The Cat Summer 2011

Summer 2011

Mogs of the manor Meet the cats of the National Trust

A caring career How to become a vet

Revealed!

Our Writing Competition winners

Where the

wild things are How our volunteers help ferals

Plus Suzi Perry, feline-

themed pub signs & conquer cat-kid concerns

As seen on TV! Are you certain she’s taken her worming tablet?

Ask your vet for a spot-on solution for cat worming.

To find out more information log onto www.profender.co.uk ÂŽ Registered Trade Mark of Bayer AG. Bayer plc, Animal Health Division, Bayer House, Strawberry Hill, Newbury RG14 1JA. Tel: 01635 563000.

Please Use Medicines Responsibly. http://www.noah.co.uk/responsible

Welcome

The Team

Photo: Lee Bishop

…to the Summer 2011 issue of The Cat

Ryan O’Hara Creative Designer Amy Rutter Editorial Assistant

Contacts For editorial submissions to the magazine The Editor, The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT Email: editorial@cats.org.uk Web: www.thecat.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.

To book advertising Terry Lock Media Sales, 3 Forest Way, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1JN Phone: 01372 276 233 Fax: 08707 051 901 Email: tslock@terrylockmediasales.co.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.

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 Email: supporterservices@cats.org.uk Phone: 0800 917 2287 For all other enquiries: Cats Protection, National Cat Centre (NCC), Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT Phone: 03000 12 12 12 (Calls charged at standard rate) Fax: 08707 708 265 Email: cp@cats.org.uk Web: www.cats.org.uk/thecatmag

A

Here’s to a glorious summer!

Published quarterly by Cats Protection.

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd. Printed on paper sourced from carefully-managed and renewed forests.

Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it

Viisimaa

Francesca Watson Editor

.com/Peeter

Rasoul Hudda Creative Designer

gain we’ve been promised a good summer and as such we should seize the opportunity to get outdoors. A visit to a National Trust property is always a delight and if you can meet their resident cats, all the better! I get to shake paws with some of these stately home felines on pages 36 to 39 and there are sure to be some local to you.

Amy Rutter considers a change of career on pages 16 to 18 when she realises just what it takes to become a vet and we continue our hands-on theme with our Behind the scenes series on pages 52 and 53. We’re out with one of Cats Protection’s most successful volunteer Trap, Neuter and Return teams, aiming for controlled, healthy and manageable feral cat colonies.

Sadly, there are many reasons people give when giving their cat up for adoption and on pages 32 to 34, Tom Briggs has tackled some of those myths in the hope that losing their feline friend is not always the only answer.

It is time to announce the results of our 2011 Writing Competition and the winning poem and story appear on pages 42 to 44. Runners up will appear in the Autumn edition. Thank you to everyone who entered, it made for a lot of interesting and entertaining reading.

We’ve also introduced a new section called How can we help? on pages 56 to 57 which covers some of the common and not so-common questions posed to our Helpline. Don’t forget to give them a call on 03000 12 12 12 if you ever have any cat-related questions or concerns!

When you’re out for a quiet pint, why not take the time to look at the pub sign, swinging gently in the summer’s breeze? Chances are there’s a tale to tell and Linda Harrison focuses on the feline-themed signs on pages 20 to 22.

istockphoto

Tom Briggs Deputy Editor

Cover photo:

From left to right

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) and SC037711 (Scotland)

Contents In this issue

9

Celebrity interview The Gadget Show’s Suzi Perry talks cats and live mishaps!

48 Great Scots

We concl ude our tw o-part feature ab out the wo rk of Cats Protect ion in Scotl and

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The Cat Summer 2011

32 Don’t give up

As more and more cats become homeless, we investigate some of the reasons people give for parting with their pets

treasures of 36 National the National Trust

We meet some of the friendly felines that call the National Trust home

Regulars 6

16 So you want to be a vet?

News

10 Dear CP

In the first of two articles, we investigate the qualifications aspiring vets need to earn

14 Cats’ tales

20 The inn crowd

25 Walker on th ew

ild side

We raise a glass to the historic cats of our hostelries

26 Paws for tho ugh

t

42 Prose wins prizes

28 Playing dete ctive

Announcing the winners of our popular Writing Competition

30 Ask the vets

52 Barnstorming

40 Our favourite thin

Our Gwent Branch takes us behind the scenes as they tackle a colony of feral cats

gs

47 Ali’s cats 54 Coffee paw s 56 How can we help

?

59 Cats Protect ion in

focus

64 Diary of eve nts 66 Find your lo cal

Cats Protection

70 Kids’ corner 72 Making mem orie

s

73 Rememberin g ca

ts

74 Book review s

The Cat Summer 2011

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News Going for gold

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A 2,000-year-old cat, cast in bronze with gold earrings was, at the time of print, estimated to sell for £15,000 to £20,000 by Bonhams, an auctioneer of fine art and antiques.

The charming hollow cast bronze cat is alert, sitting upright with his tail curled to the right side, his body with stippled surface, wearing a Besheaded pectoral suspended on a cord and original gold earrings. He has beautiful well-defined features with recessed eyes and incised whiskers.

Such cats are images of the cat goddess Bastet and were often placed on the top of bronze boxes containing mummified cats.

Madeleine Perridge, Head of Antiquities at Bonhams, said: “This is a wonderfully striking cat with beautifully defined features.

Considering that it is more than 2,000 years old, it is in excellent condition. In fact, you could say that this cat for all its great age, has still not outlived its nine lives.”

Mobile mogs

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Have you ever phoned the National Cat Centre and heard our ‘on hold’ music of cats miaowing and purring? It’s proved massively popular as a mobile ringtone and has raised over £8,000 for the charity since it was launched.

You can hear a sample of the ringtone on our website www.cats.org.uk/get-involved/other-ways-to-help/mobile-ringtone/ Once hooked by the delightful sounds, you can get hold of the ringtone by simply texting KITTEN to 88222. Text message costs are £3 (2 x £1.50) plus one text at your network’s standard rate*. To opt out, text KITTEN STOP to 88222. Approximately £2 will go straight to help the cats in our care! Thank you for your support! *WAP enabled handset which can download, store and play music files required.

PS Got an iPhone? Check out our website soon…

Smokey’s a record breaker

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A 12-year-old cat is now in the Guinness World Records as the loudest purring domestic cat on the planet. Smokey’s purr can reach an incredible 92 decibels – almost four times louder than that of the average cat!

Owner Ruth Adams, from Pitsford, Northamptonshire, borrowed specialist sound equipment to record the attempt from a local college and organised some official witnesses. The lucky four to watch – or should that be listen? – to the world record attempt take place were Daventry MP, Chris Heaton-Harris; Veterinary Nurse, Kaye James; Diana Johnson from Cats Protection and British Airways Captain, Alisdair Tait.

Editor Craig Glenday said: ‘ Guinness World Records is a veritable catalogue of fantastic felines, and Smokey is a welcome addition to the family.

It’s incredible to think a cat’s purr can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner.”

Missing moggy found on Facebook

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Photo: Bonhams

A Stourbridge moggy who went missing over a year ago has been reunited with his owner after being spotted on popular social networking site Facebook.

Karen Walker thought she would never see longhaired black-and-white Fluffy again, but spotted a picture of the missing moggy on friend Hayley Morgan’s wall. She said: “I always look at the photos Hayley puts on as I know she does work for Cats Protection and we love cats; and that day I just happened to bring a photo up and thought ‘that’s my cat’! So I Facebooked Hayley and went up to see her with a picture of Fluffy.”

Hayley, who is a volunteer Fosterer for Stourbridge & District Branch, had been looking after the cat for the last few weeks after a family in Oldswinford, who had been feeding him, handed him in. She said: “It was a twist of fate that I got to foster Fluffy. It’s strange as Karen lives just down the road!”

Karen added: “We’re very happy to have him back. He’s a lot less timid than he was and he’s having a lot of fuss.”

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The Cat Summer 2011

news

Call for entries!

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Cats on film

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Our latest TV advert was aired from 7 March to 6 April on several television channels including ITV3, Universal, Discovery, Nat Geo, Animal Planet and TCM. The advert was filmed at the National Cat Adoption Centre and focuses on a cat called Sam, giving viewers the option to donate by phone, text or online. We had around 900 donations in response, including over 270 new monthly givers. Having analysed the response, we hope to go out again later in the year, focusing on those channels that performed best.

We also went behind the scenes at the NCAC with a video camera to show young supporters the work our staff and volunteers do. We spoke to Avril, a Volunteer Cat Care Assistant, as she cleaned out the pen of a pregnant cat in the Maternity Wing. Check out the video on our website: www.cats.org.uk/cats-for-kids/about-cp/video-blog/ncac-maternity-blog

AGM – 16 July 2011

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Just a reminder that our AGM will take place on Saturday 16 July at the National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate.

Full details are available on our website at www.cats.org.uk/news/agm for those wishing to attend. You can also contact us at agm@cats.org.uk or phone our Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 – calls charged at the standard rate.

The day will not only provide an overview and highlights of the charity’s year but there will also be presentations by feline experts from Cats Protection and tours around the Visitor and Adoption Centres. It’s also a great opportunity to meet fellow volunteers from around the UK to share stories, experiences and tips. To the business of the day – the audited annual report and accounts of Cats Protection will be placed before the members and the reappointment of auditors and the election/re-election of Council members also takes place.

I’m a celebrity…

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To spread the word about the amazing work that our volunteers carry out on a daily basis and to encourage more people to come forward and volunteer for their local CP branch or centre, the Media Team at the National Cat Centre is running a campaign called I’m a celebrity… let me volunteer!

Due to coincide with Volunteers Week 2011, the campaign will run during the first week of June and is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the charity and its work.

Celebrities and TV presenters will be volunteering at both the National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex and our regional branches and adoption centres.

This is a new campaign so we hope it will be very successful!

For the latest details on celebrities involved, check our website at www.cats.org.uk

Keep your cats’ toys clean

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Dog and cat owners are being advised to ensure that their pets’ toys are regularly cleaned as recent analysis has revealed that high levels of bacteria are found on them.

Research carried out for Microban Europe on 27 different plastic and rubber dog and cat toys showed that most toys sampled in the study returned bacterial counts from approximately 9,000 to 200,000 colony forming units. Among the common bacteria likely to be found on pet toys are pseudomonas and bacillus.

Dr Nicholas Moon Ph.D, Director of Technical and Regulatory Affairs at Microban Europe, explained: “Pet toys will be very prone to the growth of bacteria, often carried around in the mouths of pets and left unattended for quite long periods, sometimes indoors in warm conditions where bacteria can grow very quickly.”

Climb every mountain

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Brave Claire Hannington is undertaking a three peaks challenge – climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon – in just 24 hours to raise funds for the Swansea & District Branch of Cats Protection.

Claire is due to tackle the peaks on 16 July and we’d like to wish her all the best of luck! If you would like to sponsor Claire, please visit her JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/Claire-Hannington0

The Cat Summer 2011

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Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

It’s time for aspiring photographers and posing cats to step up and enter Cats Protection’s Photo Competition, which has been revamped for 2011 with a new format and even better prizes.

The photo competition always attracts a high calibre of entries, but with new categories and cash prizes, we hope this year’s contest will achieve a record number of entrants and produce some winning images with the wow-factor.

For details of the categories, prizes, terms and conditions visit our website www.cats.org.uk/photo-comp. The deadline for entries is 15 July 2011.

Moggy averts potential cat-astrophe!

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Picture this

■

We were recently contacted by Nynke Wierda who is about to graduate from the University of Derby in a commercial photography degree.

We put her in touch with some of the CP branches near her with a view to photographing some of the cats in our care for her degree show in June. Nynke’s project is about pets and people and along with 35 other photographers their show is to be held at the Rag Factory, London E1 from 14 to 19 June 2011. So if you’re in the area do drop in and see her lovely feline themed photos!

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Porsha has definitely used up a few of her nine lives during her recent adventures on the Birmingham and Fazeley canal. Her owners, Ray Roberts and his partner, Nina, from West Drayton in Middlesex, were on a canal barge holiday in Staffordshire in November and had brought Porsha along with them. After a week relaxing on board, Porsha decided to explore the towpath at Fazeley and when the time came for the boat to move on, had completely disappeared.

Ray left his details with local people, as well as posters in the area, to no avail. However, he knew that Porsha was a survivor, as she had first arrived on his own doorstep three years ago in a bedraggled and neglected state. Ray hoped that somehow, Porsha would have the sense to do the same again. He was right – after her long fur coat had protected her from the cold and snow, Porsha reappeared after three months. She had travelled a few miles along the canal to Hopwas and a kind couple took her in and contacted the Lichfield Branch of Cats Protection.

Volunteers scanned her for a microchip and within a day Ray and Nina were happily reunited with her. Ray said “I couldn’t believe she had been found after all this time. I’m delighted, as I had given up on seeing her again – I am so glad she was microchipped!” This is one cat who is going nowhere near canals or boats again!

Comic recognition

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Inspired by our celebrity interview in the Spring edition with comedian Ed Byrne, our resident illustrator, Rasoul Hudda decided to do an illustration of Ed and his cat Shadwell. The image was sent to Ed who was so taken with it that he has uploaded it on his own website!

To see the image either visit Ed’s site at www.edbyrne.com or Rasoul’s cat orientated site http://eatsleepsniff.tumblr.com/ Rasoul’s mix of observational humour and a clear love of the downright strange make it irresistible viewing. We challenge you not to think ‘my cat does that’ on a regular basis! You can now see regular cartoons from Rasoul on our Coffee Paws pages.

True stories wanted

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Don’t forget, we’re always happy to receive letters from our readers that may be suitable for Paws for thought – a page for reader submissions which may be too long for Dear CP – and Making memories – sharing experiences of a passed cat – sections of The Cat .

To have your submission considered for publication, send it to us at The Cat magazine, Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email the team at editorial@cats.org.uk

Erratum

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Photo: Nynke Wierda

On page 54 of the last issue of The Cat there were some misprints in the article by Jacqueline Stephens. Gus was, in fact, missing for a year and not a fortnight as the wording suggests. He is also still receiving treatment for the wound he was found with. We apologise for these errors.

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The Cat Summer 2011

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

A 13-year-old rescue cat is being heralded as a hero after saving his owners from what could have been a fatal explosion, by alerting them to a gas leak.

Black-and-white cat Basil, who was originally adopted from the Reading & District Branch of Cats Protection, ran into owner Sue Roff’s bedroom in the early hours of the morning in a highly agitated state and woke her up.

“The first time he did it I admit I paid little attention; rolled over and went back to sleep!” explained Sue, “But when he returned an hour later and started patting my face, I knew something wasn’t right and could immediately smell something unusual.”

Sue decided to investigate and soon discovered one of the knobs on her gas cooker hob had not been fully turned off and gas was escaping into the house.

“I’m so grateful to Basil as he prevented a really serious accident. Only two hours later, our central heating pilot light would have fired up the heating and, given that all the external doors and windows were shut, may well have ignited the gas. God knows what would have happened then.”

Basil is now lapping up the extra attention at home and awaiting his next rescue mission. “He’s such a clever cat – he just knew something was wrong,” said Sue. “He’s my hero and I tell him that every night.”

Absent without leave

celebrityinterview

Suzi Perry The Gadget Show’s Suzi Perry chats with Amy Rutter about cats and live mishaps!

QUESTION Can you tell me a little about your cat?

ANSWER Gingi lives at my home in the south of France and he’s a stray cat – we moved into a house a few years ago and he just turned up! No one took ownership of him. He’s a bit wild actually and he was quite aggressive, but now he’s as daft as a brush! We’ve had him for about three years; he’s well and truly adopted.

QUESTION Are you living permanently in the south of France?

ANSWER My husband is Dutch and has lived in the south of France for about 16 or 17 years and his daughter’s at school there. I sold my house in London and moved permanently last year. I’ve still got a place in Birmingham, so I work here in the week and then go back to France at the weekends.

When I get back, Gingi is waiting for me like a little dog! We used to live right by the sea and would go and walk on the beach and round the harbour and Gingi would come with us!

He would sit on the rocks by the sea, he loved it!

QUESTION How did you get your job on The Gadget Show ?

ANSWER I’d worked with the Executive Producer on a car show previously and he must have liked me! He knew I love gadgets so I screen-tested for the show seven years ago and then got the job that way. At the time it was a half-an-hour geeky show and consisted of Jon [Bentley], Jason [Bradbury] and I – we never really saw each other as we filmed our stuff separately! A few years later, Channel Five decided they really liked it so gave it a different time slot, the challenges evolved and the whole format changed to what it is today.

QUESTION Do you worry about things going wrong in front of a live crowd?

ANSWER I like it when things go wrong – I’m predominantly a live performer really, growing up with live broadcasting when I covered bike racing and obviously I did City Hospital and Housecall – the live shows – but I miss it very much and I thrive on that live feeling. We had this thing where I was flying over the audience and Jason was flying the other way – I was in a catsuit with a pretend jetpack on my back, and my wires got all tangled so I was just hanging there! There were loads of photos of people staring at my bum… but I think it’s great when things go wrong – those are the golden moments.

QUESTION What makes cats good pets?

ANSWER I think cats are great because you can go and leave them for the day whereas a dog is like a small child – you’ve got to be there and give it more attention. I’ve always had cats that are ‘people cats’ – Gingi likes nothing more than going for a walk with me and spending time with me and that’s wonderful – I’ve got dog characteristics in a cat but I know I can leave him all day and as long as he’s got food and water, he can go inside and outside, it’s fine. The best sound in the world is a cat’s purr and my favourite time is when I’m in bed and Gingi’s sitting on my chest purring and looking at me with half open eyes.

Photo: Paul Bence

QUESTION Did you grow up in a house with cats?

ANSWER Yes, very much so, I’m slightly bordering obsessive with cats! I’ve had cats literally since I was born; we’ve always had strays and they’ve always lived really long, happy lives – I was the teenager that used to get boxes and make lots of homes for them outside. I was pretty obsessive playing with the cats actually!

QUESTION You recently started doing The Gadget Show Live at the NEC – how’s that going?

ANSWER We started it two years ago and didn’t know whether anybody would come! We just tried to recreate what we do in the studio – without all the rude bits obviously! We did it quite successfully and it sold out really quickly, we were all really shocked. The organisers won the Best Consumer Exhibition award from EVENT magazine so it spurred us on to the next year where we doubled it in size and this year it was even bigger – we did five days! We love the thrill of the live action and interacting with the audience and actually getting to meet people who watch the show.

The Cat Summer 2011

9

Tell us about it 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

Fabulous feline favours

From: Amy De Silva, via email y lovely husband Ranith and I got married on 15 May last year.

Like all couples, we wanted our day to be perfect so we threw in as many elements as we could possibly afford; bagpipes, swords, huge flowers, massive cake, dress with sparkly bits and, of course, a Ceilidh. The high point for me however, was our wedding favours and is also the reason for my writing this. Rather than spending hours gluing butterflies and glitter to handmade boxes – I am not known for my patience – we both decided that we would rather make a charity donation. We looked through lists of various possibilities but ultimately we knew that we wanted to help furry four-legged folk and having had a family full of CP cats ever since I can remember we decided that this was our charity of choice.

So, as our guests sat down to their dinner they were presented with a trolley token adorned with the CP grinning cat logo. As most of our friends are also animal lovers, this was met with whoops and smiles all round.

I would encourage any readers who are about to get married to really consider making a donation to CP. In among all the other huge costs of a wedding, it is such a small amount but it really does make a difference and it is nice that your special day also goes some way to helping others. It also means that you never have to scrabble around under your car seat in among the sweet wrappers and hair pins to find a pound coin!

In memory of, Chester, Wysiwyg, Bailey and Bertie. You were wonderful moggies and we miss you every day.

M

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The Cat Summer 2011

Koda moment

From: Rebekah Spencer, Tunbridge Wells, Kent n July, my young son and I took home our newly adopted ginger tabby, Dakota from the National Cat Adoption Centre (NCAC). She was a little cat with a tough beginning, having come from a household of many cats. As a kitten, she contracted feline herpes and after something of a battle eventually lost her left eye because of it. My son saw her on your website and cried himself to sleep that night.

When we visited the NCAC the following weekend, I was worried that he would have set his heart on her, but that as a cat who had a difficult start, she may not have been excited at the prospect of a lively six year old! As it turned out, they had an instant rapport and the two of them immediately became friends.

My son gave her the nickname of ‘Koda’ which we have since discovered means the same thing as Dakota – ‘friend’ in a native American language. She is a great little character with loads of energy and an affectionate nature – we adore her!

She manages very well with one eye and it certainly doesn’t stop her getting into trouble when she chooses.

I

yourletters

The boss of me

From: Donna and Charlotte Thirtle, via email n October 2010, we came to the Downham Market Adoption Centre looking for a black, female indoor cat whose tummy we could tickle without having our hands scratched to pieces.

When we arrived, there weren’t really any cats matching our specifications, but we were more than happy to have a look round and meet the others to see what they had to offer a loving family home.

The first cat we got introduced to was Boss – now known as Boss-Cat – we were told that he was very shy. This couldn’t be believed because, as soon as his door opened, he came straight out to us and rolled over on his back to have his tummy tickled. Within 20 minutes, he’d ticked all the boxes for our family and we put a reserve on him.

The one point that the staff at the adoption centre kept stressing to us is that he was an FIV-positive cat meaning that the immune system is weakened.

This does not affect his quality of life in any way whatsoever and, as you can see from the photographs, he is a very happy and content cat.

Thank you for finding us the most incredible cat we’ve ever owned.

Editor’s note: Cats Protection recommends that FIV-positive cats are kept indoors, to protect them from infectious diseases as well as preventing the spread of the virus to other cats in the area. FIV positive cats homed from CP are adopted on this basis. For more information, see the Cats Protection’s Veterinary Guide – FIV and FeLV, and CP’s Essential Guide – Indoor and outdoor cats and Feline Behaviour.

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Not just a pretty face

From: Patricia Stammers, via email y widowed friend Roland’s cat, Bacardi, has a good home but once upon a time she shared her home with her kitten who had grown up to be a greedy monster. Worse he was a bully. So eventually peace-loving Bacardi decided she had gone without food and affection for long enough.

She beat a retreat and a few doors along the road found my friend and his garden. Why him? There were plenty of other places. It was as though she knew he was a widow, very much in need of comfort and that his cat had recently died.

First of all she watched him from beneath the hedge. Then after several days, she decided to introduce herself. He had left the house to deposit some rubbish and when he returned was pleasantly surprised to see her sitting on the step.

Next morning when he entered the kitchen she was crouched on the ledge staring at him through the window. Obviously she wanted to make friends but he had reservations. As he opened the front door to put out the milk bottle. There she was on the step. Naturally he bent to stroke her.

“Hello”, he said and she trotted in over the threshold. “No, sorry”.

