Kittycat Issue 5 September|October 2014 by Jenni Ferreira

Kittycat online magazine

Veterinary Fees

A Vetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Perspective

Breed Profile

Russian

Feline

Early Spay and

Cancer

Neuter

Poisonings in Cats

Beware

September|October 2014

SACC COTY

Results

www.kittycat.co.za www.kittycat.co.za

CONTENT

63 1

Message from the Editor

Contributors

Breed Profile - The Russian

Cancer and Chemotherapy

Early Spay and Neuter

Poisonings in Cats (Feline Toxicity)

Working with your Vet

Some Happy Vet Stories

49 03

A Vet’s Life

Veterinary Fees

Win with ROGZ

You’ve Got Talent

SACC Cat of the Year (COTY) 2014

Chicken’s Story

A Happy Ending (Rescue) Story

How I Met My Cat

85 93

Book Review

Kittycat of the Month

Rescues and Shelters

102

Product and Services Directory

WELCOME!! We introduce you to the regal Russian, the gorgeous cats with emerald green eyes and plushy coats in this issue! When my nephew told me that his friends had a new Russian kitten, I begged him to organise a photo session for me because I’ve never taken pics of Russians before. The last Russians I recall seeing on the show bench in Johannesburg (in real life) were many years ago, before I moved to Switzerland. Needless to say I was very excited to get to meet Pixie, our cover girl, on the 5th July and take some photos of her (and her brother, Eddie the French Bulldog) for Kittycat Magazine! We have several stories to share with you from proud owners around the world so if you would like to add a Russian to your family there are various different opinions for you to read! Sadly cancer is something we may all face in life at some time or other, be it with our pets, family members or friends. Dr Remo Lobetti discusses cancer, common tumours, types of treatments and chemotheraphy. Our thoughts go out to all our readers whose family members, furry and not furry, are battling with cancer, and to those that have lost loved ones to cancer. What would we do without our vets? My A team are very lucky to have an awesome vet (and they had a great vet in Switzerland too, thank you Dr Daniel Suppiger!). I would like to thank Dr Remo Lobetti for all he has done for my A Team over the last 10 years! Lord knows I can be a neurotic Mom and he’s always been patient, kind and more than willing to answer all my questions and concerns, yes even via email when we were living in the land of mountains, chocolate and cheese!

Jenni Ferreira, Editor After the feature on Carte Blanche recently about vet bills, we decided to share some stories with you from a Vet’s point of view as well as some happy vet stories from pet owners. We hope you enjoy reading Part 2 of Ice Angel, a short story by Linda Deane. There are once again some extremely talented artists featured in our regular ‘You’ve Got Talent’ section, so please check out their websites and facebook pages. Enter the ROGZ competition and you may be lucky enough to win a lovely hamper for your cat! Enjoy this issue kitty lovers, and be sure to look out for Kittycat RESCUE Magazine Issue 2 which will be published on 1 October. See you soon!

COVER CAT Our cover cat this month is Russian Blue kitten, Pixie, owned by Christina du Plessis and bred by Leanne Hewitt, Azreal Russians, Cape Town.

Jenni FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Follow Kittycat Magazine on Facebook www.facebook.com/Kittycatmagazine

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Jenni Ferreira kittycatsa@gmail.com LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Dr Remo Lobetti

Jenni Ferreira

BVSc M.Med Vet (Med) Dipl ECVIM (Int Med)

WEBSITES

Specialist Physician

Jenni Ferreira Graham de Klerk

Bryanston Veterinary Hospital

CONTRIBUTORS Graduated in 1987 with a BVSc degree. He spent the next 2 years in the Veterinary section of the South African Defence Force. Then in private practice for 2 years at Orange Grove Veterinary Hospital in JHB. He joined the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of PTA, as a senior lecturer in 1992 and was promoted to associate professor in 1997. From 1997 -2000 he was Section Head of Small Animal Medicine at the Faculty. In 2001, he moved to Bryanston Veterinary Hospital as a specialist physician but is still appointed as a Professor in the Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Pretoria. Dr Lobetti owns four dogs: GSD (Yoda), Beagle (Tessa), Maltese (Tommy), cross breed (Snoopy) and 2 cats (Baloo and Sherkan).

Dr Remo Lobetti Dr Laurence John Behrens Dr Larry Kraitzick Dr Kathryn Knipe Patsy Smyth Solveig Klahr (RCIG) PHOTOGRAPHY Helmi Flick Jenni Ferreira Theresa Fouche ADVERTISING kittycat.classifieds@gmail.com ADDRESS P O Box 1220 Randburg 2125 South Africa

Dr Laurence John Behrens BSc: Veterinary Biology

Email: kittycatsa@gmail.com Fax: 086 428 5044 www.kittycat.co.za

BVSc Terrace Road Vet

Dr Laurence John Behrens, has always had a passion for cats and whilst studying at Onderstepoort, was president of The Cat Interest Group which aimed at getting more vet students interested in Felines. He was in charge of feral cat programmes where feral cats were caught, sterilised and released to maintain stable populations in factories and other feral colonies, and is still passionate about feral programs today. Dr Behrens is owned by 3 cats: Calvin (3 yr male Sphynx), Decan (2 year male Bambino) and Eva (4 month old female Sphynx), the latest addition to his family and his first breeding queen. His favourite part of feline medicine is Reproduction and he works closely with a lot of fantastic breeders in Gauteng. He enjoys educating them and the public on feline health.

The Publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy, safety or performance of the info or products presented. The opinions expressed in the Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor / Publisher or Advertisers. The Editor reserves the right to edit material submitted. All material published in Kittycat is copyrighted by Kittycat. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material is prohibited without written permission.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photograph by Jenni Ferreira

Photo by Ludmila Pankov | www.tessa.lv https://www.facebook.com/Tessa.lv

Kittycat Issue 4 July|August 2014c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014 3 KITTYCAT MAGAZINE

BREED PROFILE

THE RUSSIAN

Written by the Russian Cat Interest Group of South Africa from information gathered over the years 2014

Photograph by Theresa Fouche

History Little is known about the origin of the Russian Cat, however, stories and legends abound. Many believe the Russian Cat is a natural breed originating from the Archangel Isles in Northern Russia. It is also believed that they were brought by sailors from the Archangel Isles to England and Northern Europe in the 1860s. The Tartars ruled southern Russia as part of a vast empire, known as the Golden Horde for more than two centuries. Thus began an era of Russian isolation from the West. At the same time however, trade routes with the Middle East and China were established. Smaller boned, shorthaired cats of southern climates were able to follow the trade routes and intermingle with the wild cats of Russia. Over centuries, these cats adapted to their frigid environment; the result was the origin of their short, thick coat that carried a mutation of wild grey, reminiscent of the ticking of a wild grey rabbit or the Russian silver fox. The history of the Russian Cat will most likely continue to elicit the imaginations of its admirers however it is likely that the first blue, or dilute, mutation did indeed occur in Russia. That this colour would define the breed is an oversight due its early discovery. The natural breed would undeniably have included black and tabby, two genetic variables necessary in the development of the Russian Blue we see today. The Russian of generations past must also include a white variety, as white Russians were common to many and rumoured to dwell amongst seemingly barren snowfields. First shown in 1875 at Crystal Palace in England as the Archangel cat, the original Russian Cats competed in a class for all short-haired cats. It was not until 1912 that the Russian Cat was given a class of its own.

Intellect Russians are smart cats. Some are known to entertain a crying baby and learn to use the human toilet. They have what it takes to train their slaves into giving them snacks, take them for walks, get them to throw a ball so they can play fetch and ask their slaves for food when dinner time approaches. Russians enjoy being taken for quiet and peaceful walks, even if it means having to do so with on harness and leash. Family Oriented Russians tend to choose their human and will be loyal to that human. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shy away from being part of a greater family with kids, as long as they are not tormented, irritated of constantly picked up by the younger members of the family. A Russian rules the house in a friendly and quiet way. Affection They are very affectionate on their terms, but love to be loved. They are well known for their early morning purrs, cold noses, cold feet and head butts. Russians are lap cats once they have chosen their lap slaves. In winter, you will find a Russian on your lap more frequently.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photograph by Theresa Fouche

Laidback

Great Companions

These cats are laidback and not very needy cats. They love to spend their time sleeping or observing what goes on around them. If a bird flies past or a different type of flying object, you may have some very alert chirping action happing.

