The Cat Autumn 2010

Autumn 2010

Remarkable rescue cats Celebrating the real-life stories of heroism, bravery and survival in the cat world

Wild things We pick up a penguin and tackle a tiger at Marwell Wildlife

Missing!

Help is at hand when all seems lost

Rehoming focus Diabetic cats need love too!

Plus Purrs and prose,

feline firkins and cat counselling

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.

Welcome

The Team

Photo: Lee Bishop

…to the Autumn 2010 issue of The Cat

Amy Rutter Editorial Assistant Rasoul Hudda Senior Designer Ryan O’Hara Senior Designer

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

Published quarterly by Cats Protection.

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

Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it

Until winter!

PS Many congratulations to Tom Briggs and his wife Kate who welcomed Dylan Briggs, their own little Yankee Doodle Dandy, born on the fourth of July.

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)

istockphoto

Tom Briggs Assistant Editor

Cover photo:

Francesca Watson Editor

.com/Knap e

A

From left to right

nother summer is over and we have the glorious tortie colours of autumn to look forward to.

We have recently celebrated the Rescue Cat Awards in London.

The setting was very pertinent as it was the New London Theatre which was home to Cats for over 20 years. It was a very emotional day and there is no doubt that every cat nominated was a true winner. Read about these feline heroes on pages 18 to 21.

Amy Rutter took a walk on the wild side when she was given the honour of being a zookeeper for a day at Marwell Wildlife, pages 36 to 39. They certainly made her earn her keep and had her weeding paths, mucking out the giraffes and stuffing vitamins into fish gills – a tough job for a vegetarian! But the upside was meeting her favourites, the penguins, while also getting extremely close to the big cats. Amy might say ‘too close’ as the roaring left her a little shaken!

We welcome a new voice to The Cat magazine on page 27 in the form of Anthony McGowan. Anthony is an award-winning author who at the behest of his children is embarking on a life shared with cats. We hope to tag along with his journey into all things feline.

We also test cat-named beers on page 32, get poetical about felines on pages 34 and 35 and we hear a heart-warming tale of how two lovely diabetic cats were adopted by a couple who were determined to give them a second chance on pages 48 to 49.

Thank you to everyone who sent in pictures of their conservatories which double up as deluxe Cat Cabins, there are so many lucky moggies out there.

I think conservatory companies are missing a trick and should promote them as the ultimate feline accessory!

You will also find enclosed in this issue a nomination form for the Volunteer of the Year 2011. More details can be found on pages 52 and 53. It is also Christmas catalogue time! There are hundreds of gifts for all cat lovers and we have a discounted offer on page 7 and, of course, what better gift than a subscription to this fabulous magazine? Subscribe online for friends and family at www.cats.org.uk

Contents In this issue

16 Celebrity interview

From Cats to kids, children’s TV presenter Sarah-Jane Honeywell tells us how important cats are in her life

36 Work on the wild side

Cat Awards 18 Rescue 2010

Photo: Clare Halden

Our hono rary zooke eper works for a living hard

4

The Cat Autumn 2010

We reveal the cats that got the cream at this year’s Feline Oscars

the 22 Watching detectives

We go on the trail of the man who finds missing pets

Regulars 6

26 Animated toys 34 Cats in poetry

10 Letters

When is a cat, not a cat?

14 Cats’ tales

We muse on the feline focus of purring prose

27 Starting fro m scra

tch

42

Keep it on the low

28 Playing dete ctive

Take the strain out of gardening with our low maintenance garden guide

30 Ask the vets

47

Hear ye, hear ye!

Ferndown Homing Centre is open for business

32 Tried and te sted

48 Living with diabetes

40 Our favourite thin

Two CP supporters show how adopting a cat with diabetes can be a rewarding undertaking

gs

46 Ali’s cats

of the Year 52 Volunteer Awards 2011

News

50 Coffee paw s

They’re amazing and dedicated: Nominate your exceptional volunteers!

54 Paws for tho ugh

t

55 Cats Protect ion in

focus

60 Diary of eve nts 62 Find your lo cal

Cats Protection

66 Kids’ corner 68 Making mem orie

s

69 Rememberin g ca

ts

70 Book review

The Cat Autumn 2010

5

News A sunny AGM

■

On Saturday 17 July we celebrated the amazing work that Cats Protection has done over the past year at our 2010 AGM. The day was held in the grounds of the National Cat Centre at Chelwood Gate, Sussex and it was a wonderful opportunity to thank our tireless volunteers who make it all possible.

The event was well attended, building upon the successful format of last year, and we were lucky to have the sun shining throughout. Delegates had the opportunity to supplement the business of the day by visiting many of our cats by taking behind-the-scenes tours of the National Cat Adoption Centre. Some of the CP vehicles were on view and a photographic exhibition produced by CP staff was on display in the Visitor Centre on site.

Reports from the Chairman, Heather McCann, Chief Executive, Peter Hepburn, and Director of Central Services, Helen Jacobs explained that in 2009: • The number of volunteers went up from 7,200 to 7,300 • Cats homed and reunited went up from 55,056 to 55,185 • Cats neutered went up from 150,843 to 162,811

Pet airline expands

■

Animal Airways, the first global animal/pet flight management provider, has launched an eastern Europe headquarters in Russia.

The organisation aims for pets to travel as family when emigrating with the same ease and comfort as their owners. Pet travel experts, together with veterinarians and customer support professionals, developed a unique service that promises to ease pet travel for the millions of families with pets who travel internationally. The new branch will increase the operation based in England and Canada.

Dr. Eytan Kreiner, Head Veterinarian of Animal Airways, says: “Working with pet owners and concerned for the safety of pets, we recognised a strong need for pet travel and relocation solutions that will allow families to travel together with their pets – simply and safely.”

For more information phone 0203 051 4087.

6

The Cat Autumn 2010

• And the total number of cats helped went up from 193,000 to a colossal 215,000 In addition, despite a difficult financial climate, the charity still managed to live within its means and not draw on its reserves.

Mike Henley, Director of Operations South and Tanya Burchell, Head of Operations West and Wales gave an excellent presentation on the exciting new Homing Centre at Ferndown. This included a video tour of the site which had been produced by a CP volunteer. Maggie Roberts, Director of Veterinary Services followed this by giving a highly entertaining talk on UFOs. No, this was not a Star Trek convention but a guide to “Understanding Feline Origins”!

To add to the day, staff from many CP departments set up displays and were on hand to answer delegates questions on the workings of the organisation.

Huge thanks are due not only to everyone involved in making this a special day, but also to all the members who attended, many of whom had long journeys to get there. Once again, we will be extending a warm welcome to every member who is able to attend next year.

We’re on the prowl

■

After the success of last year, the second Bournemouth Midnight Prowl will take place on Sunday 19 September, starting at 9pm.

Choose from either the 5k walk or the 10k walk, both starting and finishing at Alum Chine in Bournemouth. Last year’s walk raised £648.97 plus Gift Aid. If you are interested in taking part in the Midnight Prowl, or would like further information please contact Amy McKay, South West and South Wales Fundraiser on 0117 963 8752 or amy.mckay@cats.org.uk

news

Have a cracker of a Christmas

Farewell to a favourite railway cat

■

We have sad news to impart.

Vandal the famous cat of the Bluebell Railway in Sussex recently died after an illness.

He ended his days in the loving care of two members of the railway.

Vandal had been the resident station feline for over ten years. We were lucky to interview Vandal for our First class felines article in the Spring and Summer issues this year and we send our sincere condolences to the staff at the railway. He will be sadly missed by all who met him.

Photo: Tom Briggs

■

Our Christmas Catalogue is now out giving you ample time to get those fabulous feline-themed gifts for the festive holiday. We have an exclusive offer to The Cat readers to make things go with a bang. We’re offering our Merry Christmas Cats Crackers with a £5 discount. Usually priced at £12.99 readers can buy them for £7.99 until the end of October by quoting the code CPCRC10 when checking out. This can be via phone, online or post. The crackers are handmade and are exclusive to Cats Protection. Each cracker contains a cat figurine, hat and motto.

Reader offer

Phone me, miaow!

■

The CP ringtone of cats purring and miaowing has been a great success as 6,000 supporters have already downloaded it.

You can try before you buy by listening to a sample on our website at www.cats.org.uk When you’re ready to receive the tone* simply text KITTEN to 88222. Text messages are £3 (2 x £1.50) plus one message at your network’s standard rate. Approximately £2 will go to help the cats in our care. To opt out, text KITTEN STOP to 88222. * You will need a WAP enabled handset which can download, store and play music files as ringtones required. Please ensure you can browse the internet on your phone before ordering.

■

This summer, four educational and informing videos were launched that teach pet owners to be aware of the increasing risk that parasites can pose to their pets and how they can protect them.

The videos, presented by celebrity vet Dr Scott Miller, discusses all kinds of parasites including fleas, mosquitoes and even vampire bats. Scott shows how they can harm our pets and what we should do to protect against them. He says, “As a vet I would strongly recommend that owners understand how their pets can be affected by parasites and these videos provide a great way to learn about these unwelcome pests.” Take a look at www.youtube.com/user/parasitesundercover1

■

When the phone rang in the household of a professor of musicology at the University of California in Berkley, his wife always knew when her husband was calling. The family silver tabby, Whiskins, rushed to the telephone and pawed at the receiver. This happened both when the professor was calling from his office at the university, and also when he called from field trips in Africa and South America at completely unpredictable times.

Dr Rupert Sheldrake, a biologist, worked with dog owner Pamela Smart through the 90s exploring the concept that pets anticipate their owners’ return. They are now trying to investigate the phenomenon of cats that know who is calling. They would be grateful to hear from anyone whose cat seems to know when a particular person is calling before the call is answered. Anyone with stories can contact Pamela on pam@telepet. demon.co.uk Dr Sheldrake’s website is www.sheldrake.org

Illustration: Fran Griffith

Flee, flea!

Does your cat know who’s on the phone?

Feline art exhibition

■

The Society of Feline Artists is holding its annual exhibition at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in London from 27 August to 17 September, 10am7.30pm Monday to Saturday.

On show will be approximately 300 paintings of cats in oil, acrylic, watercolour, pastel and etchings – making it the largest exhibition of cat art in the country. From the nobility and drama of the wild cat to the playful kitten – all are painted with the mastery of artists who know and understand their subject. This oil painting, Eyes in the Dark, is by Fran Griffith and will on sale for £250.

Gallery address: 124-126 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LN. Tel 0207 620 1322.

The Cat Autumn 2010

7

Photo competition ■

We have some exciting news about our ever-popular photographic competition. We are working hard behind the scenes to relaunch an improved format and are confident that it will be well received by regular entrants.

This does mean that the competition will be postponed briefly, so keep taking those photos and we’ll be revealing all the important details in our Spring 2011 issue.

Turning up the heat

■

Sea cat

■

In Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex the Grimwood family have a rather odd family pet. They’ve had him since he was a kitten, or should that be a chick?

He fell down their chimney one year, landing in their fireplace. “We heard a rustle in the lounge when we were watching telly and we suddenly thought ‘Ooh – what’s that?’” said June Grimwood. “We reached into the chimney and pulled out this young chick.”

The family named the seagull Pooh and since his dramatic arrival he has become a firm member of the family. June and her husband Steve nursed the chick giving him cat food. He ate it quite happily alongside the family cats.

“He slept in the cats’ basket, mingled in amongst the cats and was happy as Larry,” said June.

One day, however, Pooh decided to venture further afield but he still returns to the Grimwoods for six months every year and he and his partner have a nest on top of the roof.

Pooh still comes indoors for his meals. “He feeds out of the cat bowls, he comes indoors and takes the cats’ biscuits out of their feeder.

I think he does believe that he is actually a cat,” said June. “I wouldn’t say he’s mixed up.

He’s just very clever. He knows where a good Bed & Breakfast is by the seaside every year!”

8

The Cat Autumn 2010

Valiant volunteers

■

A bunch of brave folk took part in an abseil for Cats Protection on 23 May at the Mersey Tunnel Ventilation Shaft in Birkenhead. They have raised almost £1,000 between them with St Helens Adoption Centre and North Hertfordshire Branch benefiting.

Those with a head for heights were Stephanie McGarragh, Alison Wilde, John Hailes, Sonia Grover and Jane Kershaw.

John Craig Hailes from The Bowring Park Luxury Cattery in Liverpool, said “I had a great time abseiling but it was very scary and high! I did it dressed up as a cat which looks pretty good. Thank you very much for such a great experience!”

Down south, more fearless volunteers abseiled 30m from the roof of King’s College Hospital, London on 4 July.

Congratulations to Sue Printemps, Evelyn Cockerell, Jo Whittle, Kathryn Harris, Vicky Dolan, Ian Roberts Stacey, Rupert Potter and Alexandra Tuck who all made it safely down.

Branches benefited included Swindon, Oxford, Chiltern and Croydon. Donations are still flooding in but look to exceed £1,500.

If any of your branch supporters or members would like to take part in a sponsored event, please get in touch on events@cats.org.uk for a fundraising pack, personalised sponsor forms and additional support.

Photo: The Bowring Park Luxury Cattery

Photo: Louise Mudd

Following the success of previous firewalks, another has been arranged for Cats Protection supporters in Bristol on 21 October.

It is being held at the Tobacco Factory, Raleigh Road, Southville and the challenge gives participants the chance to walk barefoot over burning hot coals without experiencing pain or injury. A two-hour training session will be given before the event by firewalking experts who will be on hand throughout the evening.

Anyone wishing to take part should contact Amy McKay, South West and South Wales Fundraiser on 0117 963 8752 or amy.mckay@cats.org.uk

Embracing the great outdoors Housing up to two cats separately or together, the Mansion is one of our exterior models specially-designed so your cat can experience the outdoors in safety.

Easy to clean Quick to put up Very secure Mansions from £584 Orders & brochures 01780 410313 www.penthouseproducts.com

New Catalogue out now, call 01904 413000 for your copy.

Lines open Monday to Friday 9.30am - 5.00pm or shop online AJM The Cat Ad B 93x136mm_AW 23/3/10 at www.thecatgallery.co.uk

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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

Landlords, smarten your acts up!

From: Ms C Colton, Kingsbridge, Devon e: Pet friendly landlords, Summer 2010 issue I am a cat-friendly landlady and have been for 20 years. I rent out an unfurnished cottage and between tenants I always change carpets and emulsion throughout – which I did for tenants without pets, something most landlords don’t bother to do. My tenants bring their own furniture so it makes no difference to me what their animals do to their settee.

For the amount of rent most tenants have to pay plus services and council tax, I see no moral reason to penalise them by refusing pets. They lose their deposit if building damage is done.

The estate agents must also take responsibility for this problem. They always say ‘no pets’ – why? Do their own animals wreck their homes? If so, why?

Come on landlords, it’s your tenant’s home. Surely you decorate, clean and recarpet between tenants?

If not – then you should.

R

A grand challenge

From: Rae Lovejoy, via email came to Chelwood Gate a few times in 2005/6 and in January 2006 decided to get another rescue cat, as sadly three had died in the previous six months, two from old age, one was only three.

I visited with a friend and we saw lots of lovely cats. I knew all of them would get great new owners and homes. I asked to see the cats in your ‘special needs’ section. I was used to challenging cats!

Once in there I saw Marmaduke, a large ginger tom. Apparently he had come from Wales and lived with over 20 cats and an old lady before being rescued. He was hissy and spitty and once I had said yes it took three people to get him in the cat carrier, with one lady wearing leather gauntlets! I was told he was as good as wild, and vicious too.

Well, now Jonesey as he became, will never be a lap cat but he will let you stroke him, and he settled in to his new home quite quickly.

He loves his life with his friends Morrissey and PeeBee. Sadly his best friend George has just passed away at 20 years old; they were inseparable for the past four years.

Jonesey loves sitting on the decking in the summer, is a useless hunter and luckily for us won’t go near any other human he doesn’t know. He has a very loud purr which he will use when he thinks some fish is on offer. He has fantastic left/right paw football skills, but needs a good brush every so often as he isn’t too hot on grooming himself.

I

Magic circles

From: Richard Muirhead, Macclesfield, Cheshire wonder if you can help? I investigate unusual animal stories and in particular, as a cat lover, stories of cat conventions – that is to say, stories of cats meeting in a circle, often at night, sometimes with a single cat sitting in the middle. Do you have any such stories in your files? Fortean Times has a web page about this, which is: www.forteantimes.com/community/it_happened_to_me/3505/cat_ conventions.html Editor’s note: We pride ourselves on including more unusual articles in The Cat and have even run features on the question of whether cats are psychic in the past but we have to admit that this is a new one on us!

We certainly haven’t received any such reports of cats sitting in circles – are there any readers out there that have had unusual sightings?

I

10

The Cat Autumn 2010

yourletters

Photographic memory

From: Yvonne Cartwright, Neutering Officer, Coventry Branch aving purchased a new digital camera in 2008 I thought it was about time to sort out the memory chip and delete the many unwanted family gatherings photos stored.

Imagine my delight when amongst the photos of decapitated family members and friends I suddenly came upon several forgotten photos of a CP kitten we had given emergency foster care to. It immediately brought a smile to mine and my husband’s faces remembering the day we took the call and collected him, and relived the many delights he had given us while in our care.

I thought you all might like to share this experience and as you will no doubt notice he is perfectly positioned – without any part of him missing unlike the human subjects.

H

Alley cats

I

From: Eileen Tracey, Kingswinford, West Midlands have been attempting – through my MP to bring to public knowledge how dangerous antifreeze is to humans, pets and wildlife.

Unfortunately I have been passed from one Government agency to another, DEFRA being one of them who recommended I contact Trading Standards.

Antifreeze is a danger to cats, they are attracted to its sweet taste. It only takes a little for it to be a death sentence. However, if a bittering agent were to be added at the point of manufacture, then cats would not want to drink it. Some states in the USA have banned antifreeze that does not contain Denatonium Benzoate which is a bittering agent. There should be a law in this country similar to the ones in America and France to make the production of antifreeze without a bittering agent illegal.

In very cold weather antifreeze may leak from a radiator. If it were made unpalatable to a cat then we may not have accidental poisonings. Alas there are those that hate cats and deliberately put down this noxious liquid to kill them. After about three hours there is nothing a vet can do except put a cat to sleep. It is a criminal offence to cause an animal suffering, but finding the perpetrator of such an offence would be very difficult.

As a cat lover – I have two of my own – I do hope that you can warn cat lovers of the dangers of antifreeze. I understand that there are already several supermarkets and car maintenance shops selling antifreeze which includes a bittering agent. But if the public don’t know about it, then they may purchase the wrong one.

I

Illustration: istockphoto.com/Marc Brown

From: Caroline Lamb, via email n your Summer 2010 magazine you featured a street in Paris named after a fishing cat, and asked about any other cat-themed streets. Also in France, in the town of Troyes, in the Champagne region, there is a street called the “Ruelle des chats”, or street of cats – apparently so-called because the street is so narrow that the cats were thought to be able to jump from one side to the other!

Editor’s note: Thank you also to Peter Charlton who told us about the wonderfully named ‘Cats and Kittens Lane’ on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, Andy Chadwick who emailed in a photo of ‘Kitty Lane’ in Blackpool – where there is a boarding cattery – and another reader who told us about ‘Tabby’s Nook’, near Southport.

An antifreeze reminder

The Cat Autumn 2010

11

A-Tisket, A-Basket

From: Ena Kelly, North Scotland Region Sponsorship Officer ’m not a cat so I cannot appreciate why my cat doesn’t like the cat basket. However, I don’t think I would like to be taken to the doctors in a big plastic box!

I am lucky. My cats go into the basket with minimal fuss – unlike my friend’s cat. Smokey is the cuddliest cat you could meet – he’s so fluffy and he purrs away when you meet him. But when it is time for the vet the gloves are off, for Smokey anyway – the gloves are definitely on for the vet!

He has improved slightly since my friend got a wire basket. He doesn’t like to be trapped. Something may have happened to him previously. He just turned up one day in my friend’s garden and despite all efforts, no-one came to claim him.

He recently went to the vets where the stand in vet stated ‘this must be the infamous Smokey’. We think his usual vet went on holiday to coincide with Smokey’s annual visit! The jab got put in the hind, he got the quickest check-over known to man and he was put back in his basket in double quick time!

My Leo goes his basket and speaks to me through the journey. Chaz will go in, have a little chat with you and then watch the world do by. However he takes a bit of persuading to get out.

I do have one top tip I would like to share with you when taking your cat to the vets by car. This one you will never have heard before! Once puss is in the basket and you are heading home, puss is meowing loudly and you feel guilty for bringing them to the vets, don’t stick your finger in the thin slats in the basket. Yes, I did. Yes, it got stuck, and yes, I couldn’t change gear. After two minutes of beeping horns and angry drivers I got my finger free and drove away from the chaos that I had left behind.

I am sure that Leo had a smile on his face!

I

From: Shelley Gorys, Upton Grey, Hampshire thought you would like to hear about Sasha who went missing 14 days ago when my husband went on holiday. Sasha and her three brothers are all microchipped. She is the classic ‘runt’ of the litter. Tiny, she only looks six months but what she lacks in size she makes up for in being feisty and a survivor!

Tonight, my mobile rang, warily I answered and a lady said “hello, have you lost a cat?” My husband and I are separated and he went away just two weeks ago and the housesitters informed me the following day that Sasha was missing. Everyone hunted high and low but she was nowhere to be seen.

Today she was scooped up by a wonderful man who took her home. His partner, Jo breeds dogs and is also a recognised microchipper and decided to scan the cat to see if she was microchipped – yes, she was!