He was honoured by her presence but convinced she belonged elsewhere he put her back in the garden. He had no right to her and yet he felt badly about rejecting her.

However, Bacardi, a tabby in dire need, had already decided and laid a very determined siege, popping up here there and everywhere until he could no longer ignore her.

His enquiries told him she belonged to a neighbour.

“Your cat has taken a fancy to me,” he said to the neighbour who hurriedly explained about her two cats’ personality clash.

“You can have her,” said the owner. “Her son drove her crazy. I am sure she would be happier with you.”

Bacardi was more than ready to move in and indeed they are very happy together. Thanks to her wonderful instinct for self preservation.

M

Fluffy Bluffs

From: Laura Ahern, aged 8½, via email his is Bluffs. He is a very fluffy white cat that looks like a shaggy carpet with a very long tail!

He lives in Malta at a house where we stayed for our holidays. His tail is very neat – apart from when he gets leaves and stuff stuck in it, but at the end it looks like a massive explosion of fluff!

Bluffs likes nothing more than to sleep on the air conditioning unit – a good way to stay cool in the summer! He is a very pretty cat but was poisoned last year and his owner had to nurse him back to health – Malta really is a country of cat lovers!

T

The Cat Summer 2011

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Colourful characters

From: name and address supplied found Vanessa Scott’s article on cats’ colouring very interesting. I have six cats; all were born to feral mothers and I had them as kittens, all except one Milo, who was trapped two years ago and neutered.

Most of my cats came via Cats Protection’s Gwent Branch and are: Tosca and Millie, pure-white siblings who were very timid at first but now like their share of cuddles. Tosca hunts in our fields while Millie hunts in the woods opposite the farm together with Dante who is a small, completely black cat. He was the runt of the litter and is very much a mummy’s boy, but likes to choose when he is cuddled. Mango is a gingerand-white shorthaired tabby with a tail like a ring tailed lemur. He doesn’t stray much further than the hay barn – very affectionate and always in the way. Beulah, a longhaired silver tabby, was hand reared and found abandoned very early. She spends her days in the garden or the hay barn and loves to sit on my shoulders pulling my hair! She has ‘funny turns’ when she imagines there’s a dragon at the back door and can’t possibly come in until we have done a few recces up and down to the barn! Milo is black and white and although still very nervous, once sat on someone’s lap, purrs for Wales and loves the attention. As a latecomer to the family, he and the other cats choose to ignore each other. All of them, most of all Milo, love the family Boxer bitch and Labrador bitch even though the Boxer is very young and bouncy.

I

War time memories

From: Audrey J Copping, Lynton, North Devon read with great interest 80 not out in the Spring issue of The Cat . In 1939 I was 11 years old and have very clear memories of two ladies calling on us to register my cat, Mickey, with an organisation called NARPAC. Years later, I realised I knew nothing much at all about this organisation so, in the 1990s, I wrote to The Cat asking if any readers could help me out.

I had 14 replies from people who were about six years older than me – their memories were clear and their letters very interesting and I kept them all. Here is the information gathered. NARPAC stood for National Air Raid Precautions for Animals Committee. Voluntary workers were called Animal Guards; they would call on homes in pairs, issuing a white disc with a blue cross on it, NARPAC printed on the blue cross. Your cat would be registered with a number printed on the disc as well as his name and address. All this information was kept on a file. If, after an air raid, your cat was found lost or injured, he would be returned to you.

Mickey wore his disc all through the war years, joining us at night to sleep in our air raid shelter.

We lived in Harrow, a London suburb. I remember the blitz well. The voluntary Animal Guards were involved in fundraising for NARPAC. One lady wrote to me saying “I sold programmes at a concert called ‘Wings for Victory’ and was proud to meet the stars of this show.”

Yet another lady sent me her cat’s NARPAC disc and wrote “I remember my mother having to queue for horsemeat for him. It was coloured bright green, so as not to be sold for human consumption.”

Recently, I was telling a young friend of the registration of my cat during the war. She looked on the internet and found a photo of the NARPAC disc and another of a lady during the war holding her cat wearing his disc. I was so excited; he looks just like my black cat Mickey! What memories it brings back!

I

Our Star Letter wins a fantastic Wicker Cat Bed Tunnel with black velvet-look cushion.

All other printed letters will win some Jolly Moggy catnip mice which should keep your moggy amused for hours. Our thanks to Just for Pets for kindly donating these prizes; visit www.justforpets.uk.com to see its full range of products or phone 01527 578 007 for more information.

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The Cat Summer 2011

Just for Pets, your online pet store, has everything you need to keep your cat happy and healthy!

Our new-look website is bursting with the leading pet product brands, like Royal Canin, Vitakraft and James Wellbeloved. Go online to discuss all your cat-related questions in our pet-owners’ forum, and take advantage of our online pet care advice centre and special online-only offers.

We are currently offering great discounts on selected cat food and accessories!

To find out more, visit www.justforpets.uk.com or follow us on Twitter @Justforpetsuk

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Cats’ tales 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 photo of at least 500kb in size. If you would like your photos returned, please enclose a selfaddressed envelope. Your letters may be edited for clarity and length.

iiA Florentine favourite From: Bethany Johnson, Doncaster, South Yorkshire For over 16 years, we were lucky enough to have two of the most beautiful cats in the world as part of our family. It took four years after we lost them for us to feel ready to have another cat. That cat is Florence. She came to us at 12 weeks and is now just over a year old. She very quickly found herself a place in the family as well as a place in our hearts.

She is an affectionate, energetic and playful cat.

These pictures show her chasing her favourite ball in the garden – it’s not just her colouring that makes me think she could be half cat and half border collie!

jjIs it summer yet?!

From: Fiona O’Connor, Upminster, Essex We fell in love with Teddy when we saw his picture on a rescue website in November 2008. He had been alone in his pen for some time, as his brother was deemed to be cuter and had been snapped up and taken home by an adopter already! We were so glad we adopted him when we did, as a very cold winter soon followed and he hates the cold!

Teddy loves summer and his warm igloo bed, faux fur throws next to a radiator or crying in my ear during the night to be allowed to snuggle in under the quilt next to me or my hot water bottle.

iiLife of Brian From: Amie Hodgson, via email We have two cats from Cats Protection’s Warrington Adoption Centre called Brian and Woo. Brian, the ginger one, went out one day and didn’t come home. After over two weeks of searching, putting up flyers and being completely heartbroken, we started thinking about getting a new friend for Woo as she was very lonely. We had lost hope that our ginger boy would ever return. The night before we were due to visit the adoption centre to find a new cat, Brian showed up on our doorstep! He was very thin and hungry, but quite well. I think he must have known we were due to replace him the next day… he now has a new nickname – Eight Lives Brian!

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The Cat Summer 2011

readers’cats jjWater babies From: Nancy Winter, Ickwell, Beds Poppy came to us last year with her sister, Peaches, and brother, Pip. All of them show a great deal of interest in water, drinking it and playing with it. None of them drink out of the bowl of fresh water I put down every day; they tip it out and then poke the puddle with their paws.

Poppy is the most enthusiastic when it comes to any form of washing or bathing. She is right there from the moment I start running my bath, wandering around the edge while I am in it and trying to reach down to play with the bubbles. She has fallen in about five times, but it doesn’t deter her from trying again. Poppy sleeps in the wash basin and has to be lifted out so that we can get on with the business of preparing for the day.

iiEssential paperwork From: Lowri Jones, via email Winston is about 18 months old and is my first cat.

He’s quite shy but loves to play catch with rolled up balls of paper… he’s actually very good! Winston’s worst habit is that he is constantly losing his collars.

I must have bought at least 12 last year… I think he’s selling them to other cats out on the streets!

He loves to have his head and tummy scratched and would cross hell and high water for some cooked chicken. Here he is destroying a toilet roll.

hh A bright spark!

From: Julie Smith, Harpenden, Hertfordshire Sparky had been living rough around our streets for months, or possibly years, according to our neighbours. He slept in sheds and stole cat food by sneaking through cat flaps at night. I started leaving food out and soon he became a regular visitor, waiting at the bottom of the garden until I had gone in and closed the door before coming to eat.

Once finished, he would disappear and never looked back no matter how nicely I called to him.

It was nine long months before I could finally touch him. A few months later he had moved in, been neutered and had dental treatment on his broken and yellowed teeth.

Two years down the line, aged 10, he is a different cat. He is extremely clever with a huge range of verbal and non-verbal communications. He loves playing puzzle games for food and cries every morning at me until we have spent 10-15 minutes on his ‘learning’. I have devised a range of games and challenges to keep him occupied. This photo was taken while he was knocking down strategically placed toilet rolls to get the biscuit inside!

Don’t forget, Cats’ Tales is sponsored by Felix so, if your cat gets onto this page, you’ll receive a month’s supply of delicious Felix pouches from the Sensations range. Your little rascal will find it irresistible at every mealtime.

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The Cat Summer 2011

15

In the first of a two-part article, Amy Rutter investigates how to become a veterinary surgeon

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The Cat  Summer 2011

S

o you have a profound interest in the wellbeing of animals – I think that’s a pretty safe assumption as a subscriber to a moggy magazine – but have you ever considered taking your love for creatures a step further?

A career in veterinary science can be hard work but also very rewarding. The profession is well suited to those with an enquiring mind and an interest in science, but also who are caring, patient and not only good with animals but good with people! There are many areas in which you could get involved: these include – to name just a few – general veterinary practice, academia, industry, animal science, conservation work and animal behaviour.

All in a day’s work A career in a practice is one of the most common routes taken by veterinary graduates, with opportunities in equine, farm animal, small animal – pet – and ‘mixed’ practices.

Development of a specific interest and/or post-graduate qualification can also lead to opportunities in specialist or referral practices – working with single species or in a particular discipline – and there are an increasing number of ‘cat only’ practices in the UK. An average day at a small animal veterinary practice is divided into: care of hospitalised sick in-patients; consultations with clients and their pets; possible home visits; operations; emergencies; acting on test results; organising referrals; managing repeat prescription requests and dealing with queries or phone calls about cases.

Matt Allitt, a veterinary surgeon at Coastway Vets in Brighton, says: “There is never a typical day at work, every day is very different. The day begins with ward rounds at 8am, where the night vet hands over the care of the inpatients to the day staff. I rotate with the other veterinary surgeons in the practice between performing surgery or consulting for the morning. The afternoon is spent consulting and continuing treatment for the inpatients. At the end of the day, we have ward rounds with the night vet who takes over the care of the inpatients.”

Although a rewarding career, a veterinary surgeon will inevitably be required to work long hours and accepts that there will be demands on their time. The workload may be difficult to control – dropping everything to attend to emergencies which cannot wait – and of course this can affect the life/work balance. Alongside these expectations, vets are required to demonstrate a high level of professional conduct as members of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) – the governing body of the profession in the UK. All vets must take steps to provide emergency cover when the practice is closed. While some practices use dedicated out of hours vets or service providers to meet this obligation, many vets still work long shifts, working all day and then being on call all night and/or weekend, and have to work the following day too. In the 2010 RCVS Survey of the Veterinary Profession, two-thirds of vets working in clinical practice said they personally undertook out-of-hours work.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

The job is as much about people as it is about animals – you’ll be working with pet owners, explaining your findings and recommendations, ensuring compliance with advice and medications and dealing with a range of emotions. There will be ups and downs in terms of your own emotions on a daily basis too. There will be times when owners – and vets – need to agree an animal’s treatment options when there are financial constraints; as well as ill health leading to the consideration of euthanasia.

Matt admits that there are the rewards of helping animals and seeing them return to normal health as well as helping owners manage the care for their pets, but it is difficult when an animal passes away. “It is always very hard,” he says, “but you have to remember that the animal is no longer suffering, which is actually harder to see happening.”

There are many other opportunities outside of practice, too. Niki Skelton MA, VetMB, MRCVS is a Clinical Pathologist and resident at Axiom Veterinary Laboratories. Niki achieved her veterinary degree at Cambridge University and then went on to achieve a post-graduate qualification in clinical pathology: FRCPath (Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists).

“I was in mixed practice for four years after graduating and found myself getting more and more interested in the diagnostic side of things, and would enjoy practising cytology in-house” Niki explains. “I could never decide which species I wanted to specialise in, so this got round the problem, as clinical pathology applies to everything from dogs and cats to farm animals and horses, to snakes and sharks.

“If I’m on cytologies, I spend my day in front of a microscope with a big pile of slides, working through the samples we’ve had sent to us by practices. Otherwise I spend my time validating other types of results like haematology, biochemistry, endocrine, microbiology, serology and writing reports to accompany them.” Niki adds “a typical day will involve a few phone calls to the vets who send us their samples to discuss implications of results and optimal sampling tips as well as time spent researching obscure topics that have come up.”

Getting your head down The six universities in the UK offering veterinary degrees approved by the RCVS are Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh – Royal Dick, Glasgow, Liverpool and the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London. Students applying for either the London or Cambridge courses are asked to register for the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). The degree courses are five years in length – six years at some schools. A new veterinary school has opened at Nottingham University,

The Cat Summer 2011

17

with its first students due to graduate this summer, also hoping for RCVS approval.

There is stiff competition for the limited places at vet schools with each requiring different qualifications – check the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website or individual university prospectuses and websites.

As a general rule, most universities will expect you to have excellent GCSEs and three A levels at grades of at least two As and a B – chemistry is usually a compulsory subject plus one or two subjects from biology, physics and/or maths. Some universities will accept two AS levels in lieu of one A level and others will consider applicants with relevant vocational qualifications; check individual university requirements for specific grades needed.

Four of the vet schools also offer talented, disadvantaged students with lower grades, or relevant experience and vocational qualifications, access via a pre-entry year. As long as they pass this year, these students have guaranteed places on veterinary degrees. Applicants are advised to gain relevant work experience before applying, both to make sure they have some understanding of the nature of the work, and to demonstrate their commitment to the profession. All the universities interview applicants before making offers.

It is worth bearing in mind that some students who aren’t accepted by a vet school initially take a Bachelors of Science (BSc) degree in a related subject first – some graduates with good relevant degrees may be offered places to study for a further four or five years of a veterinary degree. However this will be a more costly option, as students who already have a first degree won’t be able to apply for a student loan to cover the tuition fees.

Although university will be a great time to be around likeminded people, it won’t be all fun and games! It will be a big time commitment in both term time and through holidays undertaking compulsory work experience placements with a wide range of species, and including spending time in

abattoirs – and the financial commitment of tuition fees and subsistence for five or six years. Bursaries and other financial support are provided by the universities for degree students from lower-income backgrounds; this will vary between universities so do check what is on offer.

Veterinary graduates qualify having demonstrated competence to treat all animals, big and small and swear an oath to become a member of the RCVS, after which they are able to practise veterinary surgery in the UK. It is likely that there will also be competition to get a job once you’re qualified and you may have to move to the job. There is plenty of opportunity for ongoing and specialist training after qualifying to continue your professional development.

A foot in the door Before applying to a university veterinary school, it is imperative that you gain work experience to show your commitment to a future career. It would be an idea to undertake placements in a range of areas with animals in general – not just vet practices – farms, stables, kennels and catteries are all good considerations, not to mention volunteering with animal welfare charities like Cats Protection.

Placements offer real-life experiences that allow you to see what is actively involved ‘on the job’. They will also allow you to establish relationships with contacts in the field, develop self confidence and confirm your career choice – but remember, practical experience is not a substitute for academic qualifications.

For volunteering opportunities with Cats Protection, contact your local branch or adoption centre. You can find contact details by phoning our national Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 or by visiting www.cats.org.uk If you think the veterinary field is for you – start investigating potential career paths, talk to vets on the job, enquire with regards to work experience and most of all… good luck!

For more information on becoming a vet: • Visit the RCVS website www.rcvs.org.uk and careers information at www.walksoflife.org.uk and www.youtube.com/user/VetCareers • Check out the UCAS website www.ucas.ac.uk • Peruse veterinary school prospectuses In the second part of this article, I will be embarking upon a work experience placement with Matt Allitt at Coastway Vets – find out how I get on in the Autumn issue!

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The Cat Summer 2011

Did you know that just one unneutered female cat can be responsible for 20,000 descendants in just five years?

Cats Protection generally recommends that cats are neutered at around four months of age or younger.

Neutered cats live longer, healthier lives and it is the most humane way to stop unwanted pregnancies.

Neutering also prevents some cancers and reduces straying, fighting and spraying.

For further details and assistance please contact us on:

Helpline: 03000 12 12 12

www.cats.org.uk

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

The inn crowd

Photo: istockphoto.com/Joan Vicent Cantó Roig

20 The Cat Summer 2011

L inda Harrison raises a glass to the historic cats of our hostelries

T

he story of how the Cat and Canary pub in Henfield, West Sussex got its name revolves around a tale of anger, fury and revenge over a cat’s crime…

It began many years ago and involved two neighbours in the village. One was the eccentric owner of a thatched cottage who had a beloved pet canary. The other was the local Canon, who owned a very naughty cat.

Pub landlady Karen Bentley reveals: “It’s a well-known story with my regulars – apparently the Canon’s cat took a liking to the canary and one day ate it.

“The owner of the canary was so upset about the event that he decided to take his revenge. In a fury, he set about decorating the outside of his thatched cottage with a variety of metal cats and birds.

“The poor Canon had to look at them every day when he walked past the cottage on his way to and from church – it was meant to be a constant reminder of his cat’s bad behaviour. The cottage still bears the metal designs and is known locally as ‘Cat House’.”

What’s in a name?

Cats have inspired pub names for several centuries and this is just one tale of many.

Set off on a tour of pubs in your area and the chances are you’ll soon stumble across one with a feline-inspired name – or with a moggy peering out from the sign above the door.

There’s The Fat Cat, Old Fat Cat, The Mad Cat, The Red Cat, The Black Cat, The Cheshire Cat… even The Romping Cat. But do the regulars or landlords and landladies of these establishments ever pause to ponder where the names originated? Not all feline pub names stem from tales of moggy misdemeanours – some claim to have heraldic origins. The Cat Inn, also in West Sussex is proud of its feline connection, displaying a sign with a large, demure-looking black cat peering over its shoulder. According to Andrew Russell, who runs the 16th century pub in the village of West Hoathly, it has had this name for many centuries.

“As for the story behind the name, I’m told it isn’t connected with domestic cats, but with the heraldic animals on the Dorset coat of arms, which is a local coat of arms in Sussex,” he says.

“Another story is that the building was once a home for wild cats in the village, so who knows?”

feature

Purrs and prose Fabled felines from stories, poems and nursery rhymes have all provided inspiration. For example, there’s the Owl and Pussycat in Leicestershire, as well as The Cheshire Cat – possibly based on the grinning cat of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland fame – on the outskirts of Chester. Meanwhile, there are many Cat and Fiddle pubs, including the Cat & Fiddle in Radlett, Hertfordshire and the Cat and Fiddle Inn in Cheshire.

Like many names, the history of the Cat and Fiddle could well be a mix of fact and fiction. Various explanations are claimed – one story goes that it could be a corruption of le chat fidele – ‘the faithful cat’ – or of ‘Caton le Fidele’, a former governor of Calais whose name was Caton.

Journalist Elaine Saunders, author of A Book About Pub Names , says: “The Cat & Fiddle has about five different explanations for how it got its name. Richard Caton was the Yorkist governor of Calais who refused to surrender the town to the Lancastrian forces.

On the other hand, it could just as easily have referred to Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, Catherine la Fidèle.”

She notes that another possible explanation is its link to the popular nursery rhyme: Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle The cow jumped over the moon.

The little dog laughed to see such fun And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Photo: Linda Harrison

Elaine says: “Pubs were rarely named by accident but the names were inspired by religion, royalty, heroes – and the occasional scandal.”

Cats from history – or with an association with historical figures – also have a presence. There are several Puss in Boots pubs, plus numerous Dick Wittingtons featuring cats on their signs.

Historical links Along the big cat theme, there is the Red Lion. According to the Inn Sign Society, the Red Lion is the most popular pub name in the country – with more than 600 inns bearing the name. It’s said to stem from James I, who wanted to reinforce his authority to rule and so decreed that all public buildings, including taverns, must display a heraldic red lion in a prominent place.

There are also a fair few pubs named after lions and tigers – one of the most remote of which must be the Lion Inn perched on Blakey Ridge in North Yorkshire.

Some names are ensconced in local history. The Cat and Custard Pot in the village of Paddlesworth, Kent was apparently originally named the Red Lion, but when its old signboard blew down, a new board was needed. The village artist set to work but his design was said to depict a lion with “fierce sprouting whiskers, his ears pricked and having boiling eyes” and the villagers decided it looked more like a cat than a lion. According to landlady Jeane Wiggins, the new signboard was hung up before it was dry, and some of the yellow paint in the border got smudged into a blob that resembled the landlady’s

“Set off on a tour of pubs in your area and the chances are you’ll soon stumble across one with a felineinspired name” The Cat Summer 2011

21

Photo: istockphoto.com/David Hills

mustard pot, which was always on the bar. And the name evolved from there.

Another pub bears the same unusual name in the Gloucestershire village of Shipton Moyne. Landlord Ken Grey says it got its name in 1924 from the Victorian novel Handley Cross: or Mr Jorrocks’s Hunt . The owner at the time was reading the book and decided to name the pub after the Cat & Custard Pot inn mentioned in its pages.

Macabre moggies Meanwhile, feline ghostly goings-on surround the historic Snickleway Inn in York. Although the name itself doesn’t include a reference to cats, the 15th century inn features a black moggy sitting at the bottom of its sign. The pub changed its name to the Snickleway Inn in 1993 and got its current sign then too.

Landlady Linda Roberts says the cat was a tom that went by the name of Seamus and belonged to a former landlady, Mrs Tulliver. The landlady passed away some time ago, but both mistress and puss are said to still haunt the pub and Mrs Tulliver has been seen with Seamus walking at her feet. “Some customers claim to have felt the cat rubbing against their legs,” says Linda. “It’s supposed to be lucky!”

Other names may stem from more macabre events. The Cat & Wheel, for example, might sound like a harmless enough pub name, but don’t be fooled… it’s believed to be a derivation of the Catherine Wheel, which was a medieval torture device.

And over in Norfolk, the Red Cat Hotel has an unlikely resident – a mummified cat that sits in a display case over the bar. The pub has been in

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The Cat Summer 2011

the family of landlord Peter Irwin for four generations and he believes the mummified moggy was given to his grandfather after being found in a loft.

“It hangs there much to the amusement of customers and onlookers,” says Peter.

Finally, let’s not forget the former pub owners themselves... one sorry tale involves the Cat-I-Th-Well pub in Wainstalls, West Yorkshire – and its former landlady, Catherine, who came to a violent end. The story goes that Catherine was very sociable and one night she was a bit too sociable for her husband’s liking – so he threw her down a well. And that was the end of Catherine. The current pub sign, however, features a cat peering out of a well.