They follow their slave from room to room and often help you do your work on your laptop by walking over your keyboard and ensure quality control at the end of the day. You can rest assured that wherever you are in your home, a Russian will be in close proximity.

Friendly & Confident

Gentle, Sensitive, Playful

They are indeed friendly and very interested cats but can also err on the cautious or shy side, depending on the situation. If the Russian has decided that there is no real threat, the “have to know” what is going on, boosts their confidence and before you know it you have a Russian around your feet to investigate.

They are gentle, sensitive as well as playful cats. They are habitual and homely beings and do not cope too well out of their home environment. Russians are sensitive to your mood and intuitively know exactly what you need.

Water and Russians

Russians are naturally quiet cats but do occasionally find their voice to help you understand exactly what they mean. Mostly it is done with a gentle and soft meow.

Russians only like water when it’s for drinking, other than that water is wet.

Talkative

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Appearance The Russian is a medium sized cat sporting a short, plush double thick coat with a dense undercoat. The average weight of a male cat varies between 5kg to 6kg’s, whereas the females are smaller in size and averages in weight between 3kg to 4kg’s. Of course there are exceptions. Russians have an elegant but athletic body, with long legs, long tapering tail and small oval feet. The ears are wide at the base, large in size and vertical on top of the head. The head or skull must be flat, profile straight with a 45 degree angle at brow from straight nose to top of head. The muzzle or whisker pads must be prominent and the chin firm. The eyes are almond shaped, set wide apart and vivid green. Colour Blue, Black, White and Blue Spotted Tabby Eye Contact Russians do not necessarily like eye contact. They can hold your gaze for a couple of seconds but then tend to look away to focus on something else.

Photograph by Jenni Ferreira

“The Russian Cat Interest Group of South Africa only supports Ethical, Reputable and Responsible Breeding”

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Russian Blue, bred by Leanne Hewitt of Azreal Russians, South Africa Photographed by Jenni Ferreira

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Russian Blue, bred by Leanne Hewitt of Azreal Russians, South Africa Photographed by Jenni Ferreira

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Beautiful Russian Blues photographed by International Cat Show Photographer Helmi Flick in the USA Helmi Flick Cat Photography www.helmiflick.com

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

LIVING WITH RUSSIANS

PIXIE (AZREAL TASHA TATIIANA) CHRISTINA DU PLESSIS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNI FERREIRA

I’m a six month old Russian Blue, born of Sire Azreal Sergei Starlin and Dam Raska Blu Elena of Azreal. A royal lineage … if I do say so myself.

I am. In the evening I curl up in front of the heater, keeping an eye open for the opportunity to steal Eddie’s favourite pillow (it’s far too comfy).

My new life started with a long plane journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg. A stressful experience, but it was worth it. My new mommy was waiting for me at the airport and sang silly songs to me all the way to my new home.

In the early morning, when everyone is fast asleep and I’m feeling a little lonely I purr as loudly as I can. I lick my brother, nose bump mommy and paw daddy for some deserved attention.

On arrival I met my new best friend - a slobbering, farting, snorting French bulldog named Eddie. When he naps I bounce around him looking for attention. If he still doesn’t give me the attention I deserve I lick his ears and run for one of my many cat jungle gyms. In the day my favourite place is the garden where I climb trees and wait to be rescued like the princess

I might be the newest addition to this home but I am the queen of this family. I’m loved and adored, just like it should be! c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

THOR’S SLAVE ALEKSANDER ZMASTER MILOVANOVIC

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THERESA FOUCHE

Things I have learned from owning a Russian. (I will update as I learn more): 1. I thought I was going insane leaving open taps in the kitchen. Nope the Russian learned the fine skill of opening taps to drink - the water bowl is too mainstream. 2. I have one switch for central heating in the house. He now knows how to operate it when it gets cold! 3. Bathroom and toilets are to be closed at all times (thank goodness he doesn’t know how to open closed doors … yet) otherwise any item you have will become his plaything. 4. Same goes for cupboards. My entire tie collection was his personal fort one afternoon. 5. Curtains are also known as ladders. The longer his nails are the higher he will climb! 6. In the morning I used to get woken up by getting clawed. After we had his nails snipped at the vet, he discovered another use of his rough tongue - all over my face!. I am not a morning person, in fact my day starts at 08:00 or later. The Russian on the other hand is active the moment the sun is up. 7. Being woken up in the morning by meows and lifting your hand to shoo him away will not end well

- mainly because he learned to place the ball into your hand before he woke you up. 8. Wednesday used to be maid day for me. Now its “let’s bring the master all the toys he ever bought me day, so he can proceed to throw them until I manage to lose them until next Wednesday” 9. Nespresso Sugar Packets are to be stored under lock and key. No matter how high you put it in the kitchen, he will find a way to climb it, take it and play with it (probably the sweet in the sugar packet is tasty). 10. I own a projector in the bedroom that I use to watch movies in the evening. He still hasn’t figured out that it is not real and keeps trying to jump and catch the action on the screen. His jumps are getting progressively higher. 11. Crystal litter is a no go for his bum! No he has to get a special kind of clumping litter, otherwise he will pee all over the linen. 12. If my hand is on top of the linen in the evening, its fair game. If my toes accidentally get uncovered they are the first casualties! 13. If I’m reading, he will attempt to read too. Did you know that paws work on an iPad? c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

BIDI, DANYA AND MARMITE SOLVEIG KLAHR

Once you have come to know a Russian, your home will not be the same without another. They are indeed an addiction and one will always lead to more. Living with 3 Russians is interesting, all three have different personalities. We have the leader Danya, who is our oldest, then we have the want to be leader Marmite, and our little Queen Bi who at almost 5 years of age has never grown up. Danya thinks that Marmite and Bi have no class and I often find him staring at them in total disbelief at either Marmite’s clumsiness or BiDi’s wild racing antics. Danya is the pedantic and cautious cat, Marmite is the happy go lucky come what may cat and BiDi is possessive and jealous and if I am under threat of the other two cats wanting to invade my lap, she will jump into action to save the situation in a jiffy. At 15h00 BiDi will find me wherever in the house I am, and gives me a mournful meow with pleading eyes. This means, “oh great huntress it is time to fill our tummies with many Greenies”. I cannot ignore or resist, so like in a trance of sort, I follow her to where she leads me (the bedside table in this case) and find the other two waiting for me too. Dancing and pouncing and delighting in the Greenies falling to the ground, their favourite treats. A few times a week BiDi gets over excited and the house becomes a F1 race track.

Marmite yawns and meows at the same then sits and stares at me as if he is in mourning. If that does not work on me he starts moaning until I allow him into the outer courtyard or take him for a walk around the little dam on his harness and leash. He is our hunter and if he could, he would murder everything that moves. Unfortunately due to the length of his body, he is rather clumsy and battles to manouver with ease so therefore we try and keep him away from heights. He is pretty good about it and prefers to have his paws firmly on the ground instead. Danya has become much more relaxed over the years. As a kitten Danya got up to all sorts of naughty things and once I thought I had lost him. Luckily for him he was safely locked up in the neighbours house. Now, Danya is cautiously interested in everything and must investigate visitors, cases, boxes, bags, etc. Danya has a great fear of water and in his opinion it should be banned except perhaps for drinking. Early mornings is the perfect time for PT, Danya turns into a Springbuck and does a few laps around the passages meowing on top of his voice. Then it is time for ball or feather games, in which Marmite and BiDi also occasionally participate.All three Russians love bed time. They know that its family time and they settle in for the night. BiDi usually crawls in under the duvet with us where she stays through the night. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CAT SLAVE LOLLY ABNETT