Sasha had crossed two main roads and found herself in the woods. She was scared, dirty, had a terrible upset stomach and the biggest tick on her right ear. Bless her, she looked really rough.

Anyway, I drove 12 miles to pick her up and to say a massive thank you to Jo, her partner and daughter Dion. What truly wonderful, caring people. She also said we were very caring to both to get Sasha microchipped.

So the moral of the tail is: microchipping works – Sasha is living proof!

Tomorrow she will spend the day with our vet being given lots of TLC and having various tests – better to be safe than sorry!

I

Our Star Letter wins a fantastic Willow’s Hi Rise Sleeper Cat Bed made from natural banana leaf. It comes complete with cotton cushion and will give your cat a cocoon of cosiness in which to snooze the day away!

All other printed letters will win one of these Willow’s Bags of Fun sets of toys which should keep your moggy amused for hours. Our thanks to Pets at Home for kindly donating these prizes; visit www.petsathome.com to see their full range of products or telephone 08701 943 600 for more information.

Pets at Home is the UK’s leading pet care retailer, offering 1000s of dedicated pet products, as well as advice and support on all aspects of pet care from our highly trained store teams. From specialist pet food to toys and training aids, there is everything a pet owner could wish for and more.

There are over 250 Pets at Home stores across the UK. To find your nearest store and for further information log onto www.petsathome.com or call our customer services team on 0800 328 4204 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am-5pm).

Photo: www.hagen.com

12

Microchip success

The Cat Autumn 2010

29,000

Over Facebook users can’t be wrong!

Visit

www.cats.org.uk

now!

The official Cats Protection page on Facebook recently attracted its 29,000th fan. If you already use Facebook, why not join to help us spread news of the charity to an even wider audience?

Visit www.facebook.com/catsprotection and click on the ‘Become a Fan’ link.

Photo: istockphoto.com/Lars Christensen

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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.

iiIt’s a dog’s life From: Debbie Potts, via email I thought that you might be interested in the attached photo of my Cats Protection cat, Leo – rehomed from the Chelmsford Branch in 2004 – and his best friend, my dog Jakarr. Leo is the undisputed ‘top dog’ of the house and as you can see, gets on absolutely famously with Jakarr. They cuddle up all the time, but the dog is under no illusion about who rules the roost – if Leo wants to sit on J’s chair, then J just has to share it! I was a bit worried when we first brought the dog home that Leo would take fright and leave home, but he took it all in his stride and after agreeing a few ground rules, he and Jakarr have been thick as thieves ever since.

A perfect picture of harmony! I have been a keen supporter of Cats Protection ever since – keep up the good work!

ii  Two sweeties From: Lee Jeffrey, Selby, North Yorkshire Here are my cats Bonnie and Treacle. I haven’t told my wife that I’ve sent the pictures in as I want it to be a surprise when she reads the magazine!

Nine-year-old Bonnie, pictured above, is a very playful cat. We’ve had her since she was six weeks old and she has a very affectionate character. She loves to cuddle up on the sofa with us and enjoys nothing more than chasing a piece of string or a screwed up piece of paper around the house. She is smaller than most cats and when the sun catches her coat you can see her brown/black stripes. Here she is sunbathing on the garden table after a busy morning playing.

Treacle, right, joined our family in 2007 when her owner moved to Australia. It took a while for her to adjust to living in the countryside, but with a large garden surrounded by farmland she soon realised what fun could be had. She can spend all day chasing butterflies across the lawn. Treacle loves having a tickle at bedtime and sings when she purrs. Here she is sat for a photoshoot in our garden.

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readers’cats jjThe wonderful thing about Tiggers From: Lisa Page, Rotherfield, East Sussex Tigger came to us from the National Cat Centre; I think he chose us – we were walking up and down past the pens finding it very difficult to choose between all the cats and every time we got to his, he was climbing up the glass door and making a lot of noise. It was almost as if he was saying “Pick me! Pick me!”, so we did.

After a nervous start he settled in well. After two weeks he was itching to get outside! Three-year old Tigger is quite at home in our large garden and he is always ambushing me from the shrubs. He absolutely loves climbing trees – often up in the topmost, thinnest branches. In this picture, maybe he thinks the birds will be easier to see now the leaves have fallen!

iiMy everything From: Carol Roughton, Coventry, West Midlands Lucy Lou came to mend my broken heart when my beautiful British shorthair silver spotted tabby was run over. My friend gave me Lucy Lou to comfort me as I was devastated and really quite ill at my loss.

I have since got another silver tabby called Queenie; Lucy and she are the best of friends. They sleep together and Lucy washes Queenie all the time. I also have an elderly ginger Tom called Fergie; I got him from Cats Protection in 1997.

I am 80 years old at Christmas and my cats are my reason for getting up in the morning. They are my everything.

hh A fitting tribute From: Elaine Cave, Woodford Green, Essex Of all the cats I have had, Sybil is the only one who has not yet featured in print. It is now coming up to the first anniversary of when Sybil died and I feel it would be a fitting memorial to her.

Sybil was beautiful, very chatty, very clever and loved to sleep on the bed or under a radiator. If you left the duvet on the floor while changing the bed linen, you could be sure that she would tuck herself inside it.

During the summer of 2006, she was diagnosed as diabetic, but she took it all in her stride. Her daily injection in the morning was always accompanied by a slice of ham, beef, chicken or turkey and she loved it.

Shortly before she died she had a bad bout of cystitis and never really got over it. We made the sad decision that she had to be laid to rest. She lost so much weight and could not eat so it was obviously the kindest thing to do. We still miss her so much, as we do Poppy; they came to us together and were lovely girls. We have since had both their portraits painted by a local artist and they now hang on the wall in the dining room for us to see every day.

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 As Good As It Looks range*. Your furry friend will find it irresistible at every mealtime.

Felix As Good As It Looks is available in eight flavours, you will find them at your local supermarket or pet store. For more information log onto www.catslikefelix.co.uk *please note that pouches can only be delivered to a UK address. Winners’ details will be passed onto the external suppliers for products to be posted direct.

Sponsored by

The Cat Autumn 2010

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celebrityinterview

Sarah-Jane Honeywell Children’s TV presenter Sarah-Jane Honeywell tells Tom Briggs about the role cats have played in her life QUESTION Can you tell us a little about your cats?

ANSWER I’ve got Aslan, who’s a seal point Birman and he’s nine. He’s a really soft and lovely, fluffy cat and I like to think he’s got a personality like George from Rainbow ! Then I’ve got Zazel, she’s a Birman crossed with a silver tabby, she’s six and is bossy but adorable. I’ve also just got a Birman seal point kitten called Gandalf and he’s very naughty at the moment. Sadly I lost a cat to heart disease and he was my absolute world. He was called Mufasah.

QUESTION You’ve been in the cast of Cats twice; can you tell us a little more about that?

ANSWER The first time was in 1993 and I played Electra who was a silly kitten. I also went back for its last year in 2001-2002 and played a very naughty kitten and her name was Etcetera.

I’m only 4’11, so I was never going to get to play a big cat.

When Mufasah was ill – I hadn’t insured him, stupidly – I raised the money for a heart specialist by selling my cat costumes on eBay and managed to make £3,500. It paid for his treatment so the cat costumes paid for the cat! A lot of people said “Don’t sell them, you’ll regret it,” but I really don’t because it meant that I got another six months with my cat.

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

ANSWER One thing that was funny – but awful at the time – was one Halloween when I had thrown a glow stick in the bin; I turned round and Aslan had got it and bitten into it so all his face was aglow! We rushed him to the vets and the vet had never heard of a case like it so he phoned someone in America and we had to wait for a while. The vet came out and I asked if he was going to be alright and he said “Yes, but he might glow in the dark for a while!”

QUESTION When did you realise you wanted to be a children’s TV presenter?

ANSWER When I came out of Cats I thought about my strengths; children really like me, probably because I’m small and lively and my sister’s kids always think I’m funny, so I thought maybe I should try and get into children’s TV. From making that decision, it all sort of came about so I guess it was the right one. I was playing to my strengths; I’m great with kids and animals, so it’s the ideal job for me really – working with the two they say you shouldn’t work with!

QUESTION As well as TV and theatre credits, you are also in a punk band but what has been your proudest achievement and why?

ANSWER I’ve been really lucky and have had a lot of great moments so it’s got to be all of them! Sometimes I think maybe I haven’t had my proudest moment yet. I think when you’re in this business you’re never satisfied; I do one thing and then I’m

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looking for the next. I don’t know whether that’s a very good trait but it drives you on. You think “Wow, that was amazing, that’s my dream come true – what can be my dream now?”

QUESTION Can you tell us a little about your new show?

ANSWER It’s a sports show for children and it will be on CBeebies in the summer. I’m really excited about it because I’m really passionate about people getting the opportunity to try everything they can – especially kids. I basically wanted to do a sports show and I got someone to make one up for me – now I want to do an animal show!

QUESTION You have done a lot for Cats Protection in recent years, what makes CP a worthwhile charity to support?

ANSWER I’ve been to a lot of the centres; they are all immaculately and brilliantly run. I’m always shocked at the thought of a cat being abandoned and up for adoption – it must be quite traumatic – but it’s great to see that they’re so well cared for and very well settled while they’re waiting to be adopted and I just think “What a wonderful charity.”

QUESTION What do cats give us that other pets can’t?

ANSWER My cat taught me not to be such a people pleaser. When I first got Mufasah I always wanted to do the right thing by everyone all the time but that wasn’t necessarily making me happy. I was sat musing this and I looked at the cat and I suddenly thought “That’s it! The cats have it right.” When they want love they come and get it and you give it to them, you don’t question that and if they don’t want it they’ll swipe you and you leave them alone and you don’t question that either. So basically they taught me to be myself and not worry. It’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve learned and am still learning.

QUESTION If you were an animal what would you be and why?

ANSWER Well, I always like to think I’m a cat because I sleep a lot and I’m quite agile, but I actually think I might be a squirrel! I seem to have extra cheeks at the back like a squirrel has and I horde food – if I’m out filming I have to know I’ve got food – and I’m quite a fast mover and eat lots of nuts! I’ve always said to people that I’m a cat but this year I’ve gone “Wait a minute… I think I might be a squirrel!” A secret squirrel who’s a cat wannabe!

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*

15.9% 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.

Hailing the hero cats This year’s Rescue Cat Awards provided the usual dramatic and inspiring tales of courage, companionship and heroism as Tom Briggs reports…

Photos: Philippa Gedge Photography

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Lindsey and Huw Davies collect Marmite’s award from Cats Protection’s Chief Executive Peter Hepburn

Sponsored by

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The Cat Autumn 2010

ats Protection’s Rescue Cat Awards always prove popular with cat lovers from all over the UK and this year’s event was no exception.

The awards, sponsored by Purina PetCare, celebrate tales of courage, companionship, survival and heroism and we received the usual high standard of frankly remarkable stories of feline achievement from entrants across the UK. Dramatic events like these need a fitting venue and it was always going to be a challenge to find one that had both the pull and a feline theme that 2008’s event boasted – the Tutankhamun Exhibition at the O2 Arena – but we found another setting that captured the imagination of cat lovers. The New London Theatre, which was home to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats for a record-breaking 21 years from its opening night in 1981, played host to tales of feline bravery, courage and survival on 4 August.

With the stage set and the players cast, it was time for curtain up and the awards ceremony was underway. Following a selection of songs from Cats performed by Drop Dead Divas, celebrity MC Tim Vincent welcomed the assembled nominees’ owners and Cats Protection supporters. TV comedian and presenter Iain Lee, actress Lesley Joseph, children’s TV favourite Sarah-Jane Honeywell, TV vet Emma Milne and Purina PetCare’s Specialist Commercial Director Liz Wood announced the winners of the five categories. Cats Protection’s Chief Executive Peter Hepburn then announced that one-year-old black cat Marmite, from Fareham in Hampshire, won the title of Rescue Cat of the Year 2010. Marmite claimed the title after being a lifeline to his owner during a difficult pregnancy.

Turn to page 20 to read more about Marmite and the other feline stars who made this year’s event another triumph.

feature

Drop Dead Divas get the show underway with some numbers from Cats

TV vet Emma Milne with Purrdy’s owners Sarah and Mark Broad

Celebrity judge Sarah-Jane Honeywell

Iain Lee presents the Best Friends award to Patience Sibanda, Joyce Brennan and Shelley Robertson

Bobby’s owner Lyn Stewart with actress Lesley Joseph

Samantha Marshall collects the Lifetime Achievement Award for Tess from Mary Sharrock and Liz Wood of sponsors Purina PetCare

The Cat Autumn 2010

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Photos: Take One Productions

Sponsored by

Purrdy

Oscar

Purrdy survived a horrific start in life after being born on a kitten breeding farm run by an unscrupulous breeder. Failing to meet pedigree standards, she was thrown into a run-down caravan with 50 other “rejects” and left to live in appalling conditions. She was eventually discovered by animal welfare workers who said the living standards were among the worse they had ever seen. Despite her ordeal, Purrdy has gone from being fearful and cowering in her basket to being a loving family pet.

TV vet Emma Milne chose Purrdy and said: “This was an immensely difficult choice but my winner is Purrdy for surviving a harrowing experience. As well as being ill-treated and malnourished, Purrdy was trapped in a small space with a group of other cats, which must have caused her untold psychological stress. That she pulled through is testament to her fighting spirit.”

Oscar was selected as the Best Friends category winner after he made a massive difference to the lives of the elderly residents at the care home where he was adopted.

Initially a stray, he was taken in as part of a plan to improve the atmosphere for residents. Oscar settled in immediately, preferring to spend time indoors with the residents and has made a huge impact to their quality of life.

Oscar was chosen as category winner by comedian and TV presenter Iain Lee. Iain said: “While all of the cats in the Best Friends category have something to be proud of and have immeasurably enhanced the lives of those around them, I picked Oscar because he helps a group of people all at the same time. Care homes can be lonely places but Oscar clearly brings a lot of joy to the elderly residents who live there.”

Ultimate Survivor winner

20 The Cat Autumn 2010

Best Friends winner

feature Marmite

Most Incredible Story winner and Rescue Cat of the Year 2010 Marmite deservedly won both his category and the overall title of Rescue Cat of the Year 2010 after providing vital support to his owner Lindsey Davies during a difficult pregnancy last year. Lindsey was suffering from the serious conditions of pre-eclampsia and anaemia and subsequently spent much of the pregnancy at home with Marmite by her side. One day while she was alone in her home Lindsey suddenly went into labour. As the contractions became stronger, Marmite stayed next to Lindsey as her very supportive birthing partner until her partner arrived home two hours later.

Lindsey was then rushed to hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl, Ruby.

C Beebies presenter Sarah-Jane Honeywell chose Marmite as the winner of the Most Incredible Story category and had this to say about her choice: “Marmite is my winner because of the amazing way he supported his owner when she was pregnant, staying by her side for two hours and doing what he could to make her feel better.

His act of friendship did not end there, as he acts as sentry guard to baby Ruby and summons Lindsey whenever she starts crying. He’s a truly incredible cat.”

Bobby

Tess

There is no doubt that Bobby is a hero cat to owner Lyn Stewart. His amazing ability to look after Lyn after she suffered a broken neck and spine in a serious car accident is certainly impressive. When Lyn loses consciousness, Bobby appears close to her face and pats her mouth, which brings her out of her paralysis. Her condition is made worse if she lies on her back so Bobby cleverly places himself against her spine to stop her rolling over and even swaps sides when she changes position!

The winner of this category was chosen by actress Lesley Joseph who said: “Bobby is my winner because of a very special and ongoing act of heroism. He clearly senses that his owner is having difficulties and bravely stays by her side at all times to help her. I found it a very touching story which illustrates perfectly the strong bond between a rescue cat and his owner.”

Rescue cat Tess has proved to be a real lifeline to her owner Samantha Marshall since adopting her 10 years ago.

Samantha suffers from a personality disorder which makes it difficult for her to form relationships and communicate with other people. But despite some of the bleakest moments in her life, she has found the strength to carry on through.

Liz Wood from Purina said: “The Purina award is given to an older cat, chosen from all the entries, who best shows the lifetime of love, companionship and support cats give to their owners. The bond between Tess and Samantha is clearly special and has made a real difference to Samantha’s life, making her a worthy winner of this award."

Hero Cat winner

Purina Lifetime Achievement Award

The Cat Autumn 2010

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Watching the detectives

Photos: Jay Price

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The Cat  Autumn 2010

feature Animal Search UK founder Tom Watkins tells Tom Briggs what it is to be a real-life pet detective

W

ith cats being adventurous and seemingly quite inquisitive souls, it is perhaps inevitable that some go missing now and then and, short of asking neighbours and putting up posters or getting in touch with your local CP branch or centre, it may appear to some that there’s not a lot else that can be done other than face a nail-biting wait. The 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective – in which a larger-than-life Jim Carrey plays a private detective trying to track down a stolen dolphin – suggested another option for concerned owners; calling in a professional.

Tom Watkins, Founder and Principle Search Co-ordinator of Animal Search UK, is living proof that this admirable career choice is not limited to the silver screen and has helped to create numerous happy reunions between people and their pets.

“After leaving the police in 1996, I decided that I wanted a career that involved helping people and combined my love of pets really,” he explains. “After three years of wondering what to do with that combination I heard an appeal on the radio for help finding a missing dog; I decided to volunteer my services and luckily, with a bit of skilled judgement and good fortune, we found the dog. Then I realised that there was a gap in the market for something at a professional level. I came up with the name Animal Search UK there and then and said to the radio station that if anyone else needs help finding a pet I’d help them co-ordinate a search and it went from there really.”

Fast forward 11 years and Animal Search UK is now the leading service in its field and offers a number of ways of helping people; the website allows owners to post up to four pictures of their pets and communicate with others for free, a 9am-9pm phone line is available for help and advice, while posters and leaflets can be ordered – which are only charged at a rate to cover the associated costs – and there is also a search team.

Additionally, there is a 24-hour free phone number with people as opposed to an answering machine.

Dictaphones have also proved invaluable; “If the owner can’t search with us, we know that cats which are trapped somewhere will respond to their owner’s voice,” Tom says. Plans are also afoot to purchase and use thermal imaging cameras to boost the chances of finding lost pets in dark or cluttered places. On the whole though, it’s the simple things that seem to get the results: “It’s about being nosey and persistent but polite at the same time and the response we get from people on their doorsteps is really quite refreshing, people are often very willing to help – even if it’s a request to look in their garden and sheds during a Sunday afternoon barbeque. You’d think you’d get doors slammed in your face but it’s amazing how often we don’t get that.”

It also pays to think outside the proverbial box when looking for lost cats. “We do try to come up with quirky ways and ideas and think of things that other people haven’t thought of in an attempt to get pets back to their owners, like doing things as simple as going to a petrol station with a poster.

“People say ‘Well, my cat’s never been near a petrol station in his life,’ and we’re not suggesting they have, but everyone with a car will go there so if you can go to places where people go, they will go back to their neighbourhoods and that’s when they might see your pet.”

The measures Tom and his team take to find lost pets certainly capture the imagination, but how successful are they? “It does work and sometimes it is a waiting game but on the whole we get a lot of cats back. There’s no magic answer to any of this; it’s all common sense and hard work.” Maybe these successes are due in part to the fact that Tom actually used to volunteer at Cats Protection’s Hereford Adoption Centre. “I had some time on my hands and wanted to put a bit back, really,” he explains. “I learned a fair bit about cats at the time and we’re very pro Cats Protection and on good terms with the Hereford Adoption Centre which is nice to be able to say.”

Tricks of the trade As well as these services, Tom and his staff have a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to the fieldwork side of things. For example, as cats have a superior sense of smell to us, scent can play a part.

“Put something outside the house with a scent on; not just the scent of the cat or an unwashed jumper – spray some perfume or aftershave onto it; it will smell a lot more than your body odour will and your cat should be familiar with the fragrance you use and it could help them find their way home.”

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Tom and his team – on a mission

While every instance of a pet reunited with their owner is a memorable one, a few stand out for various reasons. One of these involved a Surrey cat called Casper who had been missing for 12 days: “In May 2009 I recruited a new search team member called Jaimes and, as we drove down, I was giving him advice. When we got there, Jaimes went round and put up some posters and then said to me that he was going to knock on the first door in the road Casper was missing from. He was about to knock when this lady came out on her way to the Post Office and he introduced himself – and this was the first person he’d ever spoken to as a member of the team – and explained what he was looking for. She said: ‘A missing cat? There’s one on the roof over there!’ He called me on the radio and said: ‘Tom, it’s Jaimes; I’ve got the cat, mate.’ What a start to his search career!”

Advice In terms of guidance for those whose pets have gone missing, Tom has the following advice: “First of all, publicise as widely as possible, speak to people you meet in the street – the postman’s a good person to ask as he goes to every house in the neighbourhood. Even better, go to your local sorting office and ask; between them, the postal staff cover every street in your district.

“Generally, cats are close to home and there are a few main things that happen to them; they get locked in sheds or outbuildings, they get taken in by people who take

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The Cat Autumn 2010

a shine to them and sometimes, unfortunately, they get knocked over.” While not every story has a happy ending, Tom clearly loves what he does and seems determined to play his part in creating a happy ending every time. So what of the Ace Ventura comparisons? “Most journalists ask me that question!” he laughs. “A few mates call me Ace as opposed to Tom, but I don’t mind the joke at all because although it’s something people make light of, they realise there’s a really serious side when we explain how it all works; a missing pet is a member of the family after all. We work really hard to keep it professional and be very serious about what we do, but we’ll have a joke any day of the week. Believe it or not, though, I’ve never seen the full film!”

