers to T help with putting up rehoming posters, placing food bins and collection boxes in the TQs 7 to 14 & EX6 & 7 areas.

This will not take up too much of your time. If you’d like to help with this in your home town please telephone Barbara on 08453 712 727. elford & District Branch is looking for volunteers for T 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, on 08452 601 502 or by e-mail to catsprotectiontelford@gmail.com

confident presenter, giving well received talks to women’s groups, and she often recruited new volunteers who she was kind enough to invite into her home, providing delicious biscuits with the cups of ‘getting to know you’ tea.

Pat has been described as loyal, stalwart, private, quiet and conscientious – but the words ‘kind’ –her independence and wish to get on with things in recent years, despite age and infirmity creeping up on her. Pat will be remembered for her unfailing dedication to fundraising for the cats; she attended her last fundraising event during Christmas 2011 at the Hook Library in Chessington and is sorely missed by us all. After the funeral service, as we walked out to look at the flowers a beautiful cat came along to greet us! It turns out that the cat is owned by the manageress of the crematorium and was homed by our branch. We think that Pat sent the cat along to show her approval and thanks for the service, and to say a last goodbye.

On Wednesday 25 April 2012, Epsom, Ewell & District Branch lost a dedicated & committed volunteer. Pat Hogan , who died peacefully in her sleep aged 81, had been involved with Cats Protection since the early 1980s, initially fundraising for the New Malden shelter, then joining the Epsom, Ewell & District Branch when it was founded in 1988. Alongside her tireless fundraising she was also a knowledgeable and

54

The Cat Autumn 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 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fri, 9am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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: Cats Protection, FREEPOST SEA 7678, Haywards Heath, RH17 7BR. Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

LA1224 LA73

Diary of events ENGLAND BERKSHIRE Newbury & District Collection 6 October: Sainsbury’s, Winchcombe Road, Newbury, 9am–6pm 1 December: Tesco’s, London Road, Thatcham, 9am–6pm 2 December: Tesco, London Road, Thatcham, 10am–4pm Stall 13 October: Thatcham Festival of Arts, Thatcham Green, Thatcham Broadway – All day Christmas Bazaar 25 November: The Acland Hall, Hermitage Road, Cold Ash; please come and visit the cats, browse our stalls and maybe win a prize in our raffle or tombola; admission 50p, 1–4pm (Cattery closes at 3.30pm) Jumble Sale 1 December: Catholic Hall, Bath Road, Thatcham.

Admission 30p. Doors open 11.30am, jumble accepted 9–10.30am or previously at Newbury Adoption Centre

Find out what’s going on near you...

crafts, cakes, refreshments, tombola, books/puzzles, CP merchandise and much more. Phone Gill on 01246 209 946

Hall, Bovey Tracey from 10am–12noon 25 November: Stall at Exeter branch Christmas Fair, Kenton from 2–4pm

DEVON

Torquay & District

East Devon Branch Events 15 September: Coffee morning and bazaar, 10am–12noon, The Feoffee Town Hall, Colyton 20 October: Coffee morning and table–top sale, 10am– noon, The Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary Fairs 25 November: Stall at Kenton Christmas Bazaar, 2–4pm, Kenton Village Hall near Exeter.

1 December: Mince Pie Coffee Morning & Bazaar, All Saints Church Hall, Sidmouth. 10am–12noon.

Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre

DERBYSHIRE

22 September: Exeter Street Collection, large collection with as many volunteers as possible.

27 October: Kids Halloween Party at the Adoption Centre 1 December: Coffee & mince pies at the Adoption Centre

Chesterfield & District Branch

Teignbridge & Totnes Branch

Fairs 13 October: Holymoorside Bazaar, 10am–1pm at Holymoorside Village Hall, Holymoor Road, Holymoorside, Chesterfield.

Homemade crafts, cakes, refreshments, tombola, books/puzzles, CP merchandise and much more. Phone Gill on 01246 209 946 17 November: Christmas Market, at Rose Hill United Reformed Church, Rose Hill, Chesterfield. Opening time 10am–2.30pm. Homemade

Coffee mornings 29 September: Coffee morning at Chudleigh town hall from 10am–12noon Stalls 29 September: Stall at World Animal Day, Totnes, 11am–3pm 13 October: Coffee morning & stalls at The Community Club, Moretonhampstead from 10am–12noon Fairs 24 November: Christmas Fair at Methodist Church

Cats Protection presence at national shows 15-16 September: Royal Berkshire Show, Newbury, Berks 5-7 October: BVNA Congress, Telford International Centre, Shropshire – vet nurse trade show

56 The Cat Autumn 2012

22 September: Animal Charity Day at the Parish Hall of St Mary the Virgin, St Marychurch, Torquay, 10am–2pm

DORSET Bournemouth & District Fairs: 20 October: Autumn Fayre, 2–4pm, Kinson Community Centre, Pelhams Park, Millhams Road, Kinson, Bournemouth BH10 7LH. Grand draw, stalls, cat gifts, bottle tombola, raffle and home made teas and cakes

ESSEX Basildon, Brentwood & District Branch Fairs 29 September: Autumn fair, 9am–12noon, Christ Church Hall, near the Coop, Ladygate Centre, Wickford.