Dawn is about to break, and the birds have not yet risen. It is so warm and cosy under the covers and I’m having a wonderful dream. Wakey, wakey. A slender smoky silver paw reaches out, toes spread, and taps me on the face. Huh! My slumbers and pleasant dream come to an abrupt end. It is Sky, my AristoCat, a Russian Blue. I pretend to be asleep and lie dead still. I luuuurv you Lolly! All pretence at sleep comes to an end as she gives me one of her very wet nose-to-head butt kisses. “Uuuurgh!” She backs off and looks at me very hurt. Don’t you love me anymore? Feeling guilty I groggily put my hand out and stroke her, “Morning Sky”. I try to go back to sleep. Huh, is the old tart pulling that trick again? I’ll show you how to do it. Shauntia, my Bengal Hooligan, is watching this daily occurrence. She bounces onto the bed and leaps high over both me and Sky, who is now lying on my chest, giving her best Springbok impersonation landing on the edge of the bed. She jumps off the bed and does it again, and again. Still not getting the desired response she climbs up onto the bedside table and starts picking things up and throwing them on the floor. Finally, when she starts to chew the lampshade, I dive out of bed to go downstairs to feed my ravenous felines. Going down the stairs Sky leads the way, prancing in front of me and turning round every few steps, she looks like a purebred Lipizzaner horse the way she pranc-

es. Come on, Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, my Stomach thinks my Throat’s been Cut! Shauntia hurtles down past us and leaps the last four steps. She’s really famished. In the kitchen Shauntia climbs up on to the counter and then into the kitchen sink where she makes love to the kitchen tap. So Thirsty, the Camels could Die in This House. I open the tap and let it drip, this keeps her quiet momentarily, as she stands with her head under the tap, catching the drips with her rough pink tongue. She looks so cute with her eyes half closed against the drops which splash on her face. Sky, always dainty and regal, nibbles on her kibbles until I put down the wet food. She then moves over to the pouch food. She delicately laps at the gravy and licks every last drop of gravy off the meat pieces, then she walks away leaving the leftovers for Shauntia. The cats fed, I shower and dress for work. Before I go out to visit clients I sit at my desk to answer some emails. Sky decides its time for more loving and jumps on the desk and walks up and down in front of me so that I can’t reach the keyboard. At the same time she arches her back and rubs her tail under my nose. “No Sky, I hate it when you do that”. Mmmmmmm, do what? Strokes pleeze, purrrrrrrr. When I leave for work they are curled up on the bed and sleeping off their breakfast. In my next life I’m coming back as a cat! When I get home in the afternoon Shauntia greets me

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

at the door. Been Imprisoned inside All Day and there are Things to Do in the Garden. Let me out. Now! I comply, but still no sign of Sky, “Come on lazy daisy, come outside and play”. She comes trotting down the stairs, blinking sleepily, stretches, pretending to sharpen her claws on the rug, and goes out into the garden to sit in the sun. I leave them to it while I go upstairs to my home office to write up my day’s reports. All is quiet and peaceful and I’m listening to music on the radio when suddenly there is a loud flutter. I know what that implies. Racing down the stairs I see Shauntia strutting across the lawn, ever so proud of herself with a dove in her mouth. She carries the poor thing spread-eagled by one wing while the other wing drags on the ground. She is so delighted, but I am devastated. I feed the birds and although I know it is only part of their cat nature, I hate it when they catch birds. Sky is sitting close by observing proudly. She taught Shauntia to hunt. Brat cats! I attempt to rescue the bird, Shauntia growls at me. Leave It, it is My Toy. She drops the bird and I pick her up to put her indoors. Sky, waiting in the wings, rushes in and grabs the prey. Dumping Shaunts inside and closing the French doors, I chase after Sky and the tortured dove. Finally I catch Sky and shut her in too and rescue the traumatised bird, which is placed in a cardboard box, lined with sawdust and cotton wool and has holes punched in the sides and lid,

that is kept specifically for these occasions. In the morning, if it survives, I will release it back into the wild. The Girls are now both sulking. Witch! Spoil sport, why can’t you catch your own birds? MINE! Later after we’ve all had dinner, I sit down to watch some TV. This is Sky’s favourite time of the day and she jumps on my lap and walks to and fro while I groom her with the brush. She settles down to lie on my lap for a while until she decides it is time to retire for the night. Shauntia watches this performance. Sky, you are such a People Slut! Bengals love to be around people and the centre of attention but they are not lap cats. She heads for bed just ahead of Sky. Some time later I head up and have a shower and prepare for bed myself. The two Girls have made themselves comfortable and are fast asleep, in the centre of the queen size bed, and there is no space left for me. Ho hum, I curl up as best I can in the cat basket and hope for sweet dreams. I’m definitely coming back as a cat in my next life. c

AZREAL RUSSIANS LEANNE HEWITT

I started breeding under the assistance and guidance of Stephanie Eborall who I purchased my first girl from. At the time she was one of the only breeders in the Country of Russian Blue’s and White. I imported my first stud boy and she sent me a second Queen. As a child my mother had bred Pomeranians and I had been part of showing and her breeding since I can remember, so it was just a logical decision for me to want to show my first girl and ultimately breed and contribute to this AMAZING breed. Azreal Cattery was thus born almost 11 years ago and I can honestly say it has been a privilege and honour to share this amazing breed with pet owners as well as mentor three new breeders. The Russian is very special and beautiful both inside and outside cat and I could not imagine sharing my home without these magic felines. c

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

ALBERTA MOLARE PHOTOGRAPHY: FRANCESCO SPADAFORA

In 1988 I met by chance, Michail Czar, the first Russian Blue that I had ever seen. He had the most amazing emerald eyes. I have never understood the meaning of “ love at first sight “ until this day! For me this was love at first sight, a love that has brought me to raise this marvelous breed. There is no other cat like the Russian! They are discreet, fascinating, affectionate and elegant. They have mesmerizing emerald eyes, a silky velvet coat and the agility of a gazelle. The regal Russian is worthy of living in sumptuous buildings amongst velvet and gold. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

NB LIFE WITH OUR RUSSIA

LUE CATS

EWS

PAUL & CHERYL ANDR

My wife and I decided to get a cat so she would have companionship whenever I travel for business. I have had allergies to cats and dogs in the past, so I did some research on breeds that were less likely to cause allergy problems, and the Russian Blue came up as one of the breeds that had lower levels of the common allergens. We went to a local cat show and started walking through the aisles, looking at the different breeds to decide which ones appealed to us the most. The Russian Blue captured my attention right away – the striking green eyes and plush gray coat were very appealing, along with the breed’s temperament. We took a card from Karen Boyce and called her after I had done some more research on the breed. We have two Russian Blues; our first (Blue Moon – we just call him Blue) has all the attributes you would expect from a pedigree Russian Blue: plush double silvery-gray coat, jade-green eyes, mauve paw pads, wedgeshaped head, etc.. Our second Russian Blue, Stoli, was born from two otherwise typical Russian Blue cats, but is a Russian Blue colorpoint. This is a genetic recessive

trait from the early days of Russian Blue breeding, when the number of Russian Blues outside of Russia was insufficient to maintain a healthy breeding pool. Blue-Point Siamese were introduced to strengthen the bloodlines, then the coloring was bred out – except in a few rare occasions when part of a litter will have some colorpoints and part will be typical Russian Blue in appearance. Stoli came from such litter, so he has the physique of a Russian Blue but the coloring of a blue-point Siamese (including blue crossed eyes). Our experience, at least with our two, is that they are a quiet breed, in that they do not vocalize a lot. They are very affectionate and will often follow you around, wondering what you are doing. When we get up in the morning they like to greet us with rubbing and head butting, wanting to be scratched and petted. Blue is very empathetic, in that he is quick to pick up on when someone is in distress. When my wife’s father passed away, Blue was constantly with my grieving wife, on her lap or hovering nearby looking up at her. Both Blue and Stoli will be curious about anyone new

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

who comes into our home, watching from a distance at first but then approaching after observing them for a few minutes. They are also very curious about whatever my wife and are doing at any time, following us around and sticking their noses into anything that is new and different. Both Blue and Stoli are agreeable to being picked up and petted, and will often jump in our laps when we are watching television or sitting and working at home. Some of their behavior may be attributed to the breeder who we got them from, who socialized with them at an early age so they are used to human contact. Blue also likes to jump up on things to see what is up there; a five-foot jump up is not unusual for him. Stoli does not jump up as much or as high, probably due to his crossed eyes and depth perception capabilities. Both have large, welldeveloped ears and have very keen hearing. My wife and I are very happy with our two Russian Blues, and would definitely stay with the Russian Blue as a breed when we would want another cat. c