Meanwhile, The Squinting Cat near Harrogate is also said to derive its name from the habits of a former landlady. She became known locally as ‘t’owd cat’ due to her habit of peering from behind the curtains to scrutinise approaching customers!

These are only a selection of stories; there are plenty more to explore.

So on your next trip out for a pint or pub lunch, why not head for a catthemed watering hole? And raise a glass to our feline friends.

Thanks to Patrick Roberts for supplying images of the pub signs on this page.

More information on feline-inspired pub names and signs can be found on the Feline Fun pages of Patrick’s website www.purr-n-fur.org.uk

We’re going

shopping w credit card!

Get online… for our great ne

Now you can help cats when you hit the shops, thanks to the new Cats Protection Credit Card from MBNA. You’ll receive a competitive rate on purchases and you can even manage your account online.

Even better, once your card has been approved and used, Cats Protection will receive a contribution of £20 from the issuer, MBNA Europe Bank Limited, and the cats in our care will continue to benefit as 0.25% is contributed from every retail purchase thereafter at no extra cost to you.

For more information and full details please visit:

www.cats.org.uk/creditcard

0% p.a.

on balance transfers (3% handling fee) for 12 months and on card purchases for 3 months from the date your account is opened*

16.9% APR

typical rate (variable)

* If you do not pay your balance in full we will use your payments to lower rate balances

before higher rate balances. If promotional rate balances are the same we will repay them in the following order: first, the one with the earliest expiry date; if the expiry dates are the same then the one which started first; if the expiry dates, and start dates are the same then the one with the lowest standard rate.

The Cats Protection Credit Card is issued by MBNA Europe Bank Limited, Registered office: Stansfield House, Chester Business Park, Chester CH4 9QQ. Registered in England number 2783251. Credit is available, subject to status, only to UK residents aged 18 or over. You cannot transfer balances from another MBNA account. We will monitor or record some phone calls. MBNA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

At Cats Protection one of our main aims is to make information about cat welfare and care available to all, especially young people. From literature and learning resources to informative talks and tours of adoption centres, we want to play our part in encouraging children to be thinking and considerate human beings. Recent studies have also shown that caring for a cat can do wonders for a child’s self esteem, social skills and sense of responsibility to others.

We provide education packs for teachers and work with youth organisations, such as the Brownies and the Beavers. If you’d like more details of the resources available then please contact us: T: 01825 741 924 E: education@cats.org.uk W: www.cats.org.uk/learn

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

walkeronthewildside

Baby steps Kitten versus baby – John Walker knows that only one can win!

M

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

y cat, Dexter, was born roughly around the same time as my nephew, William. It’s just a coincidence, as far as I’m aware. We’re pretty sure they’re not twins. Dex didn’t arrive in my life until he was about 12 weeks old and litter trained. To the best of my knowledge, my sister received her son at around day one and his pooing habits were still very much unrefined. Something he was not to address for many years. Meanwhile, beyond a couple of accidents, Dexter proved proficient at keeping his business to the correct tray almost immediately.

In fact, my kitten proved far more able than my human nephew in a number of areas. He was certainly walking sooner – albeit with the advantage of four legs – could feed himself if we encouraged dinnertime to be a game and I’m fairly certain could recognise colours and shapes in a way that shamed William.

But what I soon learned was that these – entirely accurate – comparisons were, for some reason, inappropriate to point out. My nephew, along with the rest of his immediate family, lives in France. So reports of his progress tended to arrive in the form of excited phone calls from my sister.

“William just sat up on his own!” she would exclaim. Dexter’s been sitting up on his own for ages, I would think to myself, searching in my head for a similar milestone to boast of. “Well Dexter just went outside on his own for the first time!”

I think the mistake was, “Well Dexter…” I’m not sure what’s wrong with some people, but they seem to object to the direct comparison of a human baby with a kitten. There’s a disparity, apparently, and no matter how strong my love and excitement for the stages of

progress I was witnessing in my little boy, the correlation was not recognised by others.

“Your sister tells me that Dexter had his first trip to the vet,” my father would say, a secret hint of approval behind the tone betraying that this had been reported to him in fury. My cat-hating mother would not even acknowledge the creature, her disgust never reaching a higher point than when she found out her husband had been spending time making a present for the cat.

You see, my dad has a deft hand for woodwork. As kids he would make us the most wonderful wooden toys and with the birth of a grandson he’d revived the hobby of building rocking horses, cars and fire engines. “But what about your other grandson?” I asked him one day. “When does he get a toy?” And so began my father’s project to build a play tower for Dexter – something my mum couldn’t even bring herself to enunciate. “Your father’s in the garage, making that thing for that thing.” “Your grandson, mum,” I would reply, giggling with joy knowing how angry it would make her.

However, it turned out there was a line. My poor sister suffered a lot of this and the clear grin on my face as it was all delivered probably helped me get away with a lot of it.

“William’s being such a pain today,” she’d tell me. “He won’t stop crying.”

“Let him out into the garden for a bit,” I’d suggest. “That normally calms Dex down.”

But then came the morning when I was life-banned from this game. My phone rang early, my sister’s voice elated.

“William just crawled for the first time!” she exclaimed. My reply was not appropriate.

You need to understand. That morning I’d woken up to some pitiful mewing, somehow more distant than the usual cat-shaped alarm clock. I couldn’t see him at first, and then I looked up. Dexter was sat on top of the curtain rail, clinging on, terrified. Extracting the little creature had been entertaining, balancing one leg on a swivel chair as his needle-claws dug into everything from the curtains to my arms. But I was bursting with pride.

“William just crawled for the first time!” My immediate reply?

“Dexter just climbed the curtains for the first time!”

That was the line. But the reality is that, at four, Dexter is almost entirely independent, only reliant on me for opening doors and putting down food.

Admittedly William can do both those things, but he’s still not capable of being left alone without trying to drink bleach or cut his own head off with a crayon. Meanwhile Dexter has just discovered a love for sitting on the top of doors. William hasn’t even tried that yet.

In praise of black cats

Mandy Trezise extols the virtues of monotone felines

I

don’t remember being without a cat for more than a few weeks. First a tabby queen, then her tabby son who was my own first cat; his short-lived tabby tom successor, followed by the ginger tom who stayed with my family when I married and moved away. At first, husband and I rented a house from friends and the resident tortie queen stayed on to look after us. Then our own home just before Christmas and a sweet-natured tabby-and-white queen joined us in the New Year.

Relief! Two cat-less weeks had not been good.

When the inevitable happened and we turned to Cats Protection, a lovely little black-and-white queen instantly wrapped my husband round her paw. She had a black brother and I, knowing nothing about black cats, assuming a cat was a cat was a cat, persuaded husband not to split up the litter mates.

So Sooty came too. In contrast to his sister’s confident assumption of the position of resident cat, Sooty dived straight under the sideboard, just dashing out to eat or use the litter tray. Husband said ‘that black cat’ would have to ‘go back’. I got him a week’s stay of execution and, after three days, he emerged from under the sideboard, crossed the room, jumped onto my lap and instantly transformed himself into a loving pet. He loved us both. We both loved him. The trouble was, I couldn’t read him.

With every other cat, I’d been able to see what he/she was thinking, what they wanted, how they were feeling – but all-black was beyond me. I likened him to a 3D silhouette – outline but no expression. It took him a long

26 The Cat Summer 2011

time, probably several months, to teach me to understand him, but in the end I got it and the basiclevel telepathy kicked in. This means: if a cat wants to come in when the doors are shut, I realise and go to open the correct door; equally, if I haven’t seen a cat for what feels like a long time, I sit and worry hard and the cat pops into the house to reassure me then goes back to his/her own business outside. I learned to read Sooty as easily as any tabby, tortie or ginger puss.

Again, the inevitable happened and once again we were catless and turned to CP. This time, having read that all-black cats have difficulty finding homes compared with other colours and patterns, we went looking for a pair or trio of all-black toms.

Luckily, CP turned up trumps again and black twin brothers were located. They were said to be five and a half years old, and husband said ‘That old?!’ but they still came to join us. From a broken home, they were the most laid-back cats you could hope to meet and I could read them straight away. Sadly, Max got sick and died within two years, but Felix is still here, on his cushion in front of the fire, having trained both husband and I so well that we now feel confident to care for any all-black cat. Felix has taken human-training to new heights.

Most cats will inform their people if a meal is late; Felix also draws attention to the fact that he has used his litter tray and it needs attention – now!

It may take a bit of time and effort to learn to interpret an allblack face and body, but it’s time well spent. They give unending love.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

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A day in the life of a cat behaviour counsellor

Vicky Halls investigates whether kids are just for people who can’t have cats

W

hen I was a little girl, I had a wonderful relationship with a Siamese called Jenny. She was a constant playmate and companion who gave me years of pleasure and taught me so much about loving and caring. This is the sort of experience that most parents would want for their child, but if this is something you are planning it does need some careful thought.

There is no absolute guarantee that all cats and children cohabit comfortably. If cats are brought up with children, they will often tolerate the unpredictable and boisterous behaviour that inevitably occurs far better than those exposed to them suddenly for the first time as adults.

The character of the cat and the timing of the introduction are significant to ensure the relationship that is being created is beneficial for both parties.

Introducing a cat into the family When weighing up the pros and cons, parents need to accept that the majority, if not all, of the chorebased care will be carried out by them, no matter how many promises the children make prior to acquisition. A new kitten – and, to a lesser extent, adult cat – needs a great deal of commitment particularly in the early stages so the whole family has to play a role, even if it is agreeing to participate in regular playtime.

The choice of cat or kitten is important as there are definitely those individuals who are more ‘family-friendly’ than others. The ideal companion would be well socialised and confident, with an apparently endless tolerance of handling and affection. However, even with the most tolerant cats, it is the parents’ role to teach a child to read the signs when a cat has had enough and always respect their need for time alone. In households where the children are unruly and occasionally

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 and to subscribe to Vicky’s free monthly e-newsletter featuring cat behavioural articles, cats in the news, tips for cat owners and competitions, please visit her website at www.vickyhalls.net

28

The Cat Summer 2011

aggressive, it is probably wise to make the decision not to have a pet, at least for the time being.

Some rehoming centres may advise against cats being adopted by households with young children, judging the noise, disruption and over-enthusiastic handling to be potentially stressful. Cats Protection, however, will judge each case on its own merits and carefully match the appropriate kitten – or cat – with the right family. Once the decision has been made, here are a few tips that may make the introduction easier: • Establish the house rules before the cat arrives • Which family member is responsible for each chore – feeding etc?

• Where will the cat sleep?* – remember cats prefer multiple places to sleep • Which rooms will be out of bounds?

• What level of attention is appropriate during the settling in period?

• Every member of the family should understand the importance of security by keeping external doors and windows shut • Ensure the cat has plenty of escape opportunities from excitable or fractious children, for example • Shelving • Tall cat activity centres/scratching posts • Tops of cupboards or wardrobes • Under beds • Educate children from an early age how to be gentle around cats • Holding a cat appropriately, with support under the front and hind legs, is easy to learn once a child is shown and will make it far more likely that the cat will tolerate being picked up without struggling • Ensure the cat or kitten is regularly wormed and treated for fleas • Ensure litter trays are cleaned regularly

Cats and babies It is not always the cat that is the newcomer as many are established members of the family when children come along. Concerns over the cat’s potential jealousy when confronted with a new baby may cause a great deal of unease in mums-tobe and many even consider rehoming the cat for the wellbeing of the baby. Fortunately, such drastic measures are rarely necessary and owners should be

healthcheck

• Litter trays, food and water bowls are irresistible so these should ideally be located in areas where the child does not have access • Always supervise encounters and show the toddler how to handle gently and stroke the fur in the right direction • Make the experience pleasant for the cat as well by offering food treats as a reward for tolerating the child’s attention *Although the bedroom is often an exciting prospect, this should be discouraged if the child suffers from any allergies.

A number of studies in the UK and USA however report that exposure to pets during infancy may significantly reduce the risk for asthma and allergies in later childhood and it has been indicated that primary school children from pet-owing households have lower sickness absenteeism from school.

For more information, see Cats and People – Cats Protection Essential Guides

Photo: istockphoto.com/Marzanna Syncerz

aware that the cat’s reaction may well be more to do with stress because of the sudden disruption and change in routine.

The key to a stress-free arrival for all concerned is to plan ahead and start with a thorough MOT for the resident cat. Vaccinations, worming and flea control should be brought up to date and the cat neutered, if this hasn’t already been done. This is also a good time to address any existing behavioural problems, such as house soiling or aggressive behaviour, even if owners have tolerated them before. The upheaval and disruption caused by the arrival of a baby may make the problems worse.

If the cat is used to having the owner’s undivided attention and seems to thrive on it, the time to redefine the relationship needs to start early in the pregnancy. No matter how much love the cat receives, it will be virtually impossible to sustain the same degree of attention once a new baby arrives. Gradually reducing the amount of direct contact should coincide with increased stimulation, for example, more time outside or more activity indoors that will provide an outlet for energy that doesn’t involve the owner. New parents have many responsibilities, night and day, so the cat’s routines, including feeding, grooming, playing and other general chores, will have to fit around them. If this adapted routine is introduced as soon as possible it will aid in reducing the impact of baby’s arrival.

The decision about where the baby is going to sleep at night should be made and this room declared ‘out of bounds’ early in the pregnancy so that the closure doesn’t represent another change once the baby comes home. All accessories such as buggies and cots are best introduced over a period of time to avoid a sudden burst of challenging smells and objects at the last minute. Housebound cats are more sensitive to changes in their environment so a baby’s arrival will have a greater impact on those who are kept exclusively indoors.

Once baby arrives, the established routines can be maintained and the cat allowed to hide or investigate, depending on mood. Although it’s probably wise to advise that newborn babies should not be left alone with a cat, no matter how trustworthy, the ultimate message is to relax and enjoy!

Toddlers and cats Once baby grows, it can be difficult to teach a toddler to handle a cat appropriately. The temptation for a small child is often to scream, chase and grab so the need for escape strategies is essential. Baby gates preventing toddlers from climbing stairs are a great asset to the cat under these circumstances and many will seek refuge upstairs. A few extra considerations are probably necessary for those youngsters less capable of following rules:

The Cat Summer 2011 29

Ask the vets…

Every issue, CP’s team of veterinary experts will be tackling your feline-related questions…

My cat Floyd has been diagnosed with diabetes.

He is 13 and very much loved, he has no insurance so I need to ‘home manage’ as much as possible. Can I inject the insulin while he eats so he will be distracted?

Diabetes was the last thing on my mind and has sent me into panic.

Daphne Broderick, Salford, Lancashire We are sorry to hear that your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes. Most diabetic cats need insulin to control their condition and the medication is usually a lifelong requirement. To ensure the correct treatment for each cat, the vet needs to closely monitor him, run regular blood glucose tests and adjust the medication as often as necessary to suit the individual cat’s requirements.

Usually a cat will start off on a low dose which will be increased until the cat is deemed stable. A cat may need to stay at the vets if he becomes unstable at any point to allow glucose levels to be monitored at regular intervals and to allow them to provide stabilising treatment if required. It can take a long time to get the correct dose established for each cat, but once the cat is stabilised, visits to the vet will become more infrequent. If cost does start to become an issue for you, discuss this with your vet as there may be different options available for monitoring your diabetic cat. Some owners are able to be trained by their vet in monitoring their cat at home similar to how human diabetic patients monitor their own blood glucose levels.

A consistent daily routine is essential in ensuring Floyd stays stable. He may be put onto a diet specifically designed for diabetic cats. It is recommended that feeding is consistent, with the same amount of food given at the same time every day. Any change in his diet will have an effect on his blood sugar so will contribute to a changing insulin dose.

Insulin should be given at the same time every day and the same amount must be given unless instructed otherwise by your vet. One of the most common reasons for poor stabilisation at home is problems with insulin storage or administration so do speak with your vet if you are unsure about any aspect of using the insulin.

It is important to work closely with your vet who is best placed to offer any further advice, including information on giving the insulin while Floyd is eating. The risks in doing this include the possibility of him forming an association between the potentially negative experience of the injection with the food and going off eating altogether – although many cats don’t even seem to feel the injection so probably wouldn’t mind! – and giving a full dose of insulin before he has finished his meal. If for some reason, he doesn’t eat his entire meal, the insulin dose may be affected.

30 The Cat Summer 2011

Cats Protection runs a Diabetic Cat Register. This lists volunteers who own or have owned diabetic cats. The register enables you to get in touch with the volunteers on the list for support and non veterinary advice. If you would like to receive a copy of the register, please contact our National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 or helpline@cats.org.uk. You may even decide to volunteer as a source of support on the register in the future to help others.

Diabetes is usually a treatable condition and although it requires dedication and commitment from owners, it can be a very rewarding problem to manage. KH I have a 13-year-old cat who doesn’t go outside, but I’m concerned that she may get too hot indoors.

I always put out lots of water for her – including ice cubes in it – and I’ve put her bed in a cool place but I really don’t know what else I can do.

Eve Trueman, Heathfield, East Sussex Cats are very clever and tend to limit their activity to suit the environmental conditions, so if it’s very hot they will only carry out necessary activities. To help cats stay cool, provide plenty of comfortable resting places in the shade and keep the curtains closed during the day to keep the house at a lower temperature. You may also wish to provide some fans to help circulate the air around the room.

Provide a few areas where your cat can have access to water and make sure the water doesn’t get hot by putting it in the shade. Here are a few further steps that can be taken to encourage cats to drink more: • Cats prefer to eat and drink in different places. In an evolutionary sense, this allows them to avoid water that may be contaminated with waste from prey so try moving the water bowl to a site away from the food bowl • Cats are very sensitive to taste and prefer to be able to see the surface of the water • Cats prefer not to put their heads over the top of or in the bowl, so keep the water topped up at all times – while still monitoring how much is drunk • Cats prefer moving water, so you could try offering a water fountain • Cats need to be able to access their water without having to pass objects they are fearful of, such as other cats, so ensure the water bowl is sited in a location acceptable to the cat If you are in any way concerned about your cat in the heat, we would advise that you contact your vet. I hope that you both manage to stay cool in this weather. BS

healthcheck

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

Our neighbours’ cats have had kittens which are now about eight weeks old. The tom keeps trying to mate with them. Is there any way we can stop this and should we? They seem much too young to be mating, let alone with their father. It’s quite disturbing to see so we always shoo him away but we aren’t always around.

Matt Bridge, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire The best way of stopping the male from trying to mate with the kittens would be to have him neutered. Both male and female cats can be neutered from four months of age, or younger. Not only will this help to prevent another pregnancy occurring, adding to the thousands of unwanted kittens we have in our adoption centres and branches, but it also curbs unwanted behavioural patterns associated with sexual maturity and reduces the risk of certain diseases.

Unneutered male cats have a strong tendency to roam, be aggressive to other males, to fight and to mark their territory by spraying urine – often indoors. The aggressive behaviour puts an un-neutered male at risk of serious infectious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), both of which are transmitted from cat to cat through cat bites or sexual activity.

Neutering of a male involves removing both testes under general anaesthetic through small incisions into the scrotum. Usually the skin incisions are so small that stitches are not required. Cats can usually go home the same day and normally recover from the operation remarkably quickly.

It should be remembered that if the female cat is allowed to roam outside the house, she is able to fall pregnant as soon as she stops feeding the kittens so it is prudent to have her neutered as well and at eight weeks the kittens are old enough for her to be neutered now. This will not only prevent an unwanted pregnancy, but it will also mean that the cat won’t call and wail during her sexual cycle – which can be every three weeks – and may be less likely to contract diseases spread by bites and reproductive activity. Kittens can come into season from four months of age, so their surgery could be booked now.

In the past it has been suggested that all female cats should be allowed to have one litter of kittens. However, this is totally unnecessary and carries no benefit whatsoever to the cat.

Neutering of a female involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus through an incision made on the flank or belly of the cat under general anaesthetic. The cat can usually return home the same day and, if stitches have been used, they are generally removed after seven to 10 days.

The operation usually costs between £20 and £60 depending on your area. Vets in the area will be very happy to provide a quote. If it is difficult to afford the operations, Cats Protection may be able to contribute towards the cost. Support is offered if the owner of the cat is a full-time student or on means-tested benefits. For more information on this, please phone our National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12. LM

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 Cats Protection 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 Cats Protection 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 Cats Protection 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.

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

The Cat Summer 2011

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‘A recent survey found that almost seven out of 10 women admitted they were worried they could catch something from their pet while pregnant’ 32

The Cat Summer 2011

Don’t give up As more and more cats become homeless, Tom Briggs investigates some of the reasons people give for parting with their pets

C

ats are easy-going creatures, content to mind their own business and sleep for a large part of the day but equally happy to provide companionship when you really need it. Added to this, they are both independent and low maintenance, making them ideal pets for people in an increasingly stressful world.

Why then, do so many people give up their cats when they have no need to do so? There are, of course, some situations in which owners have no other option but to part with their cats but, equally, there are instances in which this sad process is completely avoidable.

One of Cats Protection’s three core aims is to educate people about cats and their care – challenging misconceptions in order to ensure a brighter future for the nation’s cats is a daily part of our work. With that in mind, let’s tackle some of the explanations people offer when unnecessarily giving up their cats…

Baby blues

Photo: Clare Halden

One of the most frequent reasons people offer when giving up their cat and signing it into our care is the imminent arrival of a new baby and the family’s concerns about the mum-to-be contracting toxoplasmosis. For those unaware of exactly what this is, it is a micro-organism that can affect the foetus if a pregnant woman is infected with it. A recent survey of over 1,500 mothers or mums-to-be conducted by Cats Protection via netmums.co.uk found that almost seven out of 10 women admitted they were worried they could catch something from their pet while pregnant, while 60 per cent were concerned that their cat could pass on an illness to their newborn baby.

However, a survey in the British Medical Journal concluded that contact with cats was not a risk factor. Kittens and young cats may become infected during their early days of hunting, during which they may catch and eat an infected rodent or bird. Even then, they only shed oocysts – infectious spores – in their faeces for a couple of weeks afterwards and these only become infective 24 hours after being passed. Still not

convinced? How about these two facts then? Statistically, cat owners are no more likely to get toxoplasmosis than non-cat owners and you are more likely to contract the disease from consuming raw meat or unwashed vegetables than from your cat. The lesson to be learned from this is simple; if you’re expecting a baby, there’s no need to get rid of your muchloved pet. Simply get someone else to deal with the litter tray or wear rubber gloves if nobody else is around and ensure that solids are removed on at least a daily basis and the already small risk is pretty much eliminated.