As a result of the diverse nature of his job, there is no such thing as a typical day for Tom. “Every day is different which is nice as variety is the spice of life; you can spend one day designing posters and leaflets on the computer in the office and the next you could be climbing up a tree rescuing a cat in the middle of London. I’m really fortunate that I’m in a career that I enjoy so much and I never want to stop it.”

If your cat goes missing, all is certainly not lost.

Visit www.animalsearchuk.co.uk to find out more about Animal Search UK and for help in finding your missing moggy.

Many children regard their cat as their best friend and it is through this friendship that important lessons are learned; trust, empathy, care and love.

Recent studies have shown that owning a cat can do wonders for a child’s self esteem, social skills and sense of responsibility to others. Cats are great for playing and cuddles too!

For details of cats in your area needing loving homes, please phone 03000 12 12 12 (Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm) or visit www.cats.org.uk Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

At any one time, we have 7,000 cats and kittens in our care. Sadly, for every cat we help there are many more that we cannot. Please help us create another happy ending by giving a good home to one of our cats.

feature

Our friends Rosanna Mackney of Electronic Pet Shop discusses the benefits of owning electronic animals for those who, for various reasons, may not be able to adopt a cat

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he contented feline stretches out across the garden chair. He lets out a purr as he casually turns his head to lick his paw in the warm sunlight. “Hungry are we?”, asks the cat’s caring owner from across the patio, before wandering indoors and opening the kitchen drawer to pull out… a packet of batteries?!

Electronic pets first gained popularity in the late 90s with Furby , a hugely successful toy that was modelled on a fictional creature. However, it is lesser known that since then, many fantastically lifelike electronic animals have been developed with potential uses far beyond being just toys.

Electronic pets are interactive, robotic creatures that generally have built-in touch sensors so they can ‘feel’ when they are petted and respond by making noises and movements.

Some even react to sound and light within their surroundings.

Despite their high-tech nature, electronic pets are reasonably priced with many different types to suit all budgets.

While electronic pets are not replacements for live animals, they do offer an alternative to people for whom keeping a real pet isn’t practical. Many animal lovers find that they have a need for furry friends, but due to factors such as inappropriate domestic set-ups, allergies or lack of space, time and funds, it would not be right for them to make the serious commitment of keeping a real animal.

Electronic pets can also be a temporary solution for easing the difficult gap between losing an animal and taking another one on. Certain pets, such as Gupi the interactive Guinea Pig can even be used as a test of whether a child is ready for the responsibility of looking after their first real pet – if the child dotes on the electronic version for a month, the parents will know there is a fair chance they won’t be

26 The Cat Autumn 2010

lumbered with the cleaning and feeding once the live version is taken on! In addition to this, electronic pets have shown to be beneficial to children suffering from autism and other learning and communication difficulties and can also be therapeutic to adults suffering from dementia.

As the UK’s electronic pet specialists, we often hear anecdotes from all sorts of people who are looking to purchase an electronic pet for special reasons. For example, a customer contacted us recently looking to help her elderly mother who suffers from dementia and had been heard calling to her cat who had passed away some time ago.

We recommended the Lulu Cuddlin’ Kitty , a highly realistic Turkish Van electronic cat who purrs and gently moves when she is stroked. The customer reported that her mother now seems more soothed and relaxed with her Lulu cat lying comfortingly on her lap. A more unusual story that springs to mind is the gentleman who was after an interactive bird to sit in his parrots’ cage to keep them company while he was out!

New ranges of electronic pets are available to buy at least twice a year. This summer the popular Lulu cat had kittens!

Lulu’s Walking Kitties are smaller standing-up versions of the full-sized cat, which knead their paws and walk along when they’re petted. Popular with the young ones is Smudge my Cute Kitten , a black-and-white moggy with moving head and paws, who enthusiastically ‘slurps up’ milk from his drinking bottle.

For more information and to purchase a low-maintenance electronic pet of your own with free UK delivery on orders over £25, please visit www.electronicpetshop.com Electronic Pets Ltd can be contacted on 0845 4636 738, or email contact@electronicpetshop.com

startingfromscratch

The milkman cometh Anthony McGowan agonises over whether to adopt a new cat “Maybe.”

That was the fatal word. My children, Gabriel, 10 and Rosie, seven, wheeled away, ecstatically.

“Mum!” they yelled. “Dad said yes! Dad said we can get a kitten!”

“No, wait, what I actually said was…”

An iron-willed, Stalinist “nyet” would have been the sensible answer. After all, we live in a flat in London without immediate access to a garden. There were other issues. Vet’s bills, allergies, the cat litter in the hall…

But it was too late. The damage was done. I’d said “maybe” and now there was no going back. What had made me weaken?

When I was growing up our family never had much luck with animals. There were five of us children and as far as the pet world was concerned we had – admittedly on a slightly more modest scale – a similar effect to the notorious meteorite that wiped out the dinosaurs.

My older sister, Catriona, was known affectionately in the family as ‘the hamster strangler’ for good reason, even if it was, probably, an accident and she was only three when the incident occurred. Then there was the time we looked after the school stick insects over the summer holidays and reduced a once thriving colony down to one desperate, palsied specimen, with the emaciated frame and thousand-yard stare of a Japanese prisoner of war camp survivor. Goldfish were flushed down the loo with a depressing regularity and I don’t even want to think about the grisly fate of the rabbit….

There was one cat, a frail black stray that we adopted – somewhat in the way that Fagin adopted Oliver. It didn’t last long enough to warrant an actual name, so it was known merely as ‘Cat’ for the duration of its brief stay with us. The poor creature was relentlessly harried by the five McGowan kids. It had fleas, worms and some sort of psychiatric disorder

the main symptom of which was an obsessive interest in my father’s hooked and yellowed toenails.

Then we came home from school one day to be told by my mother that Cat had “followed the milkman”. It never returned. In our family this phrase became a sort of code for any mysterious death or disappearance. Great aunts, packets of rich tea biscuits, balaclavas, all would be said to have “followed the milkman”. I’m still pretty sure that when my time comes I’ll see not a hooded figure with a scythe, but a cheery chap with a chinking milk crate, trying to persuade me to take an extra bottle of gold top.

Which is all to explain my longstanding reluctance to perpetuate the family curse. I just didn’t want another victim on my conscience. And yet, I hadn’t given the children that simple, firm and commanding ‘no’ that would have ended the issue. Deep down, something in me must have yearned for a furry, purring companion. And don’t cats and writers go well together? There’s Dr Johnson and his faithful Hodge.

There’s… well, I’m sure there must be some others. And Ernest Hemmingway, I expect. JK Rowling probably has herds of them swarming all over her mansion. And then there are all those practical benefits to counterbalance the vet’s bills and the worry about holiday accommodation. I’m too young to be a slipper owner, so surely the cat could be trained to curl around my feet in cold weather? They deter burglars, don’t they?

But more, even, than the cat-foot-cosy concept and home security aspect, it was the knowledge that having to look after a living creature is a wonderful experience for a child.

Scratch that – it’s a wonderful thing for any person. It’s one of those things that lifts us out of that mean little circle of our own ego, transforming us into something better, kinder, more generous, more human.

So, in the end, the maybe became a yes. The McGowan curse had to be defeated. Just one issue remained. How on earth do you go about getting your hands on an actual cat?

Amazon? eBay? I put out the word on Twitter. The reply was swift: get down to your local Cats Protection. That’s what I did. I write this awaiting our visit from the cat social worker who will assess our suitability. I’m as nervous as a kitten.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Anthony McGowan is an award winning author of novels and children’s stories. www.anthonymcgowan.com

A day in the life of a cat behaviour counsellor

Was Sinbad so bad after all? Vicky Halls investigates instances in which behaviour problems are not quite what they seem

I

am often asked why a veterinary referral is required before consulting a cat behaviour counsellor. After all, the animal isn’t ill but ‘behaving badly’ so why involve the vet? The reality, however, is rather more complicated. It is impossible – and also misleading – to separate an animal’s emotional state from its physical. We all know that our own emotions can affect our physical wellbeing when we succumb to coughs and colds or nagging headaches at times of stress. If we are worried or depressed, it shows in our behaviour; how we move and how we respond to the world. The motivation for any behaviour can only be established by adopting a holistic approach and looking at the whole cat – lifestyle, diet, character, health – rather than an isolated part.

A ‘cantankerous old soul’ This was beautifully illustrated when I visited Jane recently and met Sinbad, a ‘cantankerous old soul’ – his owner’s description – who had taken to biting and hissing and generally being grumpy. He was not a regular visitor to his vet so when I suggested that an appointment was in order to have a thorough physical examination prior to any referral, Jane queried the point. Her comment was “He’s been like this for years and he isn’t ill. He’s eating, drinking and he looks fine. He’s just become aggressive in his old age and I want him to stop.” She had a theory that a neighbour’s cat posed a serious threat to him and that Sinbad felt forced to spend prolonged periods indoors, causing his apparent short temper due to boredom and frustration.

It’s always useful to explore owners’ theories about their cat’s behaviour but, as a pet behaviour counsellor, I have to keep an open mind. Like all

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

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good detective work there are many avenues to explore and a thorough behavioural consultation in the home takes anything up to three hours. I was not convinced that all Sinbad’s troubles came from a single cause, even if the neighbourhood bully was somehow involved.

A full check-up Jane subsequently agreed to take Sinbad to see the vet, the first health check that he had received in many years, where a comprehensive consultation appropriate for a cat of his advancing years took place. The vet also asked Jane about Sinbad’s level of activity and how he filled his day, keen to get some background information about the behaviour that was so worrying. He watched Sinbad move around the consultation floor and took samples of blood and urine for further analysis. A physical examination was carried out involving palpation and manipulation of every part of Sinbad’s body, at which point he showed his feisty side by hissing and lunging with snapping teeth. The vet was probably lucky to escape unharmed.

After careful consideration, the vet confirmed my suspicion that there was indeed a physical reason why Sinbad was behaving aggressively. He diagnosed degenerative joint disease and explained that Sinbad was probably in some degree of pain most of the time*. Cats in pain can show aggression to stop anyone or anything touching the affected area. They soon develop negative associations with handling in general and hiss defensively in response to any approach.

The blood and urine tests showed nothing significant and the vet prescribed an antiinflammatory medication to relieve the discomfort.

Jane reported to me the results of her visit and I asked for a follow-up call a few weeks later just to see how he was going. A fortnight later Jane was delighted to inform me that Sinbad had returned to the pussycat of days gone by; loving and purring without a cross word. He was more active and generally had an air of peace and serenity. Jane was very grateful to the vet for his knowledge and understanding and admitted that she felt somewhat guilty that the idea of pain as a motivator for the aggression had never crossed her mind.

healthcheck Underlying physical causes Jane is not alone in her thinking as there is a tendency to presume that behaviour problems have a purely psychological origin without considering the possibility that it can be influenced by the presence of pain or disease. There are numerous diseases and conditions that can manifest themselves in aggressive behaviour including Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD), hyperthyroidism, seizures, Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), cognitive dysfunction and brain tumours to name but a few.

It’s not just aggression that can signal illness. Inappropriate urination for example is one of the most common problems referred to pet behaviour counsellors but the primary cause may be medical, including:

• • • • • • •

Cystitis, FLUTD Renal failure/disease – causing increased urination Diabetes – causing increased urination Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) Any disease causing urinary incontinence Osteoarthritis – causing pain or mobility problems It could be argued that grooming excessively can be a form of self-appeasement or displacement activity in response to something stressful and therefore a ‘normal’ strategy under those circumstances. However, over-grooming with a purely psychological origin is comparatively rare, despite these cases frequently being brought to the attention of behaviourists first. Diseases associated with over-grooming and, more alarmingly, self-mutilation include: • Flea allergic dermatitis • Dietary hypersensitivities • Feline Idiopathic Cystitis – over-grooming localised to the lower abdomen and thighs • Feline Oral Pain Syndrome – a condition normally associated with pedigree Burmese and derivative breeds that results in frantic pawing at the mouth and acute pain • Any trauma or unspecified pain/neuralgia

Photo: CP Library

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the potential behavioural indicators for disease. Some medical conditions can cause unusual and sometimes bizarre behaviour such as some forms of seizure. Depression, pacing and character changes can indicate forebrain disease yet many owners automatically presume the cause to be a new cat outside, for example, or some other emotional disturbance. General behavioural changes such as hiding or sudden-onset anxiety could be signs of illness or pain.

Problem behaviour that has a physical cause, as in Sinbad’s case, will resolve when the condition or disease is treated successfully. If it relates to a normal behaviour or has occurred as a result of an emotional or psychological issue then assessment and treatment by a pet behaviour counsellor is required. Some conditions, such as cases of stress-related cystitis or over-grooming, require both medical and behavioural intervention but whatever the problem, the veterinary surgeon should always be the first point of contact. The challenge for modern veterinary practice, both medical and behavioural, is to establish all the possible causes for problem behaviour in order to perform the appropriate diagnostic tests and offer the best possible approach to treatment.

If anyone is wondering whether Sinbad’s neighbourhood bully was also in some way responsible for his mood I can report further. Jane called to tell me that Sinbad had started to go outdoors again and that she had the previous week witnessed a tabby cat fleeing from her garden with a large elderly black cat in hot pursuit. The neighbourhood bully hasn’t been seen since and Sinbad is once again lord of all he surveys.

*During a recent conference discussing the prevalence and diagnosis of degenerative joint disease in cats, the speaker, a world renowned expert on pain, reported that the cats with the worst signs of Degenerative Joint Disease were also those most likely to be aggressive when handled.

The Cat Autumn 2010 29

Ask the vets…

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

We moved flats five months ago and our cat, Cookie, had a little trouble adjusting but after a month or so seemed to settle in nicely. Our old flat was larger with a garden and was next to a relatively quiet road. She loved to go outside and was really difficult to get back inside, all round she was a very confident cat. Since we have moved, however, she has become scared of everything: people, other cats, everything!

The new flat is very different outside, we are quite close to a busier road and have no private space for her, but we are in a very green area so it is garden-like. She is now getting very excitable in the house, especially in the early morning, running lengths of the flat, knocking things over and clawing at the carpet constantly. I have tried taking her outside so she can see there is nothing to be scared of, but as soon as she sees another person, a car or anything she becomes so scared her ears shake and I have to take her back inside.

It is starting to affect us as she will invariably wake us up from about 3am onwards destroying the flat. I have been told it may be another cat in the area which may be upsetting her, but as she has not been out in the first place she has only met the cat next door – a boy who admittedly is very close and has lived there for some time – and he is as scared of her as she is of him. She used to be such a confident kitty but now she is completely different and obviously not happy. Please help!

Holly Foster, Twickenham, Middlesex Moving house can be a very stressful experience for any cat. Everything that the cat previously found familiar, for example furniture and room layouts, scents and noises are suddenly changed and there is the introduction of new stimuli including unfamiliar smells, sounds and other people and animals. Cats rely heavily on familiarity and routine in their environment to feel secure and when an environment is altered it can take a while for a cat to become comfortable with his surroundings again.

A secure core territory is important for every cat. This is the area where a cat should be able to sleep, eat, drink and play without threat and is usually located inside the owner’s home. As long as a cat is provided with a secure core territory, he can usually cope well with outdoor threats, as he can return to safety if necessary. The first step is therefore to ensure that your cat has a secure core area i.e. feels comfortable and safe in your flat. This can be achieved firstly by providing multiple resting and hiding places in different areas. High resting places or perches are good as cats tend to feel safer when looking down and hiding places can include

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boxes or simply access to underneath a bed. Food and water should be provided in separate quiet places and a latrine or two also located in areas away from feeding and drinking stations and noise. These resources should also be out of the sight of neighbourhood cats. A Feliway diffuser can be used to increase the sense of familiarity in a new household.

Feliway mimics the natural facial pheromone a cat deposits in the environment when he feels safe and secure and is very useful when moving house because it replaces scent marks which may have been lost or left behind.

If your cat was previously an outdoor lover but is now spending more time indoors, she will undoubtedly have a lot of pent up energy. This is why she is making mad runs early in the morning or late in the evening and why she is waking you up so early. She has to express this excess energy in some way. You can certainly help her expend some of this energy by enriching her indoor environment and providing toys and activity stations. Feather toys and objects on a string are very satisfying to chase and an activity station which provides climbing opportunities can keep a cat well occupied. Try to spend at least 10 minutes a day playing with her. Feeding times can also be made more fun by encouraging her to forage for her food using a feeding ball, hiding food in balls of paper or by scattering food around the flat for her to find.

To encourage her to go outside, you may need to accompany her on short outings. Start these when there is little traffic and it is quiet outside. Begin by simply opening and sitting near the open door while reading or eating a snack on the doorstep. She will likely come and investigate.

Remember, she needs to be able to investigate the outside in her own time. If she is forced to go outside at any point she will feel very anxious and any specific fears may be reinforced.

Try not to touch or reassure her if she appears anxious or scared, as this will serve to reinforce this behaviour. However, if she displays confident behaviour feel free to reward her with a treat or a stroke, as she is doing well. Once she has begun to step outside, you can begin to take your outings a little further with each improvement and perhaps even bring a toy to play with her. Remember to reward any confident behaviour. It is imperative to make sure that a door is always open so that she can escape back into the house should she become scared at any point. Once she starts to go outside it may be worth restricting this access to times of lower traffic density due to the busy road and keeping her inside at night. Finally, it is important to remember that these things can take time and with a little patience and environmental modification you will be rewarded with a contented cat. LM

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

I have recently adopted two cats, one of which, Felix, constantly paddles and tries to scoop his drinking water out of his bowl. I have bought various bowls without success, any advice would be much appreciated.

Mrs S Bell, Nottingham There may be a couple of reasons behind this digging behaviour. In the wild, cats prefer to drink from running water as it is less likely to contain toxins compared to stagnant still water. Your cat may therefore be simulating moving water when he paws at it as his natural instinct is to drink from moving water. A solution to this would be to purchase a cat water fountain. Another reason may be that some cats find it hard to drink from narrow bowls as the edges touches their whiskers which they find uncomfortable; therefore they splash the water around to make it easily accessible. The solution in this case is to get a wider bowl.

Lastly, it may just be play behaviour. Some cats find the reflections off water fascinating and can’t resist the temptation of putting their paw in! If your cat is a play splasher then a big, heavy, sturdy bowl is the answer so he cannot upturn the water. BS I have a 15-year-old cat who only has three legs – and has done since kittenhood – as he advances in years he is finding it more difficult to groom himself. How often should I be bathing him?

Arthur really doesn’t like bathtime!

Sulyn Waddon, via Facebook With regards to your question concerning how often you should bath your cat – probably never! Unless the cat is soiling himself around his bottom area from faeces or urine, then he will need to be bathed, dried, combed through and possibly trimmed in these areas only. You will need to use a product from your vet or a shampoo suitable for cats – again ask your vet for one or go to a good pet shop. It is best to stay away from any that are strong smelling and you should not use any deodorising product on the cat’s coat. Do not trim your own cat – you should ask your vet about this if necessary. You will need to make sure that the coat is dried well after bathing and combed properly to prevent it matting. Any sore areas of skin should be seen by a vet.

In terms of grooming, all cats need some form of this, with domestic long haired cats needing even more. If there are any matts in the coat, getting these wet will cause them to tighten up and pull on the skin underneath, thereby making the cat sore. So we would advise you to either groom Arthur yourself with a suitable cat comb and brush, on a daily basis, or if severely matted or uncooperative, then to speak to your vet about booking the cat in for a dematt procedure. KH

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 Autumn 2010

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triedandtested

Tried

& tested…

Cat-themed ales

Robinsons Old Tom strong ale (8.5%) One of the most famous strong ales brewed in England – and the recipient of the World’s Best Ale category at last year’s World Beer Awards – Old Tom dates back to 1899 where it was entered into the head brewer’s notebook illustrated with a hand drawing of a cat’s face.

Lee’s verdict: A wonderfully heady and dark ale, it exhibits a solid but smooth and warming taste that would sit perfectly with a cosy winter night in front of the fire.

Whittingtons Brewery ‘Nine Lives’ Gloucestershire Ale (4%) This bottle-conditioned ale is brewed in Gloucestershire by the small Whittingtons Brewery, which is an adjunct to the Three Choirs Vineyard. Nine Lives received a bronze medal in the 2009 International Beer Challenge.

Simon’s verdict: The beer has a good mix of hoppiness and malty flavours and an attractive russet colour in the glass. For a bottle-conditioned ale, Nine Lives had none of the astringency sometimes found in such products, and it had almost no sediment, meaning that more of the beer could be enjoyed. It is only available in bottled form but I hope it will become a draught product in due course, as it would surely prove very popular at beer festivals and as a guest ale in pubs. It goes down very smoothly with a lightness that belies its strength. It is a very drinkable bitter which left me wanting another!

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Have you ever wanted to treat yourself to a feline-themed pint? Of course you have! We gathered together four reluctant volunteers to put cat-themed beers to the test…

Wildcat Ale (5.1%) The Cairngorm Brewery Company is situated in the village of Aviemore within the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland.

This Wildcat brew is a smooth, deep amber coloured ale with a complex malt, fruit and hop flavour. The company also supports the Highland Tiger Project which is determined to safeguard this amazing cat’s future.

Gerry’s verdict: Wow! What a wonderfully refreshing ale: plenty of body and a bit of a kick; beautiful amber colour, and settles well with not too much froth. A feisty kitten of a beer.

