The Cat Autumn 2011

Tails of the In search of fascinating felines

Let’s get clinical Local heroes We spend a day with a vet

Announcing our volunteers of the year

Continental cats Meet the moggies of Ypres and Amsterdam

Plus Feline-friendly foliage, shop smart with CP & plunder a plethora of prizes!

Autumn 2011

TV advertising re-starts early September

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The Team

Welcome

Rasoul Hudda Creative Designer Tom Briggs Deputy Editor Ryan O’Hara Creative 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

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Enjoy your latest feline read and see you in the winter!

Published quarterly by Cats Protection.

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd.

Please recycle this magazine when you have finished with it

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Amy Rutter Editorial Assistant

.com/Ivan Bli

Francesca Watson Editor

t seems that the nights have been drawing in, heralding Autumn, for quite some months now! Why not take the excuse to get cosy indoors with the latest edition of The Cat ?

Our volunteers are what make Cats Protection as successful as it is and at this year’s AGM we proudly announced the winners of our 2011 Volunteer of the Year Awards. We simply couldn’t do without them and those mentioned on pages 58 to 59 are representative of our 8,000 plus volunteers whose indomitable spirit and dedication help thousands of cats and kittens each year.

An inquisitive Tom Briggs tries to explain the sometimes inexplicable when it comes to unidentified feline objects traversing the globe on pages 18 to 20 while Amy Rutter finds out what it’s really like to be a vet on pages 36 to 38. It’s not a job for the faint-hearted with long hours and many challenges, but as Amy found out, it also has so many rewards. Sadly, this will be her last article for The Cat magazine as she is moving to pastures new. She has been an integral member of the Editorial Team for over two years now and we wish her the very best of luck.

There’s a Low Countries feel to a couple of our articles in this edition.

We visit the feline delights of Amsterdam on pages 22 to 25 and learn more about the Cat Festival that takes place every three years in Ypres, Belgium on pages 42 and 43.

On pages 48 to 50, Graham Clarke helps readers make plans for their garden and making it as feline friendly as possible. Fran Holder, Manager of our Worcester Branch Shop, takes us through a typical retail day on pages 52 and 53. They always need your donations so if you have anything you’d like to give you can find your nearest Cats Protection shop in our Find CP section on pages 66 to 69.

istockphoto

From left to right

Cover photo:

Photo: Lee Bishop

…to the Autumn 2011 issue of The Cat

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

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

Contents In this issue

14 Celebrity interview

Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson talks to us about cats, lessons in life and crossing roads

22 Of cats and clogs

A tour of Amsterdam ’s top feline attrac tions

4

The Cat Autumn 2011

of the 18 Tails unexplained

We go in search of UFOs – that’s Unidentified Feline Objects!

58 Everyone’s a winner!

Cats Protection celebrates the Volunteer of the Year Awards 2011…

Regulars 6

32 Game, set and cats!

News

10 Dear CP

A behind-the-scenes look at the new Cats Protection viral video

Vets in practice

12 Paws for tho ught

We conclude our two-part feature by spending a hectic day at a veterinary surgery

16 Cats’ tales

36

Belgians have a word for it: 42 The Kattenstoet

26 Ali’s cats

A look at Ypres and its redemption following an anti-feline past

28 Playing dete ctive

44 Prose wins prizes

30 Ask the vets

Announcing the runners-up of our popular writing competition

34 Walker on th ew

ild side

48

How cat-friendly is your garden?

Our green-fingered guru plans a garden friendly for all things feline

40 Our favourite thin

gs

52 Talking shop

54 Coffee paw s

Behind the scenes at a Cats Protection charity shop

56 How can we help

?

60 Cats Protect ion in

focus

64 Diary of eve nts 66 Find your lo cal

Cats Protection

70 Kids’ corner 72 Making mem orie

s

73 Rememberin g ca

ts

74 Book review s

The Cat Autumn 2011

5

News Photo: Katie Purves

New pet travel rules to come into force in 2012

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Defra has announced that new rules on pet travel will be introduced from 1 January 2012. These changes bring the UK in line with the rest of Europe.

Cats entering the UK from an EU or ‘listed’ third country from 1 January 2012 must: • be microchipped • be vaccinated against rabies • have waited 21 days after vaccination before entering • have an EU Pet Passport The current requirement to carry out a blood test, or compulsory treatment for ticks, followed by a six-month wait before entry into the UK will no longer be required. However, pets entering from a non-listed third country must pass a blood test 30 days after vaccination followed by a three-month wait.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) have continued to lobby in Europe for additional controls to be maintained for Echinococcus multilocularis , a tapeworm that can affect many species including humans and can prove fatal. Although a final decision has not yet been made, the European Commission has indicated that it will support the UK case for additional tapeworm controls – something Cats Protection also strongly advocates.

Although the previous quarantine regulations and the pet travel scheme were designed primarily to protect the UK from rabies, there are other potentially fatal diseases found in parts of Europe which are not present in pets in the UK. By increasing the number of animals travelling, with fewer controls, we are likely see more exotic diseases in the UK. Cats Protection would always encourage cat owners to speak to their vet before travelling, to see if any preventative treatments are advisable for the specific area they are visiting.

Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection’s Director of Veterinary Services, said: “The changes in the pet travel scheme will make it easier to travel abroad with pets. While this may be seen as a positive thing for many dog owners whose pets are used to travelling with them, the situation is very different for cats.

Cats are generally very stressed by travelling and become disorientated in a new environment without the familiar smells of their home territory. They are more likely to get lost or distressed and, therefore, Cats Protection would discourage owners from taking their cats abroad for short-term holidays.”

She added, “It may also encourage well-meaning cat lovers to bring cats home from holiday having taken pity on them. While this might be perceived as helping the individual, it is very stressful for them and there are many unwanted cats in the UK as it is. It would do far more good to adopt a cat from a rehoming organisation like Cats Protection in the UK and then help local organisations abroad with funding for their neutering and welfare projects - that would help many more animals and have a much longer-lasting impact.”

More information can be found on the Defra website www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets

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The Cat Autumn 2011

CP’s royal engagement

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Congratulations to seven volunteers from our East Northumberland Branch who were invited by The Duchess of Northumberland to a royal garden party at Alnwick Castle on 22 June.

Unfortunately, The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh didn’t get the chance to meet the CP crew, but one of them, Paul, was in great demand with other guests wanting to have their photograph taken with him. They also wanted to know which hairspray he used as his Mohican stood up well in the wet weather!

Christine Loy, the Branch Co-ordinator said: “We had a great day and it was good to have our contribution in the county acknowledged.”

Pictured are Charlotte Corrigan, Christine Emery, Katie Purves, Paul Davidson, Christine Loy, Helen Bennett and Ailsa Bennett.

Sad news

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At the time of going to press we were sorry to learn that Alison Prince’s cat, Paddy, whose adventures have graced numerous editions of The Cat in her column Ali’s cats, passed away recently.

Paddy had been Alison’s best friend for over 10 years and she and Fingal are already feeling the emptiness he has left behind. Our thoughts are with Alison.

news

Christmas catalogue

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Coleraine branch hits the ground running

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We’re delighted to announce the launch of the brand new Cats Protection blog.

Our blog is contributed to by staff and volunteers from all areas of Cats Protection and aims to showcase the many success stories that contribute in no small part to the achievements of the charity as a whole.

The new blog can be found at http://catsprotectionncc.blogspot.com – have a look and become a subscriber today!

Cats Protection’s most vocal supporter

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Apologies are due to Smokey, the loudest purring domestic cat, for a misunderstanding about the science regarding decibel levels.

We stated in the last issue of The Cat that, at 67.7 decibels, Smokey’s purr was almost four times louder than the average cat’s purr of 20 decibels, but not so! Because of the way decibels are measured, this means that Smokey’s purr was actually a whopping 14 times louder – comparable to a hair dryer, lawnmower and even a Boeing 747 coming in to land!

Smokey has certainly not taken it easy since receiving her Guinness World Record Certificate. As well as being the focus of numerous media interviews, she has also been a celebrity guest at the opening of a local veterinary surgery, visited a primary school and is soon to visit a Scout group, all the while promoting the good work of Cats Protection.

As a response to the massive interest in Smokey, a book is now being written about her life as a rehomed cat with illustrations provided by her owner, Ruth Adams. These illustrations also provide the basis for an international colouring competition for children. Entries are still welcome and more details can be found about the competition and Smokey herself via www.smokeythepurringcat.com. To hear Smokey’s thunderous purr for yourself, visit YouTube.

Photo: Ruth Adams

We have just opened a new branch in Coleraine, Northern Ireland – an area where there is a dearth of animal charities and there are many cats in need. The branch is currently fundraising to buy cat pens so that they can help homeless cats in the area.

To raise money, Sarah Chestnutt, a volunteer for the branch, is taking on an incredible challenge by running three marathons in October. She said: “Our aim is to build a centre at Benvardin where cats and kittens can be rehomed. So I plan to run three marathons in October with every penny I raise going to Cats Protection. The first is the Causeway Coast on 1 October. The second marathon is the Snowdonia on 29 October followed by the Dublin Marathon on 31 October. I will be running all three in my Cats Protection T-shirt, cat’s ears and cat’s whiskers, so I will be easily spotted!”

If you would like to sponsor Sarah, please visit her just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/colerainecats-protection-2marathons

Brand new blog

Photo: istickphoto.com/John Zellmer

You will have received a copy of our Christmas catalogue with this edition of The Cat magazine. This is one of the many ways that Cats Protection raises vital funds to help more than 230,000 cats and kittens every year.

Featuring a wide range of Christmas cards, calendars and cat-themed products, the catalogue is filled with fantastic gift ideas for your favourite feline friend, a loved one or even yourself. The 2011 Christmas catalogue is no different and this year it features an even wider range, including lots of new gifts ideas such as figurines and an ‘under £10’ range’. Every year the response from Cats Protection supporters is amazing and, as well as product sales, a vast number of very generous supporters make donations too.

In the past, supporters have raised concerns when they have received two copies of the catalogue as they feel this is not a cost-effective use of Cats Protection funds. We’d like to reassure supporters that the production and mailing of the Christmas catalogue is not something that is paid for by Cats Protection, so sending it out a second time does not deprive any of the cats and kittens we help. In addition, the second targeted mailing has always proven very successful and manages to raise even more money so that we can continue the great work that we do.

If you have already placed an order, why not pass the catalogue onto another cat lover? The full product range from the catalogue is also available online at www.catsprotectionshop.co.uk

The Cat Autumn 2011

7

The perfect jungle reunion

Correction to Ask the Vets

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Calling kitten owners, volunteers and foster carers

Behaviour conference

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Researchers at the University of Bristol are undertaking a study of cats and they are looking for the help of owners of kittens aged between eight and 16 weeks, who live in the UK. This is a questionnaire-based study which involves owners completing four online questionnaires, when their kittens are first registered at eight to 16 weeks of age and then at six, 12 and 18 months.

Many of the causes of common behavioural traits and diseases of cats are unknown and it is hoped that this study will help to improve the health and welfare of cats in the future, for example by identifying ways to reduce the risk of common problems such as obesity and aggressive behaviour to people and other cats.

The study successfully recruited 145 kittens from the Bristol region during 2010, and they are now recruiting kittens from across the UK until the end of 2011. The aim is to recruit 900 kittens this year and hope that you will help us achieve this goal by telling kitten owners about our study. Further information about the study, including online access to the first questionnaire can be found on the university’s website www.vetschool.bris.ac.uk/cats

8

The Cat Autumn 2011

Photo: Stephen D Lawrence

On page 31 in the summer edition of The Cat there was an error which has prompted some good discussion.

We would like to take the opportunity to correct the statement which implied that queens feeding kittens cannot fall pregnant again until after they have stopped feeding.

This is a common misconception and a number of queens will actually come back into season very quickly after giving birth and are at risk of falling pregnant again even when they are still feeding kittens.

Therefore, if your queen does have kittens, it is very important to keep her inside and away from unneutered males and to neuter her promptly, usually at around eight weeks after giving birth, when her kittens will be old enough to cope and before she has any further litters. It is also important to remember that the kittens themselves should also be neutered at around four months of age to prevent further unwanted litters.

Eighties glamour icon Sam Fox and TV’s Kim Woodburn rolled up their sleeves for cats in need to kick-start a volunteering campaign for Cats Protection.

The two stars gave up their free time to spend the afternoon of Wednesday 1 June at the National Cat Adoption Centre in Sussex helping to socialise cute kittens, feed the cats and even clean out some litter trays.

The event marked the start of Volunteers’ Week and was part of a wider campaign by the charity called I’m A Celebrity… Let Me Volunteer! which aimed to raise awareness of the fantastic work the organisation’s dedicated army of over 8,000 volunteers do every day across the UK and to encourage more people to volunteer for the charity.

Animal lover, Sam said: “I could have taken all of the cats home, but as I have four already I thought I’d better not! I hope that more people will volunteer so that Cats Protection can help even more cats in the future.

Not only is it incredibly rewarding but it’s also a great opportunity to meet new friends – both feline and human!”

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The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors’ annual feline conference is to take place on 22 October 2011 at the Kettering Conference Centre, Kettering, Northamptonshire.

The conference is open to everyone and speakers include Vicky Halls, Dr Rachel Casey, Mat Ward, Julie Bedford, Sarah Heath and Dr Sarah Ellis. Topics covered include the challenges of multi-cat households, the assessment and monitoring of cats in rehoming situations and training to improve welfare. For prices and more details please contact the APBC on 01386 750 534 or go to their website www.apbc.org.uk/node/737

Celebrate the cat in art

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The sixteenth London Exhibition for The Society of Feline Artists is taking place between Friday 16 August to Friday 16 September 2011, 10am – 7.30pm Monday to Saturday, at The Llewellyn Alexander Gallery.

There are over 300 pictures on show featuring over 100 artists.

Subjects range from the humble moggy and the friendly domestic tabby to more exotic breeds like Siamese, Burmese and Bengals and, of course, the big cats. From the nobility and drama of the wild cat to the playful kitten – they all are painted with the mastery of artists who know and understand their subject.

For those wishing to visit the exhibition, the gallery is located in Waterloo opposite the Old Vic Theatre.

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Be proactive, not reactive and ask your vet about Renalzin today.

To find a Renalzin vet* near you, or for more information about CKD in cats visit www.renalzin.co.uk *We recommend that Renalzin is used under veterinary advice.

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RZ/15/0311/zone

!

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

Black magic

From: Kelly Merriman, via email hen the last issue of The Cat magazine arrived in the post, I placed it away in a drawer as I felt too upset to read it. I had just had my 12-year-old cat, Kitty, put to sleep as she was very ill. After a week, I began to read it. When I read In praise of black cats , I knew I had to write and tell you about her. When my 17-year-old tabby died, I naturally went to my local Cats Protection in Derby to adopt another cat. My Mum came with me and, before we entered the adoption centre, she said, “Make sure you choose a cat with two eyes, a tail, no medical conditions – and no black ones!” I thought the latter was very odd. I visited the Cats Cottage where some of the older or ill cats were housed.

As if from nowhere, Kitty emerged from the grass and instantly made a fuss of me. That was it, I knew that I had been adopted by an eight-year-old black cat. Kitty was so affectionate, a real lap cat. She wanted fuss rather than the food that I would put out for her. I could not believe that she had been with the adoption centre for six months.

After Kitty was put to sleep, I was not catless for long. I again visited the Derby Adoption Centre with my Mum. This time, however, she encouraged me to ‘have another black one.’ I am now the proud owner of not one but two black cats! Molly and Milly are both very affectionate, despite them coming with sad stories. They are now lucky black cats thanks to all at Cats Protection.

Please give a black cat a chance, I am sure that you will be as lucky as I was!

W

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The Cat Autumn 2011

The cat who came back

From: Barbara Perry, Tilehurst, Reading t was around 2003 when my mother was presented with a little tabby kitten who she called Sam. Around 2007, Sam went missing. There was something missing from his life – he hadn’t been neutered. He was missing for three years, then one morning he turned up on the back doorstep. His fur was completely matted over the whole of his body and his mouth sagged open, his teeth were rotten and smelly.

My daughter and I were visiting my mother at the time, so as my mother was 98 and housebound, my daughter took Sam to the vet who examined him and said all his teeth would have to come out, he would have to have his fur removed under anaesthetic, be neutered, microchipped and have injections. This amounted to £300. My daughter agreed to pay this and took Sam home with her as my mother would have no means of getting him back and forward to the vet.

That was approximately four months ago. He is now toothless, he’s been treated for alopecia where he lost a lot of his hair and has had a growth removed from his leg. His coat is now luxurious and he’s living a life of luxury with my daughter. I wish he could talk and tell us what he got up to in those three years.

Editor’s note: Cats Protection generally recommends that cats are neutered at around four months of age or younger.

Neutered cats live longer, healthier lives and it is the most humane way to stop unwanted pregnancies. Neutering also prevents some cancers, reduces straying, fighting and spraying. Find out more about neutering at www.cats.org.uk/cat-care-neutering or phone our National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12.

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yourletters

A very talkative cat Tiny cat, big heart

From: Meredith Walker, Orton Longueville, Peterborough hen I was a little girl I had a lovely grey Persian cat, named Tiny Tot. I think she thought I was one of her kittens, she was so affectionate! One day, I fell off a swing in the park playground, I came home and lay on my bed crying. Tiny Tot jumped up on my bed and looked at me with a worried expression. Then she went and fetched her kittens, one by one, and put them beside me. Then she lay down beside us, and looked at me with what seemed like a loving smile which said “Now I’ll look after you!” and I felt better!

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From: Cathy Mercer, Brent, London e inherited Simba from my husband’s mother after she passed away. He was tall, dark and handsome, kept himself to himself and there wasn’t much we could do to bring him out of his shell. He even hid from us a lot of the time, except when he was hungry.

But as very old age approached, he suddenly started to become very friendly and even chatty. In the evening, when I came home from work, he would greet me with a friendly ‘hallo’ – at least I think that’s what he meant – before asking for his supper. When we sat in the garden in summer, he would place himself under our deckchairs and purr very loudly. The vet put it down to his hyperthyroid condition but, whatever the cause, old age made him a vastly more sociable puss.

Simba made it to 18 and a half. He stopped running away from visitors and, towards the end, he even started joining in human conversations. I especially remember one evening, when the local drama group were round for a chat and drink, he kept putting in his own ha’penny worth, cutting into conversations at just the right moment, loud and clear, and quite obviously saying things like “yes, I’d like a cup of tea too”.

Simba passed away at the end of September and we miss his witty conversation and company a lot.

W

Good golly, Miss Olly

From: Fiona Lemmon via email met Olly outside Olympic House – hence her name – at Manchester Airport on my return recently from holiday. I went to the wrong place to catch the transport back to my vehicle and am so pleased I did. Olly is a tubby ginger cat with a crumpled left ear. She is very friendly and likes to have plenty of attention paid to her. According to Katy Gough, the Press Officer for Manchester Airports Group, Olly is much loved and fed with exotic food from across the world brought back to her by cabin crews!

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Cat Autumn 2011

11

The gang’s all here Where some may have thought twice about taking on three kittens with congenital dyplasia/ luxation – malformed leg bones – brothers Sam and George Russell didn’t hesitate…

W

e have always had cats living with us until February 2010 when our cat, Bo Cat, died. We wanted at least another two cats, but Mum and Dad said that, because there was a lot of building going on in the field behind us, we would have to wait until it was finished. By Christmas most of the buildings were finished, so we started to have a look on the Wharfe Valley Cats Protection website.

There were lots of cats that we would have liked, but we really wanted some cats that nobody else wanted. After Mum and Dad had phoned up, a lady called Sylvia rang back and asked if we would like to come and see Rigsby and the gang.

We were very excited and we went to see them on a cold Sunday morning. All our family fell in love with them and wanted to take all four of them home straight away. We had to wait and Rigsby and Rhia had to go back to the vet because they had had some of their teeth out and had to have a check up. Mum went with Sylvia and met the vet Andy who looks after them. Mum said that he was really nice.

On 20 January, they came to live with us. Lots of people said that we were daft to take four cats who had problems with their legs and teeth, but that was why we wanted them, because they were special – and cute – and needed a home more than other kittens or cats. Rigsby and the gang were very frightened when they came. We had made the spare bedroom – it was going to be Dad’s study, so he will have to wait – into the room where they stayed at first so that they would feel safe and not as frightened. We had bought them lots of toys and stuff which they sniffed as well as all of the room and they hid under the chairs.

Rhia was the first to be nosy and have a proper look around but, after a few days, all of them were being nosy. We could play with them after a few days as they didn’t run off as quickly and Rigsby and Roxy, the mum, started to let us stroke them. Ribbon didn’t really want to come out from under

the chairs, but when we started to play with the toys she chased after an orange fluffy thing and chewed it up really quickly. Roxy really likes a mouse on a string which squeaks and she lets Rhia join in with playing. Rigsby likes everything but he likes the tunnel and ball toys best. When mum takes their food up, she shouts ’pussycats’ and we can hear them all jumping down and running to the door. Rigsby is funny because he tries to eat everyone else’s food as well, so Mum has to make sure that they all get something to eat.

After a while, we left the bedroom door open so that they could come out and see the rest of the house. They didn’t want to come downstairs at first, but now Roxy and Rigsby come down all the time and sit on the dining room chairs. If they sit next to each other and Rigsby’s tail is wagging, Roxy tries to catch it. Rigsby and Rhia also like to chase each other on the landing from their bedroom right into Mum and Dad’s bedroom – they sound like a herd of elephants!

Ribbon and Rhia sit on the bottom step or look through the banisters. We also like it when we come home from school and we find them all asleep on our beds. Rigsby makes us laugh when he rolls over by the stairs and he usually falls down the steps because he is not used to stairs and then runs away like a scaredy cat and hides under their duvet on the chairs in their room.

Ribbon and Rhia make us go ‘aww’ because they are so sweet and cute and Roxy makes us laugh because she makes us think of a haggis. All of the cats now come downstairs and do not have the bedroom door shut, we think that they are happy – especially as they roam about the house as though they own it. Thank you Cats Protection for rescuing Roxy and her kittens. We love our new furry family to bits and are glad that Mum and Dad let us choose them, we never want to be without them.