While it is understandable that expectant parents have initial qualms about toxoplasmosis, there are sadly some ludicrous myths about cats and children that have somehow managed to stand the test of time. One of these old wives’ tales is that our four-legged friends can somehow suck babies’ breath away. Unsurprisingly, this one comes from the Middle Ages when cats were vilified by supposedly enlightened members of society who put them on trial alongside women who were just as ridiculously suspected of being witches.

To bury this twaddle once and for all, it is physically impossible for a cat to steal an infant’s breath. Of course, it’s basic common sense to ensure babies are safe – in the same way that you wouldn’t want a large, untucked blanket in your child’s cot, you wouldn’t want anything else – including a well-meaning and affectionate cat – in there either. It is an owner’s responsibility to decide where their cats are allowed to go but, once any no-go zones are established, it is important that cats know their boundaries.

In fact, there are a great number of benefits to having a cat as part of your growing family and the experience can be very rewarding to youngsters. Studies have shown that children brought up with a feline friend generally grow up to be more affectionate and responsible and develop a better understanding of others’ needs and feelings. There is also strong evidence to suggest that those who spend their childhood with a cat in the home are more likely to have a stronger immune system, which is at odds with the next reason people offer for giving up their cats…

The Cat Summer 2011

33

Allergy angst An allergy in the family is also a frequent reason people offer for needlessly surrendering their cats. In many of these instances, they have acted hastily and may not be aware that it could be something other than a cat causing the sneezing fits. In fact, almost anything can trigger allergic reactions – dust mites, mould spores, insects, perfume and cleaning products to name but a few are common in most homes, yet it is cats who are often perceived as the culprits and promptly given up without a second thought.

Even those who are genuinely allergic to cats – and who have had this confirmed by a GP – have several options available to avoid a sad parting from their pet; antihistamines and products like PetalCleanse can alleviate and reduce symptoms respectively, while regular vacuuming and air purifiers can also make a difference. Designating bedrooms as cat-free zones can dramatically reduce the presence of allergens in the home.

Neutering notions Another common reason for cats – or, rather, kittens – coming into our care is that they are from unwanted litters.

Cats Protection recommends neutering as the only way of preventing this from happening, ideally at four months before reaching maturity but it seems that, for some people

at least, the message has yet to get across. There are plenty of very good reasons to get your cat neutered; when you consider that one unneutered queen can be responsible for up to 20,000 descendants – the majority of which will be unwanted – in as little as five years, you’ve already got one very strong argument in the defence of neutering. Neutered toms, meanwhile, are less likely to roam and fight than their ‘entire’ counterparts.

The belief that it is beneficial to allow your cat to have one litter, however, has survived. The origins of this notion are questionable; maybe those in question are anthropomorphising their pets. Cats, though, are not people.

They don’t have the same concept of familial relationships that we do, so attempting to attribute our values and characteristics to them is pointless; they are much happier to be treated as cats!

Help us help cats Of course, most if not all of this article is preaching to the converted but, to help us make a positive difference to cats and kittens, we need you. If you know someone who is thinking of giving up their cat, please show them this article or pass them Cats Protection’s Helpline number, 03000 12 12 12. Together we can ensure a happy future for people and their pets.

Photo: istockphoto.com/Vasiliki Varvaki

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The Cat Summer 2011

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National treasures

of the

National Trust

F rancesca Watson meets some of the friendly felines that call the National Trust home

T

he National Trust is considered by many to be a jewel in Great Britain’s crown. Founded in 1895, it is responsible for over 350 historic houses, gardens and ancient monuments, more than 700 miles of coastline and 627,000 acres of countryside in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There are millions of visitors each year to imposing castles, stately homes, historic halls, manors and glorious gardens.

These can be the former residences of the famous, wealthy or the just plain lucky and there are some very fortunate felines who currently get to live there courtesy of the National Trust.

Chirk Castle is an imposing stronghold guarding the Ceiriog Valley that was built by Roger Mortimer in 1295 as part of King Edward I’s chain of fortresses across the north of Wales.

Arriving at the Castle in the 13th century, you may have been met by angry men with pots of boiling oil, but today you are more likely to be greeted by a one-eyed, long-haired tabby

called Thomas. He has been at the property for around 13 years and is thought to be about 17 years old. A perennial favourite with visitors, he even has some coming specifically to see him, bringing treats and gifts.

Twelve years ago, following a campaign to head office for proper recognition, Thomas became one of feline faces of the Trust, appearing on tea towels and other memorabilia.

Ceryn, a former gate attendant for the Trust instigated the campaign and remains a true favourite of Thomas, visiting him weekly to bring him fresh chicken and to give him an essential grooming.

There are several live-in staff, all of whom have cats, making for a close community with everyone taking turns to look after each other’s felines if away. Harry is a black-andwhite cat belonging to Jo Jones, Assistant Visitor Services Manager. “He turned up as a stray and just sat on my doorstep, so I guess he adopted me! His patch is the garden area and he has many dens in the yew trees there. He has even got into the habit of knocking on my kitchen window to tell me that he wants to come in.”

Hobbs, a ginger tom, belongs to Carolyn Latham, House Manager and he seems to like making visitors nervous.

“Hobbs is mostly an indoor cat, but he has a trick of teetering on the edge of window sills worrying visitors below but he is adept at walking along thin edges so they shouldn’t be fooled.”

Feline focussed visitors having met Thomas, Hobbs and Harry should also keep an eye out for Murphy, Tequila and two cats called Puss on their visit to Chirk.

Smiler knows his onions

Photo: Sally Williams

There is a savvy social media feline by the name of Smiler Gibbs who was born and bred at Tyntesfield, a magnificent Victorian house in north Somerset. 2011 sees the end of an extensive restoration project at the estate, primarily focussed on repairing its impressive Gothic roof. The grounds are available for visitors to explore all year round and they may well bump into the estate’s resident feline. Smiler is a nine-year-old grey tabby who has his own chair in the office and even his own Facebook page. He resides with the Head Gardener and has many catnap spots around the grounds but perhaps one of his quirkiest is on top of a pile of shallots!

feature

Photo: Louise Mudd

The Head Gardener at Wallington in Northumberland has two cats, Duchess and Malley, both cross Norwegian Forest cats who originally came from India. Visitors are more likely to espy Duchess around the gardens as it seems that her brother Malley is apt to run from strangers. There is also a very friendly black cat called Thomas who just ‘arrived’ one day and now greets visitors to the Walled Garden.

Strudel is a rags-to-riches puss who went from being born on a farm to living on a council estate and then to the glorious Penrhyn Castle in Wales. And if you’re ever at Hardwick Estate in Derbyshire do watch out for its black cat, Ninja.

There is a lovely little cat called Lily at Cragside in Northumberland who acts as the estate’s ‘pest control officer’. She can often be spotted on patrol through the Formal Garden.

There are several feline incumbents at A la Ronde in Devon, so it would be a poor day if you didn’t spot one of the following: Harmony, Chani, Lily, Marley and Tilly. Ginger and Gina can be found at Wimpole in Cambridgeshire. Gina can usually be found asleep on a shelf behind the till in the shop.

Ginger roams all over the estate stalking prey. He is a longhaired cat and some children have even thought that he was a miniature lion!

If you’re at Gibson Mill in Yorkshire, keep an eye out for Gillian, the caretaker’s cat. She was found as a small kitten on the edge of the estate and lost the tips of her ears to frostbite. She’s become a favourite at the Mill and is a real sweetie.

One-eyed Albie is a thespian black-and-white cat at Sudbury Hall & Museum of Childhood in Derbyshire. When the Hall had a ‘Bring the museum to life’ event, Albie stepped in to play the part of Postman Pat ’s cat, Jess .

Visitors to the Walled Garden at Gibside in Northumberland will get a friendly welcome from the greenhouse residents, Benjy and Bobby but rodent pests beware!

Reporting for duty Forget the industrial landscape that may immediately come to mind when thinking of Middlesbrough, Cleveland; just off the A19 on the southern edges of the city you will discover the hidden gem of Ormesby Hall. It is a mansion house dating from the 16th century and was home to the Pennyman family for almost 400 years. After the death of James Pennyman in 1961, it was given to the National Trust and his widow, Ruth, remained at the property until her death in 1983.

The mansion is set in acres of lovely land and boasts perhaps one of the few magnificent stable blocks that remains true to its original function. No renovated tea room here, it is now home to the Cleveland Mounted Police. It is also the home of Mog, a long-limbed tabby who turned up unannounced one day in 2004.

Mog earns his keep ensuring the rodent population doesn’t get out of hand and is ably looked after by Nicola Middlemiss and Melissa Howarth, civilian grooms at the stables.

“At first I was under strict instructions from my boss not to feed Mog in the hope that he’d go back home. But after a day it was obvious he wasn’t going anywhere; he was skinny and hungry so I succumbed.” Nicola admits. “He’d already been neutered and was so friendly that it was obvious that he’d been someone’s pet but as he was not microchipped we weren’t able to reunite him.”

Mog on patrol

“He’s a big favourite with everyone here,” Melissa adds, “he’s very at ease with the horses and often goes into their stables and sits up on the window sill. He loves to find a nice spot for sleeping and he’s been known to sneak into the horsebox unseen before the police go out on a job – once he was only discovered halfway to Hartlepool!” You leave your car windows down at your own peril here. Melissa has had Mog suddenly appear in the rear view mirror emerging from the dark giving her a jolt and, once, the sergeant discovered he’d been accompanied down to the pub after work, meaning that longed-for pint just had to wait until Mog was returned to the Hall.

Mog’s preference for finding a place to snooze can cause trouble back at the main house too though. Visitor Services Manager, Phil Burton, says that Mog has a tendency to aim for the building. “He loves to go exploring or to sleep and I’m afraid he’s not allowed to stay. The visitors are delighted to see him, but with such a big house the challenge is to track him down quickly and put him out. He’s apt to trip alarms and perhaps use his claws!’ Phil smiles wryly.

The Cat Summer 2011

37

A gravitational pull Sir Isaac Newton, famed physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist and theologian lived at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire. Famous for his theory on gravity circa 1687, he has also been attributed with the invention of the cat flap. Legend has it that he made a hole in his chamber door to allow a cat and her kittens ease of passage. Visitors to Woolsthorpe can see the same apple tree that inspired his theory and, with luck, meet Coco the Cat who lives in the nearby village but spends most of his days up at the house. When found snoozing on a chair or bedspread visitors often ask whether Coco’s real or not!

In the glorious hopfields county of Kent there is a cat who rules the roost at Scotney Castle called Puss. She belonged to former owner, Elizabeth Hussey, who was resident until her death in 2006 at the grand old age of 99. Elizabeth’s husband bequeathed the estate to the National Trust in his will in 1970 on the understanding that his widow lived on in the main house. Elizabeth was a great cat lover and had a succession of them throughout her life, mostly Burmese and most called Minou. There are several paintings of her with various cats around the house and she commissioned a fountain which has a stone carving of a cat reaching down to the water.

Puss is a sprightly brown tabby aged about 12 and can often be seen taking a stroll around the grounds charming visitors. Tanya Stuart, Conservation and Learning Assistant

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The Cat Summer 2011

says, “The house is her domain and we definitely work for her! She is very chatty and can spend the whole day sat in one place in the volunteers’ tea room being stroked.” Tanya and Puss struck up a close friendship when Tanya worked pretty much on her own in the house for six months before it was opened to the public. “We’d spend up to eight hours a day together, so we forged a strong bond.”

Georgina Gooderson, Conservation Assistant has been fooled by Puss’s guile and cunning when it comes to food.

“She is so pretty and charming that people succumb thinking she hasn’t yet been fed. She keeps trying it on with me to see if I remember the rules!” Georgina smiles. “One Christmas the Property Manager gave Puss the turkey carcass as a treat and when a member of staff arrived the next morning they likened the scene to a safari kill, the turkey carcass all over the place as if a lion had attacked a zebra!”

The Peckover family who owned the aptly named Peckover House in Cambridgeshire had a history of keeping cats and today there are two cats keeping up the tradition. Damson is 11 years old and has been at the house since she was a small kitten. She adores being around visitors especially in the courtyard watching them have their tea. No one is entirely sure whether it is the attention or the crumbs from the table she craves? There were two cats called Medlar and Mulberry, but sadly Medlar went missing back in 1999 and Mulberry died in 2008. He is buried in the cat cemetery alongside the

Photo: Francesca Watson

The resplendent Elizabeth Hussey with one of her many cats

feature Peckover family pets. The latest arrival is Algie who arrived in September 2007. He is named after Algernon Peckover, one of the estate’s founders, and is a handsome grey-brown tabby.

Chartwell in Kent may be the residence of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, but it’s also the current home of a Cats Protection feline. Jock V was adopted by Alice Martin, the House and Collections Manager from our Swale Branch, and now lives with her in the top-floor flat. The original Jock was a gift to Churchill in 1962 and he was so taken with the cat, that he put a request into his will asking that a ginger cat with four white paws and a white bib called Jock should always be in comfortable residence at the property.

Another Cats Protection moggy has made a very fine home for himself at Snowshill Manor in Worcestershire. In 2005 Tinker, who had been abandoned when his family had moved away found himself feline owner of all he surveyed. Tinker continues a decades-long tradition of the Manor having a resident white cat.

By royal appointment At Erddig Hall near Wrexham there is a painting from 1830 in the servant’s hall of the first head gardener, Thomas Pritchard, with a small cat curled up beneath his chair. The relationship between cats and gardeners continues today with the current Head Gardener Glyn Smith. He currently has three feline companions: Gremlin, Fred and Ginger. Gremlin is a small, long-haired tabby who was found wandering by Glyn’s wife Deborah and taken to live at the Hall. Gremlin has a nervous system disorder to her back legs and as such stays close to home, rarely going beyond the private garden wall.

By contrast, Fred and Ginger are often seen around by visitors. They are brothers who came from a litter of four born on the estate and found without their mother in the wagon shed.

Glyn’s love for his cats is obvious, but he becomes a little pensive when mentioning his best friend, a black-and-white cat called Saddam who passed away last year. “He was 17 when he died and I do miss him very much. He’d follow me around the gardens, even on top of the scaffolding when pruning trees,” Glyn remembers. “He was a social cat who had the honour of meeting Prince Charles on a visit to the Hall, weaving his way around his legs and was also the subject of a national radio interview. Radio 5 believed it had tracked down the infamous dictator who had disappeared just after the Iraq invasion!” A tongue-in-cheek interview ensued with Glyn providing his services as interpreter.

At the Treasurer’s House in York’s city centre there is a cat that some people may well wish not to see – a phantom feline that haunts the tea room! There are more cat ghosts to be found at East Riddlesden Hall in Yorkshire. Believed to be the pets of past owners, dogs and cats have been spotted down the corridors. But Joshua, a ginger tabby, is most definitely flesh and blood and has made his presence felt not only at the Hall but has been the uninvited guest at many a wedding taking place in the grounds. Joshua lives nearby, but spends most of his days at the Hall. He is a cheeky chappy and is loved by staff and visitors. He has a propensity for sleep and has been found in many a place taking a catnap; discovered snoozing in an empty pram which attracted a crowd of cooing people; trying to make a comfy bed in the train of a bride’s wedding dress and he regularly takes a nap on the straw bed in the model of a poor family’s house – apparently he makes it look really comfortable!

No doubt there are many more National Trust felines just waiting to be discovered, making for an unbeatable day out. Find out about NT properties near you from www.nationaltrust.org.uk or by phoning 0844 800 1895.

Photo: Francesca Watson

Ginger, the barrow boy

The Cat Summer 2011 39

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

Purr and simple Purr & Simple Kwik Klump litter is a natural and fragrance-free cat litter, made from fibrous plant material. It is biodegradable and comes from annually renewable resources.

As well as being described as having at least twice the odour control of other litters, it is extremely absorbent, making cleaning the litter box far quicker. For a list of stockists visit www.bernpetfoods.co.uk We have three 4.5kg bags worth £9.98 each of Purr & Simple Kwik Klump to give away – mark your entry ‘Kwik Klump’ for a chance to be picked as a winner.

WIN

Peg o’ my heart This rustic wooden peg rail with painted cats is an ideal gift for a feline lover. Priced at £11.95, the peg rail would make any house a home – and you’d never lose your keys again!

The I Love Cats Peg Rail and other vintage and distressed-style home items are available from www.livelaughlove.co.uk or by phoning 01342 842 599.

40 The Cat Summer 2011

Shake, rattle and roll Babies will love this soft Jellycat Stripy Rattle Cat. He’s fun to squeeze and cling to and he rattles when you shake him! Available in blue or pink, this cuddly cat costs £10 from John Lewis. For stockists phone 08456 049 049 or visit www.johnlewis.com

Reel restoration WIN Preserve the precious memories of your friends, family and pets with Rescue Your Videotapes

by MAGIX. This software can back up your valuable recordings in a flash on your PC or on DVD. Just connect your video device to the included USB video converter, start the software up and import your footage. On average, VHS tapes last for around 15 years if stored correctly but this package allows you to enjoy footage of your pets for years and years to come!

MAGIX Rescue Your Videotapes is available on Mac and PC for £59.99 from Amazon and PC World.

We have six copies of Rescue Your VideoTapes – three PC and three Mac – mark your entry ‘Rescue Your Videotapes’ clearly specifying which platform you would like.

As cold as ice

No more stains!

Keep cool in style this summer with this kitty-shaped ice cube tray from www.giftideas.co.uk. It would also be a novelty at garden parties or barbeques!

Buy a Pussy Cat Ice Tray for £8.99 from www.giftideas.co.uk or win one of three by marking your entry ‘Ice cube tray ’.

Catit Bust-it Urine Buster has a special urine-fighting formula to tackle stubborn cat urine stains and odours. Whether on fabric, carpet, tiles or wooden flooring, it eliminates all types of pet stains without harming your cat and is certified under the EcologoTM programme for its environmentally-friendly nature.

Catit Bust-it is available now from good pet retailers, RRP £8.16 for a 710ml spray bottle.

We have five bottles of Catit Bust-it Urine Buster to give away: mark your entry ‘Bust-it’ for a chance to win.

WIN

WIN

WIN

Thinking outside the box The Maelson Dry Box 15 recently won a BETA International award for product innovation.

This storage bin is designed to hold 15kg of dry pet food and has a foam seal to keep food secure dry and away from pests. The entire operation of opening the box and removing, using and replacing the included scoop is a single-handed operation.

The Dry Box 15 has an RRP of £19.99 and is available to order from 3P Enterprise Ltd who can be contacted on 01594 810 990 or at sales@3penterprise.co.uk We have one dry food storage bin to give away, send in your entry marked ‘Dry box’ .

Cool for cats This 9in-diameter melamine plate by USA designer Jane Jenni features a very Cool Cat and is both shatterproof and dishwasher safe. The Cool Cat plate retails for £10 plus P&P; available from Hunkydory Home at www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk or phone 0191 645 4004.

Three plates are up for grabs – mark your entry Cool Cat plate’ .

WIN

The

cat’ s miaow

WIN

Oodles of doodles Freelance illustrator Gemma Correll has a quirky style which feline lovers will adore. She is a big cat fan and was a subscriber of The Cat as a child. Gemma told us she sent in a cat cartoon in the late 90s which was published and had such a positive response that it was one of the things that spurred her on to becoming an illustrator!

Among other things, Gemma draws cats and her adventures with her pet pug. Visit the online shop and find out more about Gemma at www.gemmacorrell.com Gemma has donated more than £40 worth of cat-themed goodies for us to give away: three A6 notepads, six greetings cards, three badges and three pocket mirrors.

To be one of the three lucky winners, enter by post or email with the keywords ‘Gemma Correll illustrations’ .

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

On occasion we may need to pass on the details of competition winners to the prize suppliers for products to be posted direct.

Closing date for all giveaways is 15 July 2011.

The Cat Summer 2011

41

Prose wins prizes

The results of our writing competition are in…

W

e are very pleased to announce the winners of our Writing Competition 2011 as Peter Kimber, from Reading with his short story Only a stray and Vic Davies from Wolverhampton with his poem, Africat. Many congratulations to them both and we hope you enjoy reading their winning entries.

The two runners-up were Paul Goozée from Exeter with his story Brief Encounter and Louise Treleaven with her poem Who Killed King Rat? These entries will be published in the Autumn issue of The Cat. Thank you to our highly esteemed judge, author and cat lover Celia Haddon, who had the tough task of picking the overall winners.

“I loved all the shortlisted poems and making a choice was very difficult. Sarah Chapman’s poem about Larry the Downing Street cat made me smile. Joshgani Pezhvok’s mysterious poem about the dead cat becoming a guide to light up dark nights was very haunting. Another accomplished poem was Betty Richards’ poem about the misalliance between a pedigree, My elegant Miss Prue and a street cat. Madeleine Ashdown’s poem about a cat looking out of the window described very well that rush of affection which occurs when cats want you to feed them and the way it stops when you have. They were all great poems.

“Alas, I could only choose two, a winner and a runner up. My runner-up poem was Lou Treleaven’s poem Who Killed King Rat? The subject reminded me of my late cat George who was a ratter.

It was concise and funny – not the easiest combination. It also had the perfect last line. The winner was Africat by Vic Davies. It was a beautiful and touching lament for a dead cat lying by the side of the road in Nairobi. We humans go on safaris to see the big cats like lions and cheetahs and ignore the small cousins the alley cats.

“I very much enjoyed the stories Floof by Holly Brockwell, The Bosun’s Cat by M J Wallace and Priceless by Sara Lee. All of them were well written with narrative skill. Unfortunately I could only choose two stories out of the five on the shortlist. For me, the winner was Only a Stray by Peter Kimber. I was touched by its message, that sometimes a stray cat gives a person a reason for living. From my own experience I know this to be true. Running it close was Brief Encounter by Paul Goozée, a ghost story with a lovely ending.”

We will be posting up all the shortlisted entries mentioned by Celia on our The Best of the Rest page on www.cats.org.uk/thecatmag

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competition

Only a Stray The cat jumped over the fence and strolled across the garden. He was black with a dirty white chest and there were thousands of cats just like him, but he lived in the confident assumption that he was unique. He walked purposefully to the back door of the house and mewed, then sat and waited.

There was no response so he stood up, walked in a circle with his tail in the air and mewed again. There was still no response so he jumped up onto a windowsill and mewed again.

An old woman was sitting at the kitchen table staring at a small brown bottle and a pile of white pills. She looked up and saw the cat waiting for his food. He looked back at her and mewed again. He was her only contact with the outside world, if she was dead how would he manage without his daily meal? She carefully returned the pills to the bottle for another day and opened the fridge. Inside was a bottle of milk, a few jars of meat paste and an open can of cat food.

She emptied the can onto a plate, put the plate on the floor and opened the kitchen door.

The cat walked in with his tail held high and allowed her to stroke him as he ate the food. When the plate was clean he pressed the side of his head against her leg and slid his furry body along her ankle. She bent down and tickled him under the chin so that he purred with pleasure, then he walked out of the door and she was alone again.