Alley Cat Ale (3.8%) This award-winning draught beer from Ascot Ales based in Camberley, Surrey is a highly drinkable, coppercoloured brew that should tantalise the tastebuds of cat-loving ale drinkers. The cat on the beer’s logo is actually inspired by the brewery’s owners’ two adopted moggies, Bert and Ernie, so as well as being an enjoyable pint, it’s quite clearly also a labour of love! Available within a 30 mile radius of the brewery, this is a pint that’s well worth seeking out if you’re in the area.

Tom’s verdict: Hoppy with a subtle hint of citrus fruits, this quaffable offering would definitely see me back at the bar for a second pint. And a third...

If you would like to advertise in The Cat please contact: Terry Lock Media Sales Ltd T 01372 276 233 F 08707 051 901 E tslock@terrylockmediasales.co.uk W www.terrylockmediasales.co.uk Terry Lock Media Sales Ltd 3 Forest Way, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 1JN

Autumn sudoku answers

Coping with the loss of a pet?

Pet Bereavement Support Service 0800 096 6606 pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk www.bluecross.org.uk Registered charity no: 224392 (England and Wales), SC040154 (Scotland). SCAS registered charity no: 1070938.

Summer 2010 Crossword answers Across: 1 Lawful, 4 Rabbit, 8 Tried, 9 Macabre, 10 Apparel, 11 Eject, 12 Dedicated, 17 Sahib, 19 Liberal, 21 Obvious, 22 Raise, 23 Excess, 24 Taught.

Down: 1 Lethal, 2 Whipped, 3 Under, 5 Ancient, 6 Bible, 7 Treaty, 9 Molecules, 13 Dubious, 14 Darling, 15 Ashore, 16 Client, 18 Havoc, 20 Burma.

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Cats in poetry

Published poet Kieron Winn delves into poetry that has been inspired by cats through the years

F

or centuries, cats have been an enduring subject of fascination for English poets. One of the earliest appears in The Manciple’s Tale, from Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer displays a typical canniness, with relation to both cats and humans. His 14th-century English is not that different to ours: Lat take [Let us take] a cat, and fostre hym wel with milk And tendre flessh [meat], and make his couche of silk, And lat hym seen a mous go by the wal, Anon he weyveth [waives] milk and flessh and al, And every deyntee [dainty treat] that is in that hous, Swich [Such] appetit hath he to ete a mous.

A similar easily distracted appetite lies behind one of the wittiest poems of the 18th century, Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes, by Thomas Gray, best known for his Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard. The poem is written in a mock heroic style: in other words, it uses the grand language of epic poetry to describe, and mock or tease, something daily or humble. However, the mock heroic style also tends to make the subject heroic; our desires and ambitions, whether we are feline or human, are often epically important to ourselves.

Selima, ‘Demurest of the tabby kind’ is fatally distracted by some goldfish, who are described in heroic terms of classical poetry as: The Genii of the stream: Their scaly armour’s Tyrian hue Thro’ richest purple to the view Betray’d a golden gleam.

Poor Selima falls in and, despite her valiant efforts, sadly drowns:

Gray draws a moral for human females from the cat’s demise: Not all that tempts your wand’ring eyes And heedless hearts, is lawful prize; Nor all, that glisters, gold.

From the same period of English literature comes what is probably the greatest cat poem in the language, Christopher Smart’s description of his cat Jeoffry from his poem Jubilate Agno (Rejoice in the Lamb). Smart’s love is shown in the intricately observed, perfectly unhurried detail, often in unusually long lines with biblical echoes: For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.

For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.

For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way.

For is this done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.

For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.

For he rolls upon prank to work it in.

Jeoffry has his morning rituals of ablutions and stretching, all numbered; then he goes in quest of breakfast. Jeoffry can do no wrong in the eyes of either his master or his maker, who indulge him endlessly: For having consider’d God and himself he will consider his neighbour.

For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.

For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it chance.

For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.

At night Jeoffry is hard at work:

She mew’d to ev’ry watry God, Some speedy aid to send.

No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr’d.

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For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.

feature For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.

All of life appears to resolve around the cat: For every house is incompleat without him and a blessing is lacking in the spirit.

For the Lord commanded Moses concerning the cats at the departure of the Children of Israel from Egypt.

For every family had one cat at least in the bag.

For the English Cats are the best in Europe.

For he is the cleanest in the use of his fore-paws of any quadrupede.

Smart might have agreed with William Blake that ‘every thing that lives is Holy’. Jeoffry is made of the same stuff as us: For by stroaking of him I have found out electricity.

For I perceived God’s light about him both wax and fire.

For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast.

Christopher Smart wrote the poem while confined for insanity in a hospital in London, where his only companion was Jeoffry. Dr Johnson said of Smart: ‘I did not think he ought to be shut up. His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him; and I’d as lief [willingly] pray with Kit Smart as any one else.’ The poem remained in manuscript until it was discovered in a private library; it was first published in 1939, over a century and half after the author’s death.

Such a discovery has something of the air of a detective story; we can imagine the involvement of probably the most famous 20th-century literary cat, TS Eliot’s Macavity: the Mystery Cat:

Eliot was nicknamed ‘Old Possum’ – ‘possum’ is Latin for ‘I can’ – by his fellow poet Ezra Pound, and his cat poems were published under the title Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats in 1939. It is well known that after Eliot’s death the poems became the basis for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats; less well known is that, according to Eliot’s widow Valerie, when he was feeling ill he would recite the cat poems under his breath to help himself drop off.

There are many excellent more recent poems about cats, such as Hal Summers’ My Old Cat, and Roger McGough’s My Cat and I. However, I hope I’ll be forgiven for including this previously unpublished poem of my own, about my cat Rosalind: To the Cat You know when to vanish, when to come hastening.

The mild green marble halls within your eyes Are not so bland. We have our shorthands, cat: Instant mammalian texts fly to and fro.

I stroke your fur, lavender-puffed from the bush, Feel lips on my palm, far smaller and lighter than mine, And love your delicate, surefooted, fortunate strut.

Dr Kieron Winn lives and teaches in Oxford. Ten of his poems appear in Joining Music with Reason, a major new anthology of British and American poets edited by Christopher Ricks, available now from Waywiser Press. http://waywiser-press.com/waywiser.html Tel: 01608 644 755

And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty’s gone astray, Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way, There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair – But it’s useless to investigate – Macavity’s not there!

And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say: ‘It must have been Macavity!’ – but he’s a mile away.

You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs, Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Eliot’s poetry has a reputation for unapproachability which is only partly deserved. He loved the music halls, and the rhythms of Macavity derive from there. The same sort of rhythms can be found in his less feline poetry, as for example here in The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock: Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?

I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.

The Cat Autumn 2010

35

All photos: Clare Halden

W

here do I start? When I contacted Marwell Wildlife with the hope of becoming a zookeeper for the day for a feature for The Cat , I don’t think I quite realised the extent of which I would enjoy and want to savour the experience that was to come. I asked to spend a day with just the big cats but instead was offered the chance to spend the day with a whole variety of animals.

Marwell Wildlife is a charity dedicated to the conservation of all living organisms, biological communities and ecosystems. It has set up many worldwide projects to maintain existing animal habitats as well as restoring and managing endangered sites.

So I was really thrilled to be given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, working with a fellow charity striving to achieve for such an important cause.

We started off with south section keeper, Anna, and were introduced to the Humboldt penguins. We had to stuff three tablets – one vitamin supplement, one for salt levels and

36 The Cat Autumn 2010

one to prevent malaria – in through the gills of bream fish.

Talk about getting mucky straight away! We fed these plus ordinary bream to each of the penguins – this was so exciting as penguins are among my favourite animals! I sat on the edge of the rock pool while some of them gathered around my feet, patiently waiting for their breakfast. Other penguins coupled up in tunnels or stayed with their young in sheltered boxes.

Poor little Ralph stood out in particular, as he had moulted all in one go rather than gradually in accordance with the seasons so was wearing his own tailor-made wetsuit with his name printed on it!

The Brazilian tapirs were next; a mother, father and daughter. We cautiously walked into their enclosure, not really knowing what to expect, but soon discovered what softies they are: they love to have their bellies stroked! They would close their eyes and tilt their heads appreciatively before eventually falling to the ground and lying like a dog with their

feature

Work on the wild side my Rutter shares her once-inA a-lifetime experience... a day as a zookeeper at Marwell Wildlife

legs in the air. We almost felt guilty when we had to leave as they were obviously enjoying the strokes so much!

Getting stuck in Next, we were taken to meet the west section keeper, Karina, to see the giraffes. They were outside in their paddock which gave us the opportunity to help the keeper clean out the indoor enclosure. This was rather mucky – and smelly! – but great to do something really hands-on which seemed to be a great help to Karina. When we’d cleared the floor space of soiled hay, we went outside to see the giraffe and I fed them chunks of chopped banana. They were a little shy at first and hesitant to come over, but once one had made the first move in approaching me, another joined in to take the banana from the palm of my hand. It made me realise just how special this day was going to be when I could see a small crowd of visitors gathering behind, enviously, to watch me with the keeper.

Then to the north section with keeper, Vik, to meet the okapi. I had never seen okapi before so I was interested to discover that, although they look similar to zebra, they are actually a member of the giraffe family.

All but one were very nervous of sudden movement so we had to alert them to our presence and be very gentle and calm around them. Then I helped to prepare their food; we made vegetable kebabs, consisting of cabbage, apple, banana and leek and hung them from the ceiling in their paddocks.

Befriending the rhinos I can honestly say I don’t think I ever thought I’d be able to say I’d cuddled a white rhino, but it really happened! I always had the impression that these prehistoric looking creatures would have a character not dissimilar to a hippo: grumpy and unfriendly, but rhinos are actually big softies. I went to their enclosure to say hello and was told as they approached us

The Cat Autumn 2010

37

that they can run up to 40mph and weigh two tonnes, but they seemed very gentle and slow and loved to be touched. Their bellies felt rough as expected but I was surprised to feel that their necks were actually very soft and spongy. This was a brilliant experience – I just couldn’t believe the sheer size of them!

In the east section, the keeper Laura took us to meet the lemurs. First up were the ring tailed lemurs who were such characters! These black and white lemurs were very eager to get close to me and get food, sitting in a line on a rock – one was even clinging onto my leg and pulling at my jeans to get my attention! The red ruffed lemur were just as cute, using their little fingers to take pieces of fruit from my hands.

I loved the ring tailed coatis too, they were adorable little fellows who loved to climb around on rigging and branches. Their favourite food is dates and, again, they refused to eat any of the other fruit or boiled eggs offered until they could see that all the dates had gone!

We met a few smaller monkeys next, including the golden lion tamarin, cotton top tamarin and Goeldi’s monkey. They were all very keen to make sure that I only fed them their favourite fruit – grapes, given to them only as a treat as they are so sweet – first and refused to eat anything else until they knew it was all gone.

Just as the sun started beaming down, we moved onto the Australian bush walk area and helped out with weeding in the wallabies’ patch of grass so that they had wider paths in which to navigate! This was hard work in the sun but worth it when we’d catch glimpses of the wallabies scurrying about!

Feline frolics For the remaining two hours of the day, we were with the most significant of all the species to us: the big cats. The first of these were the Amur tigers. When we were driving with the keeper, Marc, in the Marwell buggy alongside the tiger enclosure, they ran with us as they knew this meant one thing: food! Making sure that the indoor dens were locked to the tigers, Marc put a joint of raw horsemeat into two of them to entice the tigers in. He then opened up the door from the enclosure to the pens and straight away the male, the bigger of the two, was in. The male Amur tiger is the biggest of all the big cats, weighing 40 stone and measuring around seven feet tall at full stretch – terrifyingly large! When the den was closed off with him inside, he roared ferociously which was very frightening – it was sudden and loud especially as I was only a few feet away from him! The female came in and grabbed her food and then they were both let back outdoors to pick at the meat.

Next we went to meet the Amur leopards – the male was brought into a den for feeding and it was clear from the offset that he really didn’t

Two ring tailed lemurs scramble over each other to get food

like us being there. A very territorial animal, his frustration was obvious as he ran and jumped from wall to wall quickly and frantically. Again, this was rather scary!

We were able to open the door to the indoor sand cat enclosure for feeding and they were quite happy to approach us – as long as we didn’t see them move! One of the sand cats was standing around two feet from the door when we opened it and a mouse was thrown into the area. He didn’t move so Marc pretended to close the door and immediately opened it again to reveal that in that split second the cat had moved a foot closer to the mouse. This was very amusing – he repeated the procedure and this time when he opened the door we’d caught the cat out! He had the mouse in his mouth.

The ocelot was another rather forbidding cat.

Although only slightly larger than a domestic cat, I felt a little threatened by the fact that she decided to stare us out! We stood around five feet away from her inside her small enclosure – Marc said there was no way he would get that close to a

feature

‘I can honestly say I don’t think I ever thought I would be able to say I’d cuddled a rhino, but it really happened!’

male but as it was a female we were safe so long as we didn’t move any closer to her. It was quite something to actually be able to step inside her enclosure with her.

When we visited the serval cats we couldn’t get too close as they were in an outdoor enclosure and were fed there rather than inside a den – so Marc simply threw two joints of meat over the high fence to them. I had never seen servals this close up before and they were larger than I expected – like a very tall domestic cat with a long tail. Both the male and female seemed quite happy lazing about in the sunshine.

Finally we visited the snow leopards. Marwell has a total of three of these and recently acquired two from Switzerland and Sweden. As they have only been there for five months, they were in quarantine and so when in the den we could only have a quick peek around the corner of the door. The original snow leopard was kept separate from the new two as she was an older female who could not live with the new young male and female. The two younger snow leopards, who were in the outdoor enclosure, were tricky to get close to as every time we got close they moved away. Perhaps they were camera shy!

I would definitely recommend this experience for anyone interested in animals – it would make a fantastic gift and I can’t emphasise enough just how much fun it was. The day was even better than I expected and the memories will last a lifetime.

Hungry but wary!

For more information on Marwell Wildlife see their website at www.marwell.org.uk. If you are interested in booking a 30-minute face-to-face experience with an animal or becoming a keeper for the day, contact Marwell Wildlife’s Fundraising Team on 01962 777 988.

The Cat Autumn 2010 39

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

Of purrs and prose These wonderful poetry books, Opusses , have been donated to us by the author herself, Billie Love. It is an anthology of poignant and amusing verse accompanied by wonderfully animated photos on each page.

Many of the poems and pictures first appeared in The Lady magazine between 1973 and 1989.

This is a wonderful addition to anyone’s library.

To win one of five copies send your entries in marked ‘Opusses’.

Be bowled over!

Baby cool

Bag yours now!

If you know of someone with a baby on the way, why not treat them to this cute and cheeky babygro? It’s lightweight and 100 per cent cotton for baby’s comfort.

This is available to order in white, pink or blue; sizes 6 months, 12 months, 18 months or 24 months all at £12. There are also men’s and women’s t-shirts, sweatshirts, record bags and more in this range. Visit www.cafepress.co.uk or phone 0800 073 1484.

We’re working our socks off to find you cat lovers the most fashionable and stylish feline products out there so just couldn’t leave this ‘magbag’ out.

From Paperchase, this bag is ideal for carrying files, documents and magazines, including your copy of The Cat . It has long comfortable handles and is water resistant. This bag is not suitable for children under 36 months due to small parts.

Priced at £8.50, you can place a mail order by phoning 0161 839 1500 (Mon-Fri; 9am-5pm) or for stockists and enquiries phone 020 7467 6200. www.paperchase.com

WIN

40 The Cat Autumn 2010

WIN British designed and manufactured, this dual cat feeding station offers a unique solution for the design conscious cat owner. We spotted these bowls at Crufts and thought they were both fun and practical. The product features non-slip rubber feet, a wipe clean body and dishwasher safe removable stainless steel bowls.

We have been given five of these sets to give away – enter in the usual way with entries marked ‘Bowls’.

The RRP is £19.99; for information on purchasing, please visit www.hingdesigns.com or phone 01962 774 863.

Dazzling documentaries

Kitty chic

Released by FremantleMedia Enterprises and National Geographic, The Big Cat s DVD collection comprises three fascinating documentaries focusing on one of the world’s fastest and most agile species. The first in the collection is Super Pride , visiting the Serengeti in Tanzania, one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges, teeming with crocs, leopards, cheetahs – and one of the biggest lion populations in Africa.

Second programme Stalking Leopards meets veteran filmmaker, Kim Wolhuter, following the progress of Tjololo as he journeys into adulthood and the hunting, mating and fighting that comes with it.

The final programme, Cheetahs: The Deadly Race , looks at the cheetahs of the Kalahari and their fierce pursuits of the equally speedy springbok.

Priced at £19.99, the collection is available to buy from all good retailers.

We have three copies of the entire collection up for grabs – write to or email us with your entry marked ‘Big Cats DVD’.

Now you can be a fashionista sister and smell great too! We have been given a bottle of Hello Kitty eau de toilette and make-up bag complete with a mirror to give away to one lucky reader. The perfume is redolent of femininity and is sweet and fruity with hints of apple, cherry, jasmine and vanilla, while the cute bag is perfect for holding beauty essentials.

Hello Kitty fragrance is available from perfumery outlets nationwide; for details of your nearest stockist phone 0870 850 3868.

To enter the competition, enter by post or email in the usual way with the keywords ‘Hello Kitty’.

WIN

The

WIN

Cosy pet tutti!

We have one Ancol Cosy Pet House from the Just 4 Pets range to give away to a lucky reader!

Available in four designs, each has a padded cushion and is machine washable. It is easy to fold and store away and even has a removable roof with Velcro fastening. The prize will be allocated as available. Enter in the usual way with your entry marked ‘Cosy Pet House’.

Hinge and bracket This 13” black cat hanging basket bracket will add charm and character to any garden. They look great in summer with beautiful blooming flowers and just as good in winter with a hanging bird feeder or wind chime. The bracket is made from mild steel and is approximately 33cm in height. 12” baskets are recommended with this bracket.

The brackets are priced at £22.50 with free UK delivery from Animal Gifts 4 U; www.animalgifts4u.co.uk or 023 8060 1992.

cat’ s miaow WIN

WIN

Behind the mask The Button Tree specialises in making beautifully handmade children’s tutus and masks.

These gorgeous cat masks are made in the softest felt, appliquéd with coloured felt patches and tie together with a beautiful cotton ribbon. The Button Tree lovingly makes all its products from the best materials, resulting in a collection of items that are contemporary, unique and will be enjoyed time after time. We have three cat masks available in white, black and tiger designs to give away to readers so if you know a child who would love this gift, get your entry in marked ‘The Button Tree’!

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 October 2010.

The Cat Autumn 2010

41

Keep it on the F

or many of us the thought of taking it a bit easier in the garden is, perhaps, just what the doctor ordered. This is more likely to apply if you’re elderly or infirm but, equally, time-poor professionals or those with young families – or demanding cats – to look after, need also to look at ways of reducing both the time spent and the hard graft in the garden.

So, how do you go about creating a low-maintenance garden? Assuming that, in the first place, you don’t have a major gardening problem, such as constantly waterlogged soil that requires a complete drainage system installed or a row of 60-foot conifers that need felling, here are my top 10 of things to do to make your gardening just a bit easier – and your cat will appreciate some of them, too.

All photos: Graham Clarke

Keep it informal Go for an ‘informal’ look where beds and borders are filled with a mixture of plants. Formal gardens, where there are straight lines to the lawn edges, rows of bedding plants in summer and not a weed in sight, are great – if you like that sort of thing. But these types of ‘perfect’ gardens with not a blade of grass out of place, are incredibly time consuming.

Informal gardens are where shrubs and border plants flow into each other. There are curvy lines that do not need to be tended quite so often. And your cat will appreciate the better cover that these sorts of borders offer.

One extra thing: in a low-maintenance garden, flower borders should be narrow to save you from walking on them or stretching to reach plants at the back.

42

The Cat Autumn 2010

Hard landscaping Now, I’m not advocating that you concrete the garden over… heaven forbid. But where it is appropriate to do so and where it will make life easier for you, it is alright to put in some hard landscaping such as stone for patios, paths and driveways, low brick or stone walls, containers, and water – as in ponds, streams, fountains, and so on. These can all be chosen for their decorative as well as functional qualities, so the garden need never become a concrete desert.

One extra thing: don’t use gravel on paths and driveways.

It is not such a good idea in the low-maintenance garden. If it does not have a weed-preventing membrane underneath it, weeds will grow through the gravel and these can be both time-consuming and difficult to remove. Also, in autumn, fallen leaves will litter the area and it is difficult to sweep on gravel as you end up creating piles of gravel as well as leaves!

Raised beds and low walls These give a garden interest and a new dimension. They can also make gardening a little easier because you do not have to stoop or bend down to weed, plant, deadhead or prune.

In my experience, cats love low retaining walls. It gives them a little height from where they can survey the scene and in a sunny spot they definitely prefer basking on a raised bed than on the garden floor. Why? I couldn’t possibly tell you!

One extra thing: a raised bed can also be a boon to anyone with a wheelchair, as they can wheel up close to the plants they are tending – provided of course that the bed concerned is accessible with a hard, level-ish base and no steps to negotiate.

gardeningfeature

low Choose easy plants

Annual bedding is time-consuming to plant, water, feed and maintain generally, so go instead for evergreen trees and shrubs which have a good, trouble-free reputation. Between them plant a selection of cat-safe bulbs and hardy perennials.

These plants look after themselves and only need the old leaves and stems removed at the end of the year, and maybe thinning out every three or four years.

Choose shrubs that do not need cutting back every year; try, for example, winter-flowering witch-hazels and mahonias, the catkin-bearing garrya, summer-flowering hebes and the palm-like New Zealand flax ( phormium ).