Sam and George, aged 10 and 8.

12

The Cat Autumn 2011

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

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Ian Anderson Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson talks to Tom Briggs about cats, lessons in life and crossing roads…

QUESTION Can you tell us a little about your cats?

ANSWER I count five and a half cats that we own, I say ‘own’ but I think they own us! In order of seniority, there’s a Bengal called Bhajee whose grandfather came from a zoo in Belgium. He’s a little cranky and getting on a bit, but he loves kittens.

Every time there’s been a new kitten, he’s adopted it. The second oldest, TJ, was a feral who came from Bristol. We have three other ferals; Rupi, Kash and Talisker, who were from abandoned litters. They all took time to nurture and they’re nervous around strangers, but very affectionate with the family.

The ‘half cat’ is my daughter’s cat, Bhuna, who lives in London some of the time and the rest of the time here.

Most of our cats over the last 30 years have been named after Indian and Japanese food and drink.

QUESTION The Jethro Tull website says you’ve played more than 2,500 concerts in 40 countries throughout three decades. Do you prefer recording or live performing?

ANSWER I’ve always been drawn to music primarily by the experience of

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The Cat Autumn 2011

playing live in real time to real people.

That’s always the pay off and the big test, because you only get one chance.

It gives the same sort of buzz as crossing a busy road – you’ve got to pay attention! If you make it safely to the other side, you get a certain kind of buzz. There are some busy roads that I cross and I’m really, really happy to get to the other side although I’ve not made a good job of it, darting between moving vehicles. But other times, you cross a busy road and you do it with elegance and style and you think “I did that really quite well.” So crossing busy roads isn’t always the same, but if you manage to get across nicely, with panache, that’s kind of how it feels when you’ve done a good show.

QUESTION Did you grow up with animals around you?

ANSWER When I was about four we had a cat who we inherited when we moved home. He was an unneutered feral called Smudge and he was pretty evil! He came and went so was an occasional companion when I was a child. The fact that he was bad tempered, independent and unreliable made him a creature of some fascination to me. When we later got a dog, I found it much less interesting.

Smudge was a lot more mysterious and appealed to my pre-adolescent imagination.

QUESTION Were you good at music during your school days?

ANSWER We didn’t really do music in school other than singing along with a lady who played the piano. She always turned around on the stool in an anti-clockwise direction to talk to the children. But instead of turning back again, she would continue to rotate.

Unfortunately, the stool was one of those that had the seat screwed onto the base, so one day she spun round to talk to us and ended up in a heap on the floor. I often think that it must have been so humiliating for her and in my own days as a performer I’ve

remembered that moment. It’s so easy to have those kind of things happen and you have to learn how to turn them into moments of shared humour.

It was an object lesson that, when you’re in front of the public with that authority of the performer, things can change very quickly.

QUESTION It’s well known that you are a cat lover – what is it about them that sets them apart from other animals?

ANSWER We’ve always had a fascination for them that goes back millennia. Cats have a place in folklore, history and fiction. Either they’re hated and despised because they’re seen as the devil’s creature or they’re loved and revered because they help keep down the population of rodents, but they tend to sleep at the bottom of our beds and share in family life when it suits them.

QUESTION What’s the funniest thing your cats have ever got up to?

ANSWER Well it wasn’t funny at the time, but about a year ago one of my cats wanted to go out. She saw that it was windy and raining and decided to shoot back upstairs. In my attempt to stop her, I broke a finger on one of the stairs. It was more than a little inconvenient as I had a concert in Belarus the following night. A quick visit to the hospital the next morning determined that it was not good news.

My finger was splinted up and I had about three hours to modify one of my flutes and relearn some of my guitar music so I could play it with only two fingers. It remained that way for 12 weeks and it was quite a testing time.

There are very few nights when I don’t think about that small black cat and the trouble that she caused me.

But having said that, she showed me great affection when I got back from America yesterday so she’s a good little soul at heart.

Catch Ian Anderson in concert through September. For full dates visit www.jethrotull.com

Photo: Tull Management

Love The Cat? Why not tell a friend?!

Each subscription to The Cat magazine allows us to help more unwanted and abandoned cats and, at the same time, spread the word of the vital work we do.

So if you know someone who’d enjoy The Cat magazine why not give them this subscription form?

Winter 2010

Kleptomaniac cats How to stop a pilfering puss

Common household poisons revealed

Introducing feline acupuncture

Great Scots

Christmas card cats celebrated

Can cats reincarnate?

SPRING 2011

Needles about

Festive felines Soul survivors

80 not out!

Celebrating eight decades of The Cat magazine

The dangers at home

Caring for Caledonian cats

Plus

Writing competition 2011, a cat-friendly cinema & CP goes digital

Dream a little dream Where does your cat go when he’s asleep?

Plus

Ed Byrne, Cats of colour & Vanquish vet visit vexes

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You can pay by Cheque/Postal Order Please make your cheque or postal order for £15 payable to Cats Protection.

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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.

jjMy heart belongs to Daddy From: Tom Callachan, via email This is our beautiful four-year-old Birman Bunny.

She is brilliant. Although an indoor cat, she comes outside with us but never strays too far. She is a daddy’s girl and follows me everywhere. She sleeps on my pillow with me or on my feet and is our spider catcher. She loves to snuggle close and sleeps in the weirdest of positions. I am sure she thinks she’s human!

jjBella’s on tap From: Selina Jobbins, Sheerness, Kent My boyfriend wasn’t best pleased on returning from a long day’s work to hear an unusual dripping noise coming from the kitchen. Our kitten Bella had cleverly worked out how to turn the tap on, on her own accord.

The water had been running so long, there was a puddle of water on the floor! Bella was nowhere to be seen.

After this happened a second time, we felt we should replace the tap. There, gleaming at us was a tap appropriately named ‘Bella’ which has been the perfect replacement!

iiTiggers are musical things From: Joy Plowman, Bromley, Greater London Our cat Tigger and I have devised a game which amuses us both very much. Being 84, I take a rest in the afternoon. Tigger jumps on the bed and I lay him alongside me with his back paws nearest me. I then put the index and middle fingers of my right hand in the pads of his front paws and he closes his paws around them. We then set off on a musical journey with me singing the tune and jigging his paws to the rhythms.

His current favourite is the theme from Steptoe and son .

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The Cat Autumn 2011

readers’cats gg Faithful Felix From: Rose Langford, via email I thought you might like to see this funny picture of my cat Felix asleep in my three-year-old daughter’s armchair. He is about 16 and sleeps a lot these days. She would love to see a picture of him in the magazine as they are good friends.

Felix found us through Cats Protection back in 1997, when my Mum was helping with rescues and had a shelter in her garden. Felix and I bonded instantly and he has always been there for me, even in difficult times. He has stuck with us through three house moves and the birth of our three children, now 11, nine and three. He has also tolerated the coming and going of a hamster and a labrador and currently looks down upon four rabbits! His life mostly revolves around food and sleep these days. He likes to vary his sleep location according to his mood, and Kathryn’s chair made a welcoming and perfectly sized choice!

iiOn yer bike!

From: Kathryn Douglas, Newton Longville, Bucks Our cat Hoody thinks he is a biker! He is a rescue cat; I found him at Milton Keynes railway station nearly two years ago and took him to CP but he wasn’t claimed so he came to join us and our other adopted moggies.

He is about three years old and full of mischief! He likes to ambush my other three cats at the cat flap and hangs out in the street with the children who all adore him. We named him Hoody due to hanging out with the kids! He is extremely affectionate and likes to get as close as possible for a cuddle although he dribbles. Urgh! He likes to try and sleep on your head if he finds anyone lying down. Weird!

iiAlpha female From: Linsey Dixon, via email This photograph is of our very old cat Pippin who is 17, helping herself to food. I had only put it down for a minute before she was on the chair with her head in the bag.

We thought that she was not long for this world but since we adopted a cat from Newcastle Cats Protection there’s been no stopping her. She steals his food, his water and his biscuits. She is the alpha female of the house and we love her. Our male cat treats her gently, just like the old lady that she is.

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

Felix Sensations are available in six 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 2011

17

Tails of the unexplained Tom Briggs goes in search of UFOs – that’s Unidentified Feline Objects

I

t seems that we are all fascinated by urban legends.

Mention the likes of Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster to most people and they’ll usually have something to say.

Some of us are open to the existence of these creatures, others reject them or, in the style of Agent Mulder in The X Files, want to believe. The possibility of there being as-yetunidentified life forms in a world made increasingly smaller by technological advances is one that continues to intrigue and inspire. So much so, that there is a study dedicated to researching them. Cryptozoology, literally ‘the study of hidden animals’, is not recognised as a discipline of zoology or, indeed, science and has come in for criticism by academics for its reliance on anecdotal evidence. Furthermore, their credibility is often questioned as they are often tarred with the same brush as paranormal investigators. However, it has had some notable successes in which animals previously assumed to be mythical – known as ‘cryptids’ – have been identified as new breeds.

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The Cat Autumn 2011

Success stories Among these is Scotland’s Kellas cat. For years, sightings of these black felids were played down as fanciful notions.

The well-known Celtic myth of Cait Sidhe, a cat-like fairy said to haunt the Highlands, probably did little to help.

The breakthrough came in 1984 when one of the creatures was shot and killed. It was found to be a hybrid of wild and domestic cats and was named by respected cryptozoologist, Karl Shuker, after the village of Kellas where it was found.

Similarly, the Onza of north-west Mexico was long thought to be the product of people’s imagination, even though accounts of it had remained consistent since its first documented mention in Aztec times. Its characteristics included a slender body, elongated ears and an exceptionally long tail. Its existence is no longer disputed thanks to the examination of a frozen corpse in 1998, although there remains a dispute as to how it should be classified.

Cryptozoologists have argued that it should be recognised as another species, while others generally consider it a regional variation of the puma.

The process of investigating cryptids is not as strange as you may think. Cryptozoologists’ ultimate goal is to discover new

species or sub-species so their approach is rooted in biology.

There are also several possible explanations for the existence of cryptids. For example a sighting could simply be that of a previously recorded animal that had long been presumed extinct. Even prehistoric creatures cannot be discounted; the coelacanth – a fish – was thought to have died out 65 million years ago until a specimen was caught off the coast of South Africa in 1938. The discovery was scoffed at until another was caught in 1952. Hundreds more followed, causing the species to be recognised once more and the cynics to look embarrassed. Hybrids, as we have already seen, can be the reason for the sudden appearance of a new species while mutations can play a part too.

A tiger? In Africa?!

For the few cat-like creatures to have had their existence confirmed, however, there are plenty the world over whose reality remains questioned. Unsurprisingly, the majority of these cryptids have been reported in predominantly rural locations. Africa boasts a large contingent of them such as Wobo. This felid caused a stir, not only due to the carnage attributed to it after a livestock killing spree in 1974, but

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

also because it reportedly has a tiger’s head – as well as leopard’s spots and lion’s claws, naturally. Then there is the Mngwa – meaning ‘The Strange One’ in Swahili – of Tanzania; a ferocious beast described as bigger than a donkey and resembling a tabby. It was mentioned alongside the lion, Simba, and the leopard, Nsui, in a folk song dating back as far as 1150, evidence that the natives were positive that this enigmatic big cat was different to others of its kind. A British Colonial official, Captain William Hitchens, wrote of the Mngwa’s supposed victims in the early 1900s, reporting that they had been mauled to death and that they often had grey fur in their hands as evidence of a struggle with a predatory animal. He also wrote that local hunters who were not afraid to chase lions were terrified of Mngwa.

Elsewhere in Africa there are those in Senegal who fear the Wanjilanko, which is portrayed as the ‘lion that eats lions’. It has large teeth and a striped coat and a growl that can ‘freeze a hunter’s soul’. Other African big cats possibly in existence include Rwanda’s Ikimizi – a spotted lion – and South Africa’s black lion.

The Cat Autumn 2011

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Latino catinos!

Santer claws is coming to town

South and Central America are also a collective hotbed of strange sightings including the intriguingly named Paraguayan ghost jaguar. There have been many reported sightings of this large, pale creature in the dense forests of the country. These have been dismissed as superstition although if you consider that black jaguars are common, it is feasible that an albino could also exist.

Similarly, the ‘Waracabra tiger’ is said to be a pack-hunting jaguar whose haunting howls can be heard after dark in the forests of Guyana. One investigation into the potential existence of this creature concluded that it is, in fact, two creatures, with the calls of trumpeter birds being woken by groups of South American bush dogs the proffered explanation. Elsewhere, British adventurer Colonel Percy Fawcett wrote of Bolivia’s Mitla in the early 1900s, describing it as “… a black dog-like cat about the size of a foxhound.”

In his 1989 book Mystery Cats of the World, Karl Shuker suggested that the animal in question could be the smalleared dog which moves in a similar way to cats.

The brave people who step forward and claim to have seen something as yet unidentified are often ridiculed by others. Colonel Fawcett was roundly mocked for some of the creatures he reported seeing on his travels. It may surprise you to know, therefore, that one of history’s greatest and most respected explorers spotted something unusual. During his fourth voyage in 1502, it was reported that Christopher Columbus sent an armed party into Costa Rica where an unusual creature was captured. It was described as a large cat with an ape-like face and a prehensile tail with which it had killed a peccary. It has been suggested that this cryptid could have been either a Central American spider monkey or a kinkajou – a relative of the raccoon – although experts believe that neither species are capable of killing a pig.

There have also been a handful of cat-like cryptids reported north of the Rio Grande. These include Santer, a large, grey beast which allegedly roamed North Carolina during the late 1890s, the maned American lion of which there have been documented sightings since 1797 and the supposedly extinct Eastern cougar.

In June this year, a mountain lion was sadly run over and killed in Connecticut – a mere 70 miles from New York.

Incredibly, following DNA testing, it was concluded that it had walked over 2,000 miles from the Black Hills of Dakota. While mountain lions are common in the United States – there are an estimated 100,000 – they are found almost exclusively in western regions and this was the first such sighting in the state for over a century. This just goes to show that animals like these can exist in unexpected locations – which leads us nicely to more familiar surroundings. Yes, it is possible that there are enigmatic creatures living right here in the United Kingdom.

We’ve all heard of the Beast of Bodmin Moor and the Surrey Puma, but these may be more than just entertaining stories. The Romans bought big cats to fight in amphitheatres, while travelling Victorian menageries had them too and it is likely there would have been some escapologists among their ranks.

Then there was the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act which put paid to the alarming trend of the wealthy keeping big cats as pets. Unfortunately, there was a loophole that remained open until 1981 which made it legal to release them into the wild; worried owners whose leopards weren’t quite so little anymore gratefully seized the opportunity to do so.

So who knows? It’s possible that our cats have distant cousins whose existence is yet to be acknowledged by the scientific community. Furthermore, there could be one near you.

20 The Cat Autumn 2011

We’re going

shopping w credit card!

Get online… for our great ne

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

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

For more information and full details please visit:

www.cats.org.uk/creditcard

0% p.a.

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

16.9% APR

typical rate (variable)

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

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

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

Of cats and

clogs

feature

On a recent city break Francesca Watson took time out to investigate Amsterdam’s top feline attractions…

I

n Amsterdam you can find the world’s oldest stock exchange, the world’s oldest profession, bikes and bridges, a little mouse with clogs on and a surprising number of feline connections guaranteed to keep the touring cat lover busy.

The Dutch capital is a walkable city with a great number of sites and attractions worth visiting.

For instance, how many cities do you know that have over 50 museums? In Amsterdam these cover such topics as art, photography, tulips, beer, sex, hash and houseboats. All are worth a visit but take time for those with a particular feline incline.

Photos: Francesca Watson

The Cat Autumn 2011

23

Kattenkabinet

The artful feline The Reijksmuseum – State museum in English – was founded in 1800 in The Hague but moved to Amsterdam eight years later. Perhaps one of its most famous paintings is Rembrandt’s Night Watch .

It also boasts Vermeer classics such as The Milkmaid and Woman in Blue reading a letter and, by chance, these are currently on show right next to a painting

by Jan Havicksz Steen called The Dancing Lesson .

This piece dates from either the 1660s or 1670s and it is not one that any cat lovers would approve of. It shows a decidedly unimpressed cat being taught to dance by a man watched by laughing children – this type of entertainment is certainly not condoned by Cats Protection and nor by the old man in the picture remonstrating with the children!

There are over 170 exhibits in the Reijksmuseum in which cats feature and perhaps the most well known of the Dutch painters contributing to it is Gabriel Metsu and his endearing painting of Woman Eating and Feeding her Cat .

Renowned animal painter, Amsterdam-born Henriette Ronner-Knip has two works in the Reijksmuseum collection, Katjesspel showing a small kitten playing with a dominoes set and Poes met jongen showing a mother cat and her kittens. You can browse the museum’s whole feline collection via its website www.rijksmuseum.nl The Kattenkabinet is a must for cat lovers who might be missing their own cats. It is a canal-side house at Herengracht 497 built in 1667 which was established as a feline museum in 1990 by William Meijer in honour of his red tom cat John Pierpont Morgan (1966-1983). Its feline art collection boasts works from Picasso, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec and Steinlen to name but a few. The rooms are crammed full of feline paraphernalia and the collection offers a fitting tribute to a well-loved puss. The added

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The Cat Autumn 2011

De Poezenboot

bonus is being able to see all this in a restored 17th century Amsterdam house with beautiful ceiling and wall paintings dating back to 1670.

But what of van Gogh, one of Holland’s most famous sons? Although he was not renowned for painting animals, there is a black cat painted in the foreground of his painting Daubigny’s Garden . van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo on 23 July 1890 sketching out his initial plans for the painting and included the black cat.

The letter is too delicate to display, so it is now kept in archive at the van Gogh Museum but it can be seen online at www.vangoghletters.org whereas the finished painting can be seen at the Kunstmuseum Basel museum in Switzerland.

Founded in 1874, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam focuses on classic modern and contemporary art. Like the Reijksmuseum, it has numerous cat-themed exhibits in its collection.

The museum covers diverse disciplines such as paintings, sculptures to posters, photography, graphic and industrial design. Perhaps the most well known of the feline-friendly contributors is Karel Appel (1921-2006), an internationallyrenowned, Amsterdam-born painter, sculptor and poet who featured felines in several of his works. His sculptures Cat standing on a head and Cat on the Roof are at the Stedelijk Museum.

Puss in boats Along the Singel canal there is a barge that is perhaps more unusual than the other houseboats.

This is De Poezenboot, literally the ‘cat boat’. This floating cat sanctuary was founded by Henriette van Weelde in 1968. She had long before become known in the area for taking in homeless cats. She bought the first houseboat in 1968 and it has since developed into its current format. The boat is open to visitors in the afternoon and it is so popular

feature that it now appears in the tourist books. You are guaranteed a warm welcome from Judith Gobet, Ruth Wearing and the dedicated team of volunteers.

As with Cats Protection, all the cats in their care are microchipped – compulsory in Holland – checked by vets and neutered before being rehomed. They too will not put a healthy cat to sleep. For such a small charity, they rehomed almost 300 cats last year, an amazing figure! The cats either stay on the barge or with fosterers and each potential new owner is assessed before being allowed to adopt one of De Poezenboot residents. You can find out more about the work this charity does and their opening hours by visiting their website www.poezenboot.nl. An English translation is available by clicking the Union Jack flag symbol.

mentioned by Anne. You can only imagine the comfort these animals must have brought the annex inhabitants during this uncertain and frightening time. Mouschi was the fortunate one; it seems that she got out when the bookshelf door was open and escaped onto the street, never to be seen again. The only survivor of the Nazi concentration camps from the eight people hiding in the annex was Otto, Anne’s father. It was he who ensured that Anne’s story was told to the world.

A short stroll down from the Anne Frankhuis is the Tulip Museum and shop. Here, in its comprehensive listing of all tulips, I was very glad to see that there is one called Kitty. A member of the Triumph group – coloured magenta rose with burnt orange edges. Very pretty!

A well documented cat

Reverend reverie

The Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht should be on every tourist’s list of places to see in Amsterdam.

This is where Anne Frank wrote her world famous diary as she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years. There were four cats mentioned in these diaries. Her own cat, Moortje – who was looked after by neighbours when Anne and her family went into hiding – is referred to on the very first page. “Moortje, my cat, was the only living creature I said goodbye to.” It is heartbreaking to read Anne’s entries with the foreknowledge of what ultimately happens. Anne later lamented, “Moortje is my weak spot. I miss her every minute of the day and no one knows how often I think of her; whenever I do my eyes fill with tears.” Later she wrote “I can also understand my homesickness and yearning for Moortje. The whole time I’ve been here I’ve longed unconsciously – and at times consciously – for trust, love and physical affection.”

The van Pels family, who shared the secret annex with the Franks, brought their cat, Mouschi, to the hiding place and two other cats are briefly

The Oude Kerk is Amsterdam’s oldest parish church consecrated in 1306 and was Rembrandt’s local church. It is a cool, quiet haven from the hubbub of the bustling city and is located in the middle of the red light district.

The choir stalls are thought to date back to the late 1400s. They have misericords – sometimes named mercy seats – which were small shelves on the underside of a folding seat, many with ornate carvings. When people were obliged to stand in prayer for long periods of time, these shelves gave them something to lean upon for a little respite. Each have different carvings depicting various proverbs or phrases – some a tad cheeky – but there is a beautiful one showing a cat and a bat. Unfortunately there is no history to this particular carving, but it is certainly worth seeking out when visiting this historical church.

If you’re thinking of taking a city break then do consider Amsterdam. It’s a wonderful place to visit and the number of feline attractions will only make the trip more enjoyable!

The Anne Frank statue

Oude Kerk misericord

The Cat Autumn 2011

25

Ali’scats

Stringing along Paddy runs strings around Alison Prince …

Illustration: Alison Prince

A

ll kittens grow up in single-parent families. It’s normal.

Nobody imagines for a moment that Tom the Lad should be around to watch his babies grow – in fact, most sensible she-cats make sure he doesn’t even get a look.

Feline weenies seem to survive this fatherless childhood remarkably well, though it’s tough sometimes. Fingal’s mum was a full-time farm ratter and, had she been human, would certainly have been a worry to the social services. Feeding her constant broods was a severe strain, poor soul, but thanks to Cats Protection, her perpetual round of birth and suckling has given way to a contented retirement.