The cat went round to the front of the house and sat down on the edge of the pavement. He looked at the cars swishing past. He knew that they didn’t like him because he had heard them screech with rage when he ran across the road and they tried to hit him. Trying to catch them by surprise he suddenly dashed across the road, but a car more cunning than the rest and screaming with unholy glee, caught him. He tried to stand but his back legs had stopped working, slowly and painfully he dragged himself to the side of the road.

The driver got out of his car and walked back to the stricken cat. The beautiful creature, which a moment before had been confident, proud and independent was laid low. The driver bent down and tried to comfort the cat, people came out of the houses around, and the old woman came forward. She shuffled towards the cat in dirty carpet slippers, her dress was shabby and her sparse white hair was uncombed. She looked at the injured cat with tears streaming down her face.

She nodded when the driver asked if it was hers, but her neighbours said it was only a stray.

The driver was late for an appointment and wanted to get away so he decided to accept the old woman’s claim and leave the animal with her. He fetched an old blanket from the boot of his car and covered the cat. He used his mobile phone to inform a vet and, giving his credit card number, said he would pay for the animal’s treatment. Then, telling the old woman to leave the cat where it was until the vet arrived, he got back in his car and hurried away.

The crowd slowly dispersed but the old woman remained and was sitting on the kerbstone, stroking the cat, when the vet arrived in his van. He glanced at the cat and, seeing that it was a stray, got out his hypodermic. The old woman put her hand on his arm and, looking at her tearstained face, he asked if she wanted it. She nodded. Knowing that the cost of treatment was already guaranteed he put his lethal needle

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

away and lifted the cat into his van. He told the woman to come and collect the cat from his surgery that evening, and then drove away.

The old woman walked slowly back to her house but now there was a purpose in her face. She had somewhere to go and something to do today. She had to get ready; she had a bath, put on a clean dress, combed her hair and got out the shoes she’d not worn for six months. She made some tea and had a meat-paste sandwich before going to the supermarket to get some food for the cat. When she got to the surgery that evening the vet hardly recognised her. He gave her the bandaged and splinted cat in one of his baskets, saying that he would come to see how it was getting on and pick up the basket in a few days’ time.

When the old lady got home she put the cat into the cardboard box she had got from the supermarket. Then she opened the fridge and got out food for herself and the cat. As she ate her meal she looked around her house and realised what the vet would see when he came. She saw the dirty windows, the unswept floors, the grubby curtains, the unwashed crockery and the piles of soiled clothes on the chairs. Still she had a few days to get things right for him, the first visitor she’d had in months.

The vet came to see the cat a week later and found that it was recovering well. The smiling, lively old lady gave him a cup of tea, with biscuits, and insisted on showing him around her small house which was as clean and bright as a new pin.

He looked at the cat again, it was licking its paw and rubbing it around its face, the white patch on its chest was spotless.

He remembered the pathetic, dishevelled woman who had claimed the injured cat a week ago, and smiled as he walked back to his van.

By Peter Kimber

The Cat Summer 2011

43

Africat

There was a cat today y limbed length of gre a ragged dir ty looset ee str pot-holed outstretched across a of Nairobi at he id silent in the sol motionless ls which missed amid the rolling whee inches: the piteous corpse by ssing pa ir the of the hot wind dust. red ckbri th cloaking it wi

majesty you never knew what your lineage can claim still nor yet how proudly ar your name your wilder cousins be se d just as skilfully as the yet you were fashione – leopard: great lion – cheetah they e outmatching you in fam of ath de recipients in life and : tourists’ critical acclaim you though weaker far and so unclean se for sense you matched them sen purpose-built as they for stalking similar if smaller prey

nt Time-tattered remna stence exi t an ific of such insign look! you ad de d how small an the t jus by y da s destroyed thi eel wh a h suc of merest touch und you now aro ng eri nd thu as those still l with far more carefu avoiding you in death n ever false fastidiousness tha . life in you they accorded ! poor lifeless alley cat fly-infested food r you for you foraged of a people having among the dustbins ow away oh so little lef t to thr legs gh the jungle of bare ou thr d and scampere you sed n who cur and unshod feet of me kicked you fur never let ting lice -filled gh ou en come close for t then for comradeship or com

44 The Cat Summer 2011

oh cat unfulfilled whose elegance was sness and who in worthles fresh killed nothing in your prime was little more than how soon and savagely e! for you has ended tim there was a cat today a cat of Africa a corpse no more than that in life it was not fierce it did not roar fast it was not strong nor nted but many nights it hu a sound stalking rats without there was a cat today I carried it away and put it in the ground.

By Vic Davies Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Take me home When adopting one of our cats you’re giving him a second chance of happiness and what you’ll get back is far more than just love and affection.

Did you know that owning a cat has proven benefits?

Cat owners are less likely to suffer from stress, are known to relax more and have greater life satisfaction. Not only can cats keep older owners feeling young and active but learning how to care for a cat can also do wonders for a child’s self esteem, social skills and sense of responsibility to others.

So get in touch now to experience the benefits of cat ownership. We have thousands of adorable cats across the UK currently waiting for the chance of a loving new home.

T: 03000 12 12 12 E: helpline@cats.org.uk W: www.cats.org.uk

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

People remember Cats Protection in their will for all sorts of reasons.

Joan wants to make sure we’re here to care for Molly after she’s gone.

For others, a gift in their will is a very personal and special way to continue supporting a cause they believe in. It’s also a wonderful way to celebrate a lifelong love for cats.

Whatever the reasons, gifts in wills are gifts we depend on. Over half the fantastic work we do to help cats is a result of people remembering us in their wills. Without them we simply couldn’t keep our promise to never put a healthy cat to sleep.

Would you like to find out more?

Order your free copy of our booklet ‘The promise of a lifetime’ and discover how you can show your love for cats through your will. Simply complete and return this form to the address below.

Name Address

Postcode Tel

To find out more phone Matt Vincent, our Legacy Officer on:

01825 741 271 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or visit

www.cats.org.uk/legacy

Email Yes, I’m happy for Cats Protection to contact EMAIL me via email. (Please tick this box) Return to: Matt Vincent, Legacy Department, Cats Protection, FREEPOST SEA 7678, Haywards Heath RH17 7TT. No stamp needed Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

LA71

Ali’scats

Cats abhor a vacuum Alison Prince and Henry clean up…

E

very cat I have ever owned has run a mile as soon as I haul the vacuum cleaner out of the cupboard. Paddy and Fingal, until recently, have been no exception. The noise is too much for them and so is that gale of suction – they’ve been in such a hurry to get out of the cat flap that they almost get wedged in it side by side.

They have my sympathies. As a small child, I tried to keep well out of the way when that sausage-shaped object was plugged in. Small children have much more sensitive hearing than most adults and loud noises were a nightmare to me.

I had to be dragged past road menders with pneumatic drills, hands clamped over ears. Cats, I suspect, have much finer senses than we do. The way their pupils expand when they’ve seen a spider on the wall suggests that they see things very sharply and as to smell – Paddy will appear in the kitchen within 10 seconds of my getting the cheese out of the fridge.

And their hearing is attuned to the faintest mouse-rustle. So vacuuming is horrible for them and I’ve tried for years to do it only when they are busy in the garden.

But – I’ve had a falling-out with my vacuum cleaner.

Relationships between us had been strained for some time and I was beginning to feel that if I had to haul that bendy pipe out of the sticky-up tube once more, I was going to commit some form of physical assault on it. I’d argued with it for a long time about the patch at the top of the stairs where the cats like to lie because a hot pipe runs underneath.

As regular readers will know, the finely-embedded cat hair was what you might call a grey area. I thought the horrible machine should deal with it and it simply refused. No excuse, mind. No sick note, no evidence of arthritis or sciatica, though I did suspect it might have some unmentionable digestive trouble. Things came to a head when it whuffed up a small piece of carpet fringe and screamed that it was dying. I was patient with it, I really was. I turned it upside down and

unscrewed bits and poked about in its nether parts for at least 10 minutes, hauled out various bits of fluff and switched it on again – zilch. Still screaming. And I cracked. I carried the blasted thing out to the dustbin and rammed it in. Oh, the relief! Honestly, getting rid of a troublesome vacuum cleaner makes you feel so good, it ought to be on the NHS. The cats and I shared a tin of sardines by way of celebration.

However, I’m not the hands-and-knees sort, so something needed to be done about a new cleaner. I’d seen a cheerful little machine called a Henry being used in shops and on the ferry, so I looked it up on the Internet and bought one.

You’ll have seen them around. They have these big, silly eyes painted on either side of a long tube like an elephant trunk. But there’s more to them than charm. Henries are splendidly mean about their electricity consumption. There’s a red switch if you want more oomph, and they have their immensely long flex tidily wound away under their bowler hats. And – they are quiet. My Henry murmurs into life like a tactful butler clearing his throat. I left him where he was the other day when someone came to discuss repairing the roof – never mind – and when I came back, the cats were inspecting him with some interest. It looked like the beginnings of an entente cordiale, but I waited until they’d gone to sleep before switching Henry on again. Fingal huffed off outside, though not very fast, but Paddy stayed where he was. He looked a bit wary but nowhere near panic. I thought leaving Henry around might be a good tactic, so I didn’t bundle him into the cupboard afterwards, just left him with his hose sprawled around on the floor, for quite some days. It made the place look a bit temporary, but Fingal recovered his nerve and started stepping over the hose in an insouciant kind of way. ‘Panic?’ he seemed to be saying. ‘What, me? Never.’

The acid test, of course, was the big switch-on. I picked a morning when the cats had settled down for their afterbreakfast nap. When Henry murmured genteelly into life, they opened their eyes. Fingal thought about it for a minute then removed himself, but without undue hurry. Paddy gave a small sigh, curled up again and went back to sleep. All is perfect peace. And the grey patch at the top of the stairs is wonderfully clean.

Illustration: Alison Prince

The Cat Summer 2011

47

Great Scots

In the second of a two-part feature on Cats Protection’s work in Scotland, Francesca Watson is back on the mainland

T

ravelling south from Aberdeen along the high cliffs bordering the North Sea, I arrived in the fishing port of Arbroath which dates back to the Middle Ages. It is home to the Arbroath smokie and, more importantly for me, the Arbroath & Carnoustie Branch of Cats Protection.

Its Branch Co-ordinator is Sharyn Wood who took over the role in 2005; then, in 2008, she was the winner of the charity’s inaugural Volunteer of the Year Award. This was in recognition of her efforts in homing over 100 more cats and kittens in the first two years of being at the helm, taking the yearly number rehomed to around 350 which has remained steady every year since.

The centre is a short distance outside of the town and houses 12 pens and two larger pens for families. There is also a maternity unit at a Fosterer’s house and, overall, they usually have 30 to 40 cats in their care.

“Our branch has been established for many years and moved to its current site at Kinaldie Holdings in 1999,” Sharyn explains. “We are lucky that we have a large number of people keen to volunteer, carrying out a variety of necessary tasks across the branch and the area... but we’d still like more!” she

“Although snowed in, Elspeth waited for a break in the blizzards and drove over a mountain pass between enormous snow drifts for 60 miles to return feral cats” 48 The Cat Summer 2011

smiles. There is a rota at the centre that sees two volunteers every morning to open up, feed the cats and clean up, a volunteer in the afternoons to greet the visiting public and then more in the evening to tuck in the cats until the next morning. There is a dedicated ring of Fosterers who can take in cats at a moment’s notice and those who combine roles such as the branch’s Treasurer, Karen, who with her husband, Neil, will ferry the cats around from Fosterers to vets to the centre. But not all those involved have that need for a hands-on role and that’s absolutely fine with the branch committee.

“There are many who have perhaps got their cat from us and aren’t really interested in the actual contact with the cats, they never step foot here but their efforts in fundraising are vital,” Sharyn says.

“It costs a great deal each year to run this centre and we have a dedicated team of Fundraisers who arrange collections, quiz and bingo nights, book sales and so on to ensure that the cat care work can be carried out.”

Arbroath has a small catchment area compared to other Scottish branches; approximately 10 square miles taking them to north Brechin, west Forfar and south Dundee but their close proximity to other CP branches sees a lot of branch interaction. “We may get a call from a nearby branch or our Regional Development Assistant, with the request for help and, if we’ve got an empty pen, we’ll get involved as I know the other branches would do the same for us – co-operation is essential. West Lothian, for example, has a long waiting list for people wanting indoor cats so we’ll get in touch when one comes on our books and we can use the services of Elspeth Stirling from Forfar Branch which does vital work with the feral population over an extensive area.”

feature

Photo: istockphoto.com/fotoVoyager Photo: Francesca Watson

Stirling support Elspeth Stirling is another who won a national volunteer award from Cats Protection in the ‘Extra mile’ category for her work with ferals. An aptly named category seeing that, on one occasion, although Elspeth was snowed in with 19 feral cats she waited for a break in the blizzards, loaded up her car and drove over a mountain pass between enormous snow drifts for 60 miles to return some ferals to their rural home. She is daunted neither by scale of problem nor distance and has helped thousands of feral cats across Scotland. She is on hand to neighbouring branches and works hard sharing her specialist knowledge and experiences with farmers and the community. “I like to help others understand feral cats a little better,” Elspeth explains. “Supporting ferals in their own environments or watching them go off to suitable homes is so rewarding.”

City kitties From Arbroath it’s another short train journey to Scotland’s fourth largest city, Dundee; famous for fruit cake, fine marmalade and the RSS Discovery, the ship that carried Captain Scott and Ernest Shackleton on their first trip to the Antarctic in 1901.

Allison Smith, Branch Co-ordinator, is there to meet me. The centre is a renovated school house leased from the local council. The branch has been there for 12 years and, although there are those that think they should have a purpose-built centre, Allison says they are lucky to have it. “We are centrally placed within the city and a number of volunteers are able to walk here. Not everyone has a car and I think we’d lose a vital part of our support base if we were to move out of town.”

They have over 100 volunteers in total, with perhaps 40 being regular contributors of time and they are all kept busy with the various tasks it takes to run a successful centre. There are regular book fairs in the city centre and they also have three shops: “We run the only charity shop in Monifieth so that does very well and even though our Dundee city shop is a temporary one for three months it’s bringing in money. The shop here at the centre has a good selection of second-hand goods for sale and is always worth a browse!”

Branch interaction and co-operation is very noticeable in this area and Dundee belongs to a local Cats Protection forum that includes Montrose & Brechin, Forfar & District, East Neuk of Fife, Perth and Arbroath & Carnoustie. Members from the branches meet regularly to discuss common

Snowy, one of the lucky Dundee cats to find a home

The Cat Summer 2011 49

Photo: istockphoto.com/fotoVoyager

Robert the Bruce ‘looks aboot’

issues and if one needs an extra hand then the others are there to help.

Elspeth Stirling’s name crops up again here. She really does seem to be the go-to person when it comes to ferals!

“Ferals are a problem in this area but Elspeth helps us out which we’re very grateful for,” Allison explains. “She traps non-stop and has an established feeding programme in the country which we participate in one day a week. I’ve been known to don my welly boots, take numerous cans of cat food out on a Monday and feed a colony of 25 cats,” Allison smiles, “but it can be quite depressing as you make such great inroads into the size of the colony with neutering and rehoming the feral kittens but the reality is that it can be undone by just one new cat coming in to the colony and impregnating the unneutered females.

It really is a never-ending job.”

During my short stay at the centre it was a constant hub of activity. The phone kept ringing with calls reporting lost cats, those that needed to be rehomed, concerns about strays in the area and the staff took each one, giving the best advice and help possible. There were volunteers cleaning the pens, unloading supplies, sorting through new donations in the shop – it was exhausting just watching, but the overall feeling was one of absolute purpose and you can’t help but feel that the cats in their care have a safe future.

Of cats and Clacks Clackmannanshire is in the middle of Scotland on the way from Glasgow to Perth and is the country’s smallest historic county and, as such, is sometimes nicknamed ‘The Wee County’.

50 The Cat Summer 2011

There is a tourist slogan for the area which goes back to a story once told of Robert the Bruce. This legendary Scottish king apparently lost a glove while hunting in the area and sent back a servant with the instructions ‘look aboot ye’. Tourists are now encouraged to do the same when in the area and take in the commanding Ochil Hills in the north and the glorious countryside down to the River Forth in the south.

The main town is Alloa and it is near there that the Clackmannanshire & Stirling Branch is located. The centre is named after Marion Hunter who started taking care of the area’s cats over 26 years ago. It subsequently became part of Cats Protection and can house up to 30 cats at any one time in roomy pens behind a popular and thriving shop. It is open to the public Thursday till Sunday afternoons, but the volunteers are in each day looking after the cats preparing them for their new homes.

The branch has an impressive rehoming record for the cats and kittens in its care – the volunteers recently homed 35 in just one month! In 2009 they were the top branch in Scotland, homing an impressive 568 and in 2010 the figure was 528.

But they too have found that the requests from people wanting to have their own cat rehomed has increased and it is not possible to take in every one of them. Waiting lists have been introduced with the most needy cats’ situations being dealt with first.

Sandra Currie and Donna Hingley have been joint Co-ordinators for the past three years, but were volunteers for five years prior to that. “It’s certainly different,” Sandra says, “there just don’t seem to be enough homes left and fewer people are coming forward to adopt. We advise people it could be some months before we can take in their cat and, although we can’t always help out immediately, we are always there to give advice and they are assured that we will be able to help them eventually.”

There are over 90 volunteers at the branch with an impressive core number of 50. They are lucky to have 10 home visitors whereas some nearby branches only have a couple. “I think this might account for some of our rehoming success,” Donna adds. “It’s a quick process, people choose a cat one weekend, the home visit is done promptly and the cat is more speedily rehomed. The cats are paramount and if we’re able to help nearby branches with home visits and placing cats then we’ll do it, just as we know they’d do the same for us.”

The branch’s volunteers are not only recruited via adverts or notices. A canny ploy of putting information in every adoption pack that accompanies any cat being rehomed has encouraged a great deal of interest. “We put membership and volunteer applications into each pack, after all we know that they’re our perfect

feature audience,” Donna explains. “Nine times out of 10 the papers may go in the bin, but the one that replies positively can make a huge difference to the branch and the work we do.”

But whether visitors come in to help, adopt or just be around cats, the overall feeling is that the branch is ensuring that people from this area are educated about the work of the charity and its aims.

“We have so many people coming in, some just coming for their ’cat fix‘. There is a school next door and classes come through for talks from there and other schools in the area. We’re an important part of the community providing an essential service and promoting good cat care.”

And lastly to Glasgow…

Indomitable spirit As we leave the centre on the short journey back into the city, passing another huge billboard with that lovely cat looking beguiling, I realise that I’ve come to the end of my Scottish tour. I have been from small island communities to cosmopolitan cities, rural villages to thriving towns and enjoyed every minute. I have learned that the indomitable spirit and commitment shown by Cats Protection’s volunteers and staff mean that from Lerwick to Lochranza, Aberdeen to Ardnamurchan, Stornoway to Stonehaven… these Celtic cats are in very safe hands.

Grateful thanks must go to all the volunteers and staff I met on my journey, but also to the South Scotland Regional Development Manager Kate Gallagher and Assistant Donna Webster who I travelled with to Arran and across to Perth. Watching them at work gave me a real insight into the jobs they and our Scottish volunteers and staff do.

Photo: Deborah Waters

Glasgow was my final stop on my Scottish tour and I was joined by Deborah Waters and Amy Rutter from the Design and Editorial teams respectively.

The Glasgow Adoption Centre is about seven miles outside the city centre. This was to have a different agenda from my other visits, namely to find out how a recent advertising campaign had gone to promote the centre’s recent change of name. It had previously been known as the Kirkintilloch Adoption Centre but Cats Protection was keen to let the city folk in Glasgow know just how close to their doorstep this centre really was while extolling the many benefits of cat ownership.

The campaign ran throughout October 2010 and an endearing image, of a wee ginger cat appealing to be taken home, appeared around the city on billboards and buses, in newspapers and directly into people’s homes via a postcard mail drop.

Having helped with the words and seen the design go through its processes, it was wonderful to see the ad in action for ourselves. One of the 20ft-high billboards located on a busy road just outside the centre made for an attention grabbing reminder of Cats Protection’s presence. The average monthly homing figure saw a leap from 57 to 95 and there was an increase in money taken for both the centre and its small shop.

Andy Currie is the manager of the Glasgow Adoption Centre and was full of praise for the campaign. “The response from the public has been amazing. People even came to the centre bringing the promotional postcards asking if the cat featured was available for adoption,” he says.

“We have visitors coming from quite far afield; the Highlands, Fort William but then people are willing to travel that bit further in Scotland for a great day out – and they’ll certainly get that here!

It’s an advantage for us to be able to show them directly the cats available and I think our visitors love the fact that we don’t discriminate against any cat whatever his shape or age and whether he’s hairy or baldy!”

It’s too early to tell how long the effect of this campaign will last, but the staff and volunteers at

the centre are keen to maintain the momentum and are busy thinking up other promotion events to keep the centre’s name in the public eye. One such venture is due to take place this summer when Michael, the brother of Charlaine, one of the Deputy Managers, is planning to climb Ben Nevis in aid of the centre.

His employers have already agreed that if he can raise £1,000 they will double it. But he won’t be going up alone. His faithful hound Bo will be accompanying him complete with jacket and CP logo. And what is Michael’s surname and as such Bo’s? Tighe… yes, there’ll be a Bo Tighe raising funds for the cats! There’s no doubt that little tales like these promoted through the local media raise smiles as well as funds at the same time.

The successful Glasgow campaign poster

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Glynis sets a humane trap for the ferals at the barn

Barnstorming lynis Davies takes us behind the scenes G as the dedicated team at our Gwent Branch tackles a colony of feral cats

M Photos: Loretta Kedward unless otherwise stated

y name is Glynis Davies and I am the Co-ordinator of Cats Protection’s Gwent Branch in south Wales. As a branch, we cover a huge region with both urban areas including the city of Newport and numerous towns and villages as well as rural locations including agricultural land and many farms. We have a huge number of feral cats in our area and many of you may have read a few years ago about a colony of 78 that we trapped and neutered at Alphasteel, a disused steelworks, which received coverage on BBC News and newspapers throughout Wales.

Farm ferals The latest colony we are working on is a farm outside Newport. It started just before Christmas when I, with a colleague, Terri, responded to a call from a 93-year-old couple who lived in a small hamlet and were feeding nine stray cats.

We successfully trapped and neutered these and then, in February, received a call from another couple feeding another four strays who lived less than 200 yards from the first couple.

For such a small place – fewer than 20 houses – this seemed a lot of cats! So we played detective and discovered that there was a farm a few fields away, got directions and went there to investigate. As we drove up the winding farm track,

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The Cat Summer 2011

commenting that we couldn’t see any cats around, I glanced to my left and said “Look in the barn!” We pulled up, parked in the yard and watched as about 30 cats ate, slept on hay bales and played in the barn.