Lots for sale including gifts and books; refreshments available. Admission 30p 10 November: Charities fair, 9am–12noon at Christ Church Hall, near the Coop, Ladygate Centre, Wickford.

Stalls for local charities raising much–needed funds for local causes.

Refreshments available.

Admission 30p Shows 6 October: Cat Homing Show, details as above 3 November: Cat Homing Show, details as above Stalls 8 September: Basildon & Pitsea Carnival Fete, from 11am at Northlands Park, Pitsea 15 September: Wickford Carnival Fete, from 11 am at Nevendon Road, Wickford 24 November: The Supreme Cat Show, NEC Birmingham. Do come along and see us and buy your “catty” gifts

Events 20 October: Charity auction viewing from 6.15pm.

Auction starts 6.45 pm at Christ Church Hall, near the Coop, Ladygate Centre, Wickford. We usually have over 130 lots. Refreshments available. Admission £1 including catalogue

Chelmsford & District Fairs 13 October: Animals in Need Day, 11am–3pm, Writtle Village Hall, Writtle.

Lots of local animal charities come together in one event 27 October: Charity Fayre in support of Chelmsford CP, All Saints Church Hall, Springfield Green, 12noon– 3pm. There will be a wide selection of goods on sale including refreshments.

Admission by donation 24 November: Christmas Fayre, The Shire Hall, Chelmsford, 10am–12noon.

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

Admission by donation or a tin of cat food. Please come along and support us Stalls 22 September: Jumble sale & auction, 2pm, Danbury Village Hall, Danbury. Clothes, bric–a–brac, books and toys will be on sale. There will also be an auction and tea and coffee is available. Please come along and support us.

Admission 30p

Rayleigh, Castle Point & District Branch Homing shows 8 September: Homing Show, Methodist Hall, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh 13 October: Homing Show, WRVS Hall, Richmond Avenue, Benfleet, SS7 5HE 10 November: Homing Show, Methodist Hall, Eastwood Road, Rayleigh, SS6 7ED Fairs 22 September: Bazaar, Richmond Hall, Benfleet 10am–1pm 20 October: Bazaar, WRVS Hall, John Burrows Playing Fields, Hadleigh. 10am–1pm 7 November: Christmas Fair, The Mill, Bellingham Lane,

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

DIARY OF EVENTS

Rayleigh, 10.30am–4pm 1 December: Christmas Fair, Richmond Hall, Benfleet 10am–1pm

GREATER MANCHESTER Stockport Branch Fairs 6 October: Hazel Grove, United Reformed Hall, Commercial Road, 10am– 12.30pm Events September, date tbc: Stockport CP Race Night, Poynton Working Mens Club, Park Lane, Poynton.

For tickets and enquiries please phone 07900 415 674 or email stockport.cp@hotmail.com 9 September: Open day at Chester Road in Bramhall (postcode SK12 1ED).

The open day runs from 12noon–4pm

HERTFORDSHIRE Lea Valley

22 September: Homing Day, Holtwhites Sports and Social Club, Kirkland Drive (off Holtwhites Hill) Enfield, EN2 0RN, 10am–1pm 10 November: Quiz, Elm Court, Mutton Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 3BP, 7.30–10.30pm. £6 per person price includes tea/coffee in the interval and heads and tails game with a chance to win £20.

Please bring own food. To book, please phone 01707 657 876.

17 November: Christmas Bazaar, Cuffley Hall, Maynard Place, Cuffley, EN6 4JA; 11am–3pm. Entrance 50p or a tin of cat food

LEICESTERSHIRE Leicester & District Events 6 October: Charity Auction at Village Hall, Main Street, Houghton–on–the–Hill, LE7 9GE. Viewing 10.30am, auction 11am

SHROPSHIRE Telford & District Events 8 September: Madeley Fun Day. We will be having a stall at this free event, which

starts at 1pm. There will be lots to see and do, including face painting, archery and Punch and Judy.

22 September: Ironbridge World Heritage Festival.

This festival will feature an art and crafts market and performances by local bands and dance groups. For more information on our events, please see our website www.cats.org.uk/telford

SUSSEX Crawley, Reigate & District

(branch also covers, and some events held in, Surrey) Homing Shows 9 September: Horticultural Society Hall, Ifield Ave, Crawley, RH11 7AJ, 11am– 3pm 30 September : Barnfield Care Home, Upfield, Horley, RH6 7LA, 11am–3pm 14 October: Broadbridge Heath Village Centre, Wickhurst Lane, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, RH12 3LY, 11am–3pm 18 November: Hawth Theatre, Hawth Ave, Crawley, RH10 6YZ, 11am–3pm Events 28 September: Travelling Trends Fashion Show, Methodist Church Community Hall, High Street, Reigate (behind Morrisons), 7pm. Phone 01737 244 628 for tickets.