Anyone who takes on a kitten becomes in many ways both mum and dad to it. Providing food is essentially mum’s business, but the teenaged kit might also welcome a dad, especially if he has come from a place where he was free to romp about and chase things. He has learned – more or less – to behave himself properly in the house, but would welcome a bit of entertainment. You can’t take him to a football match, but neither can you kid yourself young Puss will enjoy a computer game. The couch potato approach is not a lot of good fun-wise, as cats don’t seem to see screens as real. There are exceptions, of course. I once had a Burmese called Oscar who watched horseracing on TV with fascination, peering down at the Epsom scene from his perch on top of the set and dabbing at the runners with his paw. When the horses went off the edge of the screen he jumped down and rushed round the back in case they were there.

Paddy and Fingal are not the batty genius kind and they have had no chance to express any views about TV, because I decided 20 years ago that there were more interesting things to do and gave the set away – before you ask, no, I’ve never missed it. So my cats are screen-deprived, being strongly discouraged from using the computer and their games require some effort from their owner. Manufacturers imply that cats can amuse themselves, which is why every pet shop contains a plethora of things that tinkle and roll and bounce up and down, but Paddy and Fingal quickly became disillusioned about these. What they want is movement and if a thing doesn’t move on its own, neither do they. Take those little plastic balls with holes all round and a bell inside. You roll

26 The Cat Autumn 2011

one across the floor. The cat chases it. Fine. As long as the ball keeps ricocheting off the wall, the chase continues. The ball comes to a halt and so does the cat. He sits down and looks at you expectantly. Soon you are hot and breathless from grovelling under furniture and behind the sofa to retrieve the tinkly ball from where the feline Beckham has scored his latest goal. And what is he doing meanwhile? Sitting there waiting, occasionally licking an idle paw, not much bothered if you start the game again or not. So, unless you are a fitness fanatic, you take to a crossword instead.

Fingal, I must admit, was an enterprising cat-child. He had no interest in anything plastic, but a crumpled up ball of paper was his idea of something to hunt and, what’s more, he used to bring it back to be thrown again. There are not many retrieving cats, but he took to it like a field-trials champion.

Paddy thought he was off his head. But then, Paddy has a weakness for string and Fingal regards that as plain silly – understandably, I suppose. To a cat who comes of a ratting family, string is not an attractive option. Nutritionally, it’s got nothing going for it. Zero calories and impossible to eat anyway. But Paddy cannot restrain his enthusiasm for chasing anything long and thin that moves. While gardening, I trail pruned branches across the grass to the compost heap with Paddy leaping after them like a dolphin in the wake of a boat. From my point of view, it’s the perfect game. I get the gardening done, he gets the exercise – which he could well do with, being a devoted foodie. But string – oh, dear. How long can any sane human go on circling a piece of string round his or her own feet while a cat rushes after it and keeps catching it? I tried tying the string to the back of a chair, with a tinkly ball attached, and got a glance of sheer pity.

Cats are so wonderfully guilt-free, it makes humans look daft. Can you imagine a gym full of cats earnestly sweating on treadmills and rowing machines? Yes – but with considerable difficulty. And as the cats might ask, why bother?

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A day in the life of a cat behaviour counsellor

Vicky Halls investigates elderly Oscar’s ‘toilet indiscretion’: was it a cry for help?

I

have a big soft spot for elderly felines; I see them as incredibly wise and noble creatures and am particularly impressed by the way in which they train their owners over the years to provide them with a dotage that befits their needs. They have the warmest, softest beds in the house, the widest variety of food, comfort and entertainment on demand – literally day and night in some cases – and give in return as much or as little as they see fit, depending on mood. What a wonderful existence.

So you can imagine how sad I was to see Oscar’s perfect retirement evaporate over a ‘little toilet indiscretion’.

Oscar’s owner, Sarah, called me on advice from her vet to help her to tackle a rather unpleasant turn of events that had occurred recently. It had been a gradual decline in behaviour, in Sarah’s words, a few incidents here and there over a period of months but increasing in frequency to its current level of nastiness. Sarah was referring to house soiling; the problem that appears irritating and annoying in theory but can wreck homes, relationships and social lives in the blink of an eye.

Sarah’s predominant emotion was one of confusion as she couldn’t understand how Oscar’s exemplary behaviour for 15 years had suddenly deteriorated to a state of anarchy. Why the dirty protest? He was spoilt beyond belief and surely had the perfect life?

A thorough investigation All cases need to be assessed carefully and always after a thorough veterinary investigation. This is never more relevant than in cases of the elderly as so many ‘behaviour problems’ that are brought to my attention in cats in their twilight years are manifestations of disease. One of the most common problems seen in elderly cats is a breakdown of normal acceptable toilet habits. If the urination or

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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The Cat Autumn 2011

defecation is widespread, looks abnormal in colour or consistency or is deposited while asleep or at rest then a medical reason will probably become evident on veterinary examination and no further behavioural intervention is required. Also, diseases such as kidney failure, hyperthyroidism or diabetes mellitus, common in the elderly cat, are associated with increased urine production and this often results in any litter trays provided becoming heavily soiled. This may deter cats from using them if they are not maintained more frequently. Sarah’s vet had investigated any potential bladder or bowel issues and was satisfied that Oscar was healthy in that respect and suggested that I took the opportunity to assess Oscar at home before he carried out any further tests that may add even more stress to an already anxious old boy.

I visited Sarah and Oscar and, together with the pre-consultation questionnaire that all owners complete prior to my visits, I had the opportunity to see the home environment, inside and outside and spend some time discussing the problem. I am always looking for changes in routines and lifestyle as these often give clues to the underlying causes of problem behaviour. In this case, a few things were particularly relevant: • Sarah reported that Oscar didn’t come up to bed anymore; she was worried this was a reflection of their deteriorating relationship • Oscar wasn’t going outside much recently • Oscar had always had a litter tray in the bathroom upstairs, but it had been used less and less frequently over the past couple of years, in favour of a patch of soil outside the back door • He was miaowing to be let out through the back door in preference to the cat flap; Sarah saw this as a sign of his newly developed contrary nature • Oscar didn’t want to look out the window anymore; one of his favourite pastimes previously when he was indoors All I kept thinking was “Oscar doesn’t want to do these things anymore or can’t do them?” I doubted that any changes were, as Sarah suspected, a manifestation of his declining love for her. My suspicions were confirmed when Sarah said she had tried to carry him upstairs at night to encourage him

healthcheck

to restore his more sociable nocturnal habits but all he had done was make a big fuss about jumping off the bed and bumping loudly downstairs in ‘bunny hops’. Here lay the possible answer: was Oscar in pain?

The underlying problem Osteoarthritis is a common disease in cats and, until fairly recently, greatly under-diagnosed in general practice. It can cause a significant amount of pain and discomfort in the elderly and affect mobility, preventing them from having the lifestyle that they previously enjoyed. In Oscar’s case, if I was right and he was suffering from osteoarthritis, he was reluctant to go upstairs because of the discomfort, unable to jump on the windowsill anymore and reluctant to use the cat flap as it involved a range of movement that his poor legs couldn’t manage.

The idea of using the outdoor soil patch exclusively for toileting was unthinkable. Old age comes with a lot of insecurities and being less than mobile means cats are less able to defend themselves outside. Poor Oscar had found a place in the corner of the living room that was as good a place as any to adopt as a toilet and it was on ground level.

Oscar’s vet, after further investigation, diagnosed the condition as we had suspected and Oscar was put on an anti-inflammatory medication to ease the discomfort. We then had to make sure that the environment was adapted to suit his needs and cater for his mobility problems.

Sarah placed a litter tray in a discreet corner – well away from windows, the cat flap, food and water – on the ground floor. It was a large, shallow tray to enable him to get into it with ease and turn around without too much bending and flexing. She used a fine, sand-like litter that Oscar had always favoured in the past but removed the polythene liner that she had previously used. Older cats often get their claws caught in carpets and other materials and I was concerned that he may catch them in the litter liner and potentially lose his balance. Once Oscar found and used the new facilities, the area of carpet in the living room that he had used as a makeshift toilet was cut out and the floor treated with an enzymatic cleaner before replacing the soiled carpet and underlay with a new piece.

Sarah also created a series of ingenious steps and ramps to give easy access to all Oscar’s favourite windowsills and perches. Sadly, he really wasn’t too keen on using the stairs but the medication did mean that, on occasion, he spends some quality time on the bed again. Sarah abandoned the cat flap in favour of escorted trips outdoors so that Oscar could still have a presence in his old territory with the knowledge that a ‘minder’ was on hand should any other cats be around. Slowly but surely, Oscar’s comfortable retirement was restored, as was the relationship between owner and cat.

Photo: istockphoto.com/Joe Potato Photo

The Cat Autumn 2011 29

Ask the vets…

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

Please can you give me some advice about my cat Twizzle? She is about eight years old and, in the last two years, she began to develop what looked like a flea allergy. Her eyelids swell up and she has a morass of small boils or scabs that cover her back and head. The vet said it’s not fleas and that she has a problem with her immune system. He treats her with steroid injections and this helps for a few weeks but the problem always returns and now more frequently. At first her skin condition seemed to be seasonal but that is no longer the case. She has regular flea treatments without effect and sometimes she is relatively well and suddenly within hours you can see that she is swollen around the eyes.

I’m aware that the steroids will eventually have a detrimental effect upon her internal organs and I’m desperate to find another way to help her. I’m wondering if this is a stress reaction or some other form of allergy? She is a sensitive soul and has also suffered with IBS in the past.

Elise Joiner, via email We are sorry to hear that Twizzle is suffering with her skin. Skin conditions can result from a variety of causes – including but not limited to fleas and/or flea allergy, food intolerance/allergy, house dust and pollen allergy, allergy to bedding – it is worth examining the washing powder used – insect bites, other mites, bacterial infections, stress – and often require a lengthy investigation by the vet. A definitive reason for the condition can sometimes not be obtained.

It is generally recommended to ensure up-to-date flea control, even if the primary cause is not fleas or a flea allergy, as often the irritation from fleas can aggravate any other underlying skin issues. However, do ensure that the treatments being used are recommended by your vet to ensure optimum effect and ensure that any other animals within the household are treated with an appropriate species specific product.

Allergies can sometimes be detected using a trial and elimination method but this can be a difficult and lengthy process. Your vet may carry out an allergy test using a blood sample. It is important to remember allergies can not be cured; they can only be controlled by pinpointing the problem allergens and then reducing exposure to them. If foods are identified as the cause of the allergy, then a diet can be recommended that avoids the problem food.

If an environmental allergy is identified, such as pollen or dust mites, avoiding or controlling the offending allergens is more difficult but can be achieved. If the allergen cannot be avoided, medication may be necessary. Skin disorders may require shampoos or tablets to control any primary or secondary infections and/or cortico-steroids or hormones to control the itching. Your vet may recommend referral to a specialist veterinary dermatologist for further investigations. Sometimes skin conditions may have been initiated by one factor such as a

30 The Cat Autumn 2011

flea bite but aggravated by another, for example stress. If stress is believed to be the cause it is worth investigating the cause of this stress and attempting to remove it. Your vet may recommend referral to a suitably qualified pet behaviour counsellor.

A product called Feliway, available from your vet, can also help to relieve stress in the household. It mimics a cat’s natural feline facial pheromone, which helps a cat to feel safe and secure in its environment. Please speak with your vet to see if this would be a suitable product to use.

I am so sorry we are unable to make any specific recommendations. Your own vet is best placed to guide you on the most appropriate management of Twizzle’s condition. MR My much-loved cat was in a road accident and bit through the tip of his tongue. He has had two operations to see if they could save the tip but, unfortunately, it did not prove possible. Do you have any advice especially on feeding and drinking? I am with a very good vet practice but this is the first operation of this kind they have come across.

Fiona Christie, via Facebook I am sorry to hear about your cat being involved in a road traffic accident. I do hope that the following advice is of some use. Your vet will be able to guide you on your specific cat’s treatment and recovery needs.

Some reports indicate that cats do not cope particularly well with tongue resection – compared with dogs which can cope reasonably with significant tongue loss – however some adult cats do sustain minor injuries to their tongue, following cat fights and other trauma, and have adapted well after the tongue has healed.

Following any oral surgery, important issues to address include feeding management, pain relief and grooming. Some sort of tube feeding in the early stages following surgery may be required to ensure his nutritional needs are met. Hand-feeding initially may help an affected cat to learn how to negotiate food with its altered tongue anatomy, and offering food and water in wide shallow dishes may be helpful, as well as at different heights – eg raising the bowl slightly, so a cat doesn’t have to put his head right down. Trial and error with different food types and textures – perhaps ranging from dried food to mashed up and watered-down wet food or a liquid food supplied by the vet – may also be needed to find the ones a cat copes best with.

Making the food more appealing to a cat by heating it to body temperature may tempt him to eat the food, as opposed to offering it straight from the fridge.

Some cats may become averse to the food offered at a veterinary practice following a period of hospitalisation for example, so in some cases avoiding giving this food for a while may help encourage a cat to feed, but do consult with your vet over the most appropriate diet to offer. An affected cat may find

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

it easier to drink from a water fountain where the water is running. Monitoring the cat’s weight may also be recommended by the vet to ensure sufficient nutrition is taken in.

Pain relief is likely to be important in the early stages while the tongue heals, as oral pain will commonly affect a cat’s appetite. The vet will be able to advise for your cat accordingly.

The other aspect is grooming – cats like being fastidiously clean, so an affected cat may need gentle help with daily grooming to maintain good coat and skin condition and maintain quality of life while his mouth heals and possibly also over the long-term.

Your vet will be able to monitor and advise on your cat’s specific case and we wish him a speedy recovery. BS Last October one of my cats was being sick and sneezing. Ever since then he has been eating the cat litter – white granule type – in small quantities. The vet says he isn’t doing this because of something missing in his diet, but when they have an upset stomach will eat anything.

Can you advise?

Barbara Davis, via email Some cats with health issues such as anaemia or gastro-intestinal upsets may start to eat cat litter, so liaising with your vet over your cat’s health is the most appropriate starting place. When the vet is happy there is no underlying health issue, it can be worth trying a different type of litter – there are plenty on the market – to see if your cat is less inclined to eat it. Cats learn to associate toileting with a feeling of a particular substrate under their feet so it is important to change the litter over gradually and very slowly to give him a chance to become familiar with the new feeling. Avoiding the ingestion of large amounts of cat litter is recommended, as while cat litters are generally non-toxic, eating large amounts may risk irritation or blockage of the gastro-intestinal tract.

Some cats demonstrate a behaviour called pica, which is not fully understood although it is seen more commonly in Oriental breeds and may be more associated with cats which do not have outside access. Pica means the voluntary ingestion of inedible items, most commonly fabric, but it can include other items such as cat litter. When there is no underlying medical cause, it is often thought to be associated with attention-seeking behaviour.

Cats can learn to repeat a behaviour that is rewarded so if a cat is getting some sort of reaction every time it goes to eat the litter, it could have become an attention seeking pastime for him. To try and alter the behaviour, cats can be distracted with a game using a fishing rod toy and rewarded by being playing with for a couple of minutes. In addition, for cats that eat dry food it can be worth introducing them to ‘hunting’ for their food rather than providing it in a bowl.

This is good exercise and increases the time spent eating, filling their day for longer. If cats were not fed by humans they would feed little and often following short bursts of energy from hunting so this also allows them to replicate this natural behaviour. Puzzle balls can be bought from pet shops, which drop food as they are rolled, or owners can become inventive and hide food in toilet roll tube pyramids, scrunched up paper, empty cardboard egg cartons, in plastic cups, up the stairs, on window sills, on top of tables or on a scratching post. 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 2011

31

Game, set Tom Briggs takes us behind the scenes on the new Cats Protection viral video

Photo: Francesca Watson

H

32

itchcock, Kubrick, Spielberg… to these great names should surely be added that of Cats Protection, thanks to our new viral video which – we hope – is currently taking the internet by storm. We had a simple if daunting brief for this project: it had to raise awareness about the importance of neutering and we didn’t have any budget to make it with.

We decided to take our starting point from the success of a viral we made in 2009. In it, four members of Cats Protection staff dressed up in cat costumes and chased after a non-existent football before the slogan “You don’t need balls to have fun… get your cat neutered” was revealed. Unusual, yes, but it succeeded in getting the message across.

According to YouTube statistics, over 7,500 people have watched it. It was also Poland’s most watched video including sport for a month. Not our primary objective, but a welcome success nonetheless.

The Cat Autumn 2011

Anyone for tennis?

With the cat costumes ready and waiting and a couple of willing volunteers itching to don them once more – and, as it turned out, itching after the filming wrapped too – it was time to choose another sport to have a go at and, with Wimbledon 2011 just around the corner, there was only going to be one winner. Seizing the opportunity to get the attention of people who were well aware that the championships were imminent, we decided that tennis was the potential ace up our sleeve and got to work. After the general idea had been enthusiastically developed it was time to storyboard the video.

Lights, camera, action!

Time was of the essence. A basic ten-cell storyboard was drafted while tennis racquets and a net were borrowed and weather websites consulted. As soon

feature

and cats! as the British weather saw fit to give us a rain-free day with a relatively consistent level of light, it was time for action.

The net was assembled, the camera readied and the ‘actors’ prepared. We filmed the viral right here on land belonging to the National Cat Centre – bit of movie trivia for you here: if you look carefully, you can actually see the National Cat Adoption Centre in the background of some shots. We recorded several different takes of the same choreographed tennis rally from different angles as well as a couple of different endings.

Final cut

Photo: Tom Briggs

With the footage ‘in the can’ it was time to hand over to our resident film editing expert to piece together a rough cut with video editing software. With amazing speed and skill, this was done on the same day as the filming – quite an achievement. All that then remained after a little bit of fine tuning was to add the sound. The commentary and obligatory grunting synonymous with tennis were recorded by members of staff while the sound effects of crowds cheering were downloaded from a free website. With the soundtrack added to the video and the approval of our ‘screening’ audience – which comprised the other people in the office huddled around a computer screen – we were ready to release the finished product. It was added to our YouTube channel and promoted on our Facebook and Twitter pages. So have we served up an ace? You can judge for yourselves by watching the video via the web address below – see you on our virtual centre court!

Further viewing Watch our tennis viral at www.youtube.com/catsprotectionuk

The Cat Autumn 2011

33

walkeronthewildside

Dumb and dumber Dexter leads John Walker up the garden path…

I

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The Cat Autumn 2011

The point I’m making is that he’s an idiot. An idiot I love with every atom of my heart and one who never fails to surprise me with his capacity to be stupid. So tonight, when we were playing in the back garden, it was not a small surprise when he played me.

We were playing the game where I chase after him as fast and noisily as I can and he scampers off then springs around to face me, challenging me to charge him again. It’s a good game that gives me much-needed exercise and normally ends in Dexter getting carried away and trying to bite my arm off.

But always worthwhile. After a few goes up and down the garden, Dexter having disappeared off around the corner, I was ready to retire. Walking back up the steps from the garden to the house I looked back to see him crouched down on the path, challenge on.

As is traditional, I took exaggerated tip-toe steps toward him, back down the steps. He stared. I raised a leg. He didn’t flinch. I sprinted toward him, arms out like the monster my part in this game is to pretend to be. He stayed absolutely still. Two steps from my stompy feet landing on, him he stepped left and walked through the hole in the hedge he’d deliberately positioned himself in and taunted me from.

I don’t know what it means. Either his entire life has been one enormous, self-defeating fake of simpleness, or I’m getting dumber.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

don’t like to call my cat stupid. I mean, it’s not an entirely fair fight. I’ve the benefit of one of the largest mammalian brains and at least 50,000 years of evolutionary improvement since the establishment of symbolic thought.

He’s the result of inbreeding and the genetic genocide of domestication, contained in a brain the size of a walnut.

Clearly there are good reasons for Felis catus intelligence to be somewhat different to my own. But my cat is stupid.

Which is why having just been outwitted by him, I’m feeling somewhat ashamed.

We have always known Dexter is ‘special’. As a kitten, watching him lose a fight with a woodlouse was a particularly humiliating sight. It was a long, sad battle, the woodlouse unwittingly taking part in nature’s competition and yet somehow succeeding in not only not getting eaten, but seemingly defeating a bereft, ignominious creature. Which is to say nothing of the time Dexter decided his only goal should be to eat a wasp.

Watching YouTube, you can see very many videos of cats demonstrating extraordinary skill. From the commonplace leaping to operate door handles to the extraordinary wit and improvisation they can use to reach food, the potential of the pet cat is so very exciting. Dexter meets that potential like the sea meets Birmingham: not without there being an extraordinary accident that neither side ever intended to happen.

We’re talking about a cat who routinely sits in the middle of the – relatively quiet – road outside our house, despite ample pavements either side and, indeed, enormous areas of grass and woodlands to explore only metres away and disinterestedly watches as cars screech to a halt and drive up on the curb to steer around him. That he is alive at all is a sign of either some unknown cat god divinely protecting him – and for what reason I cannot imagine – or proof that the universe is fundamentally unbalanced.

Dexter is the sort of cat who of an early morning will sit outside a closed bedroom door, wailing – miaowing until his voice is but a pathetic rasp – for food, for literally hours, when his food bowl is brimming with the same dried biscuits from the night before that would be added to were I to get up. I don’t even need to add any. I need only stumble toward his bowl, mostly asleep and still haunted by dreams of distant crying, make pretend putting-food-in motions and walk back to my bed. Then it’s, “Thanks John!” and he tucks in to this previously unattainable treat.

He’s never learned to open a door, let alone operate a door handle. If a door he sees being opened perhaps 78 times a day is ajar just a centimetre shy of his being able to squeeze through, then he can only sit dejected in front of it, staring uselessly at this unknowable puzzle. If it were a choice between pushing slightly and withering away to a skeleton on the spot, the former wouldn’t trouble a synapse.