The next step was to call on the owners. The farmer opened the door, closely followed by his wife and son. We chatted, explaining we were from Cats Protection, that we had been neutering in the village following complaints of stray cats and that we had seen the cats in their barns which we believed were spreading through the village. The couple were initially a bit unsure of us, but when I explained that we offer a TNR programme – Trap, Neuter and Return back to site, they began to relax. They said we wouldn’t catch the cats but we told them about the humane cat traps we use which are ‘baited’ with food so they then agreed that the situation had become out of hand with so many cats breeding, and allowed us to proceed.

Trapping time I had a day off work on 14 February, as did another volunteer, Gary, so we earmarked that for a major trapping session.

Valentine’s Day was bright and sunny, so after getting up at 7am, I walked my dogs, fed my own cats and fed and played with a litter of seven kittens I am currently fostering. After all the litter trays had been cleaned, it was time for me to grab a quick cup of tea and start loading the car: traps, transfer baskets, sheets, newspapers and several assorted types of food.

behindthescenes

The team: Terri, Gary and Glynis

Photo: Paul Genner

Terri, Gary and I met at the farm at about 10am. Wearing wellies, as the weather had been wet for the previous few days, we paddled through inches of squelching mud into the barn. We set four traps in various spots around the barn and then, clutching sheets, we retreated to a safe distance so the cats didn’t feel threatened by us. Within minutes we had our first cat. Covered quickly with a sheet, Gary carried the trap to the car, It always amazes me that once a trap is covered, how quickly the cat calms down. Gary and I then set up a transfer basket lined with newspaper and put the opening end to the opening end of the trap. Holding on securely to both trap and basket, we then opened both, so that the cat would move from the trap to the basket, freeing up the trap to be used again. Four cats were trapped in quick succession.

Then it started to slow down, as inevitably, the other cats became more wary. We opened a can of tuna and put some in all the traps. Tuna and sardines are good bait as they are both smelly and most cats can’t resist! Sure enough, we soon had another cat caught but, on checking this trap, found it was a kitten.

We transferred it to a basket, had a chat with the farmer and, as it was under eight weeks of age, agreed that we would take it and socialise it, rather than returning it to the farm.

Socialising a feral kitten to enjoy life in the domestic environment is very rewarding, but takes lots of time and patience! We eventually caught two more cats, so after updating the farmer and tidying up to ensure we left no rubbish, we loaded all the cats into the cars and drove off to the vets we use for most of our neutering.

Vet visit At the vets, we unloaded the traps and baskets – except the one holding the kitten – and took them in. Forms were duly signed requesting that all cats were neutered, wormed, treated for fleas and ears tipped.

This is an internationally recognised identification that a feral cat has been neutered and obviously means

that we can identify and release a cat immediately should it go into a trap again. While many feral cats become trap-shy, some will venture forth, risking re-trapping.

All the cats were left at the vets and I would get a call later if there were any problems with them – fortunately there weren’t – and Terri would collect them the following day for release back at the farm. So, I eventually got back home about 2.30pm... to start the next round of feeding, litter trays etc, plus, of course, to settle the new little farm kitten which on checking was a female and flea her as she spat and hissed at me! Chance then for a well-deserved cup of tea and to deal with the seven messages that had been left on the CP helpline – some just wanting advice, others wanting to put cats on our waiting list to come into CP care and a couple interested in either adopting a cat or kitten or requesting help with the costs of neutering their cats. A typical busy day in the life of a Cats Protection volunteer!

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Give your feet a rest and exercise your mind

Ten-minute crossword

Amusing Heather CP volunteer, Heather Cook ponders an age-old question…

Across 1 Crush flat (6) 4 Prose compositions (6) 8 Subsequently (5) 9 Offspring (7) 10 Not easily disturbed or angered (7) 11 Conductor’s stick (5) 12 Six (4,5) 17 Additional (5) 19 Eminent (7) 21 Sports arena (7) 22 Item of cutlery (5) 23 Vast desert of North Africa (6) 24 Team game (6)

Down 1 Weighing machine (6) 2 Falsehood (7) 3 Bush (5) 5 The entertainment business (7) 6 Representative (5) 7 Espionage (6) 9 Assumed name (9) 13 Having more foliage (7) 14 Nine iron, in golf (7) 15 Sumptuous meals (6) 16 Crunchy salad vegetable (6) 18 Garbage (5) 20 Capital of Japan (5)

To win one of these three Stripy Cat Tea For One sets, complete our crossword correctly, rearrange the shaded letters and find the name of a famous literary figure then send it – or a photocopy – along with your name and address to Crossword Competition, The Cat, NCC, Haywards Heath, Sussex, RH17 7TT. Alternatively email the answer with your name and address to us at competitions@cats.org.uk with Crossword in the subject header. Winners will be drawn on 15 July 2011. 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: Ms J Minhas from Hall Green, Birmingham; Julie Westwood from Thornaby, Cleveland; Mrs J Barker from Rochester, Kent.

Answers to Spring Crossword on page 35.

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The Cat Summer 2011

I returned from a recent trapping expedition with more than a few ferals and a rosy glow.

I’d been told that the lane to the farm had ‘a few potholes’, when in fact it resembled the terrain I’ve seen depicted in photographs of the Somme. My ancient Honda negotiated these without a rattle – it only sounds as if it’s falling to bits on smooth surfaces – but I felt shaky for hours.

Estate agents haven’t got off first base when it comes to being economical with the truth. Seasoned cat rescuers will know that a stout pair of gauntlets is essential equipment when going to collect a ‘slightly nervous’ cat. A recent expedition saw me hanging on to a rather worried little feline which was threatening to plummet from a window that had failed to latch, several storeys above the ground. The gloves came into their own as it resisted arrest in a most spirited manner.

‘Mature’ can mean so many things, not all of them good. Time and time again I’ve been told that Fluffy is a mature cat, only to find that the poor little sausage is in dire need of a dental and has the sort of age-related conditions that reveal those little paws have covered a great deal of ground. Sometimes people think they have found a kitten, when in reality the stray is a dear little cat suffering from exhaustion after blowing out 16 candles on her last birthday cake.

I recently took an enquiry from a lady wanting two older cats and went through the usual preliminary questioning about proximity to main roads and access to a garden.

She replied that she thought it would be satisfactory so I arranged a home visit. When I got there, I found she had a magnificent house in a private road and the extensive grounds afforded views of Windsor Castle. It didn’t take me long to install two very sweet cats from the wrong side of the tracks who – unsurprisingly – took it all in their stride.

Purr ‘n’ Fur Libby and Cashew herself couldn’t attend the presentation lunch at ASPCA’s headquarters in New York, but the Burns family proudly received the prestigious award on her behalf. As for Libby, she has started to get along with Besse, the family’s large but gentle new black Labrador.

Extract taken from www.purr-n-fur.org.uk

by Patrick Roberts, log on to read more of Patrick’s feline fables, folios and fun!

Patrick Roberts

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 35.

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Illustrations: Rasoul Hudda

Cashew, named for the shape of her ears, was a yellow Labrador-cross dog who was picked up as a puppy from the local American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) centre and went to live with the Burns family in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. When the dog was about seven years old, in 1998, postal delivery worker Terry Burns came across two malnourished kittens huddling in a box in a pet shop and took them home to give them some love and care. He named the orange tabby Libby, because her fur was the colour of Libby’s brand of canned pumpkins, and her shyer sister he called Lucy. He was not sure they would survive, but they thrived and grew into handsome cats.

Over the years, a friendship developed between Libby and Cashew. As time went by, Cashew became weaker and increasingly blind and deaf. She needed more assistance from her humans — and Burns noticed that Libby spent more and more time with the dog too, even sleeping in her kennel with her. The dog’s feline friend took on the role of Cashew’s personal guide, and they became inseparable. When Cashew was taken on a lead for her daily walk in nearby woods, Libby would sometimes follow, seeming to be concerned for her friend’s well-being. At home or outside, the cat would help by nuzzling Cashew’s shoulder and steering her away from obstacles such as trees or furniture, so that she wouldn’t bump into them. At mealtimes she would guide the dog towards her food and water dishes. It was a remarkable friendship, and without it Cashew would likely have been very lonely.

When the inevitable happened and Cashew died, for some time Libby would wander in and out of the kennel where they had shared a bed; but then she seemed to realise her friend had gone for good, and no longer showed any interest in the kennel or in walking in the woods. Instead she made herself a new home in a different part of the property with her littermate Lucy and Gracie, a silver tabby that Burns found abandoned on his postal route.

Terry Burns’ mother had entered Libby in a ‘Hero Pet’ photo contest run by Reader’s Digest — and her story was picked up by the ASPCA. She was chosen as the ASPCA’s ‘Cat of the Year’ in 2008 for her remarkable service as an intuitive and extraordinary guide for a disabled canine. Libby

How can we help?

03000 12 12 12

Kara Lynsdale covers a few of our Helpline’s latest hot topics

H

ello and welcome to the very first Cats Protection National Helpline page!

The Cats Protection Helpline was started in the nineties to provide information and advice about all aspects of your feline friend and answer questions about the charity’s work.

In 2010 we answered over 40,000 calls and emails ranging from requests for adoption information to advice about a very naughty ghost cat that was haunting his owner – whatever the nature of your cat query we’ll hear them all!

While we cannot predict the nature of every call we receive, there will always be hot topics that come up time and time again depending on the time of year so if you’re interested in what the cat chat is this summer then read on...

Love is in the air Breeding season is now well underway and the UK is once again inundated with kittens. On the Helpline we receive hundreds of requests for advice about pregnant cats, kitten care, and the pregnancy process. We also receive reports of feral colonies that have suddenly doubled in size, stray cats giving birth in sheds, gardens or even finding their way into homes and calls from those who are surprised that their unneutered female is suddenly popular with all the toms in the neighbourhood!

Much like pregnancy of the two-legged variety, there are many old wives’ tales surrounding pregnant cats, so we’ve put together a list of the most common misconceptions in an effort to separate the facts from the fiction.

Fact or fiction?

• Cats should have one litter before being spayed, right? Wrong I’m afraid. There is no evidence to suggest that having one litter of kittens is beneficial • Brother and sister won’t mate together, right?

If you remember your history lessons at school you’ll know what I’m talking about when I mention the rather randy Romans and how they liked to “keep it in the family”. Well, the same can be said of the cat world. It doesn’t matter if you’re brother and sister, mother and son or niece and nephew twice removed on your mother’s side! There’s a good reason the Romans made it illegal; the offspring of incestuous parents can have congenital birth defects resulting in numerous health issues that can dramatically affect their quality of life. So if you know of anyone who is thinking about adopting a couple of kittens from the same litter this summer, please let them know that all of our kittens are neutered from four months of age or younger. However, if the kittens are not

56 The Cat Summer 2011

helpline from Cats Protection or are stray or feral kittens, please give us a call to see if we can help get them neutered • A cat can’t get pregnant while she still has kittens, right? Once a cat has given birth there is a very short period during which the kittens are being weaned that a cat should not be able to get pregnant. However, as soon as the cat stops lactating, she can get pregnant immediately.

This is because lactation suppresses oestrus – that’s ‘heat’ to you and me. Unfortunately, the pregnancy process is incredibly draining for cats, much like it is for us humans. Your cat likes the thought of giving birth nine weeks after having quadruplets about as much as you do! In order to prevent putting such a serious strain on a cat’s health, it is incredibly important that the second she stops lactating she is kept indoors before she can be ferried off to the vets pronto!

Like millions of Britons each year, if you’re enticed by the prospect of strolling barefoot along warm, sandy beaches while sipping on a mojito or two, you probably already have your summer holiday booked.

Once the initial excitement of leaving rainy ol’ Blighty behind for a while dies down, you are faced with the inevitable question – what do you do with your cat while you’re away? Calls to Cats Protection’s Helpline regarding rehoming cats always reach a peak in the summer months and one of the reasons is quite simply because the callers do not know what to do with their cats while on holiday or are worried by the expense of boarding a cat.

Catteries are popular choices when seeking temporary accommodation for your cat, however with hundreds of catteries listed online and in your local phonebook, it can be daunting trying to decide which cattery is best equipped for your cat.

The Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB) – 0870 742 2278 or www.fabcats.org – maintains a register of approved boarding catteries in the UK. However, if you do not have a FAB-approved cattery nearby, we would always recommend inspecting a cattery prior to making a decision and during your visit you should ensure that: • The cattery is licensed by the local authority – you can ask to see the licence • There is a ‘safety corridor’ or double doors which prevent any cat that has got out of his pen from escaping • Cats from different households are not housed together and cannot come into direct contact.

There should be gaps or barriers between units to prevent cats sneezing on or touching one another • Each unit is insulated, easily cleanable and has some form of heating • The pens, litter trays and food/water bowls are clean and tidy and there isn’t an unpleasant smell

Photo: 123rf.com/Ferenc Szelepcsenyi

A place in the sun

• The cattery insists that all cats are up to date with their vaccinations • The cattery is happy and comfortable to administer any ongoing medication if your cat requires it If you’re worried that you may not be able to afford the cost of a cattery, an alternative to boarding is pet sitting. This service means someone either calls in regularly to feed and socialise with your cat, or someone will live in your house while you are away. For further information, or to find a pet sitter, contact the National Association of Registered Pet Sitters (NARP) on 0845 230 8544 or www.dogsit.com.

Well, that’s all from us folks! We hope you have enjoyed reading our first article. From all of us on the Helpline we wish you and you cat a truly scrumptious summer!

To contact Helpline please phone 03000 12 12 12 or email helpline@cats.org.uk

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Talking Cat

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

Contact Supporter Services on 0800 917 2287 or email

supporterservices@cats.org.uk to request your copy.

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

Give Tobias a positive future

By St Albans & District

Saving Susie

By Atherton & Wigan Metro

Tobias represents a lot of stray cats that come into our care in need of special attention. He had obviously been shut out as an older, unneutered kitten and had been relying on stealing food or being fed by kindly strangers.

He never lost his reliance on people, but sometimes got into fights with other cats. As a result, he is FIV positive so will need an indoor home and someone who wants lots of company. Unfortunately this could mean a prolonged stay in our care while we try and find him a loving home. If you can help with a donation towards the care of Tobias, please phone 08453 712 064 or send a donation, payable to St Albans Cats Protection, c/o 1 Pilgrim Close, Park Street, St Albans, AL2 2JD.

Susie came into our care as a stray and was not microchipped so, even if she once had a loving home, we could not trace an owner.

She also had a bad flea infestation which, because it had been left untreated, had made her scabby, sore and partially bald. As if this wasn’t enough, she also had worms. Despite all this, she was purring and affectionate towards us. Happily, her condition improved with treatment and she recently found a new home – but not before running up a vet bill of around £700! If you can help, please make cheques payable to Atherton & Wigan Metro Cats Protection and sent c/o Betty Jones, Branch Treasurer, 3 Rosedale Drive, Leigh, Lancashire, WN7 2TN.

Help Hamish!

Help the paw

By Eskdale & District

By Maidenhead, Slough & District

Hamish was starving, emaciated and matted when police picked him up and took him to the vet.

He also had a very enlarged thyroid gland which required an operation to remove.

He came through this very well and his condition improved but then he started pulling out his fur. An examination showed that his second thyroid gland was now enlarged and that, very unusually, the first one appeared to have regrown.

Another operation was carried out to remove the lumps and one was sent for biopsy. He was hospitalised for a few days only to have a delayed calcium crash followed by another week in veterinary care. The stress of this then brought on a flare up in his mouth which required dental treatment.

Hamish is recovering nicely now but our finances have taken a knock. What started as one operation snowballed to over £900! If you can help, please send donations made payable to Eskdale & District CP to Mrs A Thomson, 38 English St, Longtown, Carlisle, CA6 5SD.

Zoe was only three months old when she broke her leg. Her owners were unable to afford the high cost of treating her and asked the vet to put her to sleep. Reluctant to euthanase an otherwise healthy young kitten, the vets contacted us.

Zoe was signed over to us by her owners and has had an operation to pin the leg. She is now doing very well on cage rest, but will be with us for many months while the leg heals. Her veterinary bills alone have already cost us £1,200 and we estimate that, by the time she is ready for homing, it will have risen to up to £2,000. If you can help with a donation towards Zoe’s treatment it would be much appreciated. Please phone 01628 620 909 or send a donation, payable to CP Maidenhead Slough & District, c/o 44 Switchback Road South, Maidenhead, SL6 7PZ.

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

The Cat Summer 2011 59

Help Herbie ride again

By Ashfield & Amber Valley Herbie had been trapped in an illegal snare which almost cut him into half. When he came into our care, he had a large ulcerating wound on his stomach.

To help this heal, poor Herbie required a specialist treatment technique called omental grafting as well as plastic surgery to cover it. This involved taking some of the omentum – the body’s own internal bandage in the stomach – and tunnelling it under the skin to the wound in the groin. This helps the wound heal by supplying much-needed blood and white blood cells to fight infection. Some skin from Herbie’s back leg then had to be pulled down to cover the wound.

Herbie is still ill and in our care but we urgently need support to be able to continue his treatment which has already cost around £1,000. If you can help, please make cheques payable to Cats Protection Ashfield & Amber Valley and send them to Sherwood, Rotherham Road, Scarcliffe, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S44 6ST.

O’Malley’s tale

By Gateshead & District O’Malley had been living rough for some time when he was involved in an accident. A kind passer by took him to local vets, Simply Cats, who realised when they saw the bones sticking out of his tail that it was damaged beyond repair.

They amputated it, leaving a three-inch stump, and neutered him at the same time. After a week of cage rest, he came into our care and was microchipped and vaccinated.

Soon afterwards, he found a new home where he can put his woes behind him. We would like to thank Simply Cats for their kindness and their willingness to perform the necessary procedures without considering the financial aspect first.

Be kind to Kimmy

By Stockport Kimmy was taken to a local vet by her owners to be put to sleep, as she had a large gaping wound spanning from one side to the other underneath her; it had been left so long that it had become badly infected and crawling with maggots.

With lots of love and care, Kimmy’s wound is now healing up and she has been gaining her confidence back. She is very friendly and is looking for a new loving and permanent home, where she can get lots of attention. Any help towards Kimmy’s costs would also be much appreciated. Homing enquiries or donations – made payable to Stockport Cats Protection – can be made to Ms J Goodman, 3 Hexworth Walk, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3DF.

60 The Cat Summer 2011

Lia lies low

By Harlow, Epping Forest & District Lia was emigrating to Germany with her sister and owner when she escaped from a car at Birchanger Green M11 Services.

Her owner searched, but eventually had to continue her journey. She publicised Lia’s disappearance via local rescues as well web forums and missing pet registers which one of our volunteers picked up on. She and another cat lover mounted a search on the ground and an extensive publicity campaign.

There were several false leads, then a local resident spotted her in the Services car park having recognised her from a poster. A friendly employee at the Services reported that, for some days, Lia had been hanging around the bin area so we arranged a trap. Within a few hours, she was caught, having survived three months outdoors in the cold snap. She is now safely back at her old home in Lincolnshire for now.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Escape to victory

Farm ferals fixed

By Luton, Dunstable & District

By Honiton

Smokey first came into our care in April 2010 and quickly found a new home. As always, we advised the new owner to keep him indoors for a few days but the very next day he escaped through a locked cat flap.

In early September, a vet called us to say Smokey had been traced by his microchip which was still registered to us. He soon went to another home in the same area, only to escape again! It was obvious that Smokey – aka ‘Houdini’ – could not bear to be in an enclosed home. However, when the snow arrived it was decided that he would have to stay in our care over Christmas. We managed to get his story featured in the local press and, from this, found a permanent new home for him in a completely different part of our area. So far so good; his new owners say all is well – at last!

We received a phone call from someone concerned that a number of cats and kittens from a neighbour’s barn were turning up at her house in need of food – could we help?

Having established that she had permission to neuter the cats, we started getting them to the vets and then got a frantic call from neighbouring East Devon Branch saying that the owner was not happy and was threatening to call the police! We quickly arranged to meet with him and found there were 17 cats aged five months to five years and nine kittens of about eight weeks, some of which appeared to have signs of cat flu. It turned out that the owner had agreed to have two cats neutered, but not all of them.

Thankfully, we established a good rapport; he agreed that things were getting out of hand and all the adults should be neutered. We agreed to take in five of the kittens for rehoming but took them all straight to the vet initially and then kept them for a week. All have since been neutered, wormed, treated for fleas, ear mites and runny eyes. At the request of the owner, four have been returned, but we’re happy that we were able to help and advise. The cats are all being fed and their owner has been given advice on keeping them in good condition to catch rats and mice.

True grit kits!

Never too old

By East Devon Perry was thin, weak and suffering from hyperthyroidism when a lady found him wandering around a housing estate.

She handed him in to a local vet, telling staff that she would have given him a home but was unable to afford the treatment.

We wrote to her via the vets offering to pay for his treatment but, unfortunately, she never replied. Things did not look good for Perry being old and sick. He was put on medication for hyperthyroidism but after three weeks it was decided that it would be best to remove the thyroid. In the meantime, one of our Fosterers contacted several people in the hope of finding him a home. We were delighted when one of her work friends said she would love to have him. She met him at the vets on the same day as his operation. Perry is now happy with his new owner who describes him as the most adorable cat anyone could wish for. She is a writer and Perry likes nothing more that to lie at her feet while she works.

By Reading & District Here are two recent stories showing rather different examples of the wonderful determination of cats to live against the odds.

One concerns tabby-and-white siblings Sebastian and Viola – named after the twins in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Shortly before being offered for adoption, they were both found to have extremely serious heart conditions. A scan confirmed there was no surgical option and their life expectancy was felt to be very short. Their Fosterer continued to look after them and so far they have gone from strength to strength. They survived their neutering ops without problems and recently celebrated their first birthdays. Following a recent scan, the vet has given us the tentative hope that they may live longer than had originally been thought. Skelly, meanwhile, came into our care aged 23 in March 2008. It was anticipated to be for a short time, but nobody had reckoned on the iron will of this little tortie and the days stretched to weeks, months and finally years in her new home. Sadly, she became ill at the end of 2010 and had to be put to sleep, aged 25. What a girl!

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

Sebastian

Viola

Skelly

The Cat Summer 2011

61

Messageboard from your local Cats Protection...

Outer Aberdeen & District

Domino

West Oxfordshire

Bristol

Haverhill & Stour Valley

Male, 10 years approx

Male, 3-4 years

Female, adult

Duke

Guinness

Male, 6 years approx

As an unneutered stray, Domino has the scars to show he has been a scrapper in his time. He is now neutered, microchipped and vaccinated and is looking to settle somewhere.