9 October: Black Cat Dinner Dance and Charity Auction, The Felbridge Hotel, East Grinstead, 7pm–1am. Email blackcatdinner@gmail.com for more info and tickets Stalls 9 September : Psychic Fair, K2 Sports Centre, Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley, RH11 9BQ. 10am–6pm 15 September: Banstead Antiques Fair, Banstead, 9am–4pm 15 September: Smallfield Market, details as above 13 October: Smallfield Market, details as above 20 October : Banstead Antiques Fair, details as above 27 October: Smallfield Market, details as above 10 November: Smallfield Market, details as above

17 November: Banstead Antiques Fair, details as above 24 November: Smallfield Market, details as above

Mid Sussex Stalls 8 September: Stall at Haywards Heath Summer Festival, Victoria Park, Haywards Heath, 11–5pm 10 November: Stall at Kit Wilson Bazaar, Village Hall, Newick, 11am–5pm

Stalls The branch also regularly has a book stall; at Reading Farmers’ Market on the first or third Saturday of the month and at Purley Farmers’ Market each second Saturday. Further confirmatory details appear shortly before each of these events on the branch website: www.readinganddistrictcats.org

YORKSHIRE

Collections 29 September: Collection at Sainsbury’s, Haywards Heath, 9am–5pm 6 October: Street collection in Haywards Heath, 9am–4pm

Doncaster

National Cat Centre

SCOTLAND

4 November: Black Cat Day, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT

Worthing & District Jumble sales 22 September: Jumble sale at Emmanuel URC hall, Heene Road, Worthing from 10am 8 December: Jumble sale, Emmanuel URC Hall, Heene Road, Worthing, from 10am Fairs 10 November: Winter Fayre, St Peter & St Paul’s Church Hall, The Street, Rustington, BN16 3NL. On sale: CP quality goods, Worthing CP calendars, books, tombolla, jewellery, crafts, gifts and home–made produce. 10am–12.30pm Events 20 October: CP Quiz Night, Ferring Village Hall, to enter phone Val on 01903 765 580 7 November: Fashion Show, Charles Dickens PH, Heene Road, Worthing from 7.30pm

SURREY Reading & District Jumble sales 15 September: All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Sq, Reading, RG1 6NH; 1–3pm Fairs 10 November : Autumn fair, Methodist Church Hall, School Road, Tilehurst, Reading RG1 5AR; 1–3pm

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

Fairs 24 November: Christmas Fayre, New Hall, Bawtry, 12–3pm

AYRSHIRE North Ayrshire Branch Shows 9 September: Cat Adoption Show at Eglinton Park near Kilwinning, 11am–1pm.

Come along and meet some of our cats waiting to be adopted. Cats can be reserved pending a home visit Events 27 September: Psychic night at Saltcoats Labour Club from 7.30pm. With clairvoyant Sally Buxton and guests. Tickets £5 on the door or in advance at the Labour Club

Stonehaven Stalls 8 September: Table top sale, Stonehaven Market Square. Selling homemade goods, bric–a–brac, books and CP goodies. 10am–2pm 6 October: Table top sale, Stonehaven Market Square.

Selling home–made goods, bric–a–brac, books and CP goodies. 10am–2pm Collections 29 September: Tin collection, Stonehaven Co–op, 10am–4pm 3 November: Tin collection, Stonehaven Co–op, 10am–4pm

The Cat Autumn 2012

57

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

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

Croydon ☎☎ 0208 763 0072 88www.croydoncpcats.org.uk

North Hertfordshire ☎☎ 01438 228 877 88www.northherts.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hastings & District ☎☎ 01424 754 328

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

Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted ☎☎ 08453 711 851 88www.cats.org.uk/dacorum 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 Medway Towns ☎☎ 08453 712 757 (Neutering only)

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 Cricklewood *70 * Cricklewood Broadway, Cricklewood, London, NW2 3EP ☎☎ 020 8450 4878 Croydon *13 * High Street, Purley,* Surrey, CR8 2AF ☎☎ 0208 763 9898

Colne Valley ☎☎ 08452 601 384 88www.colnevalley.cats.org.uk

Mid Sussex ☎☎ 01444 414 884 88www.cats.org.uk/midsussex

Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey *20 * Chipstead Valley Road,* Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RA ☎☎ 0208 660 7475

Crawley, Reigate & District ☎☎ 08453 712 734 88www.catsprotection.co.uk

Milton Keynes & District ☎☎ 01296 738 558 88www.mkcats.org.uk

Ealing & West London *3a * Albert Terrace, Pittshanger Lane, Ealing, W5 1RL

58

The Cat Autumn 2012

☎☎ 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

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

FIND US KEY:

Adoption Centre

Homing Centre

Branch

Charity shop

Basingstoke & District ☎☎ 08451 771 364 88www.basingstoke-cats.org.uk

Mere & Gillingham ☎☎ 01747 840 621 88www.mere-gillingham-cp.co.uk

Yeovil & District ☎☎ 01935 412 755 88www.yeovilcatsprotection.info

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

Bath & District ☎☎ 01225 835 606 88www.bath.cats.org.uk

Midsomer Norton & Radstock ☎☎ 01761 436 486 88www.midsomer.cats.org.uk

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

Blandford & Sturminster Newton ☎☎ 01258 858 644 88www.blandfordcats.org.uk

Minehead ☎☎ 08453 712 761 88www.minehead.cats.org.uk

Bournemouth & District *333-335 * Charminster Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH8 9QR ☎☎ 01202 530 757