Small or dwarf conifers can be planted in borders, or possibly on rockeries and they’ll require no maintenance at all, except for watering in dry weather.

One extra thing: go for evergreen trees and shrubs rather than deciduous ones. Evergreens retain their leaves all year round, so even in the depths of winter the garden will look green, and provide cover for your cat. Plus, you won’t have to sweep up the fallen leaves!

Roses all the way Roses have a reputation for being high-maintenance, but if you opt for the disease-resistant types, all you’ll need to do with them is prune once a year and give them a couple of feeds during the season. There are dozens of varieties that are sold as being resistant to blackspot, mildew and rust, or that are tolerant of bad weather. Check a good rose book or ask at the garden centre for specifics.

raham Clarke shares his top tips for a lowG maintenance garden that both you and your cat can enjoy

One extra thing: specialise in shrub roses, the most lowmaintenance plants of the rose world – for you don’t always even need to prune them!

Container sense Pots, tubs, windowboxes, hanging baskets… they are all a feature of our gardens – especially in summer when they are usually filled with bright bedding plants and trailers. They can make a stunning sight. But they are time-consuming to look after. They need watering – maybe every day; they need more feeding than most plants out in the soil and, to keep them looking good, they need weeding and deadheading.

So in a low-maintenance garden we need to limit the number of containers we tend and possibly to grow the plants that need less care: drought-tolerant plants such as pelargoniums and succulents, for example.

One extra thing: don’t scatter containers around the garden; keeping them together in one area saves a lot of traipsing around at watering time.

Lawn alternatives For those who want a green pathway in their garden, but grass is considered to be too protracted, why not plant chamomile? It may be found under either of its accepted Latin names: Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile . A lush, pale green creeping herb, it is aromatic, releasing a pleasant fragrance when crushed underfoot. However, it is bruised easily, so would not survive heavy foot traffic.

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43

It has small, feathery leaves. It also has white daisy flowers, but the non-flowering ‘Treneague’ is preferable as a grass substitute – as the flowers tend to spoil the close carpeted effect. Just use shears to clip back the straggly stems from time to time. It is the classic grass substitute and has been grown in this way for centuries.

One extra thing: in terms of layout, save maintenance time by giving your grass lawn nice, curved corners rather than right-angled ones.

Hedges or fences?

The one thing all gardens have is a boundary – the bit that separates it from a neighbour’s garden, public road or right of way. The most maintenance-free boundary is a brick or stone wall. Once it’s up you don’t have to do anything to it – if it is rendered or painted, of course, you will probably have to maintain in some way every few years. But stone or brick walls are hugely expensive.

Then there comes the wooden fence. Once up, it is reasonably low-maintenance, but it will need replacing after several years. Depending on how well it was built and how exposed the site, it could last for 20 years or more. You may need to paint or treat the wood.

One extra thing: keep hedges low, as they’re easier to cut.

Wise watering Install an automatic watering system. These are available in kits from the garden centre. They can be directed to the plants that need watering most, such as container plants and vegetables like tomatoes, celery and runner beans.

One extra thing: fit an automatic timer to your outside tap to come on at a pre-set time. When installed with an automatic watering systems, it means that you don’t even have to be present when your most precious plants are being watered.

Top: Informal planting and hard landscaping Left: A chamomile lawn Bottom: An informal herb garden

Ground cover Plants which spread over the ground can look very appealing when in flower or even just when in leaf. But, more importantly, they deny weeds light, moisture and the important soil nutrients. This means that, with careful choice of cat-safe plants, you’ll have nice foliage to look at rather than weeds to remove. Five of the best are: • Bergenia – elephant’s ears: reaching some 12in (30cm) high, the leaves are thick, leathery, shiny and evergreen.

They turn purplish bronze in the autumn and can be quite red in winter. The flowers are heads of bright pink in midspring. ‘Abendglut’ is one of the best • Erica and Calluna (heather): everyone knows what heathers look like. Trouble is they mostly need an acid soil and not everyone can provide this. Go for ‘King George’ – deep rose-pink flowers – ‘Springwood White’ – white flowers – and ‘Vivelli’ – almost blood-red flowers, with dark green foliage that becomes bronzy in winter • Geranium – cranesbill: the ‘true’ geraniums – not the summer bedding pelargoniums – are excellent for dry soils, and for edging pathways and growing on slopes. I do love Geranium x magnificum , a fast-spreading hybrid with deep violet-blue flowers, each petal having darker veins • Lamium – dead nettle: the common name doesn’t sound too enticing does it? But all it means is that the nettle-like

44 The Cat Autumn 2010

leaves do not have the horrible stings on them. There are many different shades, and some with vibrant gold tints.

Look for ‘Beedham’s White’, with bright yellow leaves and white flowers • Osteospermum: this daisy plant from South Africa must have a sunny spot. Other than that, it will grow in practically any soil, doesn’t mind being dry, and rewards with fabulous flowers for most of the summer. Many forms exist with flowers in shades from white through pinks and creams to mauve and purple Adopt even one of the above measures and you’ll save time in the garden. Adopt all 10, and you can go away for long holidays without worrying about the garden at all. Then it’ll just be your cat you need to worry about!

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)

Ali’scats

Cats on the carpet lison Prince realises the deeds of her cats A can’t be swept under the carpet…

F

46 The Cat Autumn 2010

cat-flap the minute I get the thing out of the cupboard, but they were safely outside, sun-bathing under the bushes.

Plug in, switch on, vacuum up the fallen blossoms from the blue streptocarpus by the patio doors. Move on to the grey patch. Aha. This greyness is fur. Change of coat has obviously happened fast this year, in the few late weeks between snow and blossom time. The vacuum cleaner isn’t coping at all well. In fact, it seems to be groaning its way to an early death. I switch if off and turn it over to inspect its nether parts, and find it blocked with a combination of leaves, streptocarpus blossoms, dust and fur. There are wee trap doors under the bit where its hose fits into the pipe-thing – honestly, who designed this and why did we all think we liked it? – and bits of leaf and fur are sticking out. The whole thing is blocked solid. With some hard labour on my part with finger and a bit of wire, I clear the obstruction then empty its bin into the compost Dalek outside – very good stuff if combined with weeds and veggie left-overs – then try again. The vacuum cleaner sounds healthier but the grey patch seems to be a problem beyond the imagination of its maker. Switch off. Stare. Paw at it with a foot.

Bingo! I’m wearing hunky sandals with soles that might be made of motor tyres, and they work like a dream. The greyness comes off in little rolls of soft, discarded fur. The cats have heard the vacuum stop so they come in to make sure their enemy has been put back in its cupboard – and are fascinated to find me pawing at the carpet. They pat the accumulated grey fur until discouraged then do a bit of pawing themselves, but without sandals, they really aren’t much good at it. I suggest they might like some food and we all go down to the kitchen. That’s the good thing about my cats – they’re easily distracted.

The carpet at the top of the stairs is now in a pristine state of fawn-coloured cleanliness. But it’s raining outside, so the cats are sprawled on it, fast asleep. Sigh. But at least I know what to do about creeping greyness. Cutting-edge sandals, yeah. We have the technology.

Illustration: Alison Prince

ingal’s fur is so fine and glossy that it’s more like a paint job than any form of hair. He won’t let me comb it. He doesn’t mind the removal of an occasional tick, but combing – no. You’d think he was being assaulted rather than groomed, and he defends himself with righteous vigour. Paddy is the opposite. He adores being combed.

He purrs and dribbles, holds his chin up and lets me pull his paws up to comb under his arms, and seems to take quite an interest in the combings that pile up on the day’s newspaper. But then, his fur is thick, with a fluffy undercoat that takes some keeping in order, so he welcomes any assistance with it.

Like all cats, my two change their coats twice a year. You’d hardly notice with Fingal, except that he tends to roll around on the carpet more than usual – especially on the patch at the top of the stairs. A hot pipe runs under the floorboards there, so it’s always nice and warm. During this year’s long and chilly winter, Paddy and Fingal were there a lot, or else in their boxes full of torn-up newspaper beside a hot radiator – I provided the newspaper, they did the tearing up.

We were still getting the odd blizzard as late as April, so our winter way of life went on a long time this year, and the cats sensibly retained their winter coats. Then spring came, and galloped into summer in a matter of days. The sun shone and the garden burst into bloom, I rushed around sowing seeds and the cats took to the great outdoors. And at that point, with sunshine blasting its way through every window, I noticed that the carpet at the top of the stairs looked more grey than its usual fawn.

Some years ago, I did the whole house with this carpeting that looks like wool, only it’s made from recycled plastic bottles. ‘You can scrub it,’ the man said. I’m not exactly addicted to carpet-scrubbing, but a bit of hygiene does come in handy when clearing up muddy pawmarks or what Fingal has left of some unfortunate rodent. Anyway, on this day of glorious sunshine, a blitz with the vacuum cleaner seemed called for. The cats loathe the vacuum, and flee through the

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Hear ye, hear ye!

Ferndown Homing Centre is open for business!

O

n Saturday 3 July the Ferndown Homing Centre in Dorset held a Carnival Day to celebrate the opening of this new and innovative concept. Hundreds of visitors were able to see for themselves just what a fantastic place it is. The centre is poised to have a huge impact on the way Cats Protection rehomes cats.

A massive capital appeal was launched early in 2009 and has raised £1,240,170 towards the £1.75m cost to date. The Carnival Day itself raised £3,200 and all donations received now will help the charity to make crucial finishing touches. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the building of this new venture, we couldn’t have done it without you.

The development of the site has been a huge project and will help not only cats in and around Dorset but also potentially across the UK. That’s because Ferndown is a trailblazer setting the standards which ultimately could see more dedicated homing centres built and launched across the country.

All cats will have had their veterinary checks and will have been neutered and vaccinated if relevant. That means potential adopters will be able to visit in the morning, fall in love with a cat and receive a home visit the same day. The help this new system will provide to not only the cats but the branches in the local area is enormous.

The centre is an amazing place. Who would have thought that an industrial building, which 12 months ago was being used as a repair workshop for wheelie bins, would look as good as this?

The rehoming block is unique as it has been designed to be demountable. This means it could be moved to another location if required. The cats are extremely comfortable in their insulated pods which have underfloor heating; the pens have been designed to stand up to our stringent cleaning regimes and are large enough to allow interaction between the cats and people. Two larger pens have been provided at the ends to allow easy access by wheelchair users.

The high specification for finishes has provided a pleasing and welcoming atmosphere, along with best use of the space available. Rooms are spacious and will provide excellent working conditions. The reception area is large and welcoming providing lots of space, including sufficient room for a retail area.

The centre has also benefited from a range of fabulous branded graphics produced by the Cats Protection Design Team which convey essential CP messages including the personality of our organisation, promoting our objectives and promoting branch activities as well as conveying some of the benefits of cat ownership and the relationships between cats and people.

Volunteer recruitment for Ferndown has been a tremendous success as the centre operates with a mix of staff and volunteers working together. They work beyond the centre in the community on home visits, raising the profile of the charity and on fundraising initiatives. The staff have also embraced the technological age by running the centre’s own social networking pages and a new website, showing the cats available for rehoming, will soon be up and running.

After a long journey the ambitions of the Ferndown Homing Centre have become a reality. It is an amazing centre doing amazing work and should you find yourself in the Dorset area then do pay the staff and the cats a visit – a warm welcome awaits you.

The Cat Autumn 2010

47

Living W with diabetes Francesca Watson finds out from two dedicated supporters that diabetes doesn’t have to be daunting

Jazz

Kingsley

Photos: Martin Dewhurst

48 The Cat Autumn 2010

hen it comes to our branches and adoption centres all our cats have one thing in common – they’re looking for a loving new home, an opportunity to live out their lives surrounded by warmth and affection and to be able to give the same back.

Speak to the volunteers and staff and you’ll not be surprised to find that there are some cats that are considered more difficult to home due to ongoing medical conditions, but thankfully there is the conviction among all that there is a home for every cat, no matter how long it takes.

At the National Cat Adoption Centre (NCAC) in Chelwood Gate, Sussex they had a recent example of this. Diabetic cats are always hard to place as the prospect of daily care involving diet and injections can be quite daunting to some, not least the worry of having an ‘ill’ cat. But in reality, providing the necessary treatment is received, there is no reason why diabetic cats should not enjoy a relatively normal life for years.

All that Jazz In January 2010 Sharon and Johnny Allen were at the NCAC looking for another cat to add to their home after the sad demise of Bagheera, one of their three cats.

Sharon takes on the tale: “Bagheera began to show signs; he became ravenous for food, even eating the Brussel sprouts that had fallen off our plates! He’d never shown a partiality to these before so we knew something was wrong. He was diagnosed with late onset diabetes and we soon learned how to look after him with this condition. We learned to inject him daily, monitor his food, keep a close eye on his general condition and although he did stabilise for a while, he was an old cat with other complications and eventually it was time to let him go.

“We knew we had to get another cat and decided to go to the NCC and see the cats they had ready for rehoming.

When I explained that we’d just lost Bagheera, who’d been diabetic, I could see the Cat Care Assistant’s eyes light up and he immediately offered to show us Jazz who was, he said, ‘a beautiful cat also with diabetes’. We agreed that we’d visit her after we’d looked around. The next cat we saw was Kingsley and he had a very stately fashion about him. We were taken with him even before we found out that he too had diabetes!

We were then introduced to Jazz. The door of the pen was opened but she just gave us a quick look and then put her head down again. She looked really miserable and depressed.

I knew there and then that we had to have her. A home visit was arranged that day to check out our cottage and while we were talking about Jazz I announced that we had to take Kingsley too. I think Cats Protection was very pleased to hear this. I know that they find diabetic cats hard to rehome and to have two taken must have been quite a relief!”

Kingsley immediately settled in to his new home. He ventures outdoors occasionally but as Sharon puts it “He’s a stately old bloke who’s really like a lodger who sits in the window in the sunshine.” This cat lives for food and doesn’t even notice the daily injections because he’s too busy eating!

Kingsley was a thin cat but he is now healthily putting on weight and his diabetes is beginning to stabilise.

Jazz took a little more patience and more time to settle.

At first she would not eat and Sharon tried everything; dried food, wet food, syringing it… but after four days Jazz suddenly began to eat.

feature Sharon explains “It took patience, calm and gentleness. I realised that she wanted me there when she was eating, not for long but she found my presence reassuring. They’d both come from living in a pen and arrived at a new home. The change would have been just as disorientating for a cat without diabetes – it just takes a little more patience but it is more than worth it. Jazz is now a very happy cat and during the summer it’s sometimes difficult to find her to give her injection. She just loves the outdoors and I have to call her back home!”

Most people whose cats develop diabetes will be daunted by the prospect of injecting but will take it on. It can take time to find the correct dose of insulin required but it is a daily requirement and the dose will be worked out by your vet. Staff will often demonstrate to owners injection techniques and many will find caring for a diabetic cat incredibly rewarding and injecting a cat soon becomes part of an easy daily routine.

Sharon and Johnny concur. “We weren’t fazed by the thought of injections as we’d had enough experience with Bagheera. It can be an initial worry but we got over it quickly.

The needles are very small, just one centimetre in length, and very easy to handle, all you do is draw up the insulin and inject the cat in the scruff of the neck. The needle goes in sideways and then you push the plunger and you’re done.

We give the injections when they’re eating. Kingsley doesn’t notice because he’s so intent on his food and he actually purrs when he’s injected! Jazz is different because we had to settle her first but I found that if I fed her on a windowsill she’d be level with me when I injected her I could stop her running off and reassure her and keep her calm.”

Both the cats have different colour coded medicines; Kingsley is on a small amount, Jazz on a little more. They are also on special diabetic food recommended by the vets.

Diabetes: The facts Diabetes mellitus affects the control of blood sugar levels and usually occurs in middle-aged and older cats, particularly those that are overweight. There may also be a genetic predisposition to the condition.

After eating, a cat’s blood glucose level rises. In normal cats, the pancreas responds to this rise by releasing a hormone called insulin into the blood.

Insulin processes the excess glucose and brings the level back down to normal.

A diabetic cat does not produce enough insulin or does not respond properly to the insulin he does produce, leaving the body with abnormally high levels of circulating glucose. Untreated, diabetes can make a cat extremely ill.

The signs to look out for are increased thirst and/ or appetite, more frequent urination, weight loss, lethargy/weakness, vomiting and being prone to other infections such as skin or urinary. Treatment is given in the form of diet and medication, most often insulin injections, sometimes oral drugs. Usually, diabetic cats require daily injections for the rest of their lives but some cats, if treated early, will stabilise, becoming non-diabetic again for weeks, months or even years.

Regular check ups Consistency is the key with the treatment of diabetes whether it be the routine of injections, feeding regimes or exercise.

The majority of treatment and monitoring takes place at home but there are regular check ups with occasional blood tests to monitor any changes. Some owners find that keeping a diary helps logging such things as water intake, behaviour changes and weight.

Sharon and Johnny certainly don’t see that their lives are inconvenienced by caring for Jazz and Kingsley and they still manage to get away on holiday during the year. They are lucky to have a regular cat-sitter who comes and stays in their cottage and looks after the animals. She is experienced in caring for diabetic cats, administering injections, ensuring the correct food and drink is given and just as importantly is there to administer love and affection in Sharon and Johnny’s absence.

Cats Protection’s Diabetic Cat Register lists volunteer contacts who have experience of caring for diabetic cats who can offer advice and support.

Jazz and Kingsley are lucky cats. They’ve been taken on by Sharon and Johnny when many passed them by. Yes, it can be more challenging, involve a more disciplined cat care regime but the rewards are immense. Sharon has no regrets, she says simply, “Ultimately they’re the same as any other cat – they just want someone to love them and I’m glad we could do that for them.”

The Diabetic Cat Register Cats Protection has compiled a register of volunteers who have had experience with diabetic cats and who are willing to offer their non-veterinary advice and support to owners. For a hardcopy of the register, please send a SAE (stamps to the value of 50p) to: Helpline, Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, Chelwood Gate, Haywards Heath, Sussex RH17 7TT or, contact Helpline on: T: 03000 12 12 12 E: helpline@cats.org.uk

The Cat Autumn 2010 49

Give your feet a rest and exercise your mind

Ten-minute crossword

Amusing Heather Extracts from Miss Evie’s Diary

Across 1 Dilapidated (10) 7 Amount (8) 8 Sluggish (4) 9 Pavement edge (4) 10 Dirigible (7) 12 Ungenerous behaviour (11) 14 Attack (7) 16 Cease (4) 19 Military vehicle (4) 20 U.S. state (8) 21 Near thing (5,5)

Down 1 Lorry (5) 2 Dog of mixed breed (7) 3 Den (4) 4 Natural illumination (8) 5 Stinging insects (5) 6 Imitations (6) 11 Scoundrels (8) 12 Title given to a nun (6) 13 Baltic country (7) 15 Horrify (5) 17 Trophy (5) 18 In addition (4)

To win one of these three etched wine glasses, complete our crossword correctly, rearrange the shaded letters and find the famous English actor 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 October 2010.

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: Jane Blaylock from Carlisle, Cumbria; Gordon Alford from Stoke Canon, Exeter; Jo Wild from Renishaw, South Yorkshire.

Answers to Summer Crossword on page 33.

50 The Cat Autumn 2010

I’ve been decanted into a large cage in a room full of the weirdest cats you’ve ever seen and immediately fling myself into the recesses of a very new smelling igloo which I hope was expensive.

A boring middle-aged woman is peering at me. ‘Bless her,’ she twitters, ‘poor little Evie’s frightened!’

Believe me, only an idiot wouldn’t be frightened.

A succession of feline misfits passes by, including one that looks like a mobile mop and a rubbery ginger thing that falls over every couple of seconds.

After a night spent trying to block out all the snoring and whistling sounds – not to mention the noises the cats were making – the Earth Mother tricks me into emerging from my igloo and carts me off to the vet to start my vaccinations. As we head for the door, she turns round and says that the next time the vet sees me I might be wearing an engagement ring because she hopes I’ll marry Benjamin.

The poor man looks at her in the way he might have regarded a kangaroo that had extracted a mobile phone from its pouch and used it to vote for a Strictly Come Dancing contestant.

The next morning finds me feeling slightly delicate but I rally when Miss Elizabeth – a white and tabby creature with knitting needle legs and a common voice – reverses up to my pen with the clear intention of piddling over me. Luckily, Benjamin Wobble collides with her and she loses her composure when almost crushed by that porky little body.

Three weeks have passed and today is apparently the day when the world will become my oyster, according to the Earth Mother’s touchingly naïve view of life. I’ve trashed my cage, flattened the igloo, chucked half a ton of cat litter into the water bowl and at last they’ve let me out.

Benjamin Wobble leads the way into the garden, proceeding like a particularly erratic pantomime horse and I’m off into the wild woods, never to return. Well, not till lunch time, anyway.

Heather Cook

Purr ‘n’ Fur Mount Washington, in the Presidential range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is the highest peak in the north-eastern United States at 6,288 feet high (1,917 metres).

The present observatory at the summit was established in 1932 and, weather permitting, is reached by the Mount Washington Auto Road.

Since its opening there has always been a resident cat or cats at the Observatory; they are actually the only permanent residents, as the human staff work a weekly shift system.

In earlier times the cats kept the rodent population under control; in 1934, the year of the ‘big wind’, logs record the presence of several felines. These days there are fewer mice and there is usually just one cat, seen more as a friend and companion to the staff in what can be a remote and rather lonely outpost, especially in winter.