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Vets in practice my Rutter concludes her two-part feature by A spending a hectic day at a veterinary surgery

A

s I nervously approach the entrance to Coastway Vets, I realise I have no idea what to expect from the day ahead. Will I be up to the tasks in hand? Will I be faced with some gory surgery? Will I be scratched, bitten, or even weed on/ These concerns are immediately quashed when I meet Matt Allitt, the veterinary surgeon I am to shadow for the day. He is friendly and shows me around the practice straight away – there are the wards, operating theatres, imaging room, laboratory, dispensary and consulting rooms. I’m introduced to the rest of the staff as they pass us – vets, veterinary nurses and receptionists – before joining them for morning rounds where the night staff who covered the out-of-hours emergency clinic update everyone on the furry in-patients.

Meeting the patients In the dog ward, there’s Norman who recently had an operation for gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), an emergency condition where the stomach fills with gas and twists. In the feline ward, there are two cats, a guinea pig and a pigeon – kept here so that these little’uns aren’t scared by any dogs!

Matt talks me through the list of operations to be performed through the morning while an 11-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, Poppy, needing eyelid surgery and

36 The Cat Autumn 2011

a guinea pig with a grape-sized lump under her foreleg are brought into the clinic.

It’s time for operations and we start with Brian, a black labrador with a fractured nail. It’s a relatively straightforward procedure and, after giving an injectable sedative, Matt is able to simply remove the damaged nail. While Brian is sleeping, Matt trims all his other nails and picks him up and puts him in a recovery pen and covers him with a blanket as when sedated he cannot regulate his own body temperature.

Matt tells me Brian will come around in 10-15 minutes and he is monitored by nursing staff.

Meanwhile I see Norman put under general anaesthetic by veterinary surgeon Toby with nurses Mena and Jay ready to have his stomach flushed. An abdominal drain is inserted, a section of his neck is shaved of seemingly endless curly hair and they put a central line catheter in the jugular vein of his neck – a first for the team here – as they have already used all the available areas on his legs during previous surgeries on his stomach. His paws are covered in bubble wrap to help retain his body heat. Jay starts a surgical scrub on his neck.

As this preparation for Norman continues, I’m ready for my next operation with Matt and theatre nurse, Nicky: the removal of cat Lucky’s tumourous toe. I’m warned by head surgeon, Paul, that the operations may be a little gruesome

An eye for detail With no time to spare, our next patient is Poppy, the Staffie dog. Poppy’s eyelid has drooped and so some eyelashes have scratched her eye and caused an ulcer. Nicky shaves a small section of Poppy’s leg to inject the pre-meds. A catheter is inserted and anaesthetic injected. A blanket is placed over her and a small section around her eye is shaved. Nicky drips an eye-safe disinfectant over Poppy’s eye and, once Matt is scrubbed up, we go into theatre. He cuts a small V shape out of the eyelid containing the drooped eyelashes and then uses very fine suture in a figure of eight so that it doesn’t run on the eyeball. The eye bleeds a lot, so Matt regularly swabs the blood away. When finished, Matt inspects the stitches and decides it’s not quite aligned so takes it all out and starts again. He then puts an orange dye in the eyeball which makes the ulcer turn bright green so it is easily seen – and wipes anaesthetic around it. This allows the under-run edges of the ulcer to be removed so it can heal. At the end of the surgery, Nicky’s anaesthetic chart is typed up by Matt ready to report and price up for Poppy’s owner, while the nursing team monitor her recovery We move on to Hazelnut, a two-year-old guinea pig with a lump under her foreleg. Unlike our canine and feline patients, Matt cannot inject anaesthetic into Hazelnut as her veins are too small. Instead she is placed in an airtight container that fills up with isoflurane and oxygen. Likewise, as the ET tube cannot go in Hazelnut’s windpipe so it is fitted to a funnel mask which fits over her face.

In theatre, Hazelnut is prepared and Matt cuts through the lump with a scalpel before stitching up and applying tissue adhesive to dissuade Hazelnut from chewing through the sutures.

Next up is another guinea pig, Sparky, who is being investigated for bald patches on her coat – Matt suspects cystic ovaries. Firstly she has an ultrasound. Sparky was

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Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

and told tales of first-timers fainting... this doesn’t put me off too much as I’m not squeamish but I make sure the exit is in arm’s length... just in case!

Lucky is first given a pre-med – a combination of a painkiller and a mild sedative – then, after around 20 minutes, an injectable anaesthetic is given to induce general anaesthetic.

A local anaesthetic spray is used to numb the larynx – I’m told cats have a very sensitive larynx compared with other species – and the endotracheal (ET) tube is inserted into the trachea.

Nicky shaves around the paw to remove any hair that has bacteria in it, making sure to clip between every toe which is no mean feat! She cleans the area with skin disinfectant, regularly monitors Lucky’s heart rate and adjusts the anaesthetic flow rate accordingly. The top of the leg is wrapped in a bandage and surgical spirit is applied over the tumour.

Matt scrubs up for surgery and they pop drapes over Lucky, carefully placing her foreleg through a window cut into the drapes. Matt scalpels and cuts off sections of the toe with sterilised instruments then finishes off with aptly named bone cutters – and boy, does it make a crunching noise.

The wound is sealed up with dissolvable stitches called sutures. Watching the concentration in Matt’s face, I ask him if he finds surgery stressful. “Some surgeons do, but I don’t at all, it’s one of my favourite things,” he says. “I’m happiest in the theatre.”

He bandages up Lucky’s toes, placing cotton wool in between each one while Nicky keeps checking the blood pressure and temperature. She starts checking Lucky’s reflexes to know when to remove the ET tube from her airway – too late and it could damage the larynx. She’s looking for involuntary blinking and twitching ears as well as resistance on the tongue and jaw. As she starts to come around, the ET is removed and Nicky carries her back into the cat ward to be monitored and cared for by the ward nurses.

conscious through this progress so it was a bit of a struggle for Nicky! Matt can’t see any cysts so he follows the process with a skin scrape to look for mites. A check under the microscope doesn’t reveal anything untoward so Matt phones Sparky’s owner to let them know; he asks them to keep an eye on her.

Bill, a King Charles spaniel is brought into the practice for a dental examination. Matt, Nicky and I all put on dental masks and Matt begins by chipping off the build up of tartar from anaesthetised Bill’s teeth. As nonchalant as I have been so far by the gore, this is the part of the day that gets me wincing, but then I’m no fan of the dentist myself! Matt identifies a tooth which requires extraction and, using a drill, splits it in half to allow each root to be removed separately. It’s a long process to remove the second half – with pliers – but when he’s finished he polishes the remaining teeth to make them smooth and delay future tartar build ups.

Not that I’m much in the mood for eating after being lightly sprayed by Bill’s saliva, it’s lunchtime. Just as Matt is about to join me, he’s called to an emergency – a puppy, George, who has swallowed ibuprofen tablets. I’m told can cause severe gastric ulceration and kidney damage in dogs, so Matt has to inject him quickly so that he will vomit up the pills and then prescribes activated charcoal to prevent absorption of any remaining drug. You always have to be alert in this job!

Consultations After our break, I join Matt for consultations from 3-6pm.

First up are three rabbits for a Viral Hemorrhagic Disease (VHD) vaccine each. Matt asks the owner about their eating and drinking habits, then weighs them and checks their heart rates before injecting them: apart from one scrambling to get away, it’s relatively straightforward.

Our next patient is Sammy, a cat with renal disease recently homed from Cats Protection. Sammy’s owner explains that he has runny faeces so, after checking him over and taking his

temperature, Matt advises to continue with a renal diet and prescribes a probiotic paste to help with Sammy’s digestion.

We are overrun with more cats for the next two hours – including Ariel who suffered from a possible seizure and so was given an antibiotic injection; overweight Scarlett whose owner was advised about feeding; Shortie who was checked over following a blocked bladder and Ash for a flea injection; as well as cocker spaniel, Bianca, in need of a booster and Merlin, a dog with ear infections. Matt makes a couple of phone calls and before I know it, it’s 6 o’clock and my placement is up! Theatre is prepared for tomorrow and the day patients who have recovered from their operations are discharged to their owners.

I think it’s fair to say that it’s been an exhausting yet very rewarding day. It’s been great to see such caring staff looking after all the animals – especially when they don’t know what to expect as the cases are so unpredictable so no two days are the same! But it’s clear that Matt is well respected and trusted in the surgery; he was great at reassuring owners, comforting nervous animals and has a vested interest in their health, wellbeing and recovery.

My feet are aching and my brain feels like it might explode but I know I’ll never have a chance to do anything like this again so I head home to put my feet up, feeling like I’ve achieved something in my one day and yet amazed that the others do this day in, day out. And while I’ll be back at my desk tomorrow, Matt and the team will be here, starting the process with new patients all over again. Hats off.

MyMog is here!

Cats Protection’s brand new iPhone app is out now and ready to download. You can create, design and play with your very own virtual puss and even hear him miaow and purr! Don’t forget to share your virtual cat with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

MyMog is free to download – it’s fantastic feline fun for your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Use your device to download here Or search for MyMog on UK iTunes or visit www.cats.org.uk and follow the links.

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

Can I kick it?

Kong Kickeroo produces a range of interactive toys containing catnip.

Moppy Kickeroos have a textured body and a fluffy tail to encourage a cat’s natural hunting instinct and a crinkle sound to encourage him to squeeze and kick. Kickeroo teasers are great for active play and quiet times alike – the shape and material promote realistic wrestling and hind paw kicking.

Kickeroos are available in a great variety of colours which will attract any cat’s attention.

We have six Kickeroo teasers and six moppy Kickeroos in various colours and designs to giveaway, each worth approximately £3.50 and available from all good pet stores.To win a toy, mark your entry ‘Kickeroo ’.

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

WIN

A-mazing!

This new puzzle feeder for cats promises to beat boredom and promote healthy digestion. The Catit Design Senses Food Maze is the latest in a series of new generation toys designed to enrich a cat’s life by stimulating his senses and encouraging an active lifestyle.

After loading the maze with your mog’s favourite biscuits, you can adjust the level of difficulty to provide a challenging game and avoid overfeeding. The cat has to work out how to move the food around the maze until it falls to the bottom and he can claim his reward! The Food Maze is available from most pet stores at a recommended retail price of £16.34.

Playing the joker

WIN

These cat playing cards feature a cat hologram so are great fun for all the family. Each card has a unique cat picture and they are plastic which makes them very durable and waterproof.

Buy your cat playing cards from www.playingcardsonly.co.uk for £6.95 with free UK delivery. Alternatively, get them for free by winning one of three packs in our giveaway competition! Mark your entry ‘Cat playing cards’ .

40 The Cat Autumn 2011

The

cat’ s miaow

Look stylish in the kitchen WIN

Grinning like a Cheshire cat LunarraStar Jewellery is handcrafted with care and attention to produce unique, quality jewellery design.

The collection is a treasure chest of trinkets inspired by whimsical fairytales like Alice in Wonderland and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. All the jewellery has customisable options to ensure a perfect fit and is presented beautifully gift wrapped. See the collection at www.lunarrastar.com We have been given three ‘We’re all mad here’ Cheshire cat necklaces worth £21.99 each to give away. The necklaces have silver-plated pendants encased in glass and three charms – one image of Alice, one vintage-style key and the other featuring the infamous Cheshire cat quote. To win a necklace, mark your entry ‘Cheshire cat’ .

Not only can you protect your clothing while cooking, but you can now look stylish too! Ann Edwards illustrates cats and dogs which feature on stationery as well as tableware and kitchenware.

Ann’s range of products can be seen at www.annedwardsart.co.uk We have three aprons worth £10.95 each in the Domestic Goddess range to give away. To be in for a chance of winning, send your details in to the usual address with your entry marked ‘Apron’ .

WIN

Treasure the memories Over the lifetimes of our much-loved pets, most of us will have collected a huge number of photographs, videos and memories of happy times we have shared with them.

What better memorial for a cherished pet than a professionally crafted ‘life story’ in book or DVD form?

Cherished Lives is a specialist publishing company which offers a sympathetic design, authoring and production service for ‘Pet Life History’ books and DVDs. The service includes all writing, compilation and production. We have been offered a free memorial book or DVD to one winning reader – and a 10 per cent discount to all others. Quote code CP101244 at www.cherishedlives.co.uk to claim your discount – expires 30 November 2011.

To win a book or DVD free of charge, mark your entry ‘Cherished Lives’ and specify whether you would like a book or DVD.

WIN

As light as a feather

WIN

The Da Bird toy is of the line when it comes to wand toys and the biggest selling cat toy at The Purr Company.

The feather spins and moves randomly and the high quality string is suitably long, making the reach of the waver very long.

Cats have a natural instinct to hunt and are mostly attracted by the movement of their prey. Interactive play can help cats to exhibit this behaviour which may actually reduce the desire to seek out such behaviour elsewhere.

Da Bird is available from www.thepurrcompany.com for £5.99 but to save buying one, we have two to give away each with a set of replacement feathers. Send your entry in marked ‘Da Bird’ .

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 14 October 2011.

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The Belgians have a word for it: Kattenstoet

Photos: Deborah Erps unless otherwise stated

T

o Belgians it’s called Leper, on British maps it’s Ypres. To thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen, however, the town in Belgium’s Flemish province of West Flanders was once known simply as ‘Wipers’.

Between 1914 and 1918 ‘Wipers’ was famous for one thing: it was at the very centre of some of the worst fighting of the Great War. Of all these battles, the largest and most costly was the Third Battle of Ypres – more commonly known as Passchendale.

British, Canadian, ANZAC and French forces aimed to recapture the Passchendale Ridge east of Ypres. After months of fighting, the battle resulted in nearly half a million casualties, while only a few miles of ground were won. The town of Ypres was all but obliterated by artillery fire. By Armistice Day in November 1918, there was barely one stone left still standing upon another in the historic medieval town.

After the First World War, the town was painstakingly rebuilt using money paid by Germany in war reparations. The main square, including the Cloth Hall, town hall and cathedral were restored as close to the original designs as possible. The Cloth Hall today is home to the Flanders Fields Museum. In 1999, the whole complex was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. At the eastern exit to the town stands the famous Menin Gate, the war memorial containing the names of 54,896 Commonwealth soldiers who died with no known grave.

An ancient past There has been a settlement on the site for at least 2,000 years – even before the Romans arrived in the area. By the Middle Ages, Ypres was an extremely prosperous town with some 40,000 inhabitants. That prosperity came from the town’s linen trade with England, something which even gets a mention in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.

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The Cat Autumn 2011

Steve Ainsworth discovers Ypres and its redemption of an anti-feline past

In 1241, a major fire destroyed much of the town, including its cathedral. The consequent rebuilding reflected the wealth of the local merchants – not least the construction of Ypres’ famous Cloth Hall, one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages, surmounted by a 230-foot tall belfry housing a 49-bell carillon.

Building the magnificent gothic-style St Martin’s Cathedral began in 1254; it would take the next two centuries to complete.

The cats of Ypres Cats also occupy an important place in the history of Ypres: a fact celebrated every three years by the town’s ‘Kattenstoet’ or ‘Festival of Cats’ which goes back many centuries.

Exactly when the festival began is shrouded in the mists of time. It may go back millennia – perhaps even before the Romans. More certainly, the festival was being observed in medieval times – though not in the form familiar to 21st century festival-goers. Squeamish readers may wish to skip the next few paragraphs.

The highlight of the medieval festival was the throwing of live cats from the Cloth Hall’s bell tower. Quite how that custom, so dreadful in modern eyes, began is the subject of some speculation; some think it began as a pagan ceremony, a live sacrifice practiced since time immemorial to welcome the spring. Others believe it may have a semi-Christian origin: the practice of throwing live animals from high towers during Christian holidays was, sadly, not unique to Belgium and cats’ known association with witches can’t have helped.

Many religious leaders had been casting aspersions on cats for some time before the Black Death hit Europe in the 1340s.

Pope Gregory IX had denounced domestic cats as ‘diabolical’ as far back as 1232. Many superstitious people, and some not so superstitious, began to associate them with evil.

feature

Clockwise from left: Some of the many, varied cats who took part in the 2009 parade. Note the very impressive white cat, Minneke Poes, wife of Cleper, the cat King.

The infamous Cloth Hall.

Raining cats on my parade The Cat Parade has been a feature of the festival since 1946 following Belgium’s liberation from Nazi occupation at the end of the Second World War and is attended by cat lovers from all over the world.

Since 1955, the parade’s mascot has been Cieper, the Cat King. In 1960 Cieper was joined by his wife: Minneke Poes.

The pair have been formally recognised as full citizens of the city. King Cieper and his wife gained a son, Piepertje, in 1974, though he is now said to be too ugly to be brought out in public.

At the last Kattenstoet, in 2009, there were floats representing cats through the ages, ‘cat-related proverbs and sayings, Puss in Boots and ‘cats from around the globe.

The parade also featured such modern moggies as characters from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats, as well as that far from medieval cartoon cat Garfield.

Following each parade, a large crowd gathers in the main square beneath the belfry of the Cloth Tower. Since 1930 velvet cats have been used to re-enact the most ancient tradition of the festival. The crowd, however, still shouts encouragement as a jester holds up one of the faux felines friends and tosses it down to outstretched arms many feet below.

A lucky catch means one can go home with a toy kitten.

Those whose catching skills are less well developed can at least console themselves buying an identical souvenir from one of the many nearby stalls.

Lastly, lending some credence to one theory about the festival’s origin, the day ends with the public trial of a witch. As with most witch trials, the outcome is a foregone conclusion: the bonfire and stake have been prepared before the case is heard.

The townspeople of Ypres shout their accusations.

Noblemen nod their agreement. The judge laughs to hear the evidence of sorcery. The caged defendant simply whimpers and cries “Neen, neen. Neen!” until she is taken away and thrown onto the waiting fire.

Happily it’s all pretend. The witch and her accusers are merely acting. Her ‘body’ is only burnt in effigy.

The next Kattenstoet festival in Ypres will be held over the weekend of 12 and 13 May 2012, with the main parade taking place on the Sunday. It’s great fun for cat lovers, in an historic European setting but also an opportunity for a few moments’ quiet reflection about both man and animals.

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Photo: iStockphoto.com/Caroline Vancoillie

During and after the Black Death, large numbers of cats and their owners were executed after being accused of spreading plague by witchcraft. Today, the citizens of Ypres still burn an effigy of a witch during their cat festival.

A more prosaic explanation is that the Ypres ‘cat tossing’ began simply as a way of getting rid of unwanted cats. The Cloth Hall was used to store textiles during the winter months until the seas became safe for shipping. The Cloth Hall could easily become infested with rats and mice, which could damage the stored cloth. Cats were therefore encouraged to occupy the Cloth Hall during the winter. Come the spring, however, as the bales of cloth were shipped to markets across Europe, the cats in the now-empty building were just a nuisance. Human life was cheap, the lives of cats were worth even less. As quickly as he caught them, the curator of the Cloth Hall simply threw the cats out of the nearest window.

Happily in the 21st century, there is no cat throwing involved in the Ypres triennial Kattenstoet. The last live cat was thrown from the Cloth Hall in 1817, almost 200 years ago.

The write stuff Announcing the runners-up of our popular writing competition…

A

s we conclude our 2011 Writing Competition, we are pleased to present the runners-up. Our special guest judge Celia Haddon selected Paul Goozée’s short story Brief Encounter and Louise Treleaven’s poem Who Killed King Rat? We hope you enjoy reading their entries as much as we did. Congratulations to Paul and Louise and a big thank you to Celia and, of course, to everybody who entered the competition. You can also read The Best of the Rest at www.cats.org.uk/thecatmag

Brief Encounter The little white cat was out in the garden again, almost imperceptible in the snow. It was seated next to the sculpture, staring at the house. It had done this almost daily since the first snow fell two weeks ago. The initial carpet of snow had quickly frozen and Sofie had slipped and sprained her ankle on her way to work and had been confided to the house to witness the more persistent snowfalls that followed.

Sofie, housebound, following the usual ritual, opened a window and called. But she was disappointed again as the cat rose up, turned, and vanished into the unresolved whiteness at the back of the garden.

The stone sculpture had become the focal point for these failed assignations. Sofie had bought it soon after her cat Pushkin had died in the spring and had placed it on his grave in the garden. It depicted a sitting cat, Medusa-blighted. It wore a serious expression as though afflicted with a loss of its own. Sofie hoped that the spirit of Pushkin inhabited the sculpture, borrowed flesh of stone and moss, to gaze at the house and seek out Sofie herself.

She remembered her first meeting with the little white cat.

It was in the early summer and Sofie was weeding Pushkin’s grave. She had placed her hand onto the head of the statue to steady herself, the stone warm in the sun as if she petted living flesh and fur. Then she heard the tinkling of a tiny bell and through the hole in the fenced adjoining the park a tiny face appeared. It was a cat, white head, but around the eyes two irregular patches of grey, like cold shadows fixed upon a

44 The Cat Autumn 2011

sunny field of snow. Within the grey, the eyes, the pupils of which looked like fossilised black insects in blobs of amber.

It was a mutual attraction in an instant. The cat emerged at the invitation of Sofie’s outstretched hand. Pure white body, a purple collar from which hung a tiny bell. Then Sofie embarked on a new friendship as the cat made daily visits. Her grief over Pushkin’s loss softened; she felt like an unfaithful lover. The cat would play with Sofie or just sit by her as she gardened, even enter the house for a handful of biscuits and a snooze. Best of all were the games with the white catnip mouse Sofie had bought. She would throw it, the cat would chase and retrieve, trotting quickly back with the toy in her mouth. So loved was this mouse that the little cat would, before returning home, hide it. Then cat and mouse would return the following day. And sometimes the mouse would not be returned, would lie hidden for days at a time.

And now, besieged by snow, Sofie remembered that the toy was currently hidden and hoped it had not been spoilt by the winter wet.

The thaw brought with it an ephemeral melancholy.

The once bright snow had been reduced to dirty tattered fragments by warm drizzle. The many snowmen that had once populated gardens and grass verges had been eroded overnight to grey stumps, their eyes now sightless stones scattered about the dull, damp grass.

Sofie now felt confident about venturing out. First, into the garden as soon as the cat appeared, she made her way tentatively across the wet lawn. Now the cat did respond, but only to stand, tail raised. It did not move from the sculpture’s side. Sofie crouched but almost recoiled in horror. Its eyes were black, like the discarded eyes of the snowmen. They lay in the wet, grey fur-like lifeless stones in a pulp of sodden ash.