TAKING THE CAT FOR A WALK ADELE VISSER

He was named after the freedom loving vagabond Huck Finn. It may be an ironic name for a cat that’s only allowed outdoors under supervision, but somehow Azreal Huckleberry Hush always manages to find adventure. This two year old Russian Blue is a quiet homebody that likes only one thing more than curling up on a lap. Every afternoon he waits near the door. If you ignore him for too long he will leap against the security gate; hang onto the mesh; claw his way up to the top of the front door; and then sit there crying mournfully. This is a very effective way of getting me into action - I will clip on his harness and leash; and then we’re off exploring the neighborhood. You can call it “taking the cat for a walk”, but there’s really not that much walking involved. He stalks insects; pounces on anything blowing in the wind; sits and stares at the birds in the trees; ignores the yapping dogs; and pretends to hunt the guinea fowl. If he gets tired or it’s too hot outside he will plonk down in the nearest shady spot and then expect you to just stand around until he is ready to move on. We are so used to these outings that I’m still surprised when passers-by stop to comment on how strange it is to see a cat on a leash. My cat has the best of both worlds - he is safe from the dangers that roaming cats face, but everyday he can still live up to his free-spirited name. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

OUR PRECIOU

S BLUE, NARN

ALEXANNE TI

NGLEY

Life changed irreversibly the day the decision was made to bring a precious Blue into our home. We waited almost a year for our boy and when collection day finally arrived, I realised for the first time the meaning of ‘cat slave’. Stewart Little’s kittenhood was filled with sleepless nights, with his human (me) carrying him around the house in the early hours of the morning to calm him (in reality to stop him jumping on our 2 elderly cats and riding them side saddle!!). During these early morning sessions he became a parrot and decided the only way to get around the house was draped over my shoulder...now two years old, he jumps onto my shoulder without warning and shouts in my ear if I attempt to put him down. Water in a bowl is toxic waste... no, this boy wants running water... preferably rain water in a water fountain or if he absolutely has no choice, running taps will do. So, we oblige! He’s a fussy eater of note and will only eat fresh pellets that have been placed in the bowl under his watchful eye. Cat litter... well, only the German kind will do.

He has a voice that will wake the neighbourhood and moves at the speed of light. Our house has become a series of cat trees, platforms and shelves that enable him to be up high, surveying his universe. Then, just like that, mid manic mode, he’s asleep. Cuddled up as close as possible in impossible positions. His sleep is punctuated with irresistible squeaks and sighs. Warmth is key...he is a master nest maker...turning blankets and duvets into tents. Oh, don’t getting me going on trying to make a bed with a Russian in the mix!

dinner and is head butting at regular intervals. I love everything about this boy...the way he announces his arrival when jumping on the bed, to the way he pulls the blinds down each morning to wake us up if the head butts and sitting on my chest hasn’t done the trick, to knowing when not to leave my side, to never ever being alone in the bathroom - this Russian has no idea of personal space. I love being met at the door and I love the way he moves...like a ballerina..often resulting in me singing ‘Nina, pretty ballerina’ to him! Scary I know!!

He thinks Narnia lies behind the cupboard door and often indulges in conversations with our shoes and clothes. He understands the key mechanism and is hard at work plotting his escape to the back garden! Should we dare to move from a room without him, he stands on high legs and screams until we rescue him. Oh, don’t dare to ignore him or tell him off... he will sulk for hours and look at you with drunk eyes if you try to beg for forgiveness. Then, just like that, he’s helping make the

I have lost my heart to this breed and our boy, ‘The Little’ (Azreal JankiPants) as he’s mostly known is quite simply extraordinary. A product of Azreal Russians bred by the irreplaceable Leanne Hewitt and child of Pixie and Goofy. He has brought such joy, light and laughter into our home and his love is fierce and loyal. He melts my heart and I never want a day that I don’t have this breed (or him) in my life! c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

MY LOVE FOR RUSSIANS DIANE WALTHER

My name is Diane Walther and I live in Leiden in the Netherlands. Some 3 years ago I started my Russian Blue cattery, named Mithrim. A colleague of mine had Russian Blues some 25 years ago and when I saw them for the first time, they enchanted me. Their regal appearance, their elegance, their self consciousness, but also their beautiful steelgrey coat with silvery specks and their emerald green eyes all put me under their spell. 4 years ago I bought two brothers from a breeder in the Netherlands. They were so different to the European short hair cats I have had before. One of the boys decided after a month or so he liked me and since then, we developed a special bond. Every morning he greets me in the kitchen by rearing up onto the cupboard and grabbing my hand with his paw so I can pet him. The other boy bonded to my Leonberg dog who died 2 years ago. He was so overtaken by grief, he wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave the litterbox for over a week! In the meantime he has warmed up to me as well and is my biggest and cuddliest Russian Blue! He likes to headbutt me and groom my hair when I am sitting on the couch.

They truely love their family and they appreciate daily routines and often behave dog-like. Until they spot a fly and then they will become real hunters and will not rest untill they have caught and eaten it! Especially my females are true lionesses when it comes to chasing prey! They also can be ever so sensitive. Because of their sensitivity, calmness and harmony in the household is important. Introduction of new members to the cattery costs time and insight. I have introduced two queens into the group. I had placed them in another space for a week or so. Observing the reactions of all the other cats and avoiding tension is important. Firstly, they need to get acquainted by smell (in my case from under the door), then by sight (through a window in the hall) and then by placing them in the same room. 4 years on, my cattery consists of 5 Russian blues, including the two male neuters and three queens. There are a mother and daughter and a queen imported from Latvia. All of them get along nicely. I love all of them and wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exchange them for the world! c

Russian Blues are so special in their character and behaviour.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

LIVING WITH RUSSIANS FOR THE FIRST TIME JANET JOOS

My first journey of living with a Russian Black called Azreal Pyret Prince Dmitri aka Neo started on 25 January 2014. Neo is a 7 year old Male Black Russian that I adopted and absolutely adore and love to the moon and back. His first night with me was like having a new born baby he was meowing all night as he was missing his companions and his cat partner in crime Sergei. I had probably 2 hours sleep maximum. Sunday morning came and he decided to go investigate upstairs and he chose his own bedroom that he felt safe in. The next two weeks I slept with him in that room and spent hours with him on weekends and when I got home from work at night. He was brushed every day and slowly he came out of his shell and blossomed into the confident boy he is now. He is my shadow and wherever I am Neo will be close by. His quirky things he loves to do is chirrup in my ear at 3am and demand a tummy rub and tickle and if I ignore him I then receive gentle head butts with purring that can rival a generator in my ear! I have a bedtime curfew with Neo and heaven help me if I am not upstairs and in bed so that he can come lay with me and have a tummy tickle and be brushed. He will meow nonstop and keep coming to where I am and then walk towards the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. My second journey with a 2 year old Russian Blue called Azreal Faberge aka AbFab or Abby Dabby Doo as I fondly call her began in earnest on 12 April 2014. Abby came from the

same home as Neo and she is my second adopted Russian. Well from day one Abby was Miss Confident strutting around like she had lived with me all her life and she explored every inch of my house. When Neo saw her it was a joyful reunion. He was chirruping and talking to her nonstop and even took her upstairs to show her where his room is and where the food and water is kept! Abby and Neo are inseparable and each has their own personality. They chase each other like mad things from about 9 pm at night and I call that the start of Russian Olympics as it is a sprint around the house and high jumps over the bed to dive bomb whoever is the unlucky one on the floor at the time. Since being fortunate enough to have not only 1 but 2 Russians from Leanne Hewitt from Azreal Russians my life has changed for the better they are very affectionate and highly intelligent cats. No two Russian are the same I see that with Abby and Neo as he is very vocal and she will only talk when she wants her dinner. I also sometimes refer to them as Laurel and Hardy because Neo is a big boy and a bit on the curvy side and she is petite and slim either way I love them unconditionally and can’t imagine life or my house without them. I am cat mad whether they are pedigree or normal domestic moggies but I can honestly say I can’t see myself not having Russian’s for the rest of my life they are just incredible little souls and bring so much joy and happiness into a home.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