The current incumbent at the observatory is Marty who took over the position from the previous resident, Nin. When Nin’s retirement was announced it was decided to hold an election for a successor as resident summit cat. The nearby Conway Area Humane Society proposed three candidates that were in their care and they felt would be suitable. The winner was Marty, a black Maine Coon – easy to see on the snow! – who gained more than half of the 8,000 or so votes cast. As a youngster he had lost his home in a fire and had been in the shelter for over a year. It would be a big change in lifestyle for him when he took up his new post in January 2008.

He quickly became a valued member of the community at the summit and has been described as ‘a little bundle of energy’ and very curious. Any opened drawer or cupboard has to be investigated to see what’s inside, and he likes to follow staff around and see what they’re doing, as well as chasing bouncy balls and ‘stalking’ the water cooler! His adventurous nature came to the fore on one September evening in 2008 when one of the staff, observer and meteorologist Brian Clark, decided to hike down to the Lake of the Clouds hut, a distance of about a mile and a half to join the last guest night of the summer. As he prepared to leave, Marty was waiting by the door, making it quite clear he wanted to go out. Despite using various ploys to get Marty to turn back, the cat insisted on following him all the way to the hut. Not wanting to leave him to his own devices, Brian put him in an attic to rest, and gave him food and water. Later in the evening he had to

decide what to do, as the weather forecast for the next day was poor. Eventually he decided it would be best to go back to the observatory – so he and Marty set off again for the summit. Marty followed him faithfully, although he allowed himself to be carried part of the way, and they arrived back safely. A good long sleep was next on Marty’s agenda!

During 2009 Marty had a few health problems involving trips down the mountain to the vet; one such trip was to deal with infected teeth. Ten teeth were removed and made him much more comfortable. To the best of our knowledge he is now in good health, enjoying life to the full and keeping the mice at bay!

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

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Marty the Mount Washington cat

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 33.

The adoption centre cats are so used to being wormed that ...well... it’s all just part of the furniture.

Well done, Norm

...for stuffing!

A.P Tentpeg 2010

Worming tablets are great...

t!... ...phh

the cat with no home

The Cat Autumn 2010

51

Let’s celebrate our a J essica Hall , Volunteering Development Officer, looks forward to the new revamped awards of 2011 and reflects on the success of the 2009 Awards

T

he Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrate the incredible contribution that our volunteers make to the lives of cats across the UK. So once again, we are seeking nominations from members of the public, fellow volunteers and staff members to recognise the dedication and commitment carried out by Cats Protection’s invaluable army of volunteers.

After feedback from previous awards, we have recognised that for some of our volunteers, the location and travelling distance involved is very inconvenient. To overcome this, we will be holding four local ‘tea party’ style events. The events will be fun, informal and relaxed, with lots of time spent on recognising the achievements of our volunteers, allowing for photographs to be taken at leisure and of course plenty of time for excessive cream tea and cake consumption!

As well as changes to the venues, the award categories have also been altered, ensuring that all of our volunteering roles fit into a category. This makes the nomination process

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The Cat Autumn 2010

a lot quicker and less confusing. For example home visitors, Fosterers and welfare volunteers would all fit under the ‘ Homing Hero’ category, as this encompasses all volunteers involved in finding a new home for a cat.

Full details of the new awards, categories and how to nominate can be found on the nomination form sent with this magazine and on our website at www.cats.org.uk/ volunteeroftheyear Following the official launch at the AGM on 17 July we are welcoming nominations until the closing date of 1 October.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to recognise the incredible hard work, dedication, commitment and service to Cats Protection, made by someone you know... get nominating!

VOTY 2011

amazing volunteers!

The Volunteer of the Year Awards in 2009 were a huge success and recognised the fantastic achievements of our volunteers. Perhaps they’ll, spark inspiration for this year’s awards!

The winner of the Bright Ideas Award was Ella Christopher from Bournemouth and District Branch.

Helped by her cat Rosie, Ella came up with the idea to donate a tin of cat food for every day of her life to CP, totalling a massive £10,000 worth of food! BBC News loved Ella’s story nearly as much as we did and we felt Ella was very deserving of the Bright Ideas Volunteer Award. Ella continues to collect cat food, build corporate partnerships with pet food manufacturers, local businesses and holds local barbecues and car boot sales on an ongoing basis, to raise awareness and funds for the Bournemouth Branch.

The Unsung Hero Award was designed to recognise volunteers that play a vital role behind the scenes. Alan Todd from Dundee and District Branch definitely fits this description. Alan has committed 12 years of his life to Cats Protection, every day doing the jobs that so often go unnoticed, loading up the van, unloading cat littler, food pallets, washing the towels and clothes and always make sure you have a cup of tea in your hand!

Not only this, Alan also provides tremendous support and encouragement to other volunteers, always smiling, being cheerful and friendly to everyone.

The Flying the Flag Award was won by Jeanette Greaves from Preston Branch. Since joining the charity in 1995, Jeanette’s creativity and inspirational work truly warrants the Flying the Flag Volunteer award. Not only did Jeanette create the Preston branch website and eBay account which is a fantastic fundraiser, she also gives regular, inspirational information talks to voluntary groups, schools, organisations, local radio stations and produces six newsletters for the branch, every year.

Jeanette’s original inspiration to volunteer for Cats Protection came from the Preston Branch, “It was clear that they were a group of high achievers and quietly got on with the job of rehoming cats, helping with neutering and fundraising to allow them to do the work.”

Elspeth Stirling from Forfar Branch scooped the Extra Mile Award, as she literally goes the ‘Extra Mile’ for Cats Protection.

Working as Forfar’s Feral Cat Trapper, she not only traps, neuters and returns feral cats to their familiar surroundings, she also goes out of her way to relocate colonies. On one occasion Elspeth was snowed in with 19 feral cats, after waiting for a break in the blizzards

she loaded up her car and drove over the mountain pass between enormous snow drifts for 60 miles and successfully returned them to their rural home. Her friends throughout the North East of Scotland all know they can count on Elspeth, “She is daunted neither by scale of problem or distance.”

The Trustees Distinguished Service Award is chosen by the Trustees and is for volunteers who have shown an incredible level of commitment, sometimes over many years. Peter Simmonds from Maidenhead, Slough and District was recognised for his level of commitment. After being introduced to Cats Protection by his daughter Karen, Peter has dedicated more than 10 years of his life to Cats Protection, acting as a Fosterer, welfare officer, publicity officer and is now the Co-ordinator of the Maidenhead, Slough and District Branch. We were delighted to recognise Peter’s dedication, immense love of cats and overall passion for animal welfare; “No matter what you do – from helping with street collections to becoming a Branch Committee Member, every volunteer can make a difference to the cats’ lives.”

After much deliberation and deep thought, our panel of judges voted Alan Todd to be the overall Volunteer of the Year 2009 Award winner. “Alan is a real gem, never in the spotlight, but always in the background supporting the branch, a real unsung hero.”

Alan Todd, overall Volunteer of the Year 2009 Award winner

The Cat Autumn 2010

53

pawsforthought

Into the great wide open The great outdoors can be as fascinating for owner as cat, describes reader Madeleine Sara…

I

54

The Cat Autumn 2010

I am standing now, peering out through the window again.

Chivers has got down and is nestling on her cushion. For her, the show is over for now.

Time seems to stand still and Trilby does not reappear for what seems like forever. My heart is now beating the Flight of the Bumble Bee with glockenspiel acuity. I berate myself for this stupid concern; for my over anxious parenting. All the while I am intently examining every black and white pattern between the vegetation for signs of movement and his return. I open the patio doors and scan the garden trying to spy his little profile. Then I start peering over fences calling his name with a crack of alarm in my voice. He reappears with an expression of fright and recognition in equal measure magnified in his feline pupils. I talk in soothing tones and he allows me to pick him up, but with determination and purpose he squirms. He is keen to be off investigating again. I set him down, knowing he will be more responsive to my call next time if I don’t smother and restrict him. I do not want to spoil his fun.

Feeling less anxious I go back inside and resume my reading. It isn’t long before I am rewarded, when he trots in through the opened doorway. Having risen from her cushion, Chivers greets him with a tentative touching of noses before he leaps away with playful zeal like a gambolling lamb. He goes to examine the contents of his food bowl. Now I can close the door and lock the cat flap. He has had enough outside adventure for one day.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

feel the pull of anxiety and love on my heart as I watch keenly through the conservatory window. It is his first time outside and as he explores with such eager enthusiasm, he seems so alone out there in the big world; innocent, vulnerable, inquisitive. I imagine that this is how it feels when a parent sees their child off on their first day at school; seeing one so young cope in that grey expanse of playground or survive the unfamiliarity of the classroom environment. He is only 19 weeks old and never destined for school. For some reason I feel more protective of him than any of the others.

Perhaps it’s because, of all of them, he had the hardest and most unsettled start in life. Or perhaps it is because they all had another with whom to share the experience; an older companion to look out for them. Nevertheless, he is ecstatic, trepidatious and benevolent and I want his first experiences of the outside world to be enjoyable, successful and safe.

I watch him sniff each and every scent with the same careful enthusiasm. It’s as though he doesn’t want to miss a single detail; the soil, the leaves and the flowers, the smells left behind by other animals that have left their mark in the late summer garden. A sudden movement catches his attention as a bird takes flight across the sky. He stares transfixed, then he’s off again exploring elsewhere.

I glance down at the window-sill inside. Chivers, my 10 year old is there looking irritated, perched beside the Christmas cactus, watching his every move. She looks on with a grumpy frown and feigns indifference. Her hooded, feline scowl shrouds her beautiful face with resentment, annoyed that this recalcitrant pre-teenager has stormed into her life uninvited. Jealousy simmers beneath her marmalade exterior.

She’s forgotten her own rough-and-tumble antics as a kitten with our seven-year-old tom, Comfrey – now late. I turn to my reading and am soon alerted by a trill-like miaow which rings out across the room. Trilby has come inside to check that all is well and he hurries towards me still mewing with an entertaining Larry the Lamb bleat. Leaping onto my lap, he nuzzles my chin with an energised happiness that makes my heart swell with love. Comical-cute with a black smudge off-set on his nose and black eyeliner-like markings around his eyes give an expression of angelic inquisitiveness that brings a besotted smile to my face.

Scooting outside again, I see the breeze ruffle his fur. He runs with a delighted energy across the patio and under the scuffing wooden fence, while sticky white cobwebs cling to his back as he scrambles through the gap. Time passes and he does not reappear. Anxiously I watch and await his return.

Cats Protection in focus Contents Page 56

Spotlight… take a closer look at the work of Cats Protection branches around the UK

Page 58

Messageboard… cats needing homes, branches needing volunteers and thank yous to those who’ve helped

Page 60

Diary of events… coffee mornings, homing shows, photo competitions, car boot sales, fairs, bazaars and even the odd motorbike rally! Find out what’s going on in your area Page 62

Contacts… find a Cats Protection branch, adoption centre or charity shop near you

Can you help?

Our branches are always in need of donations, whether it be in the form of funds or bric-a-brac for them to sell on. Many need volunteers to help with a range of different tasks and, of course, loving new homes for the cats in their care.

If you think you could help, you can find your nearest branch by visiting www.cats.org.uk by phoning 03000 12 12 12 or by turning to the contacts section of this issue.

Cats Protection is the UK’s largest feline welfare charity with over 250 volunteer-run branches and 28 adoption centres across the country, plus the Sussex-based National Cat Centre. We rehome unwanted and abandoned cats, promote neutering and raise awareness of feline welfare issues throughout the UK. In this section, you can find out more about our work near you.

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

Hope for Osborne’s ode

Do you know the Muffin cats?

By Hornchurch & District

By Stockport

Our branch is totally out of money at the moment as we had two cats in our care that both needed special surgery; Hope’s treatment for a congenital deformity which affected her skin and tissue cost us £1,000 while another cat called Osborne cost us £1,500 to have a cyst removed from his liver. Obviously we still have the normal routine health checks going on for other cats, so in two months we have spent £5,000 which has cleared us out!

Through our publicity, Osborne is building up quite a local fan club. One member has written a poem about his story which we are using to as an incentive for donations towards his operation while a young local musician and her band organised a concert and raised a fantastic £400! We are still short of funds, however, and if you can help us with a donation we would be most grateful. Cheques should be made payable to Hornchurch Cats Protection and they should be sent to Cats Protection Hornchurch & District Branch, 3 Four Wantz Cottages, Hall Lane, Upminster Essex RM14 1TT.

This beautifully marked kitten, Muffin is 14 weeks old and was found as a garden kitten. We were looking forward to homing Muffin with her brother Bagel when unfortunately she sustained an accident resulting in a broken leg. She needed orthopaedic surgery, which greatly depleted our funds.

Muffin just wants to get back to playing with her brother and finding a new forever home. Her treatment is ongoing but we are hoping for a speedy recovery. Please make cheques payable to Stockport Cats Protection and send donations to Ms J Goodman, 3 Hexworth Walk, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 3DF.

Cedric’s a fighter

By Maidenhead, Slough & District We recently took in a stray suffering from a very severe collar injury. Cedric had been left to fend for himself when his owners moved away. Living rough, he managed to get one of his front legs through the neck of his collar. It was not a quick-release safety collar and he was stuck with it tightly wound across his chest, digging into the skin and creating a very nasty open wound.

Cedric suffered for two years before someone realised he needed treatment and phoned Cats Protection. Now at the vets, he has already had two operations, but after so long the wound is not healing and the only option may be to amputate the front leg. Despite everything, Cedric has a lovely nature and is friendly. When healed, he will be suitable for homing, even if he has to lose his leg. If you can help with Cedric’s treatment, please send donations to CP Treasurer c/o 44 Switchback Road South, Maidenhead SL6 7PZ. Cheques payable to Cats Protection Maidenhead Slough & District.

56 The Cat Autumn 2010

Save our Stanley

By Atherton & Wigan Metro Stanley came to us as a stray. He was desperately thin and in a very sorry state. We estimated his age to be around 12 years old. He is undergoing long-term veterinary care to remove a large growth on this face, however this cannot be done until his thyroid problem has been dealt with. Added to all this he has heart problems!

Stanley’s veterinary bills are £800 so far but the final bill will be much higher. If anyone can help us with Stanley’s costs we’d be so grateful. He isn’t a young boy but he deserves a chance.

Cheques should be made payable to Atherton & Wigan Metro Cats Protection and sent to Betty Jones, Branch Treasurer, 3 Rosedale Drive, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 2TN.

Help!

By Welwyn/Hatfield District Branch In May 2010 our group of experienced and dedicated volunteers received the official go ahead to form the new Welwyn/Hatfield District Branch. In the past surrounding branches had tried as best they could to cover the Welwyn and Hatfield area but, having contacted the local animal warden, other animal charities and the RSPCA, it was clear to all that a dedicated branch was needed.

Although a new branch, we have between us more than three decades of experience in fostering and animal care. We are extremely keen to start work in the area but our initial priority is fundraising to ensure we have sufficient funds to provide adequate care and treatment for the cats once they do begin to come in.

We know there is such a drastic situation awaiting us in the area when we are fully operational and would greatly appreciate any help anyone can offer – we are particularly looking for a single pen. If you can help, please send cheques payable to Bev Crisp, Co-ordinator, Welwyn Hatfield District Cats Protection, c/o 24 Bluett Road, London Colney, St. Albans, Herts AL2 1RN.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Winnie recruits new owner

May day!

By Salisbury & District

By Southampton

We recently ran a volunteer recruitment drive and put an article in the local paper to raise awareness of it.

The photographer, Roger, came out to photograph one of our fosterers, Lynne, with one of the cats in our care, Winnie – but Winnie was a very reluctant model and was evidently very camera shy! Lynne used one of her own cats in the end, but there was a happy ending for Winnie as Roger took such a shine to her that he ended up adopting her!

We received a call from a local agricultural college just before the first May Bank Holiday.

They had been handed in six kittens who had been found on a building site; the mother was nowhere to be found.

One of the Fosterers, Corinne, kindly offered to take them on.

There were no guarantees that the two-week-old kittens would survive, but against all the odds they have. This was down to the hard work of Corinne and her daughter, Alana. At eight years old, Alana is possibly the youngest of our helpers. She bakes cakes for us to sell, helps her mum on the stall, acts as midwife and now bottle feeds. All six kittens are now healthy and have just been for their first check-up and our vet told us what a good job our Fosterers had done, but all credit must go to Corinne and her family as we now have six lovely well socialised kittens going onto new homes.

All in a day’s work

By Guildford & Godalming

Four is the magic number

By Outer Aberdeen & District Four feral kittens approximately three months old were left in a basket at one of our local veterinary surgeries.

Initially very scared and ‘hissy’, the group of four have relaxed into a team that can stalk moths, spiders and cat treats with ease. The three males and one female are now neutered and, after several months in care, a suitable home has been offered at a local livery. All four are adjusting to their new home and will soon take over vermin control from their aging CP predecessors who are now ready to enjoy their retirement.

Our Publicity Officer, Sophia, recently started a new job.

Soon after joining, Sophia got talking to one of her new colleagues – another cat lover, called Laura. Laura told Sophia about her two cats, Pixie and Pickle, who she had adopted from the National Cat Adoption Centre (NCAC) in January.

Sophia asked to see a photo of the cats and immediately recognised them: they had been fostered by our branch and subsequently transferred to the NCAC to help improve their chances of finding a suitable home. At 18 years old, Pixie and Pickle were being overlooked in favour of younger cats.

Well, Pixie and Pickle have certainly struck lucky! Laura tells us that “they are both very well. Pickle is very content in her old age. She loves to sleep in her bed but enjoys a fuss, is extremely loving and purrs like a motorboat. Pixie is a little crazy, but loves company and a lap to sit on. Both love their food and are very spoilt!” Happy endings like this make it all worthwhile.

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

The Cat Autumn 2010

57

Messageboard from your local Cats Protection...

Dereham Adoption Centre

Sid

Male, 4 years

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell

Bedford, Biggleswade & District

Benji

Monty & Ella

Armagh Branch

Ziggy

Male, 12 weeks

Male, 5 years approx

Male, 8 months and female, 3 years Ella

Sid has a funny character and likes to sniff you out first – he enjoys attaching his head to your legs and rubbing himself all around you – he will allow gentle coaxing on his terms at times. Sid would need a stress-free home where he can come and go as he pleases. He came into us with urinary problems so may have to remain on a food that will help this.

Please can you offer an understanding home to this lovely, full-of-beans boy?

☎☎ 01362 687919

Glasgow

Rhu

Male, 7 years

Monty

Monty and Ella need a very special loving home together. Monty is very timid and hasn’t been handled at all. He needs a quiet home with someone who has a bit of time to spend with him to gain his trust. He seems to want to bond but is too afraid. He is not nasty in any way just hasn’t had the best start in life and needs someone to love him. We would like both cats to be homed.

☎☎ 08453 714 212

Benji needs a home with no young children or dogs.

Benji has a mass in his heart – the vets are confident he should lead a normal life but will have a slightly increased risk of blood clots. If necessary any treatment for his heart would be covered under our “Golden Oldie” scheme, meaning we would cover the costs. He would be a wonderful new addition to the right family – is that with you?

☎☎ 08442 496 911

West Oxfordshire

Pipsqueek

Female, 2 months

This lovely kitten was found in a plastic bag at the side of a country road. He was freezing cold and very thin. We weren’t sure of a positive outcome as he had cat flu but two weeks later he was a normal, mischievous little kitten despite his bedraggled appearance. His table manners need to be worked on – he currently enjoys his food while inside the bowl – but he is litter trained, very sociable and looking for a loving new home. Can you help?

☎☎ 07709 483 550

Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamstead Branch

Carlisle & Emmett Males, 1-2 years

Peterborough

Meg

Female, 2 years Carlisle

Rhu is an affectionate and friendly boy looking for a home with access to a garden. He is used to other cats and loves human company. Please get in touch if you can offer him the home he deserves.

☎☎ 0845 371 2722

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The Cat Autumn 2010

Meg is friendly and playful, but is not keen on other cats. She has an allergy which she needs medication for or she’ll lose her fur.

Can you give her the loving home that she deserves?

☎☎ 08453 712 750

Pipsqueek is tiny but is a survivor. She has grown a little and plays and behaves like her age but is very small. She is a little skinny around the chest and a bit potbellied and we are monitoring her closely but we are sure she’ll make it.

☎☎ 01993 831 350

Emmett

These two lovely boys were both found left outside a vet’s in Hemel Hempstead.

They are very friendly boys and get on well with our fosterer and her nine-yearold daughter. Carlisle is the boss and when Emmett is given a fuss he soon comes over to push your hand off to stroke him! Emmett is quiet but very affectionate.

☎☎ 01442 234 288

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

ast Devon Branch urgently needs a volunteer Treasurer. This position E requires someone with bookkeeping and computer skills and who is familiar with the workings of VAT for completion of the required spreadsheets. As we are a large branch, assistance is available for day-today financial administration such as paying invoices. Please contact our Co-ordinator on 01395 513 623 or by email on ruthhustler@gmail.com eading & District Branch would be delighted to hear from R volunteers able to spare half a day a week to help in its brand new shop in Tilehurst. If you would like to join us in this exciting new venture, please phone 0118 940 3005 or email volunteer@readinganddistrictcats.org edford, Biggleswade & District Branch is recruiting for the B following roles: Assistant Publicity Officer, Duty Officers and Home Checkers. We are currently very short on volunteers for these areas and are in need of people to come forward and offer some of your spare time. Full training given. If you think you can help out with any of these, please phone 08442 496 911 or email enquiries@bedfordcatsprotection.org.uk lasgow Branch is looking for additional Fosterers. If you have a G spare room or are interested in having a pen in your garden, please get in touch. We also have a range of other volunteer roles available. For further details please phone 08453 712 722. ltham, Sidcup & District Branch needs Fosterers as our shelter has E sadly shut after the local vet gave us notice. Could you care for cats waiting for homes in a pen in your garden or spare room? Bills and food are paid by us, you provide the TLC. Find out more about this very rewarding role from Jan on 07772 679 854 or at xray126jan@hotmail.com or Jennifer on 07506 505 452 or at jennyorme@live.co.uk eading (East) Wokingham & Bracknell Branch has vacant positions R for Fosterers. If you are interested in volunteering your time and would like to learn more about the above role, please contact us via 08453 714 212 or via www.readingeast.cats.org.uk. We request that anyone volunteering their time must join the branch first if they are not already a member.