The collar was missing.

Sofie put out her hand, concerned. The cat gave out one muted cry, almost a sigh, and pushed its head into her cupped palm and then turned and disappeared through the hole in the fence.

Perplexed, Sofie went out later to post some letters. Out into the threat of early darkness, with nets of fine drizzle pitched into her face. Quite soon she saw the laminated

competition poster fixed to the bole of a streetlamp. MISSING in large black letters above a photograph of the little white cat. It was her, undoubtedly, poised on a scrap of threadbare lawn.

Missing?

Sofie had her mobile with her. She rang immediately. A woman answered, speaking as if with a mouth full of sand, trying not to swallow.

“I’m ringing about your missing cat. I saw her in my garden today. I think she is ill…”

The woman interrupted. She had swallowed, choking a little.

“No, that must be another at… ours was found dead nearly two weeks ago… just after the heavy snow came…”

Dead?

“No, I’m sure it is your cat – white – grey around the eyes – exactly like your photo. Purple collar…”

“It was that damned collar that killed her. She was out before the snow fell and didn’t come back at night… she was found in the park… the collar had caught in a branch or something… couldn’t get free…” the woman was openly crying now, “she…she…”

Oh God, no. “… she froze to death…”

No.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Sofie had to end the call. The sand was in her mouth now, congealing at the back of her throat. Suddenly she could not move as if a ghost, unseen, had surged into existence beside her in the poisonous yellow glow of the streetlamp, and clasped her in its arms. No. Not gone. She had to get back to the garden. She broke the embrace and shambled the short distance home, half ghost herself. It was now dark.

Sofie called. She could see the statue giving off a queasy sheen of pale light in the drizzle. But something whiter, more luminescent, lay at the sculpture’s feet, tiny. Perhaps a scrap of snow yet to melt. No. Something tiny.

A tiny, white catnip mouse.

By Paul Goozée

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Who Killed King Rat? It lies inert, rope tail tucked in, A rat so huge it must have been A king amongst the scuttling throng That haunts dark streets when day is done.

King Rat himself! He lies quite still.

Despatched – but who has made the kill?

Of desperate struggle there’s no trace, No clumps of fur or bloody place.

The bedroom’s tidy as before, Except this corpse upon the floor.

King Rat deposed! And left for me, Kind contribution to my tea!

With bag in hand I lift the King, Prepare him for his tomb, the bin.

“How did you kill this massive foe?”

I ask. “He weighs a ton, you know.

King Rat the Fat! He’s twice your size!”

My kitten purrs - and winks his eyes.

By Louise Treleaven

46 The Cat Autumn 2011

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Imagine if we could only fund 4 pens instead of 10... â&#x20AC;Śbecause without people leaving gifts in their wills, this could be the effect on our amazing work. More than half of the cats we help at Cats Protection are cared for thanks to these gifts, as almost 60 per cent of our vital work is funded in this way. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the difference these incredibly kind and generous individuals are making.

To find out more about the difference you could make by remembering

Cats Protection in your will, please contact our advisor, Matt Vincent and ask for your free information pack today.

T: 01825 741 271 E: legacy.enquiries@cats.org.uk W: www.cats.org.uk/legacy Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

How cat-friendly is your garden? raham Clarke plans a garden G friendly for all things feline

H

ave you ever thought about designing your garden… around your cat? I don’t mean literally plonking your cat in the middle of your plot and then radiating paths, lawns and beds out from him – anyway, I doubt very much he would stay there long enough for you to even get paper and pencil out!

I mean, creating a garden with your cat in mind.

It may sound somewhat excessive and, in fact, it attaches rather a lot of importance to your cat’s outdoor happiness, a subject to which until this point you may not have given much, if any, thought.

But as you’ll see… considering your cat’s needs when planning a garden can result in a happier pet, a happier owner – and even, possibly, happier neighbours!

So what are the design elements you should bear in mind? Essentially your cat needs the following: cover on the ground, unrestricted freedom to roam and space to run around. Oh yes, your cat appreciates a good garden just as much as Alan Titchmarsh does – but for quite different reasons!

Don’t overlook the undergrowth!

Catmint (Nepeta cataria)

48 The Cat Autumn 2011

Whereas Alan T, and most other humans I know, desire neat lawns, ripening strawberries and space for a sun lounger, your cat much prefers dense scrub and undergrowth.

When moggy gets the urge to hunt, he will seek out places where he can lie in wait. Long grass is wonderful for this as it is soft and harmless and can perfectly conceal a ‘prostrate puss’. Most gardeners don’t let their grass get this long, however – unless they have an area containing natural-looking or wild plants. Avoid bulbous plants here, as most are either completely or partly poisonous to cats. But you could consider growing some lovely wildflowers in your long grass, such as primroses, cowslips, pasque flowers ( pulsatilla ) and wild strawberries – incidentally, I have never seen any of the plants I’m recommending here on any lists of plants purported to be dangerous to cats, but that is not to say that a new plant will suddenly be discovered to be toxic.

gardeningfeature

There are several things you can do to stop your cat from harming the desirable plants in your garden: • If you grow vegetables and have just created a lovely fine seedbed, your cat will be drawn to it like filings to a magnet. So drape some netting or scatter some light brushwood over it and keep it there until the seedlings have appeared and the ground has hardened. It will stop both your cat, and visiting birds, from scuffing the soil and spoiling the rows. Cats like to toilet in a fine, sandy substrate, so provide a similar area for them to use, making sure it’s in a private location as toileting is a vulnerable activity for cats

Don’t forget, these wild flowers will also attract insects – the important pollinators such as bees and butterflies – which can also give your cat hours of entertainment.

To be of real benefit, the grassy area needs to be around three metres square and sited next to an open area such as lawn or patio.

Sunbathing beauties An old or overweight cat, or just a lazy one, will delight in finding a nice, warm spot in the garden to snuggle and snooze. But even younger and friskier cats will want to take time out on a sunny day to bask and take in the rays. But be careful here.

We all know the dangers of too much sun on our own skins and this applies to cats – especially white ones – as well. So it’s important to provide some shade in your garden.

Try to plant a few reliable evergreens such as choisya, griselinia, Viburnum tinus, V. davidii or V. rhytidophyllum , Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’, sweet bay ( Laurus nobilis ) and myrtle. Being evergreen, these can cast quite dense shade all year round. They can be helpful in winter also as they afford some protection from inclement weather.

• If you want a tree with ornamental bark – such as the snake-bark or paper-bark maples – make sure you site it away from the usual routes your cat takes; put it in a less prominent place • When sprayed with feline urine, the branches of most conifers quickly react by dying. You won’t be able to stop your cat from spraying – it’s part of the territorial marking ritual – so avoid planting conifers on prominent corners where they may be regularly targeted

A head for heights!

The garden enables cats to exercise their instinctive hunting skills. Felines have very good eyesight and they like to rest in places where they can look around them. This means that they like to have a high vantage point: a tree, the top of a wall, the shed roof… these all offer fantastic opportunities for surveying the scene.

For a gardener, a tree is always the first option – although walls are frequently essential and sheds to store the tools highly desirable. But a tree always looks great – and it offers shade, is habitat to wildlife and can become a second home to your cat.

I’ve seen cats adopt trees. They hide and stalk up in them, but they also use them for their own well-being and to mark territory! They scratch the bark to deposit a scent from the sweat glands in the paw pads; it is also a visual territorial marker for other cats. But it can also keep a cat’s claws in good condition – scratching keeps the claws free of dead skin and other debris.

If, for whatever reason, you are unable to plant a tree, it is a good idea to put in one or two scratching posts so your cat can ‘do his nails’ in this way.

Good garden trees, which I believe to be cat-safe, include: Japanese maple ( acer ), snowy mespilus ( amelanchier ), strawberry tree ( arbutus ), magnolia and small types of spruce ( picea ). Because of the potential for poisoning, avoid elder, box, oak ( quercus ), juniper, Leyland cypress, horse chestnut ( aesculus ), as well as peach and apricot trees.

Pick of the plants

Viburnum tinus

Catmint ( Nepeta cataria ) is reputed to be the plant that cats most love; they’ll nuzzle it, nibble it and rub themselves all over it. In my experience, cats have been fairly non-committal toward it. If you do grow catmint, your moggy may or may not take a liking to it, but remember that it may beckon neighbourhood cats, so if yours isn’t particularly confident you may have lots of visitors – welcome or otherwise.

It is difficult to say which other plants are appreciated by cats in the same way, but the following perennial border plants certainly offer good leaf cover and a soft nature – and they’re great garden plants as well! Lady’s mantle ( Alchemilla mollis ) carries handsome grey-green foliage and masses of yellow-green feathery flower sprays from early

The Cat Autumn 2011 49

All photos: Graham Clarke

Avoid problems with plants

The Katzecure system

summer onwards; goat’s beard ( Aruncus dioicus ) produces spectacular creamy-white plumes often 1.2m high; hardy geranium or cranesbill, of which some 400 species and varieties offer flower colours from maroon, magenta and pink, through to blue, mauve, purple and white; and then there are the daylilies ( hemerocallis ), with soft, long, arching sword-shaped leaves and flowers in reds, yellows, oranges and browns – they are similar in appearance to lilies – which are toxic to cats – but are not even related to them.

are compromised as the poles are mounted on the inside.

The system does not come cheap, especially if you opt for the full supply and installation service, but set against the love of a cat – or indeed the cost of a pedigree – and the years of enjoyment you will have, it is worth it. Visit www.katzecure.com or phone 01293 851 727 for more details and remember to try to provide somewhere else within your garden that will allow your cat to safely survey his territory from up high.

Within bounds Sometimes we’d like our cats to have the freedom to roam the garden but not to be able to leave their boundaries. Cats are curious creatures and like nothing better than climbing fences, scaling walls and sneaking through hedges – to see what’s what in the great outdoors!

But there are many reasons why you might want to keep your cat(s) within the safe confines of your own garden.

Where I live, for example, there is nearby wild woodland, as well as open fields with resident birds of prey, a gang of local tom cats – often night-fighting in the garden – threats from road traffic of course and the usual disgruntled neighbours who are all too wary of cats trespassing on their garden soil.

Looking to contain one or more cats to a garden, you should start by making sure there are no holes in walls, fences or hedges through which he can crawl. Once he is contained at ground level, you may need to turn your attentions to raising the heights of walls or fences: you can use salmon netting, but it’s unsightly and not nice if birds and animals get caught up in it, or trelliswork, which is quite obtrusive and not anywhere near 100 per cent cat-proof.

Recently a friend wanted to contain his two cats within the garden’s limits, and an internet search lead him to the Katzecure containment system – which keeps a cat in – or out – of a garden without impacting on its overall look.

It works by positioning two wooden poles onto the wall or fence. These poles rotate when touched, denying cats the necessary ‘pawhold’ they need to attempt climbing over the top. Neither the overall height of the wall, nor its appearance,

50 The Cat Autumn 2011

Toxicity warning Cat owners have been reminded of the dangers that toxic plants pose to their pets. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) has dealt with 2,175 enquiries about lily poisoning in cats since 1992. Lilies are the most common toxic plants that can cause kidney failure if eaten by cats. All parts of the plant can be toxic and pollen can rub off onto cats’ fur when they brush past. Even if a cat licks a small quantity, it can be extremely dangerous.

The top 10 problem plants according to VPIS in 2010 were: • Lily (214 cats; 76 dogs) • Narcissus/daffodil (14 cats, 84 dogs) • Ivy (7 cats, 84 dogs) • Horse chestnut (56 dogs) • Tulip (6 cats, 46 dogs) • Peace lily (32 cats, 13 dogs) • Oak (1 cat, 42 dogs) • Yew (38 dogs) • Laurel (1 cat, 24 dogs) • Rhododendron (3 cats, 14 dogs) For a list of plants toxic to cats, visit the Feline Advice Bureau’s website www.fabcats.org

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

Did you know that owning a cat has proven benefits?

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

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

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

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

Talking shop F ran Holder takes us behind the scenes at the Cats Protection charity shop she runs in Worcester and reveals how its success led to a new joint-branch shop opening in the pretty market town of Pershore

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he Worcester & District Cats Protection shop began with branch stalwart Margaret Kimberley, a former volunteer of 30 years. For some time, Margaret had been looking for the right premises to come along and happened to see an empty shop while in traffic in Worcester.

After enquiring about its availability and securing a lease, the shop opened in February 2006. However, the landlord’s wife had a phobia of cats and stated that we weren’t to have any on the premises! Margaret managed the shop voluntarily for a year and then I was lucky enough to be interviewed for the position of Shop Manager. I’m passionate about cats, so this was my ideal job. I’ve always worked in retail and have been here for just over five years – in that time the shop really has gone from strength to strength.

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The location

Our shop is in Worcester, 30 minutes south of Birmingham.

There are a wide variety of customers who pop in, ranging from young mums and students to retired people. The area has a real community feel to it with people shopping locally for things they need and supporting other businesses nearby including a butcher, florist, hairdressers and other charity shops. Not everyone has extra cash to spare, so there is a real need for our shop so people can afford to treat themselves to some nearly-new clothes or something different for their house at affordable prices. We try to cater for everyone’s interests which makes the shop appealing to everyone; we’re lucky that we have regular supporters and customers – some of them come in every day – and I enjoy hearing what’s new and having a chat. It’s important to me that we provide good customer service, both through advice about cats and also finding what they may be looking for. The Worcester & District Branch shop has proved to be quite a focal point over the past five years. We display pictures in the window of the cats available for adoption and we are able to pass on contact details to the members of the public who may be interested in homing a cat. The shop has a lively and friendly atmosphere

Diane McKenna, Fran Holder and Bromwyn Wells

behindthescenes Photos: Worcester News

with so many different people passing through every day, volunteers and customers alike. People often stop and look at our window display and at the posters and some come in and tell us stories about their own cats. Not a day goes by where we’re not spreading the word about Cats Protection locally and nationwide. Quite often the Fosterers to our cats in care will pop in and catch up with what is going on, also picking up bargains too!

Donations – the lifeblood of the shop It’s a bit of a cliché, but every day is like Christmas in the shop.

We never know what may be coming in the boxes and bags that are donated by kind members of the public and we get a wide variety of items, ranging from designer handbags and clothes to a toilet seat! Nothing is wasted as items that we are unable to sell are passed on to recycling companies which give us cash for items such as unsaleable clothing and books.

However, our shop is the best way of recycling unwanted items and making money for the cats in need at the same time. It gives me a real sense of achievement knowing that, when items sell, we are helping the cats that need us.

A typical day Again, another cliché, but no two days are ever the same – it really is so varied. But that’s something else we all enjoy, as our volunteers never get bored when there is always something to do. We all have a part to play in keeping the shop operational and, like other aspects of Cats Protection, we would not survive without them. From serving the customers and keeping the shop tidy to sorting through the bags of donations, their help is enormous. I’ve learned that the presentation and layout of the shop is also vital – although we are a part of a charity we are still competing with other shops so we have to make sure customers enjoy coming in and return. Usually I’m in the shop and the volunteers do a morning or an afternoon shift to work around their own lives.

This is a typical day. It starts when the volunteers and I arrive to prepare for opening. The door opens at 10am and usually there are a few early customers waiting to come in.

By 10.15am we receive our first donation, which could consist of a couple of black bags of clothes or household items.

Marilyn, one of our morning volunteers, works on the bags and sorts through the items looking for good-quality stock that will sell. At 10.30am we’ll have our first phone call of the day – someone has lost a cat – so we pass on the details of the person they need to speak to and offer to put a poster in the shop window. People are always grateful for our ability to act upon their concerns straight away. Then at 11am, if there’s chance, I’ll take a few minutes’ break – it’s time to put the kettle on! By 11.15am the donations received earlier have been sorted and all the clothes are steam cleaned, priced and go out on display. Usually by midday, we’ll have a flurry of customers in-store all looking for a bargain they may only find with us. At 1pm, the volunteers change over. At this time I have a quick chat to update the afternoon shift with what has been happening, which could range from the reports of a missing cat or even someone wanting to adopt a cat they’ve spotted on the posters in the window. If things go a little quieter in the shop by 1.30pm, it’s time to get some lunch as I’ve worked up an appetite by then!

By 1.55pm a car load of donations usually arrives with an assortment of bric-a-brac and toys. This keeps us busy for the afternoon, preparing more stock for the shop floor. By 2.20pm a customer who has enquired about homing a cat pops in, so we give her a leaflet with our contact details and a brief run down of what happens next. Then by 2.45pm someone comes in to collect a cat trap, as her cat has been attacked by the neighbourhood feral bully – we have to react to a variety of cat-related queries so it’s not just about selling stock. It’s 3.30pm and not long until home time. We do a quick tidy of the shop and cash up the till. Then by 4pm we close the door and go home, ready for another busy day!

The future As the Worcester shop has been such a success, it was decided to go into partnership with the Evesham & District Branch – where I help out on my day off – with a joint shop in Pershore, which is halfway between Worcester and Evesham.

After months of planning and paperwork, the store opened its doors on 26 February 2011. Everyone at both branches has been so excited about this joint venture, which I think is a nationwide first for the charity and we hope it will strengthen our existing working relationship with the Evesham & District Branch. The response we’ve had in these first few months has been really encouraging and I think it’s something more branches should consider doing. Having the two branches working closely together has enabled us to promote the work of Cats Protection over a larger area and helped facilitate the homing of cats from both Worcester Branch Fosterers and the Evesham Adoption Centre. On a practical note, it’s been useful to rotate the stock between the two shops too, as certain items sell better in Pershore and vice-versa in Worcester.

A job for life I am passionate about the care and welfare of cats and feel fortunate that the job I do makes a difference. I am one of the lucky ones who has a job that I enjoy doing. The two shops I am involved with have been a great source of income for Cats Protection and help to raise the profile of the charity in the local area. I would encourage any branches to consider opening a charity shop – if you are passing through St John’s or Pershore, please pop in and see us – you are guaranteed a bargain and a smile!

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Give your feet a rest and exercise your mind

Ten-minute crossword

Amusing Heather Heather Cook enjoys a well earned retirement from CP

Across 7 Suitable (11) 8 Small crustacean (6) 9 Garden hedge plant (6) 10 Be unsteady on one’s feet (6) 12 Heavenly spirits (6) 13 Dolt (3) 14 Motor fuel (6) 16 More courageous (6) 18 Patron saint of Scotland (6) 20 Frightened (6) 22 Star-gazers (11)

Down 1 Impetuous (4) 2 Short fast race (6) 3 Non-commissioned officer (8) 4 Let fall (4) 5 Manufacturing (6) 6 Wake-up signal (8) 11 Eastern (8) 12 Fire-resistant mineral (8) 15 Layers (6) 17 Astounded (6) 19 Timber (4) 21 Gaelic (4)

To win one of these three Stripy Cat Tea For One sets, complete our crossword correctly, rearrange the shaded letters and find the name of a famous racing driver 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 14 October 2011. The prizes are kindly sponsored by The Cat Gallery. Visit www.thecatgallery.co.uk or phone 01904 413 000 to request a catalogue.

Answers to Summer Crossword on page 35.

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The Cat Autumn 2011

At the end of March I retired after 28 years as Homing Officer for Cats Protection‘s Woking Branch. The cat pens have been dismantled and have gone off to provide shelter to more waifs and strays in new locations. However, there will always be furry ghosts where they stood for so many years and I suspect that the odd ping pong ball and well-chewed toy mouse will turn up in the petunias for a very long time to come.

A phone call from a veterinary nurse at the end of March heralded the arrival of a slightly more substantial ghost, rejoicing in the name of Boris. He had been found wandering the streets and was in a terrible state; no owner had come forward to claim him and he was not microchipped although he was a pedigree Persian and had obviously been an expensive purchase in happier times. I was told that he had been kept at the surgery for the required period of time: it looked like the end of the road for poor old Boris.

A few days later, Boris arrived here, wrapped in a towel. He had been completely shaved apart from his head, paws and a lion tuft on the end of his tail. He had a horrible sore on his lip, cauliflower ears and looked about 150 years old.

I was almost afraid to hold this fuzzy stick insect and put him in a kitten pen in the Residents’ Lounge so that he could get acclimatised to life with our other special needs felines.

The existing residents showed little interest and nearly dislocated their jaws yawning when I tried to introduce them to the newcomer. They have, of course, seen it all before – many times, and the fact that he looked nothing like a cat was just a detail.

Two months have passed and Boris is now a fully paid up member of the gang. His fur hasn’t grown much but he is getting stronger and cheekier by the day. He’s a messy old sausage, enjoys shouting at the television and gets cross if meals are even slightly late. And we are absolutely besotted with him.

Purr ‘n’ Fur Ghostly happenings Other visitors – and, during one particular incident in the 1960s, also some of the groundsmen – have reported seeing a headless body, in Civil War-era officer’s uniform, pacing near the ramparts. It seems that Major Gallie and Tom Cat continue to mount guard at the fort they defended nearly 150 years ago.

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

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

Patrick Roberts

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

Answers appear on page 35.

The Cat Autumn 2011

55

Illustrations: Rasoul Hudda

Fort McAllister was part of the defensive ring protecting the Confederate city of Savannah, Georgia, during the American Civil War. Unlike its sister fort, Fort Pulaski, it was built of earthworks, sods and mounds of mud from the nearby Ogeechee river and these earthen walls were very successful in simply absorbing the cannonballs that the Unionists hurled at them. This fort therefore held out much longer than the more modern Pulaski, which fell to Union forces in 1862.

All kinds of mascot were adopted by soldiers of both sides in the conflict, to relieve the boredom and rigours of camp life. McAllister’s cherished mascot was Tom Cat, a large black cat adored by the garrison. He is said to have run back and forth along the defences during battle, dodging the hail of musket fire and cannonballs that flew overhead.

Early in 1863, the Unionists began a series of determined naval assaults on the fort; during the second of those its commander, Major John B Gallie, was decapitated. About a month later on 3 March, Tom’s luck ran out when a stray bullet ended his life – he was the only Confederate casualty during seven hours of intensive bombardment on that day.