They are quite rare here in SA with only a handful of breeders but once you have a Russian there is no going back to anything else. Owning a Russian is not only a privilege but I have met some great people and made wonderful friends through the Russian Cat Interest Group of SA. c

GRISAILLE CATTERY FLORIDA, USA KAREN BOYCE

I am Karen Boyce, a breeder from Florida in the USA my cattery is Grisaille Cattery. I have worked with this breed and have bred and shown my cats for over 25 years. I show exclusively in CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) in the USA. In my opinion, Russian Blues are highly intelligent, intensely loyal, and a bonding cat. They can sense when you are having a bad day or if you are not feeling well and will usually stay by your side until you are feeling better. They will patiently wait for their owners to come home at the end of the day. And while waiting they will entertain themselves. Russians have very quiet voices and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually talk. They do tend to be a little shy and timid with strangers and it takes a while for them to warm up to strangers. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised if they hide until company leaves your home. Russians Blues like quiet and organized homes and love to spend time with their owners. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

ONE DAY WITH

A RUSSIAN AR

LISA MARIE SM

UTS

She said: I am a devout cat-lover. And married a stubborn not-catlover (read: sort of allergic to cats / don’t understand the fancy / cats are stupid). Even on our wedding day, my dear husband told me that we will not get a cat. Now, two years later, with a lot of research, a little conditioning, and continuous (and tapered) dose of Allergex, he has completely changed his tune. And when I was asked to write a little about a day with a Russian Blue, I thought it wise for him to convey to you what it is like living with Mila, our little Russian aristocat. He said: Before I tell you about how our day starts, let me inform you about our sleeping arrangements; Mila, like most cats, sleep where ever she wants. That is usually in the fold of my wife’s neck or on top of her head. My wife and I need to get an early start in the morning. Mila knows that we are both away during the day and, as such, she makes the most of our mornings. While I’m hitting the snooze but-

ISTOCAT

ton on my alarm (several times), Mila will bring her preferred mouse toy and drop it on my chest. (Note that she has a preferred mouse toy; we had to buy nine as she refuses to play with anything else… see the aristocracy?). If there is no response, the toy will be placed in my hand and thereafter, she reverts to licking and massaging my face. This is followed by a game of fetch with the mouse toy – she will bolt down the flight of stairs, expertly pounce the toy and bring it back for round two to twenty three. Then it is off to work for us so that Mila can take her well-deserved nine hour nap.

watching my wife cook. Dinner is always followed with a game of hide-and-seek – when she finds you, she hits you on the foot, head or whichever body part is closest and goes speeding off. She has one spot for watching TV (on my lap); often wait in front of the fire place until it is lit; loves plays Cat Fishing on the iPad; and (just before bedtime) she expects a drink of water from the tap as she does not appreciate still standing water – again the aristocracy coming through. Before bedtime, a final round (read rounds) of fetch is worked in, before she comes purring to settle in for the night.

Upon return, Mila expects a lot of love – think hugs, kisses, chinscratches and conversation. She is a quiet cat, but will demand attention after our absence. My wife is Mila’s preferred partner and she follows her around throughout the house. The one photo submitted (Mila on the coffee machine) is an example of one of those occasions where she was merely sitting and

So about a Russian blue … Terry Pratchett said “in ancient times, cats were worshipped as Gods; they have not forgotten this”. True story – that is our life with our aristocat. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

OUR RUSSIAN NINJA TIMEKEEPER OBIWAN TONY MCMANUS

Meet our Russian Ninja-Timekeeper - ObiWan (yes, the great-great grandson of Obi-Wan Kenobi from that galaxy far-far-away), officially known as Azreal ObiWan Olen. Not only is he irresistibly beautiful (the first time we saw him at the airport after his long flight from Cape Town, my resistance melted), he is steeped in the tradition of the Ninja warrior.

Besides this mastery of the ancient martial arts, Obi-Wan has mastered modern technology too. If initial attempts at awaking his slaves is not successful (tentative claws under the duvet aimed at soft fleshy bits), he floats silently up to the dressing table and steps on the alarm clock, switching on the radio. This is a regular occurrence which elicits howls of protest and pleading from said slaves for just one more snooze. c

Many have borne witness to his stealthy approach on a hapless adversary. When he is in range, he stands up on his back legs with his front “arms” waving toand-fro to distract his opponent and starts making a weird karate attack sound (remember Bruce Lee?) as he launches his vicious assault – of soft paws, a wrestle and loud purr.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

IT’S ALL GOOD MICHELLE DU PLESSIS

One does not ‘live’ with Russians; one is ‘owned’ by Russians. And they are possessive and demanding owners. In a good way, of course. We share our home with three Russians – two Blues and one Black – who have vastly differing personalities, and who are utterly adored by us, their guardians. We are charmed, entertained, used as pillows, and sometimes ignored entirely on a day-to-day basis. But it’s all part of the unique charm of these Russian ‘thugs’. Our elegant and dainty Blue female, Squee (Azreal Elfin Etzena), is our ‘circus cat’. She jumps, pirouettes, and walks on her hind legs when she wants attention. For the smallest of the lot, she has the biggest voice – a deep, rumbling meow – that would give any big cat a run for their money. She’s also the biggest instigator of play (and naughtiness), and doth protesteth most loudly when she’s outweighed (always) and out-played (sometimes). She adores walkies in the garden (on a leash) and would be the scourge of the local bird population if she were ever let loose. This one thinks she’s a tiger. Gir (Azreal Edur Evmenii) is Squee’s litter mate, and is our largest cat – weighing in at 6.3kgs – and only male. He’s the most serious and neurotic of the three, and is a real ‘mommy’s boy’. He dislikes changes in routine and is very set in his odd little ways (for instance, he has ‘a spot’ on our bed where he ALWAYS sleeps – a bit like Sheldon’s seat on the couch on The Big Bang Theory). Gir is the most cuddly of the three and is a lap cat of note (6.3kgs of long-legged cat on your lap for a couple of hours is quite an experience). He has a very girly meow, and loves nothing better than tummy rubs and

rolling on the paving in the sun. Gir will pretzel himself for tummy rubs, he will. He’s really just a big, snuggly teddy-bear of a cat.We adopted our youngest, Susu (Esky Delilah) almost two years after Squee and Gir, and it took a timefor the two Blues to accept another into their tight little bonded group. They all get along famously now. Susu is also known as ‘our little fat black seal’, because her gorgeous black fur is smooth and glossy like a seal’s, and because she’s a little overweight (she is currently on diet). She is the sweetest, most endearing little creature who is also Squee’s favourite playmate. The two of them will tear up and down the house at breakneck speed, wrestle on the living-room carpet, and play Queen-of-the-Castle on the cat tree for hours on end. Susu is incredibly playful – almost kittenlike – and will attempt to play with everything, even specks of dirt. Susu is also a talker (more a squeaker, actually) and we often have little conversations about the serious things in life; like when the appropriate time for treats is (all the time), and the correct length of time for chin and ear scratches (for as long as she wants them, and not a moment less). Her most favourite place ever for naps is in our bed, under my husbands’ tented knees. We’ve always shared our home with cats, but these Russians are so very special. Not only are they beautiful, elegant animals, but they are also well-balanced, good-natured, intelligent, and affectionate little characters. We don’t expect our hearts back any time soon – they are lost to these gorgeous creatures for good. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

MY RUSSIAN BLUE STORY ANNE-MARIE MARIËN DEURNE-ANTWERPEN (BELGIUM) CATTERY TERRA DE BERNESCOT

My Russian-Blue-story started in 1979 when I got my first Russian Blue. Her name was Blue King’s Senka, she came from Holland from the Blue-King-cattery and she was the start of my Russian blue family.

this unique Russian breed.