To all the very kind people who sent donations to help Charlie with the terrible wound – The Cat, Spring 2010 – from everyone at Atherton & Wigan Metro Branch. He has now settled in to his new home where he is a well-loved companion to a disabled lady.

To everyone who sent in donations to Brighton & Hove City Branch to help with William’s vet fees – The Cat, Summer 2010. Sadly, despite extensive treatment, William recently lost his long and courageous battle for life. The damage done to him while living on the streets took its toll and his pain could no longer be relieved so we had to make the hard but kindest decision to let him go to sleep. We are so grateful to everyone who helped us to give him the chance of a new and happy life, even though, sadly, it wasn’t to be. We really appreciate your kindness.

To Michèle Hill who has been the Secretary for Truro & District Branch for more than 15 years.

Michèle has managed to juggle volunteering for us with bringing up a family and working full time.

She has been an enthusiastic volunteer and has been involved not only as a key administration volunteer but has helped with events, growing plants for sales and encouraging her family to get involved. Although Michèle has retired this year she is still very much part of what we do.

Michéle Hill and Mo Cope

rexham & District Branch is looking for volunteer Fosterers who W ideally have animal care experience. If you are interested in fundraising or helping out at the Wrexham Adoption Centre or charity shop, the branch would like to hear from you. We would also appreciate donations that can be sold at the charity shop. If you can help in any way, please phone 01352 754 420. eignbridge & Totnes Branch welcomes enthusiastic volunteers to T help with fundraising in the South Hams & Teignbridge areas. If you’d like to know more please phone Barbara on 08453 712 727. tockport Branch is looking for volunteers to help with S fostering cats. Cat food, cat litter, and vets fees can be provided by the branch. The branch is also looking for a volunteer(s) to help publicise the fundraising events and the work of the branch. Some of the work involved includes contacting local radio stations and newspapers to advertise our charity events and producing and distributing posters and flyers. This post would suit somebody with an interest in publicity, event organisation and marketing.

Other volunteering opportunities include helping to book our fundraising fairs, organising our annual Fun Day and helping to run our plant stall. If you would like to know more about volunteering, please phone Jacky Goodman on 07900 415 674, email stockport.cp@hotmail.com or visit one of our events.

Deadlines All branches are encouraged to send in stories and diary dates for every issue.

The deadlines for the next three issues are: • 17 September – Winter 2010 • 17 December – Spring 2011 • 18 March – Summer 2011 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 Autumn 2010 59

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

ENGLAND BEDFORDSHIRE Bedford & Biggleswade Fairs 21 November: Christmas fair, Great Barford Village Hall; 2.30-4pm. Volunteers required from 1.30pm.

BERKSHIRE Reading & District Collections 16 October: Collection and 25th anniversary information stand, Broad Street, Reading; 9am-4pm.

Fairs 4 September: 25th anniversary fair, Methodist Church Hall, School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 5AR; 2-4pm.

6 November: Autumn fayre, Methodist Church Hall, School Road, Tilehurst, Reading RG31 5AR; 1-3pm.

Shop The new Reading & District Branch Shop opened in June at 11 The Triangle, Tilehurst, Reading RG30 4RN. We look forward to welcoming you to this new and exciting branch venture which will also be an excellent window for all our activities.

Stalls 11 December: Jumble sale, All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Square, Reading RG1 6NH.

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell Collections 3-4 September: Tesco, Warfield; all day.

23 October: Morrisons, Bracknell (The Point); all day.

Fairs 13 November: Winter fair, Carnation Hall, Chavey Down; 1-4pm.

Monthly Meetings 27 September: Our Lady of Peace (OLOP) Church Hall, Wokingham Road, Earley (Earley Cross Roads), RG6 7DA; 8pm.

25 October: As above.

29 November: As above.

Stalls 29-30 August: Swallowfield show; all day.

14 September: Woodley Pagoda, Woodley Shopping Centre, RG5 3JJ; all day from 8am. Sale of second-hand goods in a covered Pagoda style area.

14 October: As above.

4 November: As above.

19-20 November: Wokingham Mayor’s charity market; 10am-4pm.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Milton Keynes & District Collections 25 September: Community Desk, MK Shopping Centre; 9am-5pm.

30-31 October: Dobbies Garden Centre, Fenny Stratford; 10am-4pm.

27 November: Community Desk, MK Shopping Centre; 9am-5pm.

12 December: Community Desk, MK Shopping Centre; 11am-5pm.

Stalls 30 August: Winslow show 30 August: Stony Stratford town fayre

CHESHIRE Stockport Fairs 4 September: Cheadle, Trinity Church, Massie Street SK8 1DU; 10am-12.30pm.

2 October: Hazel Grove, United Reformed Hall, Commercial Road; 10am-12.30pm.

13 November: Woodley, Civic Hall, Hyde Road; 10am-12.30pm.

Fashion show 9 September: Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Road, Bramhall Lane, (Bramhall/Davenport/ Woodsmoor area) SK3 8TP. Please support our ever popular autumn fashion show. Once again the fashions are provided

by Fizz Clothing; their clothing range is great value for money and there is something for everyone. For further details please phone 0161 439 1274 or email stockport.cp@hotmail.com

CORNWALL Falmouth, Helston & District Collections 20 October: Co-op, Helston; 9.30am-2pm.

11 December: Sainsbury’s, Falmouth; 9.30am-2pm.

DEVON East Devon Open Days 20 November: Fluxton Farm Sanctuary, Nr. Ottery St. Mary; 10.30am-3pm.

Morning coffees, light lunches, stalls.

Stalls 25 September: Coffee morning, The Village Hall, East Budleigh; 10am-12noon.

23 October: Coffee morning/festive bazaar, The Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St. Mary; 10am-12noon.

2 December: Mince pie coffee morning/bazaar, All Saints Church Hall, Sidmouth; 10am-12noon.

Teignbridge & Totnes Fairs 27 November: Christmas fayre and coffee morning at Methodist Church Hall, Bovey Tracey; 10am12.30pm. Wide variety of stalls including homemade cakes, seasonal gifts, books, bric-a-brac, cat goods and raffle.

Stalls 12 September: Animals in Distress dog show, Ipplepen; from 11am.

60 The Cat Autumn 2010

9 October: Coffee morning and variety of stalls at Moretonhampstead Community Club; 10am-12noon.

30 October: Charities event, Bovey Tracey Methodist Hall; 10am-12 noon.

1 December: Victorian evening, Newton Abbot Market Square.

EAST SUSSEX Brighton & Hove City Collections 25 September: George Street, Hove; 9am-1pm.

10-11 December: Sainsbury’s, New England Quarter, Brighton. This will be our final fundraiser before Christmas so would appreciate as much help as possible.

Contact Anita at on 01273 508 406 or email anitawestgate@aol.com Fairs 13 November: Christmas fair, St George’s Church Hall, Court Farm Rd, Hove; 2-4pm.

Usual stalls, raffle, tombola, cakes and refreshments.

Donations of homemade preserves etc appreciated.

Friends of Eastbourne Stalls 11 September: Cream tea, Eastbourne Adoption Centre, Marshfoot Lane, Hailsham; 12noon-3pm.

ESSEX Harlow, Epping Forest & District Stalls 29-30 August: Countess of Warwick country show, Little Easton, Great Dunmow.

Rayleigh, Castle Point & District Fairs 4 September: Cat homing show, Rayleigh Methodist Hall, Eastwood Road, Rayleigh; 10.30am-1pm.

18 September: Bazaar, Richmond Hall, High Road, Benfleet; 10.30am-1pm.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

2 October: Bazaar, British Legion Hall, Castle Lane, Hadleigh; 10.30am-12.15pm.

16 October: Cat homing show, WRVS Hall, Richmond Ave, Benfleet; 10.30am-1pm.

7 November: Craft & gift fair, The Mill, Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh; 10.30am-4pm.

Stalls 30 August: Rayleigh Family Fun Day, King George V playing fields, Websters Way, Rayleigh; 10am-4pm.

HAMPSHIRE Basingstoke & District Fairs 12 September: Craft fair & fête, The Viables Centre, The Harrow Way, Basingstoke; 11.30am-3.30pm. Craft stalls, Cats Protection goods, tombola, bric-a-brac, plant stall, cakes, games and refreshments.

16 October: Autumn fair, Ambrose Allen Centre, Franklin Avenue, Tadley; 1pm-4pm. Cats Protection goods, cake stall, books, bric-a-brac, tombola and raffle. Refreshments also available.

HERTFORDSHIRE Berkhamsted & Hemel Hempstead Collections 4 September: Street collection at Hemel Hempstead high street and sale of goods in Bank Court; all day event.

23 October: Street collection in Berkhamsted; all day event. Please look out for us and say hello – we’ll be in the high street.

Quiz 16 October: We had such a brilliant turnout last year and everyone who came said they had a fantastic time. Please join us for a fun night out, book early to avoid disappointment; if you can’t make up a whole team, don’t worry, just contact us and we will put you with other friendly people!

Great Amwell & District Fairs 18 September: Scouts fête, Deaconsfield, Broxbourne.

16 October: Leaside bazaar, High Street, Ware.

27 November: Christmas bazaar, Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon Parish Church; 9.30am-2pm.

Stalls 22 September: Hoddesdon market.

Quiz 2 October: Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon Parish Church; 7-10.30pm.

KENT Friends of Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre Open Day 5 September: Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre, Matts Hill Road, Hartlip ME9 7XA; 11am-4pm. Entrance 50p, free parking nearby.

Official opening at 11.45am

by BBC Radio Kent’s top presenter Pat Marsh. Lots of entertainment for all the family including: arena events such as dancing and martial arts displays; children’s entertainers and Scotty’s Circus Workshop; raffles; tombola; vintage car displays; and our cat photo competition – bring along your favourite prints for a chance to win a rosette.

Grab plenty of bargains at our bric-a-brac stalls, as well as books, toys, CP merchandise, plants and local goodies. Refreshments, BBQ and ice creams galore all afternoon. Not forgetting the chance to find out more about the work of the centre and to meet some of the beautiful cats waiting for loving new homes.

For more details email the FOB’s Secretary Linda at lindalisgarten@hotmail.co.uk or phone the centre on 01634 232 471.

LINCOLNSHIRE Skegness, Spilsby & Alford Stalls 4 September: Tombola, Morrison’s, Skegness; 10am-3pm.

16 October: Tombola, Hildreds Centre, Skegness; 10am-3pm.

SOMERSET Glastonbury & Wells Fairs 20 November: Christmas fair, Wells Town Hall; 9.30am-3pm. Both floors; with refreshments.

SURREY Guildford & Godalming Collections 4 September: Guildford High Street, 9am-4pm.

Sutton & Cheam Stalls 23 October: St. Helier Methodist Church, Green Lane; 10-11.30am.

30p admission. Bric-a-brac, books and clothes sale.

WEST SUSSEX Mid Sussex Collections 9 October: Haywards Heath street collection; 9am-3pm.

Stalls 11 September: Victoria Park, Haywards Heath; 12noon-5pm.

13 November: Kit Wilson bazaar, Village Hall, Newick; 2-5pm.

YORKSHIRE Doncaster Fairs 27 November: Christmas fayre, New Hall, Bawtry; 12noon-3pm.

Stalls 4-5 September: Art Festival, Barnby Dun Church

Wharfe Valley Fairs 19 November: Flower arranging demonstration, Kirklands Community Centre, Main Street, Menston LS29; doors open 7.30pm for 8pm. Talented local flower arranger, Sandra Harder, will be creating stunning flower displays on stage throughout the evening for her audience.

She has a very informal, friendly style and she will also tell you what flowers and colours she is using for each of her arrangements.

All the arrangements she creates will be raffled at the end of the night and the lucky winners will be able to take home one of her

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

creations. Tickets are £7 and include a glass of wine or soft drinks for the drivers!

For further information regarding tickets please phone 01943 870 580 as tickets are limited.

SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE Stonehaven Stalls 4 September: ‘Planestones’ under the arches at Stonehaven Market Square; 10am-1pm. Selling bric-abrac and CP goodies.

2 October: ‘Planestones’ under the arches at Stonehaven Market Square; 10am-1pm. Selling bric-abrac and CP goodies.

LANARKSHIRE Friends of Kirkintilloch Adoption Centre Stalls 24 November: Annual Charities Christmas fayre, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow; 10am-4pm.

WALES CLWYD Wrexham Open days 2 September: ‘Cuddle a cat’ evening, Wrexham Adoption Centre; 5-8pm.

Quiz 3 September: Quiz night at Wrexham Lager Club; 8pm.

Put together a team and join us for an entertaining evening.

Stalls 28 August: Denbigh show.

Information stand and fundraising stall.

26-28 November: Pets at Home, Wrexham. Plenty of Christmas gift ideas for cat lovers on our stall.

MID-GLAMORGAN Bridgend Adoption Centre Open days 11 September: Open day; 10.30am-4pm.

The Cat Autumn 2010

61

Contacts

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

England South East Bredhurst Kent *Matts * Hill Road, Hartlip, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7XA ☎☎ 01634 232 471 88www.bredhurstkent.cats.org.uk Friends of Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre Chelmsford & District *Willow * Grove, Deadmans Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford CM2 8LZ ☎☎ 01245 478 389 Eastbourne *63 * Marshfoot Lane, Hailsham, * East Sussex BN27 2RB ☎☎ 01323 440 101 88www.eastbourne.cats.org.uk Friends of Eastbourne Adoption Centre Ferndown Homing Centre *51 * Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne, * Dorset BH21 7QZ ☎☎ 03000 120 175 88www.ferndown.cats.org.uk Haslemere *Chase * Lodge Studio, Hammer Lane, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 1QD ☎☎ 01428 604 297 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

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

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

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

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

Colne Valley ☎☎ 08009 889 417 88www.colnevalley.com/cats.htm

Paddington ☎☎ 020 7249 0489 88www.paddington.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Epsom, Ewell & District ☎☎ 01737 640 882 88www.epsom.cats.org.uk Folkestone & Hythe ☎☎ 01303 237 744 88www.folkestonehythe.cats.org.uk

Swale ☎☎ 01795 877 502 88www.swale.cats.org.uk

Great Amwell & District ☎☎ 01992 467 826 88www.greatamwell.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thurrock & District ☎☎ 08453 712 752

Hastings & District ☎☎ 01424 754 328 Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted ☎☎ 08453 711 851 88www.dacorum.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lea Valley ☎☎ 08453 712 740 88www.leavalley.cats.org.uk

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

Lewes, Seaford & District ☎☎ 01273 812 568 88www.lewes.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

Medway & Gravesham ☎☎ 08453 712 757

62 The Cat Autumn 2010

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

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

Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough & District ☎☎ 01892 516 377 88www.uckfield.cats.org.uk Woking & District ☎☎ 01483 721 700 88www.woking.cats.org.uk Worthing & District ☎☎ 01903 200 332 88www.worthingcatsprotection.org.uk

Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey *20 * Chipstead Valley Road, * Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 2RA ☎☎ 0208 660 7475 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 *94a * High Street, Tenterden, * Kent TN30 6JB ☎☎ 01580 765 277 Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough & District *119 * Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QY ☎☎ 01892 531 428 Worthing & District *35 * Rowlands Road, Worthing,* West Sussex BN11 3JJ ☎☎ 01903 200 332

South & South West

Chichester *7a * Crane Street, Chichester, * West Sussex P019 1LH ☎☎ 01243 774 737

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

Colne Valley **75 High Street, Halstead, * Essex CO9 2JD ☎☎ 01787 274 667

Isle of Wight *122 * Marlborough Road, Ryde,* Isle of Wight PO33 1AW ☎☎ 01983 562 609

Croydon *13 * High Street, Purley, * Surrey CR8 2AF ☎☎ 0208 763 9898

Friends of Isle of Wight Adoption Centre

Ealing & West London *3a * Albert Terrace, Pittshanger Lane, Ealing W5 1RL ☎☎ 0208 752 0793

Newbury & District *Heatherpine, * Curridge Road, Curridge, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9DH ☎☎ 01635 200 111 Truro *Point * Road, Carnon Downs, * Truro, Cornwall TR3 6JN ☎☎ 01872 870 575

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Andover & District ☎☎ 01256 892 019 88www.andovercats.org.uk

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

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

Barnstaple & District ☎☎ 01271 860 787 88www.barnstaple.cats.org.uk

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

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

Basingstoke & District ☎☎ 01256 352 281 88www.basingstoke-cats.org.uk

Minehead ☎☎ 08453 712 761

Bristol & District *272 * North Street, Bedminster,* Bristol BS3 1JA ☎☎ 0117 963 9028

Bath & District ☎☎ 01179 861 467 88www.bath.cats.org.uk Blandford & Sturminster Newton ☎☎ 01258 858 644 88www.blandfordcats.org.uk Bournemouth & District ☎☎ 01202 579 468 88www.bournemouthcats.org.uk Bridgwater ☎☎ 01278 684 662 Bristol & District ☎☎ 01179 665 428 88www.bristol.cats.org.uk

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 Plymouth ☎☎ 08453 712 753 88www.plymouth.cats.org.uk Portsmouth ☎☎ 08453 712 743 88www.portsmouth.cats.org.uk

Bournemouth & District *333-335 * Charminster Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 9QR ☎☎ 01202 530 757 Cheltenham *20 * St James Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 2SH ☎☎ 01242 234 494 East Devon *72 * High Street, Sidmouth,* Devon EX10 8EQ ☎☎ 01395 513 394

Nottingham *The * Gate House, New Farm Lane, Nuthall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 1DY ☎☎ 0115 938 6557 Ashfield & Amber Valley ☎☎ 01246 825 165 88www.freenetpages.co.uk/HP/ ashfieldcats/ Bedford & Biggleswade ☎☎ 08442 496 911 Burton on Trent ☎☎ 01283 511 454 Cannock & Burntwood ☎☎ 01543 279 641 88www.cannock.cats.org.uk Coventry ☎☎ 02476 251 491 88www.coventrycats.org.uk Evesham & District ☎☎ 01386 833 343 Halesowen & District ☎☎ 08453 712 062 88www.halesowen.cats.org.uk

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

Forest of Dean *The * Forest Cat, 28a Newerne Street, Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 5RF ☎☎ 01594 841 848

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

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

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

Cherwell ☎☎ 07716 596 212 88themurdybird@aol.com

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

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

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

Cirencester, Tetbury & District ☎☎ 01285 641 289 88http://cirencats.tripod.com/

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

Mere & Gillingham *Pothecarys, * High Street, Gillingham, Dorset SP8 4AA

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

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

Reading & District *11 * The Triangle, Tilehurst, Reading RG30 4RN

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

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

Taunton & Wellington *48 * Bridge Street, Taunton,* Somerset TA1 1UD ☎☎ 01823 322 244

Mansfield & District ☎☎ 01623 845 846

Callington & District ☎☎ 01579 382 794 88www.callington.cats.org.uk

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

Swindon ☎☎ 01793 644 536 88www.swindon.cats.org.uk Taunton & Wellington ☎☎ 01823 461 527 88www.taunton.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

Truro & District *23 * Pydar Street, Truro,* Cornwall TR1 2AY ☎☎ 01872 276 351 88www.trurodistrict.cats.org.uk

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

Gosport Town ☎☎ 02392 582 601

Truro & District ☎☎ 01209 861 134 ☎☎ 01872 275 402 (feral enquiries) 88www.trurodistrict.cats.org.uk

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

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

West Dorset ☎☎ 01305 262 737 88www.westdorset.cats.org.uk

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

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

Weston-Super-Mare & District ☎☎ 08453 712 066

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

Gloucester ☎☎ 07891 112 654 88www. gloucester.cats.org.uk

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

West Oxfordshire ☎☎ 01993 831 350 Winchester & District ☎☎ 01962 883 536 or 01962 884 468

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

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

Kettering & Corby ☎☎ 01536 514 014 88www.kettering.cats.org.uk Leicester & District ☎☎ 01162 881 318

Mid Warwickshire ☎☎ 01926 334 849 88www.midwarwick.cats.org.uk Northampton ☎☎ 08447 003 251 88www.catspro-northants.org.uk North Birmingham ☎☎ 0121 377 6302 88www.northbirmingham.cats.org.uk Nottingham ☎☎ 01159 386 557 88www.cp-nottingham.org Ross-on-Wye & District ☎☎ 08453 712 763 88www.rossonwye.cats.org.uk Rugby ☎☎ 01788 570 010 88www.rugby.cats.org.uk South Birmingham ☎☎ 0121 444 4433 88www.southbham.cats.org.uk

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Autumn 2010 63

Stafford & District ☎☎ 01785 214 861 88www.stafford.cats.org.uk Stoke & Newcastle ☎☎ 01782 515167 88www.stoke.cats.org.uk Stourbridge & District ☎☎ 08448 848 520 88www.stourbridgecats.org.uk Telford & District ☎☎ 01952 201 167 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 ☎☎ 01386 751 925 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 South Birmingham *294 * Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7NH ☎☎ 0121 4412 480