Tom was buried with full military honours and in the official report of the action his death was communicated to General Beauregard. His loss was keenly felt by the defenders, but did not signal their defeat; they held out until near the end of 1864, when the fort fell to the land forces of the unstoppable General Sherman – it was the final hurdle in his ‘March to the Sea’.

Today, Fort McAllister is the best-preserved earthen fortification in the South, following extensive reconstruction in the 1930s by Henry Ford, who took a great interest, actually buying it and using his own money for the refurbishment.

Even at that time, workers on the site refused to spend the night there because of strange, unidentified noises heard in the grounds. Today, visitors, staff and re-enactors have all reported seeing a black cat running along the ramparts, in some of the rooms, and peering out towards the river. Others say they have felt a touch on their legs, as though a furry, arched back was rubbing against them. All the staff and administrators insist that there are no real cats living in the park grounds.

How can we help?

03000 12 12 12

Elanna Webster covers a few of our National Helpline’s latest hot topics

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Photo: istockphoto.com/Francesco Scotto di Vetta

ummer has come and passed and boy has it gone fast! Calls concerning pregnant cats and newborn kittens are starting to decline and the National Helpline now receives an altogether different variety of calls.

56 The Cat Autumn 2011

Mite club Anyone with sensitive skin should look away now as the thought of these nasty little biters will have you wriggling in your seats before you can say ‘Ouch!’

There’s no doubt about it, harvest mites are natural born blood suckers and not the cute kind that you find in the Twilight movies with beautifully styled locks, clad in the latest designer clobber. Harvest mites are the enemy to your cat and, at the risk of causing widescale panic the likes of which no zombie movie could rival, you should know that their most active time of the year is now! But fear not, we have produced our very own mite survival guide in case an outbreak occurs in your area.

helpline Photo: istockphoto.com/Stephen Strathdee

Mite survival guide Know your enemy: Name: Harvest mites or bracken bugs are the names given to the larvae of the mite Trombicula autumnalis Appearance: Six legs and really, really ugly Size: Approximately 0.2mm long but they will swell to three times their normal size once they’ve had some supper!

Lifespan: These creepy critters will feed on your moggy for up to three days before dropping to the ground to carry on the next stage of their lifecycle Strengths: • Invisibility – Harvest mites are barely visible to the naked eye • Anonymity – Owing to the uncontrollable itching they cause harvest mites are often mistaken for fleas Weaknesses: • Seasonal – Thankfully they are only active in later summer and early autumn

Signs of invasion: The larva feeds by literally sinking its fangs into the skin, sucking liquid food back into their digestive system. During this time, your cat will most likely be showing signs of discomfort such as itching around sensitive areas particularly the ears, face and nipples for the females and scrotum for the males.

Your cat may also be exhibiting redness and crusting in affected areas.

Weapons and combat techniques: The second your cat starts showing signs of an invasion, whisk him off to your vet as they are the only ones that can confirm an invasion has taken place and recommend the appropriate level of force.

Weapons may include: • Flea control products • Elizabethan collar • Steroids – for hypersensitive cats They say the best offence is a good defence and your vet may therefore also recommend your cat seek shelter, preferably in a nice, cosy home with humans to wait on him hand and foot until the mites have abated.

Remember, remember the fifth of November!

What can be more exciting than being huddled round a bonfire with friends or family, toasting marshmallows and sipping on a fine glass of vino while watching the sky explode in a dazzling array of colour? Every time you hear the shriek of a newly lit firework shooting forth into the sky you cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of anticipation – will it be a rocket or a crackling comet?

Unfortunately, while we may be positively brimming with excitement, our furry friends do

not quite share our anticipation. There are both psychological and physical factors that should be taken into consideration. Cats are not only at risk from direct contact with fireworks but also owing to their curious nature it is always advisable to check bonfires before they are lit.

The loud noises and flashing lights can also cause an animal severe stress. On the Helpline we often receive an increase in lost and found calls from worried owners whose cats have become so spooked that they’ve bolted! Therefore we advise all cat owners to keep their cats in after dark and prepare ahead by shutting windows, drawing curtains and providing plenty of hidey holes. And, for your own sake, don’t forget to leave them with a litter tray! Those of you hosting your own bonfire night celebrations this year may like to consider buying hand-held cascading fireworks or holding a ‘silent’ display as many companies now offer quiet or almost silent fireworks.

Well, now that you have all been warned about impending invasions and explosions in the sky there is nothing life for us to say except goodbye, goodnight and don’t let the harvest mites bite!

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

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Photos: Roger Cook

Left to right: Chairman of Trustees Heather McCann, Carolyne Kemp, Sue John, Carol Carr, Gillian McMullen, Julie Seymour, Chief Executive Peter Hepburn, Heather Cook and Deputy Chair of Trustees Tim Gruffydd-Jones

Everyone’s a winner!

Cats Protection celebrates the Volunteer of the Year Awards 2011…

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he Volunteer of the Year Awards capture the essence of what it is that makes our volunteers so special and who better to tell us who those exceptional people are than our volunteers and supporters themselves? This year’s award ceremony was held at the National Cat Centre, during the charity’s AGM. Despite the rain, the awards were a fantastic success and a great day was had by all!

Homing Hero Award Carol Carr from the Durham & District Branch started the ceremony by receiving the Homing Hero Award, designed to recognise those who have a hands-on role in finding new homes for cats.

Since joining CP nearly 20 years ago, Carol has cared for and hand reared over 770 cats and kittens. Waking every two hours through the night – with a little help from her husband – she feeds and cares for the kittens until they are strong enough to take care of themselves. She is a true inspiration to Fosterers and, indeed, to everyone in the branch, with her excellent animal and people skills. She puts these to best use when assessing the best placement for CP cats and kittens.

She is thoughtful, considerate, approachable and always available to offer reassurance to new owners.

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The Cat Autumn 2011

Cat Care Champion Award Gillian McMullen from Northern Ireland’s Armagh Branch scooped the Cat Care Champion Award in recognition of her tremendous feline welfare efforts.

Gillian has worked tirelessly to establish and make the very first branch in Northern Ireland a great success. Helping to set up a new branch is never easy, but Gillian takes each challenge on with a smile and great determination. Without her, the branch would not be where it is today.

Key Communicator Award Friends of Bridgend Adoption Centre volunteer, Sue John, was presented with the Key Communicator Award, recognising her efforts in establishing communication links between Cats Protection and local communities. Sue’s incredible animal welfare background enables her to share her vast experiences, skills and knowledge with others. Always happy to offer advice, Sue actively teaches and promotes Cats Protection to local groups including Cub and Scout groups; encouraging newcomers and promoting feline welfare at every opportunity!

Her work even extends to other countries; travelling to Ibiza several times a year, where she works with a group called Care4Cats; helping to trap, neuter feral communities, liaise with vets and promote feline welfare throughout the island.

volunteeroftheyear Fabulous Fundraiser Award

Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award

Julie Seymour from the Mid-Warwickshire Branch was presented with the Fabulous Fundraiser Award.

She has shown complete enthusiasm since taking on the role and it has never left her. Supporting a very active branch, Julie constantly strives to raise as much money as possible, always making plans for the busy fundraising year ahead.

Most weekends she can be found with her yellow gazebo somewhere in the Mid-Warwickshire area, with her famous tombolas, raising thousands of pounds for the branch over the year.

As a separate award for which all of the category winners were eligible, the Trustees’ Distinguished Service Award is for those who the Trustees feel have shown an exceptional level of commitment and are worthy of special recognition. The winner of this award was Carolyne Kemp.

Unsung Hero Award The Unsung Hero Award recognises those who are omnipresent yet sometimes go unnoticed in their volunteering role. South Ayrshire Branch’s Bobby McGaffney was the winner of this award for the incredible amount of commitment and dedication that he has shown during his eight years with Cats Protection.

Regardless of personal circumstances and health, the cats and his fellow volunteers always come first. Whether it is working through the night, trapping feral cats, hand rearing kittens, running the office, shop, pens, managing the Fosterers, liaising with vets and maintaining the lost/found register he is always happy to lend his hand.

Unfortunately, due to health reasons Bobby could not collect his award in person, but he did send us a fantastic video to say thank you for the award. Watch it on our website!

Leading Light Award The last category was especially difficult to pick a winner for, so we cheated and picked two! The Leading Light Award recognises those who lead by example; inspiring and motivating everyone around them. Joint winners, Carolyne Kemp from the Southampton Branch and Heather Cook from the Woking & District Branch, were both presented with this award.

Since taking over the Southampton Branch, Carolyne has shown a huge amount of dedication to turning it into the success it is today. The branch has a real sense of team spirit, which this special woman has created through her loyalty, kindness, hard work and trust.

As well as having a full-time job, she still finds time to manage the branch, look after the cats in her eight foster pens, trap ferals, organise meetings, take phone calls and even make beautiful cat beds and catnip fish and ‘notties’!

If there were an award for the most received nominations ever, our second joint Leading Light Award winner would be receiving this too! Since joining Cats Protection over 27 years ago, Heather Cook has been a true leader; always putting other people first, she motivates, educates and gives confidence, not only to fellow volunteers, but to prospective owners and owners with difficult decisions to make. Forward thinking, Heather is always keen to develop new ways to promote the work of Cats Protection. As well as her volunteering activities, she takes time to spread the word; writing articles for many magazines, including The Cat . Check out her column on page 54. She also gives talks to various groups and supports students taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

Volunteer of the Year Finally, we come to the overall Volunteer of the Year Award, chosen by an online voting poll. Having received a whopping 30 per cent of the votes, Heather Cook was presented with the Volunteer of the Year title and trophy. Due to retire this year, we hope that winning this tremendous award is a fitting tribute to her time spent with Cats Protection.

The Cat Autumn 2011 59

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

Help Bertie get better

Can you help?

By Maidenhead, Slough & District

By Southend & District Bertie started turning up at a house where three other cats live with Georgina who gave him food. He was filthy and she noticed blood and pus coming from his right ear. After a feed, he would go off and she watched him cross a busy road each time.

After searching for an owner in that direction, we were asked to help. After two nights in the vet he was unrecognisable. This lovely white-and-ginger boy emerged, but his ear was badly infected and too sore for a proper investigation. On sedation, a growth was found in the ear canal which would need an operation. By this time Georgina had him living in the house where he was fine with the other cats. If anyone can contribute towards the cost, expected to be around £1,500 altogether, we would be so grateful. If you can make a donation, please phone 01702 202 222 for further information.

Lovely Lucia

By Stockport Lucia was previously featured in the Autumn and Winter 2009 editions of The Cat magazine.

Two years ago, she came into our care at six months of age with horrendous eye damage caused by untreated cat flu. After being with us a short time, she had to have an eye removed as the damage was so great and it had started to rupture; she coped fantastically well but was left with very little sight in her remaining eye.

Sadly a few weeks ago we had to take her back to the vets where he confirmed what we had thought – her remaining eye had come to the stage where it could not be saved and it had to be removed.

Lucia has coped with all this amazingly well; within two days of her second operation she was rolling over, purring and jumping on and off our bed. She is now wandering around the house, playing and is as happy as she was before her operation, she really is a remarkable cat.

If you can help with the costs of Lucia’s treatment, cheques should be made payable to Stockport Cats Protection and sent to the branch c/o Ms J Goodman, 3 Hexworth Walk, Bramhall, Stockport, SK7 3DF.

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Ony

The present economic climate has created many problems. With money getting tighter, people simply cannot Trinity afford vets bills and this has resulted in many sad stories. Particularly tragic are the many cats who get hit by cars. These cats struggle home to their owners who, faced with large vet bills, are left with no alternative but to have their cats put to sleep.

However, many of these cats can be saved if the money for their treatment can be found.

At Maidenhead, Slough & District, local vets often contact us and ask if we will take on the care of these cats. While accepting responsibility, this does create problems for the branch. Firstly, the cost, which on average works out at £1,660 – £2,000 per cat and secondly the need to find homes for the cats, which are frequently disabled as a result. Sadly, many of these get overlooked even though they are perfectly fit and healthy despite losing a limb.

We are currently looking for homes for all of these cats, so if you think you might be interested, give Peter Simmonds a call on 01628 620 909. We are also in desperate need of money so that we can continue to fund the care of cats injured in road traffic accidents, so if you can make a donation, please send a cheque made out to Cats Protection Maidenhead, Slough & District to Cats Protection Treasurer, c/o 44 Switchback Road South, Maidenhead SL6 7PZ.

My Precious

By Gwent Precious was just seven weeks old when she was found abandoned behind a skip. She was taken to a local vet who discovered that she had a badly broken back leg and several infected puncture wounds, thought to have been caused by dog bites. He recommended amputation.

We are fortunate to have an excellent veterinary orthopaedic specialist in our area, so we referred Precious to him and, after much deliberation because of her young age, he operated and pinned her tiny leg in two places. The next day she was eating well and using her leg and we have high hopes that this brave little girl will be able to enjoy a normal life after such a cruel and traumatic start.

She will need further treatment before her recovery is complete and we will ensure that she receives the highest quality of care, but the cost will drastically deplete our already stretched funds. If you would like to help towards the cost of this lovely kitten’s care, please make donations payable to Cats Protection Gwent Branch and send c/o Loretta Kedward to PO Box 74, Blackwood, Gwent NP12 9AP. Any help you are able to give would be greatly appreciated.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Florence and the flurry of foxes Boxing clever

By Portsmouth

By Mansfied Adoption Centre

In February, we were contacted by a kindly lady who was worried about a little stray cat that spent all her time in her garden and was now apparently pregnant. Due to her partner being allergic, she was unable to take the cat in and was concerned that she would give birth in an area frequented by foxes.

We made all efforts to locate an owner - according to neighbours, her owners had moved away and left her behind – so we arranged to place Florence with one of our Fosterers.

Florrie, as she became known, was initially quite round so both our Fosterer Barbara and the vet were convinced she didn’t have long. As it turned out, she kept us all waiting until the end of March when she gave birth to four beautiful creamy coloured kittens.

There is a happy ending; Florrie who was such a good mum and a sweet affectionate cat was homed along with one of her kittens. The other three were also quickly snapped up and placed in loving homes. The lady who initially contacted us about Florrie was very happy with our efforts and contacted us again to make a donation.

On opening the centre one day last year, a cardboard box had been left at the gate, so we promptly took it in to the vet room. On opening the box, a little tabby cat popped her head out, she was very frightened but allowed us to check her over and we noticed that one of her pupils was dilated but otherwise seemed well in herself.

On checking her, the vet said that she had probably had a bump to the head at some point but she was ok. Annie’s attitude seemed to take a turn for the worse over the next couple of months becoming quite aggressive, but not all the time. This did put a lot of people off rehoming her.

We tried very hard to sell Annie’s good points but still had no takers, then a lady who owned a stables came in to the centre looking for a mouser, so we introduced her to Annie as this seemed like the perfect home for her. And it really was… they absolutely love her and tell us she is a changed cat, she loves to be picked up and fussed and follows the girls all around the paddocks and has a ride in her ‘chariot’ every day.

The taming of the two

By Reading & District

King Willy

Successful adoptions are great news, but two of our recent ones have been particularly heartwarming as they involved cats previously thought impossible to rehome.

King Willy, a beautiful Maine Coon had been in branch care since October 2009 when he was brought in as an alternative to being put to sleep. The life he had led with his original owner had caused him to develop deep-seated ‘issues’ the worst of which was attacking people without warning.

After loving and stress-free fostering, where he was able to just be himself, his issues gradually receded and he was successfully adopted earlier this year. KW and his new owner adore each other.

Jinxy, a lovely glossy black cat, had experienced a lot of upheaval in a short time and was signed over to CP after being taken to the vets to be put to sleep as she had bitten her elderly owner. Following some patient fostering, she was found an ideal home where it was understood she needed space and some warning before being handled.

Jinxy’s new owner and best friend reports that they are great for each other.

Pretty Polly

By Wrexham & District Brian arrived at our centre with his 14-year-old son who was interested in cat cuddling. It turned out that Brian was suffering from depression and hadn’t left the house in months. For the sake of his son, he braved the trip to our centre with much apprehension.

One of our residents, Polly, was cause for concern; 11 years old, FIV positive, kidney problems and very temperamental – to put it mildly! Would we ever be able to find her an understanding home? Brian and Polly’s first three meetings resulted in a lot of hissing and loss of blood – Brian’s; Polly had a lightning swipe! In trying to build a relationship with Polly, Brian had started to forget his problems and focused on helping her. Of course, Brain adopted Polly. Over the weeks, endless tales of hiding, not eating, yet more scratches and encounters with the family dog and rabbits ensued, until finally Polly settled in and sat on the sofa with Brian purring.

Brian is so grateful to Polly. He thanks her for helping him get through the worst of his depression and hopes she in return appreciates her new family. A happy ending all round.

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

The Cat Autumn 2011

61

Messageboard from your local Cats Protection...

Swansea & District

Tinkerbell

Female, adult Tinkerbell has spent all her life in a flat. We are looking for a safe home for her where she is able to go out into a garden and play. She would have to be introduced to the great outdoors gradually and is not at all streetwise. She is a very lively, affectionate cat who craves attention on her own terms. She would not be good with children or a nervous owner. She needs an experienced cat owner, someone who would not be scared of her when she has a tantrum but would just let her do her own thing!

☎☎ 08452 179 648

Hemel Hempstead & Berkhamsted

Honey

Female, 8 years old Honey loves to be stroked and brushed and enjoys her cuddles, but will let you know when she’s had enough. She is quite playful for her age and loves to go mad with her ball and plays with her toy on a fishing rod. She would be happier as the only cat in a house without dogs or children.

☎☎ 08453 711 851

West Oxfordshire

Lenny

Angelo

☎☎ 08453 712 734

62 The Cat Autumn 2011

North Ayrshire

Male, adult Sam has been through a lot in his life so far, so he would benefit from being adopted by an experienced owner who can let him settle down in his own time. One to one, Sam is a friendly boy who loves attention. Other animals stress him out so he would ideally live where he won’t come across them very often. He would like to have a garden to explore.

☎☎ 08453 714 218

Male, adult Shabba is good natured, very placid and will make a wonderful pet. He needs to eat special food for a urinary complaint and therefore it would be easier, though not totally necessary, for him to be homed on his own to ensure that he only eats his special diet.

The food isn’t expensive in comparison to supermarket brands, especially when bought online.

Outer Aberdeen & District

Reading & District

Female, approx 3 years Chloe was initially very wary of humans and didn’t know how to interact. Now in foster care, she has learned to trust people and adores attention. She needs a home where she will be given time to adjust.

Male, 4 years Isis is friendly and affectionate and loves attention. Unfortunately he is currently unreliable in respect of tray use, but we are working on this problem and are confident it will be solved over time. He will make an ideal companion for experienced cat people who are at home for a good part of the day and without young children.

Sam

Crawley, Reigate & District

Male, 2-3 years Angelo is a very lively, curious, young cat and can’t wait to explore a garden of his own. He loves tummy rubs but is a little unsure of sudden noises and people he doesn’t know but once he does know you he’ll let you see his friendly nature.

He would be happy to share with other cats, and we think he would prefer an adult-only home.

North Ayrshire

Chloe

Male, adult Lenny is a committed mouser and if you have outbuildings or stables he would love to come and live with you. He is not a feral cat and will enjoy warm nights in your house but equally he is not a cuddle cat. He just wants to get on with his job as pest controller. He will come in for meals – well fed cats kill more mice. He would be a very good cat for a farmer, horse owner or anybody living in the country.

☎☎ 07814 043 320

☎☎ 01224 823 598

Shabba

☎☎ 08453 714 218

Isis

☎☎ 0118 940 3005

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Armagh

Tufty

Thank you to everyone who contributed to Atherton & Wigan Metro Branch to help pay the veterinary bills for Susie – The Cat, Summer 2011. She is happy at her new home and is doing wonderfully well.

Male, approx 4 years Tufty had been living rough for several weeks and his long coat had become severely matted. His skin was infected and so he had to be shaved. He is a very friendly cat who will need to have an indoor home for a while until his coat grows back and will need regular grooming when it returns to its full glory.

☎☎ 07709 483 550

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell

Emma

Female, approx 1 year Adorable but nervous semiferal tabby who has been through lots in her short life.

Emma needs an experienced cat owner to continue our socialisation. Emma will accept other cats.

☎☎ 08453 714 212

St Albans & District

Teddy

To the former Co-ordinator of Preston Branch, Alan Needham . Alan accepted the role several years ago, having recently joined our band of volunteers as a Fundraiser. After a good stint as Co-ordinator, during which he earned the respect of the otherwise all female committee, he has decided to step down so that he can enjoy a slightly less stressful retirement. He has kindly agreed to remain on the committee and his help and advice are always welcome.

To Pam, Phil and Mark Johnson of Cuckfield Cattery, from the Mid Sussex Branch, for their continued help and support throughout the year. We really appreciate all that you do for us!

To Tenterden & District Branch from Crawley, Reigate & District Branch for giving us a van. It will be of great help for transporting cats and equipment to our monthly homing shows as well as used in the day-to-day running of the branch.

To Gatehouse Veterinary Centre in Rossett from Wrexham & District Branch. The surgery kindly provided accommodation for some our cats while the floor of our adoption centre was repainted. We are very appreciative of the care they gave our cats while we carried out essential maintenance work.

To Ross Bygrave , Managing Director of Partners Pets in St Albans for completing a 300-mile cycle ride to raise money for four local charities, including ourselves! If you’d like to support Ross and St Albans & District Branch, visit his online donation page at www.charitygiving.co.uk/rossbygrave

rdnamurchan & Mull Branch is currently looking for volunteers for a variety of roles. If A you can help please get in touch, by phoning Co-ordinator, Sheila Paterson 01967 431 203 or emailing valphillipps@hotmail.com giving a little information about you and where you live. eignbridge & Totnes Branch urgently requires Fosterers. This should be viewed as a longT term commitment and previous cat care experience would be ideal although full training will be given. If you are interested please phone Barbara on 0845 3712 727. t Albans & District Branch is looking for an Assistant Fundraising Co-ordinator to support S our outgoing fundraising team to help us run local quizzes and tombola fetes as well as coming up with good, fun ideas that we can all help make a success. We are also looking for a Lost/Found Fosterer to join our small group of friendly Fosterers to take in ‘found’ cats who are lost and need to spend a short time in a pen before they are reunited with their owners as well as for the ‘found’ All branches are encouraged to send in strays who need a bit more care before their success stories and diary dates for they are rehomed. Needs to live in the every issue. The deadlines for the next AL1-AL5 area and have space for two three issues are: outdoor pens. To find out more about • 16 September – Winter 2011 any of these roles, please phone us • 09 December – Spring 2012 on 08453 712 064 or email stalbanscp@hotmail.co.uk • 16 March – Summer 2012

Deadlines

Male, 1 year Teddy is less than a year old and is content to hang up his walking shoes and is looking for a good home where he can settle down and have some home comforts and attention that he deserves.