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

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

Bracknell & Wokingham Districts ☎☎ 08453 714 212 88www.cats.org.uk/bracknell

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

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

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

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

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/

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

East Devon ☎☎ 01404 811 089 88www.eastdevoncats.com Exeter ☎☎ 01392 276 291 88www.exeter.cats.org.uk Falmouth, Helston & District ☎☎ 08453 712 729 88www.cats.org.uk/falmouth Fareham & Waterlooville Districts ☎☎ 08452 601 504 88www.fareham.cats.org.uk Farnham & Wey Valley ☎☎ 01252 334 644 88www.weyvalley.cats.org.uk Forest of Dean ☎☎ 01594 841 511 88www.cats-forestofdean.co.uk Frome & District ☎☎ 07733 390 345 88www.cats.org.uk/frome Glastonbury & Wells ☎☎ 01749 850 660 88www.stray-cat.co.uk 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

Salisbury & District ☎☎ 08453 712 068 88www.salisburycats.co.uk Southampton ☎☎ 08453 712 718 88www.cats.org.uk/southampton Stroud ☎☎ 01453 828 326 88www.stroud.cats.org.uk Swindon ☎☎ 01793 644 536 88www.swindon.cats.org.uk Taunton & Wellington ☎☎ 08452 602 397 88www.taunton.cats.org.uk

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

Central

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

Birmingham *Packhorse * Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B47 5DH ☎☎ 01564 822 020 88www.birmingham.cats.org.uk

Torpoint & Rame Peninsular ☎☎ 01752 829 104

Friends of Birmingham Adoption Centre

Torquay & District ☎☎ 01803 557 014 88www.torquay.cats.org.uk Truro & District ☎☎ 01209 861 134 88www.trurodistrict.cats.org.uk

Evesham *c/o * Dogs Trust Kennels,☎ 89 Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, Evesham, Worcester, WR11 6RT ☎☎ 01386 833 343 88www.eveshamcpl.org

Weymouth & District ☎☎ 01305 262 737 88www.westdorset.cats.org.uk

Hereford *Cobhall * Villa, Allensmore, HR2 9BP ☎☎ 01432 277 543

Weston-Super-Mare & District ☎☎ 08453 712 066 88www.westonsm.cats.org.uk

Friends of Cats Protection Hereford ☎☎ 07787 434 756

Winchester & District ☎☎ 01962 883 536 or 01962 884 468 88www.winchestercatsprotection.co.uk Wootton Bassett & District ☎☎ 07928 674 433 88www.wootton.cats.org.uk

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

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

Burton on Trent ☎☎ 01283 511 454 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 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, Dudley & Wyre Forest ☎☎ 08448 848 520 88www.cats.org.uk/stourbridge Telford & District ☎☎ 08542 601 502 88www.telford.cats.org.uk Walsall Borough ☎☎ 01922 682 005 88www.walsall.cats.org.uk

The Cat Autumn 2012 59

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

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

Chesterfield & District ☎☎ 08453 712 754 88www.cats.org.uk/chesterfield

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

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

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

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

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

Cambridge ☎☎ 01223 241 371 88www.cambridge.cats.org.uk

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

Framlingham & Saxmundham ☎☎ 01728 723 499 88www.framandsax.cats.org.uk Grimsby & District ☎☎ 01472 399 810 88www.grimsby.cats.org.uk

Milton Keynes ☎☎ 01296 738558 88www.mkcats.org.uk

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

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

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

Friends of Downham Market Adoption Centre

Waveney ☎☎ 08453 714 202 88www.waveney.cats.org.uk

Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk

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

60 The Cat Autumn 2012

Doncaster ☎☎ 01302 840 777 88www.doncaster.cats.org.uk

Gateshead & District ☎☎ 0191 420 3180 88www.cats.org.uk/gateshead

York *582 * Huntington Road, Huntington,☎ York, North Yorkshire, YO32 9QA ☎☎ 01904 760 356 88www.york.cats.org.uk

Peterborough & District ☎☎ 08453 712 750 88www.peterborough.cats.org.uk

Dewsbury, Wakefield & District ☎☎ 01924 261 524 88www.cats.org.uk/dewsbury

Derby *White * Cottage, Long Lane, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 5BJ ☎☎ 01332 824 950 88www.derby.cats.org.uk

Warrington *Animal * Village, Slutchers Lane,☎ Bank Quay, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1NA ☎☎ 01925 411 160