East Dereham *Hoe * Road Farm, Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 2RP ☎☎ 01362 687 919 Friend of Dereham Adoption Centre Downham Market *Wards * Chase, Stowbridge, Kings Lynn, Norfolk PE34 3NN ☎☎ 01366 382 311 Friends of Downham Market Adoption Centre

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

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

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

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

Durham City & District ☎☎ 01913 860 902

Waveney *Beccles * Bazaar, 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

Adel & District ☎☎ 01132 610 694 88www.adel.cats.org.uk

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

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

Louth & Mablethorpe ☎☎ 01507 601 492

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

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

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

Beverley & Pocklington ☎☎ 01482 861 866 88www.bpcp.org.uk Blackburn & District ☎☎ 01254 580 642 88www.blackburn.cats.org.uk Bolton & Radcliffe ☎☎ 07760 780 759

St Neots & District ☎☎ 01480 476 696 88www.stneots.cats.org.uk

Burnley & Pendle ☎☎ 01282 859 847 88www.burnley.cats.org.uk

Scunthorpe & District ☎☎ 01724 783 555

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

Skegness, Spilsby & Alford ☎☎ 01754 830 621 88www.skegnesscats.org.uk Sleaford & District ☎☎ 01529 488 749 88www.sleaford.cats.org.uk Spalding & District ☎☎ 01775 725 661 88www.spalding.cats.org.uk Stamford & District ☎☎ 01778 590 008

64 The Cat Autumn 2010

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

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

Peterborough & District ☎☎ 08453 712 750 88www.peterboroughcats.co.uk

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

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

York *582 * Huntington Road, Huntington,* York, North Yorkshire YO32 9QA ☎☎ 01904 760 356

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

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

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

Haverhill & Stour Valley ☎☎ 01440 730 096 88www.stourvalley.cats.org.uk

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

Telford & District *Madeley * Centre Mall, Russell Square, Madeley, Telford TF7 5BB *75 * High Street, Broseley,* Telford TF12 5EX ☎☎ 01952 884 388

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

St Neots & District *10 * Cross Keys Mall, Market Square, St Neots PE19 2AR

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

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

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

Carlisle & District ☎☎ 01228 540 330 88www.carlisle.cats.org.uk Chesterfield & District ☎☎ 08453 712 754 88www.chesterfieldcats.co.uk Crewe & District ☎☎ 01270 588 710 88www.crewe.cats.org.uk Culcheth & Glazebury ☎☎ 01925 764 604

East Northumberland ☎☎ 07749 713 142 (6–9pm) Gateshead & District ☎☎ 0191 420 3180 88www.cats.org.uk/branch/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 Newcastle upon Tyne ☎☎ 0191 296 3512 88www.cats-protection-newcastle.co.uk North Sheffield ☎☎ 01142 456 371 Pickering & District ☎☎ 01653 693 958 Preston ☎☎ 0772 748 788 88www.prestoncpl.com Rochdale ☎☎ 01457 875 483 88www.rochdale.cats.org.uk Sheffield Hallam ☎☎ 01142 493 330 88www.catsprotectionshop.com South Wirral ☎☎ 0151 355 9813 Stockport ☎☎ 0161 439 1274 88www.stockport.cats.org.uk Teesside ☎☎ 01642 589 090 88www.teesside.cats.org.uk Trafford ☎☎ 0161 610 2189 or 0161 969 0331 88www.trafford.cats.org.uk Wear Valley & Darlington ☎☎ 07966 653 388 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 *Cats * Whiskers, 1 School Lane, Burscough, Lancashire L40 4AE ☎☎ 01704 893 393

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Chesterfield & District *2* Cavendish Street, * Chesterfield S40 1UY ☎☎ 01246 279 163

Clackmannanshire & Stirling *Ochivale * Terrace, Fishcross, Alloa, Clackmannanshire FK10 3HT ☎☎ 01259 720 555

Isle of Lewis ☎☎ 01851 612 448

Derby & District *31 * The Wardwick, Derby DE1 1HA ☎☎ 01332 360 808 *Institute * Buildings, North End, Wirksworth, Derbyshire DE4 4FG

Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035

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

Kirkintilloch *Cardyke * Farm, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow G66 5LD ☎☎ 0141 779 3341

Montrose & Brechin ☎☎ 08453 712 738

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 ☎☎ 01642 607 435 York *13 * Walmgate, York YO1 9TX ☎☎ 01904 620 361

Wales Bridgend *Green * Acres, Pant Hirwaun,* Bryncethin, Bridgend,* Mid Glamorgan CF32 9UJ ☎☎ 01656 724 396 Wrexham *Alma * House, Madeira Hill, Wrexham, Clwyd LL13 7HD ☎☎ 01978 313 574 88www.wrexham.cats.org.uk Aberystwyth & District ☎☎ 01970 822 120 Cardiff ☎☎ 02920 369 138 88www.cardiff.cats.org.uk Colwyn & District ☎☎ 01492 660 221 88www.colwyn.cats.org.uk Gwent ☎☎ 08453 712 747 88www.gwentsouthcp.org.uk Newtown & District ☎☎ 01686 670 277 88www.newtown.cats.org.uk Rhondda Valleys ☎☎ 01443 437 709 Swansea & District ☎☎ 08452 179 648 88www.swanseacats.co.uk Wrexham & District ☎☎ 01978 313 574 88www.wrexham.cats.org.uk Colwyn & District *28 * Sea View Road,* Colwyn Bay LL29 8DG ☎☎ 01492 535 655 Wrexham & District *60 * Chester Street,* Wrexham LL13 8BA ☎☎ 01978 310 555 Swansea & District *85 * Brynymor Road, Swansea SA1 4JE ☎☎ 01792 208 808

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

Friends of Kirkintilloch Adoption Centre Shetland *Gott, * Shetland ZE2 9SH ☎☎ 01595 840 517 Alness & District ☎☎ 08453 714 204 88www.alness.cats.org.uk Ardnamurchan ☎☎ 01967 431 203 88www.ardnamurchan.cats.org.uk Caithness ☎☎ 08453 714 217 88www.caithnesscatsprotection.org.uk Central Aberdeen ☎☎ 01224 749 568 88www.catsprotection.org.uk Central Dumfries ☎☎ 01387 710 083 88www.centraldumfries.cats.org.uk Clackmannanshire & Stirling ☎☎ 01259 720 555 88www.clackscats.org.uk Cumnock & Doon Valley ☎☎ 08453 714 219 Deeside ☎☎ 07837 342 660

Kilmarnock & District ☎☎ 08453 712 715

Moray ☎☎ 07837 342 646 88www.buckie.cats.org.uk Nairn ☎☎ 08453 712 714 88www.nairn.cats.org.uk North Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 218 88www.northayrshire.cats.org.uk North Skye ☎☎ 07817 943 072 Orkney Islands ☎☎ 01856 771 642 88www.orkneycats.co.uk Outer Aberdeen & District ☎☎ 01224 705 252 88www.cats-outer-aberdeen.org.uk Peebles & Biggar ☎☎ 0707 4357 228

South Skye ☎☎ 07787 054 485 (mobile)

Forfar & District ☎☎ 08453 712 063 88www.forfar.cats.org.uk Fort William & District ☎☎ 01397 772 071 Fraserburgh ☎☎ 07876 513 593 Glasgow ☎☎ 08453 712 722 88www.glasgow.cats.org.uk Huntly & Keith ☎☎ 01466 760 311 Inverness ☎☎ 07815 910 861 88www.inverness.cats.org.uk Inverurie & Alford ☎☎ 01467 625 695 88www.cats-inverurie.co.uk Isle of Arran ☎☎ 01770 820 611

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

Shetland ☎☎ 01595 840 588 88www.cats.shetland.co.uk

East Neuk of Fife ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.eastfife.cats.org.uk

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

South Ayrshire *100 * Main Street, Prestwick, KA9 1PA

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

South Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 216 88www.southayrshire.cats.org.uk

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

Outer Aberdeen & District *187 * George Street,* Aberdeen AB25 1HZ ☎☎ 01224 658 565

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

Dundee & District ☎☎ 01382 450 035

East Lothian & Berwickshire Branch ☎☎ 08453 714 215 88www.berwickshire.cats.org.uk

Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 *5* Reform Street, Monifieth, * Dundee DD5 4BA ☎☎ 01382 534 316

Stewartry & District ☎☎ 01557 339 233 88www.stewartry.cats.org.uk Stonehaven ☎☎ 01569 739 396 88www.stonehaven.cats.org.uk Stranraer & District ☎☎ 08453 712 759 Strathspey ☎☎ 08453 712 725 88www.strathspey.cats.org.uk Tain & District ☎☎ 08453 712 737 88www.tain.cats.org.uk Turriff & District ☎☎ 07050 241 846 Uist ☎☎ 07050 121 586 West Lothian ☎☎ 08453 712 719 88www.cats-westlothian.org.uk 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

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

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Autumn 2010 65

rner!

Co Welcome to Kids’

in ers so please send our younger read m e fro ur ar ct he pi y to er gs – ev We love jokes and drawin rs, tte le k ac ed bl m a s he in your cat-t vourite w this issue our fa in ; ize pr a s in w printed ly toy cat. and white cudd , tional Cat Centre Cat magazine, Na e Th l to : ai at em us to via e Writ 17 7TT or ywards Heath RH Ha , te e, m Ga na d ur oo w Chel et to tell us yo g.uk. Don’t forg editorial@cats.or s. age and addres

Photo: iStockphoto.com/Ekaterina Monakhova

your cise is essential for er ex at th ow kn u Did yo lbeing? cat’s health and wel ing around the

runn thing better than Some cats like no e time indoors. To d efer to spen mor pr rs he ot toy. d an en gard try making him a to play, you could t ca ur yo e ag ur enco cut into d box with holes ur cat a cardboar will be ich wh You could give yo r attached ing with a feathe ta pu lly fu re it or a piece of str could ca his attention. You ur yo r fo e ttl good for catching plastic bo se and bell into a a th wi n fu small hessian mou en have d he’ll probably ev cat to play with an e of paper! scrunched up piec es a day, while g three or four tim in ay pl ve lo ll wi Older cats 10 be happy to play younger cats will e or m e ar e e! Ther times a day or mor on ay pl to games toys to make and tion of the Cats Protec on cti se SuperCat’s r fo ns tio ng instruc website – includi own cake! Maybe ry ve ur making yo your a go and send us you could give it Kids r fo ts Ca e ok at th photos? Take a lo ids * r-k fo ts/ca uk ts.org. section at www.ca cake ult for help

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Congratulations to Phoebe who wins a black and white cuddly toy cat. As soft as velvet, this handmade cud dly toy has been kindly donated by www.thegiftexperience.co. uk * Well done to our runners up Grace, Tom, Jessica and Megan who eac h win a copy of Kittens and Cats Sticker Stat ion by Top That!

Publishing – for more great activity books, visit www.topthatpublishing. com *Not suitable for children unde

r 36 months due to small parts

WINNER!

sey, Hampshire

Phoebe, 7, Rom

Megan’s letter

Tom, 8, Shep

perton, Midd

lesex

I would like to say thank you to the Cats Protection branch in Saxmundham for helping when we found a litter of five kittens. I was walking with Mum one evening and as we went past a collapsed fence in a wood, something went bump underneath it. A littl e fluffy head popped out, the n another and another. We did n’t know what to do but left the kittens there in case the mum was about and promis ed to go back the next day to check. When we went back we managed to catch the kittens and took them home in a box. It was so magical and an experience I will never for get.

It was sad saying goodbye to them a few days later, but we couldn’t keep them and I kno w they are being looked afte r well. The lady at Cats Protec tion thought they were abo ut five weeks old and as they were so friendly they couldn ’t be wild. My mum has gone back to the place several tim es to try and see the mother, but there is no sign. Could someone have dumped these lovely kittens? If Cats Protection had not helped I don’t know what we would have done.

Megan, 7, Suffolk Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

makingmemories

Memories of Mitzi

Gaynor Waters fondly remembers a cherished companion

M

68 The Cat Autumn 2010

I was upset about something, she came over and put her paw on my arm. She then sat beside me until I’d composed myself.

After two years in the flat, we moved to a house in Wales.

That moving day turned into a major drama when she did a disappearing act and it wasn’t until many, anxious hours later that she was found. She was very quiet in her basket on the journey but, going along the motorway, I suddenly smelt a bad smell. I thought she’d done a poo so I pulled up onto the hard shoulder and got out of the car. It was then that I realised the smell was all around and obviously from a nearby sewage works. The little darling was as good as gold all the way and only miaowed when I called her name.

She loved having her own garden at the new house and was highly protective of her territory. Tyler, a gentle neighbourhood tom tried to befriend her but she saw him off every time he came near. Once she caught him rolling on her favourite patch in the garden and screamed and hissed so loud that my neighbour came out.

It was in 2005, when Mitzi was eight that she became ill and the vet told me her kidneys were failing. I had to make the dreaded decision to end her suffering and have her put to sleep. I was heartbroken but kept it together long enough to talk to her as she slipped away. My consolation is that I was with her to the end and she knew it.

We’d had seven years together and life wasn’t the same without my little companion so, after a few weeks, I decided to adopt another cat. Ruby, a partially sighted tabby, now shares my home with me but I will never forget Mitzi, the beautiful little minx who opened my heart.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

itzi came to live with me in 1998. I had just moved into a flat with its own front door and a cat flap and, being thrifty, I didn’t want to waste it. She came from a rescue centre; was skinny, half bald and nervous but, definitely feisty and the black one year old had the cutest of faces.

The first night she spent behind the settee and no amount of coaxing would get her out but the next night she came onto my bed and from then on slept there on her own soft fleece. I kept her indoors for the first three weeks and when the day came for her to go out I was very anxious. The cat flap was unlocked and I pushed it for her to see how it was done. She made a half-hearted attempt to push with little success so, to help, I wedged it open with a pencil. Out she went and tentatively explored the steps leading down to the flats’ communal garden. I was nervous but didn’t want to inhibit her by following so, resolved it by holding a mirror out through the cat flap. I then monitored her progress and ensured none of the neighbourhood cats attacked her.

She loved any kind of fish and her daily treat was a few prawns. I used to say, “look!” while dangling a prawn in front of her. After a while prawns became known as ‘looks’ and when I asked her if she wanted a ‘look’ she knew exactly what I meant.

Visitors to the flat were always viewed with suspicion and she usually did her antisocial disappearing act. Later she’d reappear, walking purposefully back into the room, ignoring everyone en route to her favourite place by the window.

People used to comment on how aloof she was and I always found myself protectively justifying her behaviour.

I learned that she’d been neglected previously and had never received any strokes or cuddles. She didn’t like being picked up but after a few months made a decision to jump onto my lap where she stayed, happily, until I made a slight move, which prompted her to jump off. This behaviour continued and I spent many hours, motionless, with her on my lap purring away happily.

Two male cats lived downstairs and Mitzi disliked both of them. Whenever they came near her she would shriek and chase them away. Another neighbour had a female cat and Mitzi wandered onto her territory one day. She then received a taste of her own medicine and was chased at breakneck speed until I put a stop to it. Lily was a lovely cat but they never became friends and remained very protective of their territories.

Mitzi and I became the best of friends and my life had certainly been enhanced by her presence. One day, when

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 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 C INDY , 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.

PETULA . Thank you for bringing us so much joy. We miss you ‘P’. Joan & Roy. In loving memory of T WIGGY – 16.05.07. Loved and sadly missed. Always in our thoughts and hearts.

Love Mummy, Daddy, Perry, Leo.

J AMIE STEWART RTA 19.10.89 aged 10. SADIE PTS 12.02.04 aged 16. My best friends, I will always love you. Mummy.

CHEEKY died 21.10.05 aged 18. Our big lovely boy gave us so much love.

Mum misses you so much.

Elizabeth, Dave & David.

ELLIE-MAE – the cruellest loss. RTA 08.04.09 aged 5.

Darling baby girl, I can’t believe you are gone. Dearly loved and missed.

FIONN – our darling little boy. RTA 25.06.03 aged 7 months. So loved and missed every day.

ARBIE – PTS 09.03.99 B aged 19 and LUCY died 22.01.00 aged 20½. Dearly loved and remembered always. Mummy, Daddy, Bonnie and Rowley.

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

ASHA RICHARDS S 14.07.94-25.07.08. When I touch a red rose, I touch your fur, listen, I can hear you purr… love you, your Mum.

P IP , not a day goes by when

In loving memory of SOOTY a loving friend, fell asleep 27.10.09. Age 20. At rest in his favourite garden with MOWIE and BEN .

Till we meet again. Peter and Tiggy.

C HARLIE – PTS 19.04.09.

I don’t think of you though it’s nearly a year since you left. I miss you terribly, meet me at Rainbow Bridge.

Much love Jay.

N IGS , SHANDY , P OPPY and SYBIL much missed, never forgotten.

Love always, Elaine, Roy and Rufus.

J ESS – June 1995-15.03.10.

You had a rotten beginning.

Love was yours when I took over 13½ years ago. Miss you so much. Meryl.

C LOWIE 30.12.09. Spirited, playful, amusing; you brought to us great joy. God bless you Clowie, with all our love, Dad and Mark.

Remembering LEO a very special Siamese passed away 12.04.10. 14 years of life together, truly one of a kind. Treasured memories.

Sharon x Darling DAISY PTS 28.10.09. Aged 9. No more suffering now. Also M ITZI , SYLVIE and B OBBIE . Always loved and remembered. Mummy.

In loving memory of my darling KATIE . Taken much too soon. PTS 21.04.09.

Miss and love you always.

RIP. Love mummy (birthday memories 5.4.2004).

SASHA 16.02.94, P ORTIA 15.07.99 and S ASHA 2nd 22.12.05. My beautiful Siamese girlies, missed so very much. In our hearts forever. Love Mummy & Purdy Xx

S UKI – (aged 19). Fighter to the end, my beautiful soulmate, loved & treasured.

Wait for me on the other side. Mammy xx Age, nearing 20, caught up with BLACULA on 12.05.10. A graduate of CP Farnham, he was the complete cat.

E VENDEN FILIGREEKATIE 06.06.93-07.05.10.

She loved and was loved.

My brave beautiful loving boy. I’ll never forget what we shared. I love you so much. Miss you terribly.

Michèle xx

P ANTHER , a wonderful character, 31.10.09 and

A RIEL , a darling female, 12.02.10. Loved and so very missed. Ron and Linda.

J ESS PTS 14.05.10. aged 17 years. Mourning and missing you so much, my beautiful Sugar-pops. Love, Lin. In loving memory of

S IMBA – 03.09.01.

Our special boy – missed so much. Always in our thoughts and hearts. Love Mummy, Daddy, Perry, Leo. TIGER PTS 24.03.10 aged 15. Remembered always, deeply missed, our ‘gorgeous girl’. Love always Mummy, Daddy, Jo, John and family.

KIM . My black and white girl PTS 17.05.2010 aged nearly 19. You will never be forgotten, my dear little love. Love you forever.

Barbara.

The Cat Autumn 2010 69

Book reviews Looking for a great book about cats? Check out our reviews before

you buy...

Wonder Cats: True Stories of Extraordinary Felines

by Ashley Morgan book unfolds the stories of Fittingly timed with Cats Protection’s Rescue Cat Awards, this survived horrific injuries have that cats , abilities remarkable cats such as those with unique . and cats that have showed great heroism by extraordinary With first-hand accounts by people whose lives have been touched Speedy, who was the overall kitties – including Christine Payne and her perfect companion there are plenty of tales to winner and Hero Cat winner in our Rescue Cat Awards 2008 – pull at your heart strings.

Amy Rutter onder Cats: True Stories of Extraordinary Felines (£5.99) is publish W Publishers Ltd (www.summersdale.com Tel: 01243 771 107)

ed by Summersdale

The Cat Expert

by Rebecca Watson the publishers behind the Billed as the only cat book you will ever need, this title from guide to cat ownership. hensive world’s best-selling gardening EXPERT range is a compre for you, keeping your pet The chapters cover issues such as how to choose the right cat friend. feline your of y anatom happy and a detailed look at the but that will also be of This is certainly a book that will be of great use to new cat owners interest to the more experienced.

Tom Briggs he Cat Expert (£7.99) is published by Transworld Publishers T (www.booksattransworld.co.uk Tel: 020 7840 8400)

Four Ducks on a Pond

by Annabel Carothers to the tale is Nicholas This is a lovely tale set in the 1950s on the island of Mull. Central of his adopted ions generat three of the Cat who witnesses the comings and goings g the day-to- day showin book ve evocati family during the course of a single year. It is an had three who rs Carothe l Annabe by life of the island in a bygone age. It was written a Pond lay on Ducks r for Fou ript novels published in her lifetime. However the manusc er, Fionna daught l’s Annabe lly Thankfu undiscovered in a drawer for nearly sixty years. which book ful delight a is This ers. found the manuscript and submitted it to the publish will appeal to all ages.

Francesca Watson F our Ducks on a Pond (£6.99) is published by Birlinn Limited (www.birlinn.co.uk Tel: 0131 668 4371)

Books received

ni, Animal Reiki by Elizabeth Fulton & Kathleen Prasad, at Breeds by David Taylor, Cat Care Essentials by Francesca Riccomi C Le Blanc, Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper, P sychic Cats by Theresa Cheung, Pet Whisperer by Sarah-Jane Raining Cats and Donkey s by Doreen Tovey.

70 The Cat Autumn 2010

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