If you love ginger cats, you will love Teddy!

☎☎ 08453 712 064

eading (East), Wokingham & R Bracknell Branch always has vacancies for roles which include: Home Visitors, Book Manager – manage, improve revenue from books, Collecting Box Co-ordinator – increase revenue, find new sites, Poster Distributor – distribution and collect branch posters.

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 2011 63

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

ENGLAND BERKSHIRE Reading & District Stalls 10 September: Gardening book stall, Purley Horticultural Society late summer show, Purley Memorial Hall, Glebe Road, Purley; 2.30-4pm.

17 September: Jumble sale, All Saints Parish Hall, Downshire Square, Reading, RG1 6NH; 1-3pm.

Fair 19 November: Autumn fair, Methodist Church Hall, School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG1 5AR; 1-3pm.

Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell Stalls 28-29 August: Swallowfield show; all day.

22 September: Woodley Pagoda, Woodley Shopping Centre, RG5 3JJ; 8am-all day.

Second-hand sale of goods.

13 October: As above.

3 November: As above.

Collection 8 October: Sainsbury’s, Winnersh.

Fair 12 November: Winter fair, Carnation Hall, Chavey Down; 1-4pm.

CORNWALL Falmouth, Helston & District Collection 10 September: ASDA, Penryn; 9.30am-2.30pm.

DERBYSHIRE Ashfield & Amber Valley Collections 2-3 September: Tesco, Alfreton.

16-17 September: Tesco, Clowne.

24 September: Street collection, Alfreton.

22 October: Table sale and collection, Idlewells Precinct, Sutton-in-Ashfield.

28-29 October: Table sale and collection, Dobbies Garden World, Barlborough.

64 The Cat Autumn 2011

Chesterfield

Firewalk

Stalls 15 October: Holymoorside bazaar, Holymoorside Village Hall, Holymoorside, Chesterfield; 10am-1pm. Free admission.

Refreshments, tombola, raffle, games, cake stall, home made crafts, CP merchandise, bargains galore. Contact Gill 01246 209 946.

19 November: Christmas fair, Rose Hill United Reformed Church (near the Town Hall), Chesterfield; 10am-2.30pm.

Free admission. Refreshments, tombola, raffle, games, cake stall, home made crafts, CP merchandise, bargains galore.

Contact Gill 01246 209 946.

Derby Neutering vouchers 29 September: Neutering vouchers issued, Derby & District Charity Shop, 31 Wardwick, Derby; 1-3pm. Vouchers only £5 if you are receiving state welfare/benefits or low-waged.

Simply bring proof of benefit – not your cat!

24 November: As above.

DEVON East Devon Stalls 4 September: Axhayes open day.

12 November: Open day, Fluxton Farm Sanctuary, Nr. Ottery St. Mary; 10.30am-3pm.

Morning coffees, light lunches, stalls.

Coffee mornings 17 September: Autumn coffee morning/bazaar, the Village Hall, East Budleigh; 10am-12noon.

22 October: Coffee morning/ bazaar, the Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St. Mary; 10am12noon.

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

Quiz night TBC: Quiz night, Axminster.

Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre Collection 24 September: Around Exeter city centre and St Thomas Shopping Precinct; all day.

20 October: Exeter Axhayes Adoption Centre, Little Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Nr Exeter, Devon, EX5 2HS; registration and motivational workshop from 6pm and firewalk 8.30pm. Full training given by experts. Minimum sponsorship of £100; registration £25. Email exeteraxhayes@cats.org.uk or phone 01395 232 377.

Teignbridge & Totnes Stalls 1 October: World Animal Fair Day, Civic Centre, Totnes; 11am-3pm.

ESSEX

Eastwood Road, SS6 7ED. 8 October: WRVS Hall, Richmond Avenue, Benfleet.

12 November: Methodist Hall, Chapel Lane, Hadleigh.

10 December: Methodist Church Hall, Eastwood Road, Rayleigh, SS6 7ED.

Fairs 24 September: Bazaar, WRVS Hall, Richmond Ave, Benfleet, SS7 5HE. 22 October: Bazaar, WRVS Hall, John Burrows Playing Fields, Hadleigh.

6 November: Christmas craft and gift fair, The Mill, Bellingham Lane, Rayleigh; 10.30am-4pm.

Chelmsford

GREATER MANCHESTER

Fairs

Stockport

3 September: Autumn fayre, The Shire Hall, Chelmsford; 10am-12noon. We will be selling a wide selection of goods and refreshments will be on sale.

Admission by donation or a tin of cat food.

19 November: Winter fayre, The Shire Hall, Chelmsford; 10am-12noon. We will be selling a wide selection of goods including Christmas gifts and refreshments will be on sale.

Admission by donation or a tin of cat food.

Jumble sale 17 September: Jumble sale and auction, Danbury Village Hall, Danbury; 2pm. Clothes, bric-a-brac, books, toys etc will be on sale, there will also be an auction; tea and coffee is available. Admission 30p.

Stalls 8 October: Animals in need day, Writtle Village Hall, Writtle; 11am-3pm. There will be a wide range of stalls and refreshments, so please come along and support our animal charities.

Admission by donation.

26 November: All Saints Church Hall, Springfield Green, 12noon-3pm. There will be a wide selection of goods on sale including refreshments.

Admission by donation.

Rayleigh, Castle Point & District

Fairs 3 September: Trinity Church, Massie Street, Cheadle, SK8 1DU; 10am-12.30pm.

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

Fashion show 8 September: Fashion Show, Trinity Methodist Church, Trinity Gardens, Bramhall Lane, SK3 8TL (Bramhall/Davenport/ Woodsmoor area); doors open 7pm, show starts 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5. For tickets and enquiries please phone 07788 438 834 or email stockport.cp@hotmail.com

HERTFORDSHIRE Great Amwell & District Stalls 29 August: Much Hadham Village Fete; 12noon-4.30pm.

10 September: Nazeing Festival, Clayton Country Park; 12noon-6pm.

17 September: Scout annual fête, Broxbourne; 12noon-5pm.

28 September: Hoddesdon market; 9am-3pm.

15 October: Christmas bazaar, Leaside Church, Ware; 10am-1pm.

26 November: Christmas bazaar, Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon; 9.30am-2pm.

Quiz night 1 October: Quiz night, Barclay Hall, Hoddesdon; 7pm.

Homing shows

Fair

10 September: Rayleigh Methodist Church Hall,

8 October: Craft fair, Wareside Village Hall; 10am-3pm.

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

Lea Valley

KENT

Haverhill & Stour Valley

Quiz nights

Friends of Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre

Stall

18 September: Curry buffet and quiz with a twist, The Chilli Raj, 40 The Broadway, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 2HW; 12.304pm. Enjoy a curry and quiz with friends. Please phone Maureen on 07769 973 724 to book your place. £15 per person.

19 November: General knowledge quiz, Elm Court, 363 Mutton Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 3BP; 7.30-11pm. Tables of eight max. Bring your own food and drink; tea and coffee available at the interval. Please phone Stephanie on 01707 657 876. £6 per person including entry to the ‘Heads & Tails’ game with a chance to win £20!

Homing day 5 November: The Undercroft, St Andrew‘s Church, Plough Hill, Cuffley, EN6 4DR; 10am-2pm.

Come along and see some of our cats and kittens that need homes, meet volunteers and obtain information on cat care.

Stall 12 November: Christmas Bazaar, Cuffley Hall, Maynard Place, Cuffley, EN6 4JA; 10.30am-3pm.

Get ready for Christmas and the New Year with our bazaar stocked full of gifts, decorations, cards, diaries and calendars.

Refreshments available. Entrance 50p or a tin of cat food.

St Albans & District Collection 3 September: St Albans city centre. Volunteers required to shake a tin! Please phone 08453 712 064 if you can help.

Stall 3 September: St Albans market.

Pop along and say hi, ask about volunteering or buy some early Christmas gifts! If you’d like to volunteer to help out on the stall on this date please contact us on 08453 712 064.

Fairs 17 September: Afternoon sale, Marshalswick Community Centre, St Albans; from 2pm.

29 October: Morning sale, Marshalswick Community Centre, St Albans; from 10.30am.

Show 6 October: Production of Happy Now? The Abbey Theatre. The production will raise funds for our branch. Box office 01727 857 861.

Open day 4 September: Bredhurst Kent Adoption Centre, Matts Hill Road ME9 7X(just outside Bredhurst village); 11am-4pm. This is our main fundraising event of the year so please come along and support us! The event will be officially opened by popular BBC South East presenter Rob Smith. Dancing displays, Scotty’s circus workshop, cat photo competition, stalls and CP branches from the area. Not forgetting many of our beautiful cats awaiting loving new homes.

Free parking and entrance 50p.

17 September: Sale and rehoming at Haverhill Library, Camps Road, Haverhill.

SURREY Crawley, Reigate & District Fairs

tombola. For entry form phone 01482 882 347.

Stall 22 October: Yorkshire Cat Club Show, The Dome, Doncaster.

Doncaster Stall 3-4 September: Art festival, Barnby Dun Church.

Preston

3 September: Crawley Down Village fair; 2-5pm.

4 September: Psychic fair, The Hawth, Crawley; 10am-6pm.

17 September: Banstead antiques fair; 9am-4pm.

24 September: Crawley Lions Michaelmas fair, Queens Square, Crawley; 9am-5pm.

15 October: Banstead antiques fair; 9am-4pm.

19 November: Banstead antiques fair; 9am-4pm.

Stalls

Stalls

Stalls

3 September: Cat extravaganza, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 2pm. Sponsored by Rick and Su Hall in memory of Josie.

10 September: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, arshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am.

24 September: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am.

8 October: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am.

29 October: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am.

12 November: Table top sale, St Mary’s Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham; 10am.

19 November: Jumble sale, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 11am.

10 September: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

24 September: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

8 October: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

22 October: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

5 November: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

19 November: Smallfield market; 9am-12noon.

26 November: Belfry Shopping Centre, Redhill; 10am-5pm.

3 September: Planestone events, just off the market square in Stonehaven; 12noon-4pm. Bric-abrac sales.

1 October: Planestone events, just off the market square in Stonehaven; 12noon-4pm. Bric-abrac sales.

LANCASHIRE

Fair 26 November: 2011 Christmas Fair, St Leonard’s Church Hall, Marshall’s Brow, Penwortham; 2pm.

SOMERSET Glastonbury & Wells Stall 3 September: Orchard Vets open day, Glastonbury.

Fair 26 November: Christmas fair, Wells Town Hall; 9.30am-3pm.

Both floors with refreshments.

SUFFOLK Framlingham & Saxmundham Coffee morning 21 October: Maxine’s coffee morning, Chediston Church Hall, Nr Halesworth; 10am-12noon.

Bring and buy.

Homing shows 11 September: Horticultural Society Hall, Ifield Ave, Crawley, RH11 7AJ; 11am-3pm.

9 October: Barnfield Residential Home, Upfield, Horley, RH6 7LA; 11am-3pm.

30 October: Broadbridge Heath Village Hall, Horsham, RH12 3LY; 11am-3pm.

20 November: The Hawth, Hawth Ave, Crawley, RH10 6YZ; 11am-3pm.

WEST SUSSEX

Collection 10 September: Tin collection, Tesco, Doncaster.

Fair 26 November: Christmas fayre, New Hall, Bawtry; 12noon-3pm.

SCOTLAND ABERDEENSHIRE Stonehaven

Coffee morning 17 September: Stonehaven Town Hall; 11.30am-3pm.

Collections 22 October: Tin collection at The Co-operative, Stonehaven (the old Somerfield); 10am-4pm.

19 November: Bag packing at The Co-operative, Stonehaven (the old Somerfield); 10am-4pm.

AYR North Ayrshire Psychic night 29 September: Psychic night with Sally Buxton and guests, Saltcoats Labour Club; 7.30pm.

Tickets £5; 0845 371 4218.

Mid Sussex

WALES

Stalls

CLWYD

10 September: Haywards Heath Summer Festival, Victoria Park, Haywards Heath; 11am-5pm.

12 November: Kit Wilson Bazaar, Newick Hall, Newick; 2-5pm.

Wrexham Collection 8 October: Street collection, Mold Town Centre.

Collection

Quiz night

8 October: Haywards Heath town centre; 9am-4pm.

4 November: Charity quiz night, Wrexham Lager Club, 8pm. Put together a team and join us at the Wrexham Lager Club for an entertaining evening.

YORKSHIRE Beverley & Pocklington Homing show 11 September: Pet cat show, Memorial Hall, Lairgate, Beverley.

Cats, stalls, refreshments,

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

The Cat Autumn 2011 65

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 88www.chelmsford.cats.org.uk Eastbourne *63 * Marshfoot Lane, Hailsham,* East Sussex, BN27 2RB ☎☎ 01323 440 101 88www.eastbourne.cats.org.uk Friends of Eastbourne Adoption Centre Haslemere *Chase * Lodge Studio, Hammer Lane, Haslemere, Surrey, GU27 1QD ☎☎ 01428 604 297 88www.cats.org.uk/haslemere Friends of Haslemere Adoption Centre

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

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

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

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

Ealing & West London ☎☎ 0208 752 0793

Paddington 88www.paddington.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friends of the National Cat Adoption Centre

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

North London *135 * Junction Road, Archway,* Greater London, N19 5PX ☎☎ 0207 272 6048

Hastings & District ☎☎ 01424 754 328

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

66 The Cat Autumn 2011

Tenterden & District ☎☎ 01797 366 379 88www.tenterdencats.org.uk Three Rivers & Watford ☎☎ 01923 283 338 88www.cats.org.uk/threerivers Thurrock & District ☎☎ 08453 712 752 Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough & District ☎☎ 01892 516 377 88www.uckfield.cats.org.uk Welwyn Hatfield & District ☎☎ 08453 711 855 88www.welwynhatfield.cats.org.uk Woking & District ☎☎ 01483 721 700 88www.woking.cats.org.uk Worthing & District ☎☎ 01903 200 332 88www.worthingcatsprotection.org.uk Chichester, Bognor Regis & District *7a * Crane Street, Chichester,* West Sussex, P019 1LH ☎☎ 01243 774 737 Colne Valley **75 High Street, Halstead,* Essex, CO9 2JD ☎☎ 01787 274 667 Croydon *13 * High Street, Purley,* Surrey, CR8 2AF ☎☎ 0208 763 9898 Caterham, Redhill & East Surrey *20 * Chipstead Valley Road,* Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 2RA ☎☎ 0208 660 7475

Ealing & West London *3a * Albert Terrace, Pittshanger Lane, Ealing, W5 1RL ☎☎ 0208 998 3940 Eastbourne & District *14 * Seaside Road, Eastbourne,* East Sussex, BN21 3PA ☎☎ 01323 733 888 Eltham, Sidcup & District *14 * Tudor Parade, Well Hall Road,* Eltham, London, SE9 6SX ☎☎ 0208 859 6009 Folkestone & Hythe *139a * High Street, Hythe, Kent,* CT21 5JL ☎☎ 01303 238 661 Greenwich *18 * Old Dover Street, Blackheath,* London, SE3 7BT ☎☎ 0208 858 2220 Hastings & District *43 * London Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 6AJ ☎☎ 01424 203 778 Lea Valley *145 * Chase Side, Enfield,* Middlesex, EN2 0PN ☎☎ 0208 367 4813 Medway & Gravesham *34 * Canterbury Street, Gillingham,* Kent, ME7 5TX ☎☎ 01634 571 270 *142 * Franklin Road, Gillingham, Medway, ME7 4DG ☎☎ 01634 578 436 Tenterden & District *Lakehurst * House, Unit 1, * 94c High Street, Tenterden,* Kent, TN30 6JB ☎☎ 01580 765 277 Worthing & District *35 * Rowlands Road, Worthing,* West Sussex, BN11 3JJ ☎☎ 01903 200 332

South & South West Exeter Axhayes *Little * Hill Cottage, Clyst Honiton, Exeter, Devon, EX5 2HS ☎☎ 01395 232 377 Isle of Wight *122 * Marlborough Road, Ryde,* Isle of Wight, PO33 1AW ☎☎ 01983 562 609 Newbury & District *Heatherpine, * Curridge Road, Curridge, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 9DH ☎☎ 01635 200 111 Truro *Point * Road, Carnon Downs,* Truro, Cornwall, TR3 6JN ☎☎ 01872 870 575 Ferndown Homing Centre *51 * Cobham Road, Ferndown Industrial Estate, Wimborne,* Dorset, BH21 7QZ ☎☎ 03000 120 175 88www.ferndown.cats.org.uk

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bath & District ☎☎ 01179 861 467 88www.bath.cats.org.uk

Minehead ☎☎ 08453 712 761

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

Blandford & Sturminster Newton ☎☎ 01258 858 644 88www.blandfordcats.org.uk Bournemouth & District ☎☎ 08453 712 762 88www.bournemouthcats.org.uk Bridgwater ☎☎ 01278 684 662 88www.bridgwater.cats.org.uk Bristol & District ☎☎ 01179 665 428 88www.bristol.cats.org.uk Callington & District ☎☎ 01579 382 794 88www.cats.org.uk/callington Cheltenham ☎☎ 08453 712 730 88www.catsprotection.net Cherwell ☎☎ 07716 596 212 88www.cherwell.cats.org.uk Cirencester, Tetbury & District ☎☎ 01285 641 289 88http://cirencats.tripod.com/ East Devon ☎☎ 01404 811 089 88www.eastdevoncats.com Exeter ☎☎ 01392 276 291 88www.exeter.cats.org.uk Falmouth, Helston & District ☎☎ 08453 712 729 88www.cats.org.uk/falmouth Fareham & Waterlooville Districts ☎☎ 08452 601 504 88www.fareham.cats.org.uk Farnham & Wey Valley ☎☎ 01252 334 644 88www.weyvalley.cats.org.uk Forest of Dean ☎☎ 01594 841 511 88www.cats-forestofdean.co.uk Frome & District ☎☎ 07733 390 345 88www.cats.org.uk/frome Glastonbury & Wells ☎☎ 01749 850 660 88www.stray-cat.co.uk Gloucester ☎☎ 07891 112 654 88www. gloucester.cats.org.uk Gosport Town ☎☎ 02392 582 601 88www.gosport.cats.org.uk Holsworthy, Bideford & District ☎☎ 08453 712 717 88www.holsworthycats.org Honiton ☎☎ 01404 452 41 88www.honiton.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 88www.oxford.cats.org.uk Plymouth & South Hams ☎☎ 08453 712 753 88www.cats.org.uk/plymouth Portsmouth ☎☎ 08453 712 743 88www.cats.org.uk/portsmouth Reading & District ☎☎ 01189 403 005 88www.readinganddistrictcats.org Reading (East), Wokingham & Bracknell ☎☎ 08453 714 212 88www.cats.org.uk/readingeast St Austell & District ☎☎ 01726 817 837 88www.staustell.cats.org.uk Salisbury & District ☎☎ 08453 712 068 88www.salisburycats.co.uk Southampton ☎☎ 08453 712 718 88www.cats.org.uk/southampton Stroud ☎☎ 01453 828 326 88www.stroud.cats.org.uk Swindon ☎☎ 01793 644 536 88www.swindon.cats.org.uk Teignbridge & Totnes ☎☎ 08453 712 723 88www.teignbridge.cats.org.uk Tewkesbury & District ☎☎ 01684 297 227 88www.tewkesbury.cats.org.uk Torpoint & Rame Peninsular ☎☎ 01752 829 104 Torquay & District ☎☎ 01803 557 014 88www.torquay.cats.org.uk Truro & District ☎☎ 01209 861 134 88www.trurodistrict.cats.org.uk Weymouth & District ☎☎ 01305 262 737 88www.westdorset.cats.org.uk Weston-Super-Mare & District ☎☎ 08453 712 066 88www.westonsm.cats.org.uk West Oxfordshire ☎☎ 01993 831 350 88www.westoxfordshire.cats.org.uk

Bristol & District *272 * North Street, Bedminster,* Bristol, BS3 1JA ☎☎ 0117 963 9028 Cheltenham *20 * St James Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL52 2SH ☎☎ 01242 234 494 East Devon *72 * High Street, Sidmouth,* Devon, EX10 8EQ ☎☎ 01395 513 394 Forest of Dean *28a * Newerne Street, Lydney, Gloucestershire, GL15 5RF ☎☎ 01594 841 848 Gloucester *15 * Broad Street, Newent, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL18 7AQ ☎☎ 01531 821 247 Honiton *137 * High Street, Honiton, EX14 1LW ☎☎ 01404 423 12 Mere & Gillingham *High * Street, Gillingham, Dorset, * SP8 4AA ☎☎ 01747 833 669 Reading & District *11 * The Triangle, Tilehurst, Reading, RG30 4RN ☎☎ 0118 945 3733 Taunton & Wellington *48 * Bridge Street, Taunton,* Somerset, TA1 1UD ☎☎ 01823 322 244 Truro & District *23 * Pydar Street, Truro,* Cornwall, TR1 2AY ☎☎ 01872 276 351

Central Birmingham *Packhorse * Lane, Hollywood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B47 5DH ☎☎ 01564 822 020 88www.birmingham.cats.org.uk Friends of Birmingham Adoption Centre Evesham *c/o * Dogs Trust Kennels,* 89 Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, Evesham, Worcester, WR11 6RT ☎☎ 01386 833 343 88www.eveshamcpl.org Hereford *Cobhall * Villa, Allensmore, HR2 9BP ☎☎ 01432 277 543 Mansfield *Mansfield * Road,* Warsop, Mansfield,* Nottinghamshire, NG20 0EF ☎☎ 01623 845 846