Ipswich ☎☎ 08453 712 069 88www.ipswich.cats.org.uk

Derby & District ☎☎ 01332 206 956 88www.derbydistrict.cats.org.uk

Durham City & District ☎☎ 01388 720 689

St Helens *100 * Chester Lane, St Helens,☎ Merseyside, WA9 4DD ☎☎ 01744 817 718

Horncastle & District ☎☎ 01526 388 535 88www.horncastle.cats.org.uk

Culcheth & Glazebury ☎☎ 01925 764 604

North

Friends of Derby Adoption Centre

Haverhill & Stour Valley ☎☎ 08453 719 599 88www.stourvalley.cats.org.uk

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

Worcester & District *53 * St Johns, Worcester, WR2 5AG ☎☎ 01905 426 748

Waveney *2* Blyburgate, Beccles,☎ Suffolk, NR34 9TA ☎☎ 01502 713 167

Ely & District ☎☎ 01353 699 430 88www.ely.cats.org.uk

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

Wolverhampton *54 * Warstones Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 4LP

St Neots & District *10 * Cross Keys Mall, Market Square, ☎ St Neots, PE19 2AR ☎☎ 01480 476 696

Dereham & District ☎☎ 01362 687 919 88www.derehamcats.org.uk

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

Telford & District *75 * High Street, Broseley,☎ Telford, TF12 5EX ☎☎ 01952 884 388

Norwich *193b * Plumstead Road, ☎ Norwich, NR1 4AB ☎☎ 01603 438 820

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

Atherton & Wigan Metro Areas ☎☎ 01942 888 693 88www.athertonwigan.cats.org.uk

North Sheffield ☎☎ 01142 456 371 88www.northsheffield.cats.org.uk

Barnsley ☎☎ 01226 762 658 88www.cats.org.uk/barnsley

Northumberland East ☎☎ 07749 713 142 (6–9pm) 88www.east-northumberland.cats.org.uk

Beverley & Pocklington ☎☎ 01482 861 866 88www.bpcp.org.uk

Preston ☎☎ 08451 770 708 88www.cats.org.uk/preston

Blackburn & District ☎☎ 01254 260 107 88www.blackburn.cats.org.uk

Rochdale ☎☎ 01706 522 440 88www.cats.org.uk/rochdale

Bolton & Radcliffe ☎☎ 07760 780 759 88www.bolton.cats.org.uk

Sheffield Hallam ☎☎ 01142 493 330 88www.catsprotectionshop.com

Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk

South Wirral ☎☎ 0151 355 9813 88www.southwirral.cats.org.uk

Burnley & Pendle ☎☎ 01282 693 400 88www.burnley.cats.org.uk

Stockport ☎☎ 0161 439 1274 88www.stockport.cats.org.uk

Burscough & Liverpool Bay ☎☎ 0151 526 5999 88www.liverpoolbursc.cats.org.uk

Teesside ☎☎ 01642 589 090 88www.teesside.cats.org.uk

Calder Valley & District ☎☎ 01706 810 489 88www.caldercats.org.uk

Trafford ☎☎ 0161 610 2189 or 0161 969 0331 88www.trafford.cats.org.uk

Carlisle & District ☎☎ 01228 540 330 88www.carlisle.cats.org.uk

Wear Valley & Darlington ☎☎ 07792 699 918 88www.cats.org.uk/wearvalley

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

FIND US

West Cumbria ☎☎ 01946 590 079 88www.westcumbria.cats.org.uk 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 Chesterfield & District *13 * Stephenson Place,☎ Chesterfield, S40 1XL 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

Colwyn & District *28 * Sea View Road,☎ Colwyn Bay, LL29 8DG ☎☎ 01492 535 655 Swansea & District *85 * Brynymor Road, Swansea, SA1 4JE Wrexham & District *60 * Chester Street,☎ Wrexham, LL13 8BA ☎☎ 01978 310 555

Scotland

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

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

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

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 Inverclyde ☎☎ 01475 529 462

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

Clackmannanshire & Stirling *The * Marion Hunter Cat Adoption Centre, Ochivale Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 720 555

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

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

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

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

Isle of Arran ☎☎ 01770 820 611

Central Aberdeen *96 * King St, Aberdeen, AB24 5BA ☎☎ 01224 634 894

Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 Glasgow *Cardyke * Farm, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, G66 5LD ☎☎ 0141 779 3341

Isles of Lewis & Harris ☎☎ 01851 830 749 88www.cats.org.uk/isle-of-lewis Isle of Skye ☎☎ 07817 943 072

York *13 * Walmgate, York, YO1 9TX ☎☎ 01904 620 361

Shetland *Gott, * Shetland, ZE2 9SH ☎☎ 01595 840 517

Lanarkshire ☎☎ 08453 714 213 88www.lanarkshirecats.co.uk

Wales

Alness & District ☎☎ 08453 714 204 88www.alness.cats.org.uk

Montrose & Brechin ☎☎ 08453 712 738 88www.montrosebrechin.cats.org.uk

Ardnamurchan & Mull ☎☎ 01967 431 203 88www.cats.org.uk/ardnamurchan

Moray ☎☎ 07837 342 646 88www.cats.org.uk/moray

Barra & Uist ☎☎ 07050 121 586 88www.cats.org.uk/uist

Nairn ☎☎ 08453 712 714 88www.nairn.cats.org.uk

Caithness ☎☎ 08453 714 217 88www.caithnesscatsprotection.org.uk

North Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 218 88www.northayrshire.cats.org.uk