At that time I lived with my parents in Wilrijk, a community south of Antwerp (Belgium). We always had cats and dogs and other animals but the cats were, until Senka arrived, always moggy’s and the little blue female was our first pedigree cat.

My oldest Russian is Zvezda (16 y old female) who is the mother of Ghzelka (8y F) who on her turn is the mother of Larissa (6y F) and Senka (4y F). Then there is Scampi (13y F) and daughter Xenia (12y). And last but not least, and the only man in the house, Stari Chaika, a 14 year old ex-stud and the father of some of the girls mentioned earlier. Chaika also comes from the UK.

Her breeder, my uncle in Holland, insisted that we should show her and breed from her and after we did. After the first catshow we got “infected” by the catfancy-virus and so cattery Terra de Bernescot was born. We wanted to do it the right way and I was lucky to have a male Russian Blue from the Globury cattery in the UK. Betty and Joe Bury were dedicated and known breeders and their Globury-cats were known for their wonderful coats and soft temperaments. Globury “Blue” Zhivago (a son of Zhivago Minaloushe and Globury Vivaldi) came to live with us and he and Kulak “Pinky” Lysenko – also imported from the UK – were the start of our soft-natured and thick-coated Russians.

At the moment I have 7 Russian Blues and one nonpedigree household cat, Tabitha.

I didn’t breed with all these females and, except Larissa, they are all spayed. Until 10 years ago I showed my Russians regularly at shows in Europe. This is, in short, my Russian Blue story. c

I fell in love with this wonderful breed and it is a privilege to live with them. When people ask me to describe the character of this breed then I don’t know where to begin. I always say that they are very normal cats with an almost regal way to behave and to move. They are attached to their willing staff and show you their affection without being too much obtrusive. I can’t imagine a life without them. Although I am a shorthair-judge and therefore know and handle a lot of different breeds, my heart is faithful to

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

BARISHKA RUSSIAN BLU

ES, AUSTRALIA

ODETTE RANDALL

Loyal, loving and clever: to be owned by a Russian Blue is to experience these three feline qualities in abundance. The quiet, regal Russian is always nearby, watching you or following you from room to room like a little grey lamb. Never needy, demanding or wilfully naughty, these cats are affectionate, delightful, devoted companions. And they expect the same devotion in return: once you understand what your Russian is trying to tell you, a deep bond develops between owner (aka: “slave”) and feline. But be warned: once you have bonded with a Russian Blue, there is no turning back. You have been chosen as your cat’s best friend, parent and world; it is a rewarding human-feline experience like no other. Russians most often choose only one best friend and are especially sensitive to his or her needs; however, they love all family members. While they can be a little aloof and cautious around new visitors, Russians reward their family with lovely company, hilarious antics, good humour and grace. The priceless “say-itall” looks on their face are an especial delight; Russians communicate – most notably with their chosen person - via facial and bodily expression rather than using their voices.

Moreover, the Russian is exceptionally clever: you can almost see their mental cogs whirring as they quickly master the household routine, serenely contemplate how to get into the pantry (or wherever you keep the cat food) and ponder how to open the bathroom door. They constantly find new, interesting places to explore. Don’t worry: your ornaments, trinkets and precious items are safe. Russians are like little ballerinas, tiptoeing and weaving delicately around your belongings. Easily trainable and willing to please, many like to walk on a lead or fetch and carry their toys. The Russian Blue comes highly recommended for those who want a dedicated, sensitive friend and a devoted, loyal, smart companion. c Miss Ziva

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

OUR PRECIOUS RUSSIANS ANNA-MARIE GERICKE AND JOHAN COETZEE

We were introduced to the Russian breed by our dear friend and breeder, Carol Wood, from Silversheen Russians in Amanzimtoti. I was captivated by the graceful, elegant and regal beauty of the Russian Blues with their magnificent silver sheen and emerald green eyes! We are very fortunate to share our hearts and homes with five beautiful Russians, it is three Russian Blues Mikhail, Misha, Bella Nadia; one Russian Black Malaika and one Russian White Tsarina Larissa! We have fun playing fetch with paper balls, going for walks in the garden outdoors with a harness and lead, playing hide-andseek and killing the toy mice! I look forward to come home from work to find my Russians waiting and greeting me with head butts! We can not imagine life without the company and unconditional love of our precious Russians! c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

WONKY AND MILA MARNHE DU PLOOY PHOTO CREDIT: MARNHE DU PLOOY

A little bit about Wonky aka Sir Wonka aka Boris aka Bonkers aka Mr Wonks:

Note from Leanne Hewitt, Azreal Russians, about Blue Spotted Tabby Russians

Wonky is spunky blue spotted tabby Russian. He is confident, adventurous and playful and above all loves exploring. And of course his chew-toy, Mila.

There is only ONE entire blue spotted tabby Russian in the world currently. I imported the girl Bubble from Bev in Australia. At the time she herself was the only breeder of the Tabbies in Australia. Bubble at the age of 7, gave birth to 5 kittens in her last litter. A boy has gone to Vanessa Howell in JHB as an entire to preserve the colour. Bubble is now a happy spayed pet and my hubbies lap cat!

Wonky knows what he wants and is not afraid to tells the world. He is very talkative and will demand a belly scratch or a headbutt session at least once a day. Wonky has very mild case of cerebellar hypoplasia (wobbly/spastic kitten syndrome). Over time he becomes more confident and learns how to manage and work with his muscles. Especially if his surroundings are familiar. He is maybe not as fast as other cats and can not jump as high, but he sure comes close. What he does not have in balance (although that makes him even more endearing - if that’s possible) he makes up for in personality. Wonky’s fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/wonkythecat/More about CH cats: http://lifewithchcats.com/

info

A little bit about Mila aka Princess aka Mielie: Mila is a Russian blue and chew-toy to Mr. Wonky. But make now mistake. She can be fast and feisty. Mila reminds me of the character, Merinda, from the movie Brave. Tomboy, but every bit a princess. She is energetic, curious and loves games. And she loves a cuddle - especially the kind where she climbs on top of her humans’ shoulders and just lies there in the nape of the neck (all the while purring up a storm). c

The colour or actually pattern is not accepted for CH status anywhere else in the world but Australia! I applied when I got Bubble to SACC but was turned down. I put it to vote on a Russian Breeders Group if I should or should not preserve the colour and the general consensus was that it SHOULD be preserved, so a boy has been kept entire. Thankfully here in South Africa the pattern is accepted for registration but not showing. The BLUE siblings in the litter of course CAN be shown. I am not sure if it will ever BE accepted or exported anywhere else in the world but IF I had not kept something entire then Bubble would have been the very last and the colour, and generations of work behind her pedigree would have disappeared into the Blue Yonder. They have the MOST remarkable temperaments and in my opinion the best of all the colours (Blue, Black, White, Blue Spotted Tabby) – a VERY clownish / kittenish and darling nature that bonds FAR closer than the other colours to their human. c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

A SPECIAL BREED TRACEY ROUX

I have had around 18 cats in my lifetime – of which 3 have been Russian Blues (1 living). I have never every come across a breed that is this special! They are an absolute pleasure! Not your typical cat – just so friendly, so sociable, so part of the family. My 2 males were extremely intelligent and loving – the female I now have is unfortunately not the brightest of kitty cats (said with absolute love). She is also clumsy and often falling off things and even into baths twice! But nothing phases her and she just lives her life in an oblivion of peace and love! She is part of a family of 4 other cats and she believes she is the princess of them all (and I have to admit she is a beautiful princess at that!). She follows us around the townhouse complex like a little dog and everyone always stares in amazement at this placid, beautiful cat prancing along behind us wherever we go. She is not phased at all at any dogs barking or anyone strange coming up to pat her either – a real ambassador for her breed as we are always asked – what kind of cat is this – she is so different. My one male would never let me raise my voice or give my sons a hiding – he would jump on my back (claws out) to protect them! I can honestly tell you that living with a Russian Blue is an absolute pleasure and I would highly recommend this breed to anyone able to afford them (they are rather scarce and expensive but well bred). c