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

Nottingham *The * Gate House, New Farm Lane, Nuthall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG16 1DY ☎☎ 0115 938 6557 Ashfield & Amber Valley ☎☎ 01246 825 165 88www.cats.org.uk/ashfield Bedford & Biggleswade ☎☎ 08442 496 911 88www.bedford.cats.org.uk Burton on Trent ☎☎ 01283 511 454 Cannock & Burntwood ☎☎ 01543 279 641 88www.cannock.cats.org.uk Corby & District ☎☎ 08453 714 209 Coventry ☎☎ 02476 251 491 88www.coventrycats.org.uk Evesham & District ☎☎ 01386 833 343 Halesowen & District ☎☎ 08453 712 062 88www.halesowen.cats.org.uk Leicester & District ☎☎ 01162 881 318 Lichfield & District ☎☎ 08453 712 741 88www.cats.org.uk/lichfield Ludlow & District ☎☎ 01584 874 171 88www.cats.org.uk/ludlow Luton, Dunstable & District ☎☎ 08453 712 746 88www.luton.cats.org.uk Mansfield & District ☎☎ 01623 845 846 Mid Warwickshire ☎☎ 01926 334 849 88www.cats.org.uk/midwarwick Northampton ☎☎ 08447 003 251 88www.cats.org.uk/northampton North Birmingham ☎☎ 08452 601 503 88www.northbirmingham.cats.org.uk Nottingham ☎☎ 01159 386 557 88www.cp-nottingham.org Ross-on-Wye & District ☎☎ 08453 712 763 88www.cats.org.uk/ross-on-wye Rugby ☎☎ 01788 570 010 88www.cats.org.uk/rugby South Birmingham ☎☎ 08453 711 854 88www.southbham.cats.org.uk

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Autumn 2011

67

Stafford & District ☎☎ 08452 601 509 88www.stafford.cats.org.uk Stoke & Newcastle ☎☎ 01782 515 167 88www.stoke.cats.org.uk Stourbridge & District ☎☎ 08448 848 520 88www.cats.org.uk/stourbridge Telford & District ☎☎ 08543 711 857 88www.telford.cats.org.uk Walsall Borough ☎☎ 01922 682 005 88www.walsall.cats.org.uk Wellingborough & Rushden ☎☎ 08453 714 209 88www.wellrushcats.co.uk Wolverhampton ☎☎ 01902 651 173 88www.wolverhampton.cats.org.uk Worcester & District ☎☎ 01905 425 704 88www.worcestercats.org.uk Bedford & Biggleswade *12 * The Springfield Centre, Kempton,* Bedfordshire, MK42 7PR ☎☎ 01234 840 827 Coventry *34 * Far Gosford Street,* Coventry, CV1 5DW ☎☎ 02476 222 105 Halesowen & District *9* High Street, Blackheath, Rowley Regis, West Midlands, B65 0DT ☎☎ 0121 559 3135 Hereford *13 * Commercial Road,* Hereford, HR1 2BB ☎☎ 01432 278 016 Ludlow & District *5* Old Street, Ludlow,* Shropshire, SY8 1NW ☎☎ 01584 878 606 Mid Warwickshire *27 * Regent Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5EJ ☎☎ 01926 338 250 Pershore *Royal * Aracde, Pershore, Worchestershire, WR10 1AG ☎☎ 01386 550 440 Stafford & District *Market * Stall 48, St John’s Indoor Market, Stafford Stourbridge & District *27 * Lower High Street,* Stourbridge, DY8 1TA ☎☎ 01384 422 208 Telford & District *75 * High Street, Broseley,* Telford, TF12 5EX ☎☎ 01952 884 388 Wolverhampton *54 * Warstones Road, Penn, Wolverhampton, WV4 4LP Worcester & District *53 * St Johns, Worcester, WR2 5AG ☎☎ 01905 426 748

68 The Cat Autumn 2011

East Dereham *Hoe * Road Farm, Hoe Road, Longham, Dereham, Norfolk, NR19 2RP ☎☎ 01362 687 919 Friend of Dereham Adoption Centre Downham Market *Wards * Chase, Stowbridge, Kings Lynn, Norfolk, PE34 3NN ☎☎ 01366 382 311 Friends of Downham Market Adoption Centre Boston & District ☎☎ 01406 424 966 88www.boston.cats.org.uk Breckland ☎☎ 01842 810 018 88www.cats.org.uk/breckland Bury St Edmunds ☎☎ 01284 850 887 88www.cplbury.org.uk Cambridge ☎☎ 01223 441 880 88www.cambridge.cats.org.uk Chatteris, St Ives & District ☎☎ 01480 465 226 88www.chatteris.cats.org.uk Dereham & District ☎☎ 01362 687 919 88www.derehamcats.org.uk Ely & District ☎☎ 01353 699 430 88www.ely.cats.org.uk Framlingham & Saxmundham ☎☎ 01728 723 499 88www.framandsax.cats.org.uk Grimsby & District ☎☎ 01472 399 810 88www.grimsby.cats.org.uk Haverhill & Stour Valley ☎☎ 08453 719 599 88www.stourvalley.cats.org.uk

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

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

Stamford & District ☎☎ 01778 571 343

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doncaster ☎☎ 01302 840 777 88www.doncaster.cats.org.uk Durham City & District ☎☎ 01388 720 689 East Northumberland ☎☎ 07749 713 142 88www.bedlington.cats.co.uk Gateshead & District ☎☎ 0191 420 3180 88www.cats.org.uk/gateshead Halifax, Queensbury & Brighouse ☎☎ 01484 711 728 Harrogate & District ☎☎ 01423 889 598 Hull & District ☎☎ 01482 790 284 Lancaster & Morecambe ☎☎ 01524 850 112 88www.lancaster.cats.org.uk Macclesfield ☎☎ 01625 667 966 88www.macclesfieldcats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scunthorpe & District ☎☎ 01652 651 001 88www.scunthorpe.cats.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

North Sheffield ☎☎ 01142 456 371

Preston ☎☎ 08451 770 708 88www.prestoncpl.com Rochdale ☎☎ 01706 522 440 88www.cats.org.uk/rochdale Sheffield Hallam ☎☎ 01142 493 330 88www.catsprotectionshop.com South Wirral ☎☎ 0151 355 9813 88www.southwirral.cats.org.uk Stockport ☎☎ 0161 439 1274 88www.stockport.cats.org.uk Teesside ☎☎ 01642 589 090 88www.teesside.cats.org.uk Trafford ☎☎ 0161 610 2189 or 0161 969 0331 88www.trafford.cats.org.uk Wear Valley & Darlington ☎☎ 07792 699 918 88www.cats.org.uk/wearvalley

Ways we help: Rehoming • Neutering • Raising awareness

West Cumbria ☎☎ 01946 590 079 88www.westcumbria.cats.org.uk Wharfe Valley ☎☎ 08451 947 292 88www.wharfevalley.cats.org.uk York ☎☎ 01904 760 356 88www.yorkcats.org.uk Barnsley *95 * High Street, Wombwell,* Barnsley, S73 8HS Burscough & Liverpool Bay *1* School Lane, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 4AE ☎☎ 01704 893 393 Chesterfield & District *2* Cavendish Street,* Chesterfield, S40 1UY ☎☎ 01246 279 163 Derby & District *31 * The Wardwick, Derby, DE1 1HA ☎☎ 01332 360 808 *Institute * Buildings, North End, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, DE4 4FG Newcastle upon Tyne *162-166 * High Street East, Wallsend,* Tyne & Wear, NE28 7RP ☎☎ 0191 2627 377 Teesside *7–8 * Ramsgate, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, TS18 1BS ☎☎ 07432 379 292 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

Wrexham & District *60 * Chester Street,* Wrexham, LL13 8BA ☎☎ 01978 310 555

Scotland

Turriff & District ☎☎ 07050 241 846

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

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

Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 Glasgow *Cardyke * Farm, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, G66 5LD ☎☎ 0141 779 3341 Friends of Glasgow Adoption Centre Shetland *Gott, * Shetland, ZE2 9SH ☎☎ 01595 840 517 Alness & District ☎☎ 08453 714 204 88www.alness.cats.org.uk Ardnamurchan & Mull ☎☎ 01967 431 203 88www.cats.org.uk/ardnamurchan

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

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

Barra & Uist ☎☎ 07050 121 586

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peebles & Biggar ☎☎ 0707 4357 228

Cardiff ☎☎ 02920 369 138 88www.cardiff.cats.org.uk

Deeside ☎☎ 07837 342 660 Dundee & District ☎☎ 01382 450 035 East Neuk of Fife ☎☎ 08453 714 210 88www.eastfife.cats.org.uk Dunbar & District ☎☎ 08453 714 210

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

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

Swansea & District ☎☎ 08452 179 648 88www.swanseacats.co.uk

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

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

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

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

Fort William & District ☎☎ 01397 772 071

Swansea & District *85 * Brynymor Road, Swansea, SA1 4JE

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

Aberystwyth & District ☎☎ 01970 822 120

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

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

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

Cumnock & Doon Valley ☎☎ 08453 714 219

Colwyn & District ☎☎ 01492 660 221 88www.colwyn.cats.org.uk

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

Fraserburgh ☎☎ 07876 513 593

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 Dundee & District *102 * Foundry Lane, Dundee, DD4 6AY ☎☎ 01382 450 035 *5* Reform Street, Monifieth,* Dundee, DD5 4BA ☎☎ 01382 534 316 Outer Aberdeen & District *187 * George Street,* Aberdeen AB25 1HZ ☎☎ 01224 658 565 West Fife *6* Arberlour Street, Rosyth,* Fife, KY11 2RD ☎☎ 01383 417 548

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

Perth ☎☎ 08458 622 206 88www.perthcats.co.uk Peterhead & District ☎☎ 07791 834 226 88www.peterhead.cats.org.uk Renfrewshire ☎☎ 0141 876 4133 88www.renfrewshire.cats.org.uk Shetland ☎☎ 01595 840 588 88www.cats.shetland.co.uk South Ayrshire ☎☎ 08453 714 216 88www.southayrshire.cats.org.uk Stewartry & District ☎☎ 01557 339 233 88www.stewartry.cats.org.uk Stonehaven ☎☎ 01569 739 396 88www.stonehaven.cats.org.uk Stranraer & District ☎☎ 08453 712 759 Strathspey ☎☎ 08453 712 725 88www.strathspey.cats.org.uk

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

KEY: Adoption Centre Homing Centre Branch Charity shop

The Cat Autumn 2011 69

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Welcome to Kids’ Corner!

We love to hear from our younger readers so please send in your cat-themed letters, jokes and drawings – every picture printed wins a prize; in this issue our favourite wins a Big Cats book by Dorling Kindersley.

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

Remem b drawin er that you ca g s an d n also s ph ubmit the Cat s for kid otos of your cats to you see s we b s ite n our b ehind-t . Also, have blogs? he -scen Check the es vide w w w.c o ats.org m out at .uk /cat s-for-k ids

All about Cats Protection It’s important to be able to understand your cat and what he is trying to tell you. Cats use different body parts to express their feelings.

You’ll need to visit our Cats for kids website to help you answer the following questions.

Go to www.cats.org.uk/cats-for-kids and click on ‘About cats’ and then ‘A cat’s body language’.

1. If a cat is feeling angry, what will he do? a) Arch his back b) Stretch his head forward c) Go to sleep 2. When a cat is frightened, how will he express it? a) Miaow at you b) Raise his tail c) Flatten his ears 3. A happy cat will show which behaviour? a) Spitting b) Yawning and stretching c) Wide pupils

Winner!

Ellie, 3, from Hurstpierpoint, West Sussex

Elisabetta, 12, from Windsor, Berkshire

Emily, 7, from Kingsthorpe, Northampton

Kiara, 11, from Brentwood, Essex

Congratulations to Ellie who wins a Big Cats book by Dorling Kindersley www.dorlingkindersley-uk.co.uk We hope you enjoy the read!

Victoria, 8, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

The Catâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Autumn 2011

71

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

Well done to our runners up Elisabetta, Kiara, Emily and Victoria who each win a Kitty Luv CD-ROM; a virtual pet for your PC. This prize has been donated by Yellow Moon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the fantastic onestop shop for great value arts, crafts, and exciting educational games and toys. See more at www.yellowmoon.co.uk

makingmemories

Harry’s summer palaces Tony Francis remembers Harry’s allotted time

H

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The Cat Autumn 2011

sometimes showed off to the resident female cat – finding refuge there when he disapproved of one of the house minders.

Harry seldom did night shifts; they were generally late turns and would finish his work outside around midnight by coming up to the bedroom to nestle next to my wife first insisting that she lay on her back. During the evening, when coming in for a ‘meal break’ or cuddle, Harry would seek out Sylvia and insist on a quilt being placed on her lap before settling down on it.

I always imagined Harry’s ancestors inhabited the various coaching houses on the road between London and Kent ports, as he was first class at removing the tasty bits from the plates of humans. They did not steal or beg; merely persuaded the hapless pilgrim that a not insignificant proportion of the food on a plate should be handed over to this handsome cat.

However, there were occasions when we had not conceded to such a practice and his right hook would speedily remove a piece of lamb chop.

He also got into the habit of taking his drinks of water from the glasses that humans used, both at the dinner table and at night. I am sure we must have shared the same glass of water some nights!

In the end Harry grew weak; some front teeth disappeared but this didn’t stop his appetite.

His champagne lifestyle probably did not help. He enjoyed cheese, prawns and fish better than packaged cat food – you could almost hear him say ”that is for lesser cats”. And, indeed, rabbit.

That was his final supper. On the Tuesday before his departure he tucked into a huge meal of rabbit. I last saw him lying on the

lawn. He must have then departed towards his beloved allotments and to the next world. Out there he continues to influence everything. I certainly feel him watching over me as he did in his prime. One could do nothing there without his presence. That has not changed.

As our daughter Georgina says, “Harry will be forever happy in the allotment”.

Illustration: Rasoul Hudda

arry was a handsome tabby, but started life more as a bundle of fleas and was the last of his litter to be sold. He sat sadly in the window waiting for his new home.

The little scrap refused to eat anything offered until given a bowl of freshly cooked coley. He became his own ‘master’ and did exactly as he pleased.

Later we departed on the annual family holiday and left him in the hands of our faithful house minder. Harry insisted on climbing up her body and then leaping off her shoulders; as a consequence digging claws into soft skin. Needless to say, that was the final year this particular minder stayed! It might also have been the fact that the house was being extended and water was cut off some days. But we put the blame or credit down to Harry.

Harry thought that the other cat in the house, Amy, was his foster mother or at least a dear aunt and leapt on her with great joy on many occasions.

Regrettably, Amy did not reciprocate and just spat out non-ladylike expressions.

Mousing was Harry’s ‘stock in trade’ and the tally over his 16 years’ active service must have been enormous. He would normally start with the smallest of a mouse family and gradually work up towards the biggest and oldest. His attacks on birds were minimal.

Tabbies seem to be the ‘top cats’.

Harry maintained such a tradition.

He claimed the allotments as his responsibility – a matter which he undertook with an enormous sense of duty – no other cats were allowed to enter. Even the foxes were treated as subordinates as shown on an occasion when one entered the garden and came face to face with Harry. He just swore profusely at the intruder who then fled pronto.

The allotments were the location of numerous ‘summer palaces’ where he would lie all day in the better weather months. Towards the end of his life he spent more and more time in both the allotments and the garden. His territory extended a few houses down where he

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

In loving memory of PERRY – 21.02.11. Brave, gentle and loyal. My precious friend, missed so much. Always in our hearts. Love Mummy, Daddy, Leo, JoJo.

J ASPER 20.05.93-07.05.08.

In life we loved you dearly, in death we love you still. Gill, Billy, Timmy & Cookie.

Treasured memories of our gorgeous little girl, LAYLA 28.02.11. Thank you for the love you gave us. Kiss-kiss until we meet again. Mummy and Daddy.

and sadly missed. Always in our thoughts and hearts. Love Mummy, Daddy, Leo.

G INGER , EMMA , PURDIE , BLACKIE , PERKY , SCRUFFY . You are our family and we love you more than ever. God bless, little ones. Mommy and Daddy and Isabella.

B OBTAIL , PTS 06.01.10 aged 14 and ALICE , PTS 28.02.11 age unknown, both loved and loving and desperately missed

by Doc and Wendy.

Memory of HARRY , champion mouser, most affectionate tabby whose spirit still patrols the allotments. Loved by Sylvia, Tony and family.

In loving memory of our little girl, JOEY “JUICY” who died 08.03.11. Much missed. Love Jack, Bernie and Maureen.

BB 03.03.11. 14 years together, you stole my heart.

You came a spraying and ended up staying. My big handsome fella. God bless Mum x x x

In loving memory of

T WIGGY – 16.05.07. Loved

M cDONNELL CLEO . A much loved cat aged 21 years.

Greatly missed by Danny and Sandra and all who knew her.

R ICHARDS MISHKA 07.07.92-17.07.10. Love you more than I knew.

R ICHARDS SASHA 14.07.94-25.07.08. Love is love forever lasting. Sleep peacefully my darlings… Your human Mum. TOBY . Died today aged 9 months. Lovely black and white girl. At Rainbow Bridge with all your friends. Love you.

Mummy & Daddy.

JAMIE STEWART RTA 19.10.89 aged 10. SADIE PTS 12.02.04 aged 16. My dearest friends, always with me.

Mummy.

K IT 09.1993-11.2009 16½ years old and BEN 11½ years

UARI – 22.09.03, girlfriend R POLLY and neighbour SOOTY – both summer 2003. Now reunited with uncle. All desperately missed and deeply loved, Bergie.

UBIST PTS 03.05.11. Sweet C quiet lass with the pretty meow and beautiful deepgreen eyes. Greatly missed by Nicola and Tigger.

L UCKY , 22.06.10 age 3

1991 – May 2011. 20 years in our home and forever in our hearts. Isobel, Rita, Rosemary & Ollie xxxx

years. A young life taken away by speeding motorist.

Sadly missed by his brother Snowball and sister Millie.

Sleep tight lucky boy, love you x x MITZI PTS 12.08.03 aged 18½. Remembering our beautiful tabby girl, much loved and missed, C & L. SASHA 16.02.94; PORTIA 15.07.99 & SASHA 2ND .

My beautiful Siamese girlies, missed so very much. In our hearts forever. Love Mummy & 17½ year old Purdey xx ARIES – handsome black & white boy – killed by a car – only 2 years old. Always loved by mummy, daddy, and cats.

T IGER – 1997-2011. Went to join his sister TESSIE after a short illness. Sadly missed by those who loved him.

old, PTS 1994. Mum & Daddy miss our gentle boys.

G EMMA , kindly PTS 17.09.10. Shared my life like a shadow for 17 years. Miss you, my Gemma girl. Christine.

JEREMY – PTS 19.03.11. Our dear feral. At peace with your girls. Much loved and sadly missed by Chris, Bryan, Doreen and Mike.

ESTHER – PTS 23.04.11. Our dear little girl. So full of life and mischief. In our hearts forever. We love you – Mum and Dad.

C ASSIE (Old Girlie) Aug

In loving memory of

M AGIC , fell asleep 24.09.10.

Greatly missed by Pat, Barry, Peter and all his friends in the ‘Hollyshaws’.

In loving memory of SOOTY a loving friend, fell asleep 27.10.09 age 20. At rest in his favourite garden with M OWIE , BEN and TIGGY .

Till we meet again. Peter.

Farewell LONESOME old friend ; you asked for nothing, you gave everything.

I do miss you – Michael P. In memory of our two lovely girls, FLOSSIE , died Dec 2009 aged 15 and BUNNY , died May 2011 aged 16.

CASPAR , 06.03.00-31.03.11.

Our beautiful big boy who never stopped purring. Love you always Caspy. Daddy, Mummy, Percy, Spike, Morgana & Pip.

The Cat Autumn 2011

73

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

The Cat

by Ella Earle The first sentence in this book sums it up nicely: “In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat.”

Full of delightful proverbs and quotes combined with characterful photos, this book is a lovely celebration of cats and their nature.

This would be a heartwarming and inspiring gift for any cat lover.

Amy Rutter The Cat (£6.99) is published by Summersdale Publishers (www.summersdale.com; 01243 771 107)

Too Narrow to Swing a Cat

by Steve Haywood This is the third book by Steve Haywood chronicling his adventures on a narrowboat, traversing the canals of the country. But this time the focus of the book is his new companion, Kit, a ‘sarf Lunnun’ cat adopted from Cats Protection.

Together they cruise slowly through a landscape unchanged for centuries, visiting picturesque towns and canal festivals before returning home. There is no doubt who the true skipper of this boat is and Steve is clearly under the paw. Readers will enjoy this humorous account of life alongside the tow paths and will probably go straight out and book themselves a barge holiday but our advice would be to leave your own mog at home, not all cats are like Kit! Francesca Watson Too narrow to swing a cat (£8.99) is published by Summersdale Publishers (www.summersdale.com; 01243 771 107)

The Meowmorphosis

by Franz Kafka & Coleridge Cook Brought to you from Quirk Classics – the same people who brought you the massively successful Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – this offering is another splendidly silly example of the increasingly popular new genre that is mash-up fiction. Combining Franz Kafka’s original nightmarish classic novella about one man’s sense of alienation and the nature of existence with his sudden transformation into a cute kitten – well, why not? – this title lacks none of the surrealism of the seminal masterpiece that serves as its inspiration. While this is probably not one for the literary purists out there, it’s great fun and provides a refreshing escape from the norm.

Tom Briggs The Meowmorphosis (£9.99) is published by Quirk Classics (www.quirkclassics.com)

Books received ets are forever by Jenny Smedley, A Friend Like Ben by Julia Romp, Great Cat Stories by Roxanne Willems Snopek, P Sex and the Kitty by Nancy the Cat, Desperate Housepets by Annaliese Morgan, Jennie by Paul Gallico, Warriors the New Prophecy by Erin Hunter, The Cat Profiles by Chris Wade and Linzi Napier.

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