Central Aberdeen ☎☎ 01224 749 568 88www.catsprotection.org.uk

Orkney Islands ☎☎ 01856 771 642 88www.orkneycats.co.uk

Central Dumfries ☎☎ 01387 710 083 88www.centraldumfries.cats.org.uk

Outer Aberdeen & District ☎☎ 01224 705 252 88www.cats.org.uk/outeraberdeen

Clackmannanshire & Stirling ☎☎ 01259 720 555 88www.clackscats.org.uk

Peebles & Biggar ☎☎ 0707 4357 228

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 Carmarthenshire Fundraising 88www.cats.org.uk/carmarthenshire Colwyn & District ☎☎ 01492 660 221 88www.colwyn.cats.org.uk

Cumnock & Doon Valley ☎☎ 08453 714 219

Perth ☎☎ 08458 622 206 88www.perthcats.co.uk

Gwent ☎☎ 08453 712 747 88www.gwentsouthcp.org.uk

Deeside ☎☎ 07837 342 660 88www.cats.org.uk/deeside

Peterhead & District ☎☎ 07791 834 226 88www.peterhead.cats.org.uk

Newtown & District ☎☎ 01686 670 277 88www.newtown.cats.org.uk

Dundee & District ☎☎ 01382 450 035

Renfrewshire ☎☎ 0141 876 4133 88www.renfrewshire.cats.org.uk

Swansea & District ☎☎ 08452 179 648 88www.swanseacats.co.uk Wrexham & District ☎☎ 01978 313 574 88www.wrexham.cats.org.uk

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

Arbroath & Carnoustie *15 * Kinaldie Holdings,☎ Arbroath, DD11 5SH ☎☎ 01241 434 605 88www.arbroath.cats.org.uk

Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre

Bridgend *Green * Acres, Pant Hirwaun,☎ Bryncethin, Bridgend,☎ Mid Glamorgan, CF32 9UJ ☎☎ 01656 724 396

Strathspey ☎☎ 08453 712 725 88www.strathspey.cats.org.uk

East Neuk of Fife ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.eastfife.cats.org.uk Dunbar & District ☎☎ 07581 162 260 Ellon & District ☎☎ 01358 721 204 88www.cats.org.uk/ellon

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 Turiff & District *6-8 * Duff Street, Macduff, ☎ Banffshire, AB44 1TL ☎☎ 07847 395 017 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 Autumn 2012

61

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

Budding bakers raise cash for cats

Five friends from Sutton Coldfield whipped up a batch of brightlycoloured cupcakes and sold them to raise money for Cats Protection.

Aneekah, Lily, Holly, Zaina and Izzie (left to right with dog Sam) raised £12.30 for the North Birmingham Branch by selling the sweet treats to neighbours.

Branch volunteer Claire Davis of Heath Close says: “My neighbour’s daughter Holly and her three-year-old sister Isabel joined forces with three school friends and decided to make the most colourful, but mostly pink, cupcakes ever.

“And knowing that I foster cats and kittens, they thought that instead of eating all the cakes, it would be nice to share them and raise some cash for Cats Protection. So off they went down the road, selling door-to-door, raising quite a few smiles and much-needed funds for the branch.” The branch was very grateful for the girls’ hard work in aid of the cats.

If you’d like to make and sell cakes for Cats Protection, remember to ask your parents or guardians first!

Wild about cats quiz

Are you clued-up on cheetahs? Savvy about servals?

Why not test your knowledge about big and wild cats with our quiz. Answers below!

1 This species of big cat is the only one to live in groups.

Which is it?

2 Which feline is the United States’ most abundant type of wild cat?

3 This spotted Asian cat can hang upside-down on branches and climb down from trees head first. Can you name it?

4 Which sort of big cat is the largest to be found in South America?

5 Which is the largest species of wild cat?

6 Which super-speedy cat is the world’s fastest land mammal?

7 This rare cat subspecies is only to be found on a Japanese island.

Answers: 1 Lion 2 Bobcat 3 Clouded leopard 4 Jaguar 5 Tiger 6 Cheetah 7 Iriomote cat

62 The Cat Autumn 2012

A big thank you to Isabel, aged 6, of Anglesey, for this picture (above right) of her lovely black cat Seema. Thank you also to 10-year-old Karen Lagan of Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, who has sent The Cat a drawing (above) of her cute kitten Dreamer.

Both girls win a Jellycat for their delightful drawings!

1 2 3 4 5

1 Many mogs love this herb.

2 This striking pedigree cat has a spotted or swirled coat.

3 Cats will spend a lot of time sleeping in this!

4 Use one of these to keep your cat’s coat tangle free.

5 Play with your feline with these!

Solve the crossword for the chance to win! Three lucky winners will get a mini JellyCat for themselves and a Kong prize for their cat! Fill in the answers to reveal a five-letter word in the shaded boxes describing the colour of a cat’s coat. Write the word and your name, age and address on a postcard or sealed envelope and send to: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Sussex, RH17 7TT. You can also send in your entries by email to competitions@cats.org.uk with Kids’ Corner in the subject heading. The deadline is 12 October.