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

THE RUSSIAN BLUE

THE RUSSIAN BLUE DIANA DOERNBERG VELVA CATTERY

Ever since the day in 1966 when my first Russian Blue female, CH Rasdedjan’s Ninouschka of Velva (Imp) arrived from Sweden and stepped out of her custom-made wooden carrier, composed and eager to investigate her new surroundings, I have been completely captivated by this breed. These elegant unique and distinguished cats, with their emerald green eyes, silver-tipped fur, refined boning, and plushy coats, are like no other breed. The quiet loving nature of the Russian Blue is also unlike the disposition of other breeds. You may choose a Russian Blue but a Russian will have the final say as to how the relationship develops. When you win their trust you will be rewarded with their complete devotion and they will react to you as they will to no other person. Although Russian Blue breeders have the occasional totally outgoing kitten who loves everyone and never meets a stranger, this kitten is usually the exception. The more typical reaction of a Russian kitten is to run to a safe location, usually behind a piece of furniture, and to there review all the implications of any new development. If you wish to establish a relationship at this point, sit down, quiety dangle a shoelace or move a cat teaser back and forth slowly and wait. soon the Russian will be unable to ignore the motion and will care-

fully attempt to capture the moving object. From that point on negotiations toward a more serious relationship will be in order. This very typical Russian Blue ‘look before you leap’ characteristic reinforces my belief that Russians are a very intelligent breed. Aside from the fact that the Russian Blue will have gained considerable play time from you at your first meeting he will also have determined just how interested you are in getting to know him. If you have little patience for his game and ‘wait and see’ attitude then perhaps you would not have been the totally committed new owner that he is seeking. Russians don’t like change. They are a long-lived, hardy breed of cat. If they come to stay, they expect to stay a long time and be treated as a valued member of your family. Lots of cat toys (Russians remain eager to pla y throughout their lives), no loud music and meals on time (especially meals on time) suit a Russian to a tee. See, I told you Russians were smart! Russian Blues are clever and extremely agile. I have had Russians that would sit on the tops of door frames. They love small spaces and can fit themselves into areas that you would not believe could make a cat feel comfortable. My first female discovered as a kitten that doorknobs open doors. When confronted with either being in or

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

out of a room that was not to her liking she would simply jump on the doorknob, hold on until she turned the knob in the appropriate direction and found her way into the area she wanted. I know that every Russian Blue breeder can relate similar tales. Over the years I have received many notes and pictures from pet owners who have related other amazing antics of their Russians. Perhaps the Russian Blue’s unique personality and demand for individual attention have played a part in keeping the number of Russian Blue breeders relatively small. Russian breeders are very protective of their cats. Russians do not do well in cat households with large numbers. Socialization of young kittens is absolutely essential. Breeding a show quality kitten is only half of the necessary formula for a show stopper. The Russian must be in full agreement with a breeder’s desire for his or her how career or it will be a no go situation. Given the Russian’s reserved personality, desire for an ordered existence and relatively small numbers, it is perhaps even more amazing that so many really outstanding championship, premiership and kitten winners have been produced. Without exception these cats are kittens have been truly born to the ring! c

MY HEART BELONGS TO RUSSIAN BLUES ANNEKE FASTING

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m from Norway. Our Cattery name is Alexandraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I got my first Russian Blue girl from Sweden in 1981. I also breed Nebelung, the sister breed of the Russian Blue. Russian Blues are intelligent, curious and tranquil. They are known for their friendliness, but are generally shy with strangers unless they are brought up in an active household.

They can be quiet, only meowing occasionally, but can also be quite talkative. They are clean animals. Many Russian Blues have been trained to do tricks and can play fetch. Russian Blues can also be fierce hunters, often catching rodents, birds, rabbits, and small reptiles. Mine often catch mice and get along well with Orientals/Siamese. c

They enjoy playing with a variety of toys and develop loyal bonds to their loved ones. They get along well with children and pets such as dogs, cats and ferrets.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

CANCER AND CHEMOTHERAPY Dr Remo Lobetti BVSc (Hons) MMedVet (Med) Dipl. ECVIM (Internal Medicine) Veterinary Specialist Physician

INTRODUCTION Cancer is a mass of tissue that is characterized by persistent, excessive, and disorganized cell growth that is unresponsive to normal control mechanisms. Why this happens, in most cases, is not yet known. In a normal situation healthy cells grow, divide and replace themselves in a systematic fashion. This natural process helps keep the body in good repair and slows the effects of daily wear and tear. Cancer cells, on the other hand, do not develop normally. They continuously multiply and divide and never mature properly to reach a resting state. In short there is no order or system to their replication. Many cancers do not directly cause problems to the body but merely occupy more space than they are naturally allotted. They crowd out the vital functions of other parts of the body and may cause complications due to this interference. Other cancers are “functional” in that they produce hormones or other substances that affect the body. The following are commonly used terms in cancer medicine: Tumour: simply means a “swelling,” which may or may not represent cancer. Benign tumours: have many normal growth characteristics. They do not “spread” or invade other organs. They may, however, compress body organs or tissues by virtue of their size. Surgical removal is usually curative.

Malignant tumours: often have rapid, irregular growth characteristics. These tumours can invade normal, local tissues, as well as spread to other tissues (especially the liver and lungs). New tumours can grow at these secondary sites, eventually causing the demise of the patient. Metastasis: the process whereby a tumour spreads to secondary sites. These new tumours are referred to as “”metastatic”,” or “metastases.” Oncology: refers to the study of cancer, including biological behaviour and treatment. Remission: denotes a decrease in tumour size (often called “tumour burden”) over time. Remission time is the length of time in which the cancer is under control. Currently, treatment of cancer in animals can often result in fairly lengthy, good quality remission times. That still means that for many types of cancers, their return is inevitable. As a result of improved owner and veterinary care, pets are living much longer and are thus more susceptible to diseases of old age, such as tumours. If your pet is thought or known to have cancer, a consultation with a veterinarian experienced in oncology can provide you with valuable information regarding treatment options and expectations. Cancer can often be diagnosed on

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

the basis of a procedure called fine-needle aspiration. This is a minimally invasive, non-painful, technique that involves inserting a needle into the tumour, aspirating a few cells out, and smearing the cells on a slide for a pathologist to evaluate under a micro¬scope. When cancer is diagnosed (or suspected), further diagnostic tests can be performed to stage the cat’s cancer. Staging allows your veterinarian to educate you further about your cat’s disease, allowing you to make informed decisions regarding treatment.

Surgery Surgical removal of tumours is a very common and valuable approach for solid tissue tumours. It can sometimes be curative on its own, if the disease process is localized and detected very early. Radiotherapy This consists of the use of a radioactive beam to damage and/or kill malignant cells in a localized area. It can offer good quality remission times for many types of tumours, but usually not a cure. Animals are surprisingly tolerant of radiation therapy Chemotherapy

A thoracic radiograph will be performed to look for metastasis. A complete blood count, biochemistry profile, and urine analysis will be obtained to assess your catsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; overall health status. An ultrasound examination of the abdomen may also be performed to search for metastasis. Other tests may be recommended, depending on individual circumstances.

TYPES OF CANCER TREATMENTS Chemotherapy and/or surgery are the two most important treatment modalities in veterinary cancer medicine. A combination of therapies may also be indicated in certain cancers. Some cancers require a specific, brief number of treatments, while others require ongoing treatment to maintain remission.