☎☎ 01224 705 252

St Albans & District

Tilly

Female, 3 years

Suki

Duke lost his home because his elderly owner became too ill to keep him. He would suit a home with sensible older children. The torn ear occurred in a fight when he was much younger and he is just having a dental problem sorted out but will soon be ready for a new home.

☎☎ 01993 831 350

Luton, Dunstable & District

Frankie & Toffee Female and male, 13 years

Guinness turned up at the home of our Newsletter Editor on Christmas day. He is a huge boy and quite a character, he is very chatty and loves to play with bits of string and various toys and lets you smooth him. Unfortunately, he is FIV positive so needs an indoor home without other cats and with someone who is used to cats.

☎☎ 01179 665 428

Swansea & District Tilly is a lovely young cat.

Sadly her owner died so she has been a little upset by all her changes. She is friendly and affectionate and would love to be with an older family or someone on their own with no other pets.

Suki & Marla

Breezer

Male, 15 years

Marla

Suki and Marla came to us as very timid kittens in 2009. Having tamed them, we homed them to a nice couple. Suki became very friendly but Marla has always remained a little shy.

Sadly their owners were away from home a lot and they felt that it was not fair on the cats. They were handed back to us and are looking for a new home without young children.

☎☎ 01440 730 096

Frankie

Glasgow

Simba

Male, 3 years

☎☎ 08453 712 064

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell

Garfield

Male, 5 years Garfield – ginger and white – likes a lot of attention.

He’s wary of men but is getting better. He would be ideal for a family with older children who will give him lots of fuss. He purrs away when you are chatting to him and welcomes you as soon as you go and see him.

☎☎ 08453 714 212

62 The Cat Summer 2011

Toffee

Sister and brother, Frankie and Toffee, need to be rehomed together. They are both in good health and still like to play. They are friendly and affectionate and will make ideal companions, although they would prefer a new home with no small children.

☎☎ 08453 712 746

Breezer has had a mainly outdoor life and has tested positive for FIV. Other than battle scarred ears, he is in good health for an FIV positive cat. He is very friendly to humans, but doesn’t like other cats. Are you that special person who could give Breezer a loving home for his last few years?

☎☎ 08452 179 648

Simba is a very gentle cat who likes to watch the world go by. He used to live with a dog and another cat so should get well with other pets. He is also used to lots of people coming and going so should be fine with younger families.

☎☎ 0845 371 2722

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

lastonbury & Wells Branch is currently looking for G volunteers for a whole range of roles, such as helping at fêtes and fairs, hands-on work with cats and admin work. Ideally you will have a car and access to the internet but it is not essential. For more information, please contact Harriet on 01749 343 319. ornchurch & District Branch is looking for a Fundraising H Team Co-ordinator to lead our programme of events and activities and for more Fundraising Officers to help out too!

You will have some fresh ideas and spare time to put them into practice. We are also looking for someone to take over production of our membership newsletter from planning and copywriting through to design. Please phone us on 01708 379 925. reston Branch is looking for new Fosterers to accommodate P one or more cat pens in their back gardens. We will cover the costs of installing the pen and provide everything you need.

Fosterers should have their own transport and be willing to care for the cats and to take them to our vets when necessary.

If you can do that and live in the PR1-PR7 or PR25/PR26 postcode areas, please contact us on 01772 748 788 or email jeanette@prestoncpl.com ramlingham & Saxmundham Branch is looking for a F Fundraiser to organise events. We have a willing band of volunteers ready to help at events, but need someone to take over the arrangements. Please contact 01728 723 499 or email framandsaxcats@yahoo.co.uk eignbridge & Totnes Branch has vacancies for Home T Checkers in the South Hams & Teignbridge areas. We also need help with transport particularly in the South Hams. If you could spare a little time occasionally and feel you’d like to help, please phone Barbara on 08453 712 727.

To Cecil Coutts for all his help over the years at Outer Aberdeen & District Branch. Due to ill health, Cecil has been forced to take a break. Over many years, Cecil has volunteered for tasks in many forms from painting the pens to being a handyman and transporter.

To Pets at Home, Wrexham for regularly hosting Wrexham & District Branch’s fundraising events and for the donations we receive through its Support Adoption for Pets scheme.

We are very appreciative of the opportunity to promote our adoption centre.

To everyone who has sent donations to Stockport Branch following the previous article about Cloud featured – The Cat, Winter 2010. Many of the donations were anonymous and we would like to pass on our thanks. Cloud has almost recovered from his injuries and illness and we hope that he will continue to make a full recovery.

To everyone who supported Glastonbury & Wells Branch’s Spring Fair in Wells Town Hall on 30 April. We raised £2,638 which is up on this time last year. We were pleased to have done so well on a long Bank Holiday weekend.

asingstoke & District Branch is urgently looking for a new B Fundraising Officer. This involves booking venues, ensuring there are sufficient volunteers to run the events, keep supplies of CP merchandise and other items well stocked up for sale and maintain our supply of fundraising paraphernalia.

If you would like to know more, please contact Hilary, our Branch Co-ordinator, via basingstoke-cats@hotmail.co.uk or 01256 346 743. t Albans & District Branch is looking for an Assistant S Fundraising Co-ordinator to help us run local quizzes and tombola fetes as well as coming up with good, fun ideas that we can all help make a success. We are also looking for a Lost/Found Fosterer living in the AL1-AL5 postcode areas and have space for two outdoor pens. To find out more about any of these roles, please phone us on 08453 712 064 or email stalbanscp@hotmail.co.uk ear Valley & Darlington Branch is looking for W Fundraisers. Could you organise a tabletop sale, do a car boot, hold a coffee morning/afternoon or organise something at work like a collection or fun day? If so, we can provide some promotional material and even some goods for boot sales etc. Please contact Marion on 07966 653 388 or email catwomanmaz@gmail.com. All volunteers are welcome from admin to hands-on feral work. averhill & Stour Valley Branch is urgently looking for a H Fundraising Officer to co-ordinate all our fundraising events and to come up with new ideas to raise money. If you would like to join our friendly team of cat lovers, please phone 01440 730 096 or email contactcats@aol.com

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: • 17 June – Autumn 2011 • 16 September – Winter 2011 • 09 December – Spring 2012 Please send your entries to: CP in Focus, Editorial Team, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or email editorial@cats.org.uk.

CP volunteers and staff can now submit their stories online via CatNav. Log on at http://catnav.cats.org.uk

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

The Cat Summer 2011 63

Diary of events Find out what’s going on near you...

ENGLAND

Homefield, Longdogs Lane, Ottery St. Mary; 2.30-4.30pm.

BERKSHIRE

Stalls 1 June: Coffee morning/ bazaar, The Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton; 10am-12noon.

9 July: Summer bazaar/ coffee morning, Sidford Social Hall, Sidmouth; 10am-12noon.

Reading & District Stalls 16 July: Jumble sale, All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Square, Reading, RG1 6NH.

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell Stalls 16 June: Woodley Pagoda; 8am-all day.

18 June: Winnersh Fete; all day.

25-26 June: Hurst Show; all day.

28-29 August: Swallowfield Show; all day.

Fair 9 July: Carnation Hall, Chavey Down; 1-4pm.

Collections 17-18 June: Tesco, Martin’s Heron; all day.

13-14 August: Asda, Lower Earley.

27 August: Morrisons, Bracknell.

DERBYSHIRE Ashfield & Amber Valley Collections 25 June: Street collection, Ripley, Derbyshire.

16 July: Street collection Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

23 July: Street collection, Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

Stalls 18 June: Shirland Summer Festival, Derbyshire.

Derby & District Neutering vouchers 28 July: Neutering vouchers issued, Derby & District charity shop, 31 Wardwick, Derby; 1-3pm. Vouchers only £5 if you are receiving state welfare/council benefits or low-waged. Simply bring proof of benefit – not your cat!

DEVON East Devon Open days 6 August: Cats garden party,

64 The Cat Summer 2011

Teignbridge & Totnes Coffee mornings TBC: During the summer months we will be holding several coffee mornings in and around Teignbridge & the South Hams plus events at our rehoming centre in Ogwell. Please look on our website or Facebook page for further details.

EAST SUSSEX Friends of Eastbourne Collections 4 June: Bucket collection, Tesco, Hailsham; 9.30am5.30pm.

6 August: Bucket collection, Waitrose, Old Town, Eastbourne; 9am-5pm.

27 August: Bucket collection, Bankers Corner, Eastbourne; 9am-5pm.

Fairs 16 July: Summer Fayre, Eastbourne Adoption Centre, Hailsham; 12noon-3pm.

Fundraising events 12 June: Sponsored five mile walk, the Willows car park, Alfriston; start time 12.30pm.

ESSEX Harlow, Epping Forest & District Collections 6 August: Harlow College car park collection.

Stalls 19 June: Epping Town Show.

28-29 August: Countess of Warwick Show.

GREATER MANCHESTER Stockport Fairs 2 July: Hazel Grove, United Reformed Hall, Commercial

Road; 10am-12.30pm.

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

Stalls 11 June: Didsbury Festival, Didsbury Park, Wilmslow Road, Didsbury; 11am- 4pm.

We will be selling Cats Protection new goods.

25 June: Heald Green Festival, Outwood Public Hall, Outwood Rd. We will be selling Cats Protection goods, bric-a-brac, books, toys, plants and petcare goods.

We will also be running a lucky dip game for children.

20 August: Summer Fair, Elisabeth Svendsen Trust (EST) Manchester, Green Fold, Abbey Hey, Manchester. We will be selling Cats Protection new goods. Any offers of help please phone 0161 439 1274 or email stockport.cp@ hotmail.com

HAMPSHIRE Basingstoke & District Fairs 5 June: Treacle Fair, Saunders Field, Tadley; 11am-5pm. We will have a stall out on the field - come and support us and say hello!

18 June: Old Basing Carnival.

We are hoping to be at the carnival again this year – last year was a great success.

More details to follow nearer the time.

2 July: Summer fayre; Chineham Village Hall, Thornhill Way; 1-4pm.

CP goods, cakes, books, bric-a-brac, tombola and refreshments. Entrance 30p or tin of cat food. This is a new venue for us, so please come along and say hello!

Stalls 6 June: Treacle fair, Saunders Field, Tadley; 11am-5pm.

18 June: Old Basing Carnival.

HEREFORDSHIRE Hereford Adoption Centre Open days 18 June: Hereford Adoption Centre, Cobhall Villa, Allensmore.

HERTFORDSHIRE Great Amwell & District Stalls 25 June: Tonwell Primary School Fete, Ware Road, Tonwell, Herts.

1 July: St Andrew’s School Fete, Calton Avenue, Hertford.

2 July: Ware Carnival.

St Albans & District Collections 27 June: Morrisons supermarket, St Albans.

13 August: St Albans City Centre. Volunteers required to shake a tin! Please phone 08453 712 064 if you can help.

LANCASHIRE Preston Open days 12 June: Jean’s open day/ garden day, Hoyle’s Lane, Cottam; 1.30-4pm.

7 August: Val’s open day, Station Road, Much Hoole; 1.30-3.30pm.

Stalls 11 June: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am-12noon.

11 June: Gift stall and tombola, Penwortham Gala, Hurst Grange Park, Penwortham; 10am-5pm.

25 June: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am-12noon.

9 July: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am-12noon.

30 July: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am-12noon.

13 August: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am-12noon.

27 August: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am-12noon.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

SOMERSET

WEST SUSSEX

Glastonbury & Wells

Mid Sussex

Stalls 11 June: Collett Park Festival, Shepton Mallet; all day.

18 June: Leigh on Mendip Country Fair.

Collections 3 June: Sainsbury’s, Haywards Heath; 9am-5pm.

4 June: Sainsbury’s, Haywards Heath; 9am-5pm.

4 June: Cuckfield street collection; 9am-1pm.

SUFFOLK Framlingham & Saxmundham Coffee mornings 8 June: Coffee morning; 10.30am-12noon. By kind invitation of Mrs Kay Lusted, Kettleburgh.

24 June: Maxine’s coffee morning, Chediston Church Hall, Nr Halesworth; 10am12noon. “Bring & Buy”.

Stalls 1 June: Suffolk Show.

31 July: Mid Suffolk Showground, Classic Cars & Wheels Show, Stonham Barns, Stonham Aspal.

21 August: Westleton Barrel Fair Homing fairs 18 June: Cat homing fair, Community Hall, Station Road, Woodbridge; 10am-12noon.

Haverhill & Stour Valley Stalls 11 June: Market stall, High Street, Haverhill.

3 July: Haverhill show, Recreation Ground Haverhill; 9am-3pm.

31 July: Big Bash, Haverhill Recreation Ground.

6-7 August: Thurlow Steam Rally, Horseheath.

Garden parties 14 August: Annual garden party, Cuckfield Cattery, Deaks Lane, Cuckfield, West Sussex, RH17 5JB; 2-5pm.

Main fundraising event so please support! Cats for rehoming, lots of stalls, entertainment, cakes and teas, shelter if wet, free car park.

Stalls 9 July: Table top sale, Thorne Methodist Chapel; 10am-1pm.

30-31 July: Thorne Gala.

NORTHERN IRELAND BELFAST Belfast Adoption Centre

Doncaster

Open days 11 June: Pampered Paws day; 1-4pm. A big event with the emphasis being to rehome as many cats as possible while raising funds for the adoption centre. Cowboy/western theme including stalls and competitions. There will be free advice from vets, egg and spoon races, face painting, refreshments, raffle, tours of our homing centre and an ideal time to book your home visit. You can also judge the adoption centre sing-off and the losing staff get sludged! Lots to see and do so come along and join the fun!

Fairs 29 August: Summer fayre, New Hall, Bawtry; 12noon3pm.

SCOTLAND

Stalls 4 June: Lindfield Village Day, Lindfield Common; 11am-5pm.

2 July: Smallholders’ Show, Ardingly Showground; 9am5pm.

3 July: Smallholders’ Show, Ardingly Showground; 9am5pm.

YORKSHIRE

Garden parties 25 June: Garden party, ‘Threeways’, Low Lane, Braithwaite, Doncaster, DN7 5SS; 1-4pm.

ABERDEENSHIRE Stonehaven Stalls 11 June: ‘Planestone’ events, Market Square, Stonehaven; 12noon-4pm.

Bric-a-brac sales.

6 August: As above.

LANARKSHIRE Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre Open days 20 August: Open and rehoming day, Glasgow Adoption Centre, Langmuirhead Road, Auchinloch, Glasgow G66 5LD; 12noon-4pm. Entry 50p, lots of stalls, tea room, burger bar. A great day out!

WALES CLWYD Wrexham Collections 18 June: Street collection.

Thomas the cat and his friends will be in Wrexham town centre with collecting buckets.

Quizzes 12 August: Quiz night, Wrexham Lager Club; 7.30pm. Put together a team and join us, it’s always a good night out!

Stalls 16 July: Gwynedd Cat Club Show, Queensferry.

30 July – 6 August: The National Eisteddfod, Wrexham. An exciting opportunity to represent the charity at such a prestigious event in Wales. Come along and visit our information stand.

C’mon, we all know Facebook is the place to be.

So why not become a fan of the official Cats Protection page? We’ve already got over 46,000 fans but there’s always room for more!

Share stories with fellow cat lovers while receiving the latest news, advice and information from Cats Protection – instantly! www.facebook.com/catsprotection

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

Timmy’s homing status has changed from alone to rehomed.

34 minutes ago

Timmy is looking for a new home 4 hours ago

The Cat Summer 2011 65

Contacts

Find your nearest Cats Protection branch, adoption centre or charity shop...

England

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friends of Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre

Ealing & West London ☎☎ 0208 752 0793

Paddington 88www.paddington.cats.org.uk

Chelmsford & District *Willow * Grove, Deadmans Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford, CM2 8LZ ☎☎ 01245 478 389 88www.chelmsford.cats.org.uk

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

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

Eltham, Sidcup & District ☎☎ 01689 815 475 88www.cats.org.uk/elthamsidcup

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

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

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

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

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

South East Bredhurst Kent *Matts * Hill Road, Hartlip, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 7XA ☎☎ 01634 232 471 88www.bredhurstkent.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, 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

Great Amwell & District ☎☎ 08453 712 736 88www.cats.org.uk/greatamwell 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 Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted ☎☎ 08453 711 851 88www.cats.org.uk/dacorum

Basildon, Brentwood & District ☎☎ 01268 285 778 88www.bascats.org.uk

Hendon, Finchley & Mill Hill ☎☎ 0208 952 1350 88www.hendon.cats.org.uk

Bexley & Dartford ☎☎ 01322 611 911 88www.bexleycatsprotection.co.uk

High Wycombe & South Bucks ☎☎ 01494 448 849 88www.buckscats.org.uk

Brighton & Hove City ☎☎ 01273 279 138 88www.brightoncatsprotection.org.uk

Hillingdon ☎☎ 01895 443 637 88www.hillingdon.cats.org.uk

Bromley ☎☎ 0208 402 8860 88www.bromleycatsprotection.org.uk

Hornchurch & District ☎☎ 01708 755 211 88www.hornchurch.cats.org.uk

Camberley & District ☎☎ 08453 712 745 88www.camberley.cats.org.uk

Horsham & District ☎☎ 08453 712 749 88www.cats.org.uk/horsham

Canterbury & District ☎☎ 01227 266 838 88www.cats.org.uk/canterbury

Lea Valley ☎☎ 08453 134 746 88www.leavalley.cats.org.uk

Chelmsford & District ☎☎ 01245 478 389 88www.chelmsfordcatsprotection.co.uk

Lewes, Seaford & District ☎☎ 01273 813 111 88www.lewes.cats.org.uk

Chichester, Bognor Regis & District ☎☎ 08453 712 760 88www.cats.org.uk/chichester

Maidenhead, Slough & District ☎☎ 01628 620 909 88www.cats.org.uk/maidenhead

Chiltern ☎☎ 01296 680 397 88www.chiltern.cats.org.uk

Maidstone ☎☎ 08453 712 758 88www.maidstone.cats.org.uk

66 The Cat Summer 2011

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

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

Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey *20 * Chipstead Valley Road,* Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RA ☎☎ 0208 660 7475 Ealing & West London *3a * Albert Terrace, Pittshanger Lane, Ealing, W5 1RL ☎☎ 0208 998 3940 Eastbourne & District *14 * Seaside Road, Eastbourne,* East Sussex, BN21 3PA ☎☎ 01323 733 888 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 & Gravesham *34 * Canterbury Street, Gillingham,* Kent, ME7 5TX ☎☎ 01634 571 270 *142 * Franklin Road, Gillingham, Medway, ME7 4DG ☎☎ 01634 578 436 Tenterden & District *Lakehurst * House, Unit 1, * 94c High Street, Tenterden,* Kent, TN30 6JB ☎☎ 01580 765 277 Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough & District *119 * Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QY ☎☎ 01892 531 428

Woking & District ☎☎ 01483 721 700 88www.woking.cats.org.uk

Worthing & District *35 * Rowlands Road, Worthing,* West Sussex, BN11 3JJ ☎☎ 01903 200 332

Worthing & District ☎☎ 01903 200 332 88www.worthingcatsprotection.org.uk

South & South West

Chichester, Bognor Regis & District *7a * Crane Street, Chichester,* West Sussex, P019 1LH ☎☎ 01243 774 737 Colne Valley **75 High Street, Halstead,* Essex, CO9 2JD ☎☎ 01787 274 667 Croydon *13 * High Street, Purley,* Surrey, CR8 2AF ☎☎ 0208 763 9898

Exeter Axhayes *Little * Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2HS ☎☎ 01395 232 377 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

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Truro *Point * Road, Carnon Downs,* Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6JN ☎☎ 01872 870 575 Ferndown Homing Centre *51 * Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne,* Dorset, BH21 7QZ ☎☎ 03000 120 175 88www.ferndown.cats.org.uk Andover & District ☎☎ 01256 892 019 88www.andovercats.org.uk Barnstaple & District ☎☎ 01271 860 787 88www.cats.org.uk/barnstaple Basingstoke & District ☎☎ 01256 352 281 88www.basingstoke-cats.org.uk Bath & District ☎☎ 01179 861 467 88www.bath.cats.org.uk Blandford & Sturminster Newton ☎☎ 01258 858 644 88www.blandfordcats.org.uk Bournemouth & District ☎☎ 08453 712 762 88www.bournemouthcats.org.uk Bridgwater ☎☎ 01278 684 662 88www.bridgwater.cats.org.uk Bristol & District ☎☎ 01179 665 428 88www.bristol.cats.org.uk Callington & District ☎☎ 01579 382 794 88www.cats.org.uk/callington Cheltenham ☎☎ 08453 712 730 88www.catsprotection.net Cherwell ☎☎ 07716 596 212 88www.cherwell.cats.org.uk Cirencester, Tetbury & District ☎☎ 01285 641 289 88http://cirencats.tripod.com/ 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

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

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

Holsworthy, Bideford & District ☎☎ 08453 712 717 88www.holsworthycats.org

West Oxfordshire ☎☎ 01993 831 350 88www.westoxfordshire.cats.org.uk

Honiton ☎☎ 01404 452 41 88www.honiton.cats.org.uk

Winchester & District ☎☎ 01962 883 536 or 01962 884 468 88www.winchestercatsprotection.co.uk

Mansfield *Mansfield * Road,* Warsop, Mansfield,* Nottinghamshire, NG20 0EF ☎☎ 01623 845 846

Launceston & District ☎☎ 01566 773 814 88www.launcestoncatsprotection.org

Wootton Bassett & District ☎☎ 07928 674 433 88www.wootton.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

Minehead ☎☎ 08453 712 761 Newbury & District ☎☎ 01635 200 111 88www.newbury.cats.org.uk Okehampton & District ☎☎ 08453 712 751 88www.okehampton.cats.org.uk Oxford & District ☎☎ 01235 221 147 88www.oxford.cats.org.uk Plymouth & South Hams ☎☎ 08453 712 753 88www.cats.org.uk/plymouth Portsmouth ☎☎ 08453 712 743 88www.cats.org.uk/portsmouth

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

Nottingham *The * Gate House, New Farm Lane, Nuthall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG16 1DY ☎☎ 0115 938 6557 Ashfield & Amber Valley ☎☎ 01246 825 165 88www.cats.org.uk/ashfield Bedford & Biggleswade ☎☎ 08442 496 911 Burton on Trent ☎☎ 01283 511 454 Cannock & Burntwood ☎☎ 01543 279 641 88www.cannock.cats.org.uk Corby & District ☎☎ 08453 714 209 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

Reading & District ☎☎ 01189 403 005 88www.readinganddistrictcats.org

Gloucester *15 * Broad Street, Newent, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL18 7AQ ☎☎ 01531 821 247

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

Honiton *137 * High Street, Honiton, EX14 1LW ☎☎ 01404 423 12

Ludlow & District ☎☎ 01584 874 171 88www.cats.org.uk/ludlow

Mere & Gillingham *Pothecarys, * High Street, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 4AA ☎☎ 01747 860 349