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 Autumn 2012 63

MAKING MEMORIES

Sweet Sadie Kathryn Atkin remembers an all too brief encounter

O

ur story begins with an unhappy ending. The sudden demise of sweet Sadie, a beautiful black and white stray who spent the first two years of her too short life fending for herself on the city streets before Sheffield Hallam Cats Protection rescued her from the cold harsh winter. We knew nothing of her history, only that she’d mothered at least two litters before being handed over.

So it was that Sadie came to us as a foster. A bedraggled, scaredy scrap of a moggie, she wolfed every meal as if she’d never see another, and warily retreated to the back of the pen when her carers came to say hello.

With patience and TLC we gradually overcame her fears, until finally she accepted being brushed, stroked and handled.

Sadie steadily grew into a fine figure of a feline but despite our best efforts, didn’t attract interest from would-be homes.

When the bitterly cold winter arrived, we decided to bring Sadie indoors and officially adopted her. There was a mixed reaction from our own cats who tolerated or ignored her, or sulked for days at this new intrusion, but Ailsa the daft Dobermann was happy to share her space on the sofa with the newbie.

When Sadie joined our menagerie, she stopped biting and became a placid puss, contentedly accepting life as a housecat with our ‘posh’ pedigrees. But she seemed to enjoy her new life too well, greedily helping herself to the other cats’ food.

We tried to ration her intake but she always outwitted us, steadily growing plumper. It became a daily challenge to control what she ate.

To all intents and purposes, she was a happy, healthy cat with nothing medically wrong with her. We sought veterinary advice and scoured magazines and online forums for ways to stop her stealing. We tried treat holders and invested in a food activity centre to encourage her to ‘earn’ her meals, challenging her to reach the food in its various cavities. But Sadie proved to be one very clever cat. Our ‘intelligent’ Bengals and Havana struggled to grab the treats from the tray, but Sadie had it down to a fine art: her time as a street-cat had taught her to snatch whatever morsel came her way.

We persevered and gave her access to the great outdoors as much as possible, to encourage her to take regular exercise. Living in a tiny terraced house on four storeys was a huge help too: all those narrow steep stairs to navigate.

We never thought her weight could be an issue, because of her age. You tend to associate obesity with older cats and in the early stages, we were in denial: “you’re not fat, you’re just big-boned’, we’d joke, even though she did a passable impersonation of a barrel...

In early December 2011, we arrived home and did the usual roll-call to check all furries were present and correct. A thunder of furry feet poured downstairs, but there was no sign of Sadie, who so often was first in line to say hello.

Chris went to investigate and presently, he called me. Sadie was lying peacefully at the foot of her favourite chair, sound asleep, but this was no ordinary sleep: our beloved little barrel was gone. And only just – we think she’d heard us arriving and jumped off the chair to greet us, but her poor heart failed as she hit the floor. She was only four.

We buried Sadie outside beside the cat pen. It’s hard to believe she’s no longer with us, our crafty little lump, so desperate to be loved and so grateful to be part of a loving home. She spent so little time with us, but like the saying goes, she left paw-prints all over our hearts; and we will never forget her.

The moral of this tale? If your cat is overweight, please get veterinary help to try to tackle the problem before it is too late.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

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.

ICHARDS MISHKA R and SASHA . I touch a red rose, I touch your fur, listen – I can hear your purr. Our love lives. Mum.

In loving memory of T IMMY , 07.92 – 11.04.12.

Always in our hearts. Missed very much. Kenneth and Linda

WEENS – aged 19 ½ years.

21.10.93. The best little girl cat. Think about you every day. Also ROSIE and DINAH . Teresa.

S ALLY , CHIVERS , FELIX , CORKY , BARNEY , MOLLY , ROLY , TOBY . All dearly loved and greatly missed.

Jennifer, Mike, Dusty and Sox.

RUARI 22.09.03, girlfriend P OLLY and neighbour S OOTY – both summer 2003. Now reunited with uncle. All desperately missed and deeply loved, Bergie.

PRECIOUS – mother of Salt. Assisted to sleep to prevent further suffering 18.05.12. Aged almost 14 years. Lionhearted, feisty, ginger girl. Much loved by her two families – Jones and Thomas – in Oz and Spain.

PIGGY – Remembering our beautiful gentle girl.

PTS 24.07.10 age 20. Always in our thoughts and sadly missed by your adopted family.

S ESSAN – 24.04.2012, aged 18. Thank you for enriching our lives and for beautiful memories. Always loved, always missed. Jack, Barbro.

HENRY 09.10.11. Our lovely ginger puss. Still missed. Paul and Mel

B EAR PTS 19.03.08.

Just four short years, but oh you stole my heart.

Miss you every day. Also remembering BLACKIE 1980-1994. Jenny xx In loving memory of SOOTY . A loving friend, fell asleep 27.10.09 age 20. At rest in his favourite garden with Mowie, Ben and Tiggy. Till we meet again. Peter In loving memory of MAGIC . Fell asleep 24.09.10. Greatly missed by Pat, Barry, Peter and all his friends in the ‘Hollyshaws’.