Luton, Dunstable & District ☎☎ 08453 712 746 88www.luton.cats.org.uk

St Austell & District ☎☎ 01726 817 837 88www.staustell.cats.org.uk 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 Teignbridge & Totnes ☎☎ 08453 712 723 88www.teignbridge.cats.org.uk Tewkesbury & District ☎☎ 01684 297 227 88www.tewkesbury.cats.org.uk Torpoint & Rame Peninsular ☎☎ 01752 829 104 Torquay & District ☎☎ 01803 557 014 88www.torquay.cats.org.uk West Dorset ☎☎ 01305 262 737 88www.westdorset.cats.org.uk

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 88www.cats.org.uk/truro

Central Birmingham *Packhorse * Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B47 5DH ☎☎ 01564 822 020 88www.birmingham.cats.org.uk Friends of Birmingham Adoption Centre Evesham *c/o * Dogs Trust Kennels,* 89 Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, Evesham, Worcester, WR11 6RT ☎☎ 01386 833 343 88www.eveshamcpl.org

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

Lichfield ☎☎ 08453 712 741 88www.cats.org.uk/lichfield

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 Nottingham ☎☎ 01159 386 557 88www.cp-nottingham.org Ross-on-Wye & District ☎☎ 08453 712 763 88www.cats.org.uk/ross-on-wye

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Summer 2011

67

Rugby ☎☎ 01788 570 010 88www.cats.org.uk/rugby

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

Skegness, Spilsby & Alford ☎☎ 01754 830 621 88www.skegnesscats.org.uk

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

South Birmingham ☎☎ 08453 711 854 88www.southbham.cats.org.uk

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

Sleaford & District ☎☎ 01529 488 749 88www.cats.org.uk/sleaford

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

Stafford & District ☎☎ 01785 214 861 88www.stafford.cats.org.uk

East

Spalding & District ☎☎ 01775 725 661 88www.spalding.cats.org.uk

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

Stamford & District ☎☎ 01778 571 343

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

Stoke & Newcastle ☎☎ 01782 515 167 88www.stoke.cats.org.uk Stourbridge & District ☎☎ 08448 848 520 88www.cats.org.uk/stourbridge Telford & District ☎☎ 01952 820 030 88www.telford.cats.org.uk Walsall Borough ☎☎ 01922 682 005 88www.walsall.cats.org.uk Wellingborough & Rushden ☎☎ 08453 714 209 88www.wellrushcats.co.uk Wolverhampton ☎☎ 01902 651 173 88www.wolverhampton.cats.org.uk Worcester & District ☎☎ 01905 452 704 88www.worcestercats.org.uk Bedford & Biggleswade *12 * The Springfield Centre, Kempton,* Bedfordshire, MK42 7PR ☎☎ 01234 840 827 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 *5-7 * Abbey Court, Abbey End,* Kenilworth, Mid-Warwickshire,* CV8 1QH ☎☎ 01926 850 054 Pershore *Royal * Aracde, Pershore, Worchestershire, WR10 1AG ☎☎ 01386 550 440 South Birmingham *294 * Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7NH ☎☎ 0121 4412 480 Stafford & Disctrict *Market * Stall 48, St John’s Indoor Market, Stafford Stourbridge & District *27 * Lower High Street,* Stourbridge, DY8 1TA ☎☎ 01384 422 208 Telford & District *75 * High Street, Broseley,* Telford, TF12 5EX ☎☎ 01952 884 388

68 The Cat Summer 2011

Dereham *Hoe * Road Farm, Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 2RP ☎☎ 01362 687 919 Friend of Dereham Adoption Centre Downham Market *Wards * Chase, Stowbridge, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3NN ☎☎ 01366 382 311 Friends of Downham Market Adoption Centre Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk Breckland ☎☎ 01842 810 018 88www.cats.org.uk/breckland Bury St Edmunds ☎☎ 01284 850 887 88www.cplbury.org.uk Cambridge ☎☎ 01223 441 880 88www.cambridge.cats.org.uk Chatteris, St Ives & District ☎☎ 01480 465 226 88www.chatteris.cats.org.uk Dereham & District ☎☎ 01362 687 919 88www.derehamcats.org.uk Ely & District ☎☎ 01353 699 430 88www.ely.cats.org.uk Framlingham & Saxmundham ☎☎ 01728 723 499 88www.framandsax.cats.org.uk Grimsby & District ☎☎ 01472 399 810 88www.grimsby.cats.org.uk Haverhill & Stour Valley ☎☎ 08453 719 599 88www.stourvalley.cats.org.uk Horncastle & District ☎☎ 01526 388 535 88www.horncastle.cats.org.uk Ipswich ☎☎ 08453 712 069 88www.ipswich.cats.org.uk Milton Keynes ☎☎ 01296 738558 88www.mkcats.org.uk North Walsham & District ☎☎ 01692 535 858 88www.cats.org.uk/northwalsham Norwich & District ☎☎ 08454 941 900 88www.norwich.cats.org.uk Peterborough & District ☎☎ 08453 712 750 88www.peterborough.cats.org.uk St Neots & District ☎☎ 01480 476 696 88www.stneots.cats.org.uk Scunthorpe & District ☎☎ 01652 651 001 88www.scunthorpe.cats.org.uk

Waveney ☎☎ 08453 714 202 88www.waveney.cats.org.uk Cambridge *172 * Mill Road, Cambridge, CB1 3LP ☎☎ 01223 566 997

Crewe & District ☎☎ 01270 588 710 88www.crewe.cats.org.uk Culcheth & Glazebury ☎☎ 01925 764 604

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

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

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

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

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

North Derby *White * Cottage, Long Lane, Dalbury Lees, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 5BJ ☎☎ 01332 824 950 88www.derby.cats.org.uk Friends of Derby Adoption Centre St Helens *100 * Chester Lane, St Helens,* Merseyside, WA9 4DD ☎☎ 01744 817 718 Warrington *Animal * Village, Slutchers Lane,* Bank Quay, Warrington, Cheshire, WA1 1NA ☎☎ 01925 411 160

Doncaster ☎☎ 01302 840 777 88www.doncaster.cats.org.uk Durham City & District ☎☎ 01388 720 689 East Northumberland ☎☎ 07749 713 142 88www.bedlington.cats.co.uk Gateshead & District ☎☎ 0191 420 3180 88www.cats.org.uk/gateshead Halifax, Queensbury & Brighouse ☎☎ 01484 711 728 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

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

Newcastle upon Tyne ☎☎ 0191 296 3512 88www.cats-protection-newcastle.co.uk

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

Northumberland East ☎☎ 07749 713 142 (6–9pm)

Barnsley ☎☎ 01226 762 658 88www.cats.org.uk/barnsley Beverley & Pocklington ☎☎ 01482 861 866 88www.bpcp.org.uk Blackburn & District ☎☎ 01254 580 642 88www.blackburn.cats.org.uk Bolton & Radcliffe ☎☎ 07760 780 759 88www.bolton.cats.org.uk Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk Burnley & Pendle ☎☎ 01282 859 847 88www.burnley.cats.org.uk

North Sheffield ☎☎ 01142 456 371

Preston ☎☎ 01772 748 788 88www.prestoncpl.com Rochdale ☎☎ 01706 522 440 88www.cats.org.uk/rochdale Sheffield Hallam ☎☎ 01142 493 330 88www.catsprotectionshop.com South Wirral ☎☎ 0151 355 9813 88www.southwirral.cats.org.uk Stockport ☎☎ 0161 439 1274 88www.stockport.cats.org.uk Teesside ☎☎ 01642 589 090 88www.teesside.cats.org.uk

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

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

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

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

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

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

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

Forfar & District ☎☎ 08453 712 063 88www.cats.org.uk/forfar

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

Fort William & District ☎☎ 01397 772 071

Turriff & District ☎☎ 07050 241 846

Fraserburgh ☎☎ 07876 513 593

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

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 Burscough & Liverpool Bay *1* School Lane, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 4AE ☎☎ 01704 893 393 Chesterfield & District *2* Cavendish Street,* Chesterfield, S40 1UY ☎☎ 01246 279 163 Derby & District *31 * The Wardwick, Derby, DE1 1HA ☎☎ 01332 360 808 *Institute * Buildings, North End, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, DE4 4FG 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

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

Glasgow ☎☎ 08453 712 722 88www.glasgow.cats.org.uk

Scotland

Huntly & Keith ☎☎ 01466 760 311

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

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

Clackmannanshire & Stirling *Ochivale * Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 720 555 Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 Glasgow *Cardyke * Farm, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, G66 5LD ☎☎ 0141 779 3341 Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre Shetland *Gott, * Shetland, ZE2 9SH ☎☎ 01595 840 517 Alness & District ☎☎ 08453 714 204 88www.alness.cats.org.uk

Inverurie & Alford ☎☎ 01467 625 695 88www.cats.org.uk/inverurie Isle of Arran ☎☎ 01770 820 611 Isle of Lewis ☎☎ 01851 612 448 Isle of Skye ☎☎ 07817 943 072 Kilmarnock & District ☎☎ 08453 712 715 Lanarkshire ☎☎ 08453 714 213 88www.lanarkshirecats.co.uk Montrose & Brechin ☎☎ 08453 712 738 Moray ☎☎ 07837 342 646 88www.buckie.cats.org.uk Nairn ☎☎ 08453 712 714 88www.nairn.cats.org.uk

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

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

Wales

Barra & Uist ☎☎ 07050 121 586

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

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

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

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

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

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

Central Dumfries ☎☎ 01387 710 083 88www.centraldumfries.cats.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 Colwyn & District ☎☎ 01492 660 221 88www.colwyn.cats.org.uk Gwent ☎☎ 08453 712 747 88www.gwentsouthcp.org.uk Newtown & District ☎☎ 01686 670 277 88www.newtown.cats.org.uk Rhondda Valleys ☎☎ 01443 437 709 Swansea & District ☎☎ 08452 179 648 88www.swanseacats.co.uk

Clackmannanshire & Stirling ☎☎ 01259 720 555 88www.clackscats.org.uk Cumnock & Doon Valley ☎☎ 08453 714 219 Deeside ☎☎ 07837 342 660 Dundee & District ☎☎ 01382 450 035 East Neuk of Fife ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.eastfife.cats.org.uk East Lothian & Berwickshire Branch ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.berwickshire.cats.org.uk Ellon & District ☎☎ 01358 721 204 88www.cats.org.uk/ellon

Central Aberdeen *96 * King St, Aberdeen, AB24 5BA ☎☎ 01224 634 894 *187 * George Street, Aberdeen,* AB25 1HZ ☎☎ 01224 658 565 Clackmannanshire & Stirling *Ochivale * Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire, FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 761 893 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 Turriff & District *21 * Low Street, Banff, AB45 1AU 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

Perth ☎☎ 08458 622 206 88www.perthcats.co.uk Renfrewshire ☎☎ 0141 876 4133 88www.renfrewshire.cats.org.uk Shetland ☎☎ 01595 840 588 88www.cats.shetland.co.uk South Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 216 88www.southayrshire.cats.org.uk Stewartry & District ☎☎ 01557 339 233 88www.stewartry.cats.org.uk Stonehaven ☎☎ 01569 739 396 88www.stonehaven.cats.org.uk Stranraer & District ☎☎ 08453 712 759

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

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Summer 2011 69

’ s d Kiner Cor

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; in this issue our favourite wins a Big Cats book by Dorling Kindersley.

Write to us at: The Cat magazine, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, RH17 7TT or via email to editorial@cats.org.uk. Don’t forget to tell us your name, age and address.

All about Cats Protection Cats Protection is the UK’s leading cat charity. The most important part of Cats Protection’s work is finding new homes for thousands of unwanted and abandoned cats and kittens every year.

Cats come to us for many reasons and we spend lots of time making sure that each one is ready for a new home and owner.

Neutering is the best way to stop more unwanted cats from coming into the world.

Neutering is an operation which stops female cats from having kittens and male cats from becoming dads. It isn’t cruel and actually helps your cat avoid fights and serious diseases.

We provide lots of cat care information through our website, telephone helpline and leaflets. We help people understand their cats’ needs so they become better owners.

Would you like to help Cats Protection?

Check out our Cats for kids website for ideas! www.cats.org.uk/cats-for-kids

70 The Cat Summer 2011

Winner!

Chloe, 6, from Evanton, Inverness-shire

Fiona, 7, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Joesph, 12, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire

Jude, 8, from Putney, London

Congratulations to Chloe who wins a Big Cats book

by Dorling Kindersley www. dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk We hope you enjoy the read!

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Well done to our runners up Jude, Jade, Fiona and Joseph who each win a Kitty Luv CD-ROM; a virtual pet for your PC. This prize has been donated by Yellow Moon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the fantastic one-stop shop for great value arts, crafts, and exciting educational games and toys. See more at www.yellowmoon.co.uk

Jade, 10, from Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire

The Catâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Summer 2011

71

makingmemories

Ollie David Dean’s memories of a golden time

I

t’s only the most inadequate beginning to say he was a beautiful object. Golden and white in subtly patterned circlets, ‘O’s’ coat was smooth; with his fine, strong tail and long legs ringed with regular bands.

An enchanting kitten, certain from his arrival that this was ‘his place’, it was plain that he was special. However, he remained cautious of anyone – that meant well nigh everyone – he didn’t take into his friendship. As a young cat he could be hectic, bursting into the bedroom, racing unheedingly over the bed, windowsill and cupboard tops. We tried mostly unsuccessful ruses for quietening him down when skittish, but he always retained an outsize personality.

O showed absolute trust, choosing to depend far more on human company than other cats; and he offered his lucky ‘owners’ – the word strikes quite the wrong note – an unfailing delight. He did not care to be slighted: and if this happened inadvertently, he endured it not by sulking but with a kind of hurt dignity. Equally, he never rebuffed advances or showed that slightly snubbing clean pair of heels so familiar from other cats. Indeed, there was nothing petty about him.

Making his own distinctions between ‘S’ and ‘D’, he liked to sleep in the bed, but always on her side. In the morning he would climb on S – his security, his consoler in sickness or pain, his sine qua non – and gently pat her sleeping face as a signal to be admitted. With D he was quite different, never asking him for food, but relishing instead a relationship of pure fun and mutual pleasure. Tired or cross after a difficult day, D would sink into an armchair. Within minutes O would push open the door – a skill he perfected – move elegantly across the room and launch straight onto D’s chest for a welcoming purr so intense that it never failed to wash away the worry of work.

A strong cat, O nonetheless soon learned to be gentle. His habit, when ready for food, of reaching up to S and recalling her to her duty by lightly but firmly hooking a claw in her bottom, he soon learned was unpopular. So he took to keeping his claws retracted, making the gesture a pat instead of a jab. There were many such indications of his striking intelligence, demonstrations of understanding rather than simply learning by rote.

For all his pride and grandeur – and O was certainly arrogant – when deeply asleep he took on a look of the most touching innocence. But all this, the grandeur, the innocence, the inventive sense of fun, the full blossoming of that complex character, were concealed from most people who could not have guessed at the splendours he revealed with his chosen humans – a secret the three of them shared.

72

The Cat Summer 2011

O was finely vocal, replacing mundane miaowing with a variety of calls including a protracted greeting cry as he strode in; and a tenaciously repeated staccato call, already on the edge of ecstasy, when he wanted D or S to join one of the complex games he had devised. Notable among these was his passion for being rhythmically patted up the stairs, advancing with what sometimes seemed interminable slowness step by step. At the top he would throw himself sideways, brace a back leg against the wall and demand to be quite firmly patted on the back, while his front legs alternately flopped loosely or stretched rigid in delight, paws curling and extending.

He shared much more of his daily life with his humans than ordinary cats, unmistakably thinking in terms of a three-way equal relationship, never seeing the other two as simply shelter and a meal ticket, never in any way sycophantic.

Would that it were possible to capture his spirit on paper, O shared with all cats that enchanting sensuousness and ability to communicate deep ecstasy, but he conveyed more, seeming to push forward the very frontiers of ‘cat-dom’ in subtle and complex ways. There existed always, for his humans, an underlying poignancy about so tiny a flame of life in this character whose bearing was nonetheless that of a passionate magnifico.

His death was instantaneous and did not disfigure his splendour. The spring of vitality and grace simply snapped and he was gone. It is the ache of his abrupt absence which has caused these fragmentary notes to be put together, with the unattainable aim of explaining a love which has been an integral part of our lives for 11 years. It is still almost beyond comprehension that we must now learn to do without it.

This tale was found among David’s letters and school reports from the 1930s by Gill Martin, executor of his will.

Gill wanted to share David’s recollections of Ollie

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.

In loving memory of our dear little SMUDGE who died recently, aged 18 years.

Without Smudge our home feels desolate. Ron and Joan.

All BIMBI’S , FLUFFY , N ICKI , TAMMY , RUFFY and TUMBLE – also JAKE – forever in my heart – love Mummy and beautiful girl Amber.

C HARLEY FARLEY LEMON BARLEY the most furry purry cat ever.

Wandered into our lives and tragically left on 26.11.10.

Loved and missed so much.

Remembering our brave girls SOOTY 1981-1996, M OLLY 1996-2008 and ZOE 1998-2010. All angels must return home. Love from Wendy and Mum x x x DAISY – by our sides from birth until she slipped away at nearly 19, treasured every precious moment. Sleep tight Littles xxxx SQUEAKIE our lovely little girl PTS 31.05.09 age 22 years. Rest in peace. We miss you so much, always remembered and loved.

Sandra & Mum xx

L IQUORICE – A whisper cat, a shadow cat, spirited and feisty. Black, beautiful, ‘sister’ of Jasper. Now in pussy paradise – Maria.

SPIKE 20.01.92 and W ILLIE 24.10.95 my best friends – remembered always – Gwen.

In loving memory of TIMMY – 30.03.91 and TOPSY – 27.03.96.

Together again. In our thoughts and hearts forever.

Love Mummy & Daddy.

11.02.10, RIP from all of us.

H ERMAN PTS, 20 years old.

In loving memory of BEN , passed away 11.07.05 aged 16, at rest in his favourite garden. From Peter and Tiggy.

In loving memory of CLARET , a complete oneoff, sadly lost to an RTA on 08.12.10. Also remembering B LUE , RTA 30.03.08, S OOTY , PTS 08.05.02 and M INKY , PTS 19.08.99. All missed so much by Debbie & Richard.

JO PTS 09.12.10 aged 14.

Remembered always, so deeply missed, our ‘baby girl’. Love always Mummy, Daddy, John and family.

Our dear MONTY left us 22.12.10 aged 18. A stray boy who came in from the cold.

Loved forever.

F REDDIE – PTS 15.11.10

Forever in our hearts. We shall always miss you. Rina and Paul.

aged 16 years following a stroke resulting in blindness.

Brave, loving little girl to the end. Missed every day. Ray and Cynthia xx

In loving memory of CHLÖE – 02.03.05. Our beautiful girl. In our thoughts and hearts always.

Love Mummy, Daddy, Perry & son Leo.

GINGER – RTA. A popular cat, a real character.

Loved by his family and neighbours. We miss you Ging.

WILLOW – PTS 15.02.95 aged just 3 years following incurable illness. Loved and remembered always. Ray and Cynthia xx

W ILDER PTS 07.03.09.

Our sweet little baby girl.

Two years passed but never forgotten. Love Mummy and Daddy.

SOOTY – a lovely natured semi feral. Liked to come indoors for naps and food.

Will always be missed and loved.

T OPSY – PTS 12.2005

In loving memory of

D OBBIE PTS 15.02.11.

ISTY – our darling baby M girl, died 18.01.11. At rest in her garden. Miss & love you so much. Mam & Dad xx In loving memory of CINDY , passed away 24.05.83 aged 16, at rest in her favourite garden. From Peter.

In loving memory of CUMFY , passed away August 1965, aged 16.

Reunited with our Mum and Dad. From Peter.

OGGIE TEAPOT , S QUEAKY , BUBBLE , POLLY , BRIGADIER BLUE , JUBILEE SAM , in loving memory. “Like stars you shine on me.”

H ARLEQUIN (HARLEY) the Ultimate Lapcat! PTS 27.07.09 aged 18+. I will always love you, my little man. RIP xxx

Z ACK (NEWTON) .

Adopted Derby CP 08.09, died 20.12.09. Not long in my life, but forever in my heart. RIP xxx TABITHA , OHP . A convent cat. PTS 04.2003, aged nearly 18. Much loved and missed by JE and her sisters. RIP xxx

aged 17. The dearest little cat we have ever known.

Remembered always – Gwen and Hilary.

The Cat Summer 2011

73

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

9 Lives

by Clive Rusher The day after a massive storm hits the small village of Acomb, the residents find that their favourite felines have gone missing. So begins the tale of these nine cats – Seye, Lick, Fish, Nip, Nap, Astrophe, Arrh, Flap and Copy – as they try to find their way back home, having adventures and forging strong friendships along the way.

Whether being read to or reading it for themselves, children of all ages will love this story. It is written cleverly with a wry sense of humour which will get the adults chuckling out loud too.

Francesca Watson 9 Lives (£9.99) is published by Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd (www.grosvenorhousepublishing.co.uk; 01483 243 450)

Complete cat care

by Bruce Fogle This title from best-selling vet Bruce Fogle offers a comprehensive guide to looking after your four-legged friend, covering topics such as the history of the cat, characteristics of breeds, preparing for the arrival of a new cat, grooming, cat culture and maintaining good health.

Each chapter is complemented with extra top tips, useful photographs and helpful illustrations. From reading body language and providing the correct diet, to choosing a vet and the secrets of happy play, Complete cat care provides a great insight into cat ownership.

Amy Rutter Complete cat care (£14.99) is published by Mitchell Beazley, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Ltd (www.octopusbooks.co.uk; 020 7632 5400)

Casper the Commuting Cat

by Susan Finden This delightful story of a cat that rode the bus will not fail to capture readers’ hearts. A truly unique tale does not come along very often, however Casper the Commuting Cat is a heartfelt and genuine narrative of Casper’s life written by the person who knew him best – his owner.

Susan Finden writes with a witty charm that not only makes this an infinitely enjoyable read but also embodies the very essence of Casper himself. The reader is taken on a journey through the exhilarating highs and inevitable lows of cat ownership and when the book comes to a close, one thing is clear – you are not just reading a whimsical tale of a cat that rode the bus, you are reading about a cat who brought unity back into a community.

Kara Lynsdale Casper the Commuting Cat (£6.99) is published by Simon & Schuster (www.simonandschuster.co.uk; 020 7316 1998)

Books received Making the rounds with Oscar by David Dosa, Tabitha – the story of a much travelled cat by Helen Harris, Thomasina by Paul Gallico.

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The Cat Summer 2011

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