In loving memory of T IBBY the tabby. Died 31.11.01 aged 14 years and N IMSHE 20.10.90 aged 22 ½ years. Thank you for being my friends. Remembered always. Love Mummy.

G EMIMA 08.10.11. Aged 16. Always there for us. Miss you so much. Love Mum and Dad.

L UCY aged 13 years, KITTY , OLD TOM , HOLLY , RUBY , TABBY mother and five kittens, FLUFF , TINKERBELL , aged eight, NEW TOM , aged 14 ½ years, TITCH , aged 16 years and TIGER , aged17 ½ years. Love and happiness for 32 years.

Mummy and Rob.

HOEBE – PTS 24.06.12.

P Your purring filled the house. Our love for you will always remain in our hearts.

We adored you. Mum, Dad, Sister.

Remembering CANDY , aged 14, died 05.05.09, S POT , aged 17, PTS 23.05.12 and MIGGS , aged 12, PTS 23.06.12. Missed and loved so much. Anne and Martyn xx SMOKEY , American shorthair. Died 05.12, aged 18, of kidney disease. He was my buddy and is missed very much. John

In loving memory of SIMBA – 03.09.01.

Our special boy – missed so much. Always in our thoughts and hearts. Love Mummy, Daddy, Leo. My lovely BRIAR put to sleep 17.05.12. 11 happy years. Till we meet again.

Lucilla PENNY cat, my little alien princess – beamed up to your ship 11.04.12. See you on Rainbow Bridge. Mum xx

The Cat Autumn 2012 65

B k reviews Sadly this is a very common disease and as our cats age there is an increasing chance that this is a condition we may have to deal with. Sarah Caney has provided very clear explanations of how the disease can develop and gives fantastic information to help the cat owner when they are faced with what can be a very upsetting diagnosis. The book includes information of what treatment options may be available and also ideas for what we can do in the home to continue to provide our cats with a good ongoing quality of life.

We have three copies of this book to win – please enter in the usual way.

Nathalie Dowgray, BVSc, MRCVS, NCAC Veterinary Officer Caring for an a cat with chronic kidney disease (£9.99) is published by Cat Professional (it can be purchased online www.vetprofessionals.com and is also available from Amazon or any good bookstore. Tel 0131 208 0298; ISBN 9780955691386)

Animal Heroes by Ben Holt

CO PI TH ES RE TO E W IN

Caring for a cat with chronic kidney disease by Sarah Caney

CO P I TH ES RE TO E W IN

Looking for a great book about cats? Check out our reviews before you buy...

Get the tissues out! This book is a compilation of heart warming tales of animals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. Cats who should have been happily having a snooze have notified emergency services for their unconscious owners, raised the morale of soldiers and those with illnesses, apprehended smugglers and raised the fire alarm. And then there are the elephants, monkeys, dogs, pigs, horses, cows…. There are some very heroic animals out there!

We have three copies to give away, so enter in the usual manner.

Francesca Watson Animal Heroes (£7.99) is published by Summersdale Publishers Ltd (www.summersdale.com; ISBN 9781849532075)

The ugliest cat in the shelter by Celia Haddon Celia Haddon writes passionately about how the cats throughout her life have provided her with emotional support and recounts how her interest in animal welfare was born out of witnessing animal abuse as a child. The book describes how she fostered Tilly, a terrified, ugly kitten and, despite her efforts, despairs of ever bringing her round to co-exist with humans. Celia falls in love with her and ultimately finds that Tilly helps her as much as she had helped Tilly. Full of counsel and practical advice, this heart-warming book offers an inspiring insight into the symbiotic nature of companion animals and their owners. To win a copy, enter in the usual way.

Petra Coghlin The ugliest cat in the shelter (£7.99) is published by Octopus Books (www.octopusbooks.co.uk; ISBN 9780600624660)

Matilda’s Cat by Emily Gravett This beautifully-illustrated children’s book is worth buying for the cat’s hilarious expressions alone, but coupled with a lovely short story, it is sure to become a bedtime favourite.

It explores the relationship between a girl and her cat, as Matilda gets increasingly frustrated at her playmates’ reluctance to get involved with bike rides and tea parties. The ending will strike a chord with all cat owners regardless of age.

This heart-warming tale also explained to our children why our cats have an aversion to dressing-up too!

Lee Bishop Matilda’s Cat (£10.99) is published by Macmillan Children’s Books (www.macmillan.com; ISBN 9780230745377)

Books received

Pocket Guide to Spirit Animals by Steven D Farmer The Therapist’s Cat by Stephanie Sorrell.

66 The Cat Autumn 2012

Soloman’s Tale by Sheila Jeffries

Naturally hypo-allergenic cat food wholesome, complete and healthy

For healthy digestion, skin and coat Made with natural ingredients and all the nutrients your cat needs throughout life.

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.

No added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

Available from all good pet shops

Nutritional Advice: 0845 603 9095 For a list of local stockists and to subscribe to our free e-newsletter

www.wellbeloved.com Š Crown Pet Foods Ltd 2012 - All Rights Reserved.

Credit: Stable Design Limited