The use of a drug or chemical to treat any illness is chemotherapy, but this term commonly refers to the use of drugs in the treatment of cancer. The goal of chemotherapy in companion animals is either to increase the life span or to improve the quality of life for the animal with cancer. All of the drugs currently given to animals are human anti-cancer drugs. Fortunately, many of the negative consequences of their use in human medicine are not experienced in veterinary medicine. Commonly asked questions about chemotherapy: How does chemotherapy work? Anti-cancer drugs work by blocking cell growth and division. Different drugs interfere with different steps in these processes. In many cases, a combination of drugs is the most effective way to kill cancer cells.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

How is chemotherapy given? Most anti-cancer drugs are given by mouth or by injection. The route chosen depends on the type of drug and the type of cancer. How long will my pet receive chemotherapy? The length of time and frequency of drug administration will depend on the kind of cancer being treated and how well the therapy is tolerated by the patient. Treatment may be given daily, weekly, or monthly. Am I at risk of exposure to these drugs? Yes. Most anticancer drugs are very potent and must be handled with care. Some are “carcinogens’” and can cause cancer with prolonged exposure. With orally administered drugs, it is important that the pills or capsules are kept out of reach of children in childproof containers. When handling these drugs, the owner should wear latex or polyvinyl gloves to avoid unnecessary exposure. With oral and injectable drugs, the cat’s urine and faeces may be contaminated with active drug compounds for several days after administration. Will my pet experience side effects? Maybe. Veterinarians try to choose drug doses and combi¬nations that cause the fewest side effects. Ideally, the animal receiving chemotherapy does not even realize that he or she is ill. The drugs used in chemotherapy, however, are ex¬tremely potent and side effects can occur. The potential for side effects must be balanced against the benefits of the chemotherapy and the side effects of the cancer if left untreated. Choosing chemotherapy for your pet is an individ¬ual decision.

WHAT IS LIFE LIKE FOR CHEMOTHERAPY PATIENTS? Veterinarians who treat animals for cancer use many of the same chemotherapy agents that human oncologists use. Yet, in many ways the experience for pets seems very different. Why? For one thing, dosages of chemotherapy agents used in animals tend to be much lower than those used in people. Humans are given the highest doses possible, the consequences of which may require bone marrow transplantation, extended hospitalisation, and numerous costly medications-all with good cause. However, for veterinary patients, this process would be unacceptable and cost prohibitive for most owners. The general quality of life for many veterinary cancer treatment patients can be surprisingly good and very close to normal. Most of the time they can maintain their normal activities and have fun with the families that love and care for them. Side effects arise because the normal cells in the body are also exposed to the anticancer drug. The most sensitive normal cells are found in the blood, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and reproductive system. The good news is that the normal cell lines can almost always regenerate themselves, while the less well-organised malignant cells suffer great damage. Potential side effects include infection, bleeding, decreased appetite, vom¬iting, diarrhoea, thin hair coat or skin colour changes, and sterility. Hair loss, in contrast to humans, is uncommon in cats on chemotherapy. Rare side effects associated with specific drugs include bladder discomfort, kidney damage, and heart fail¬ure. The most serious side effect is overwhelming infection leading to death. There are various reasons why che-

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

motherapy is better tolerated in pets, but probably the most important factor is psychological. Your cat does not know he has cancer. He also does not know the drugs make people sick, so he does not anticipate that he will be sick. Human cancer patients suffer from a phenomenon called anticipatory vomiting, but cats do not have this problem. It is not a “given” that untoward side effects will occur in any one patient. In fact, the majority of patients complete their therapies without major complications. However, if they do occur you should be prepared to recognize them and take appropriate action. Over time, the tendency is to have less frequent side effects, as the individual animal’s sensitivity to the drug agents become known, the treatments are less frequent, and the cancer is in remission. The most common side effect reported by owners is that the pet seems to be “off” for a day or two. This might mean that the pet has slightly less energy or seems less excited than normal about eating. Less commonly, the pet may skip a meal or two, have one episode of vomiting or diarrhoea, or seem lethargic. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict which pet will develop the most serious reactions. The animal receiving chemotherapy needs to be watched closely and taken to his veterinarian at the first sign of illness. Chemotherapy will suppress your pet’s immune system and make him more susceptible to infections. These infections generally arise from bacteria that normally live in the intestinal tract and on the skin and not from the environment. Signs of an infection may include loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased activity, or depression. Phone your veterinarian immediately if your pet appears ill while receiving chemo¬therapy. These signs are usually only brief

reactions to the drugs but prompt treatment can often prevent more serious side effects from developing.

that it can successfully prolong the cat’s life COMMON TUMOURS

CARE AND FEEDING OF THE CANCER PATIENT One of the most important goals of cancer treatment in animals is to maintain as much of the pet’s normal lifestyle as possible. This can often mean that once a pet has recovered from cancer surgery, and/or passed the initial phase of chemotherapy, restrictions on activities are very few, and will be discussed by your veterinarian. It is now known that cancer results in significant alterations in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. Research findings have lead to the creation of a specific dietary program that depletes cancer cells of their required nutrients. A specific prescription diet is available from your local veterinarian and is comprised of limited quantities of simple sugars, modest amounts of complex sugars, modest amounts of highly digestible proteins, and calculated amounts of certain types of fat (including omega-3 fatty acids which have a negative effect on tumor growth, and improve survival times). IS IT WORTH IT? This is a difficult question to answer. Every situation and client-pet relationship is different and must be dealt with individually. If it were ever obvious that therapy was not working, or that the pet was indeed experiencing pain or discomfort, then your veterinarian is ethically obligated to inform you. Most pets do indeed appear to enjoy their extended life period and do not even realize that they are “ill.” The owner must, however, believe that they are doing the right thing for their pet and realise that this therapy is unique in

Some of the common tumours that affect the cat are lymphoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and mammary gland tumours. Lymphoma Lymphoma is a cancer of a specific white blood cell called the lymphocyte. Lymphocytes are found throughout the body in blood and tissues and act to protect the body from infec¬tion. Lymphocytes are the major cells found in lymph nodes or “glands.” In lymphoma, the cancer cells invade and destroy normal tissues. The most common site for lymphoma is the lymph nodes, but lymphoma cells, like lymphocytes, can grow anywhere in the body. In most cats with lymphoma, the cancer cells are present in multiple lymph nodes and tissues. Of all the tumours, lymphoma accounts for approximately 30% of all feline malignancies and may be associated with either feline leukaemia virus or feline immunodeficiency virus infection. Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for lymphoma. Surgery and radiation therapy are less useful in lymphoma because these treatment methods attack cancer cells at only one site. The goal of chemotherapy for animals with lymphoma is to induce a complete ‘remission” by killing the cancer cells. Animals with lym¬phoma that are in complete remission look like normal animals by all accounts. They do not have any signs of cancer, and all masses or lumps have disappeared. They eat, drink, and play just as they did before they developed cancer. Unfortunately some of the cancer cells can survive in

an animal in complete remission, but the numbers are too small to detect. Eventu¬ally, these few cells will grow and the cancer will become evident again. When this happens the animal is said to be “out of remission.” Sometimes a second remission can be achieved with additional chemotherapy. Eventually, the can¬cer cells will become resistant or insensitive to all drugs and results in the death of the cat. Although chemotherapy does not cure cats with lymphoma, in most cases it does extend the quantity and quality of life. About 80-90% of cats with lymphoma attain a complete remission with an average survival of I year, and 25% live for more than 2 years. Squamous Cell Carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has two distinct presentations in the cat. The first is a lesion of the nasal plane, ears, or facial skin in white or lightly pigmented cats and is associated with sunlight-induced damages. Diagnosis of facial SCC is often delayed for months after lesions appear because the owners or veterinarians assume they are healing fight wounds. Facial SCC occurs in outdoor cats and is prevalent in South Africa because of our sunny location. These tumours are locally invasive and slow to metastasize. Regional lymph nodes are the most common site for metastasis but pulmonary metastasis is extremely rare. Treatment options include surgical excision, radiation therapy, or local chemotherapy. Adequate surgical resection requires very wide margins and recurrence is common despite seemingly aggressive surgery. Radiation therapy and local chemotherapy can result in complete remission if used early on in the disease. The second common presentation is oral SCC and is the most common oral tumour of the cat. It often occurs

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

on the floor of the mouth precluding surgical excision. It is locally invasive and slow to metastasize, however cats often stop eating, due to the presence of the tumour or secondary bacterial infections. Radiation therapy in conjunction with chemotherapy has been described for oral SCC, however survival times are usually less than 4-6 months. Palliative therapy, including analgesics, tube feeding, and antibiotics for secondary infections, allows many cats to thrive in spite of advancing local disease. In cases where the tumour is small and can be treated with aggressive surgery, the prognosis is better. Mammary Gland Tumours Mammary gland tumours (MGT) are reported to have a prevalence of approximately 25/100,000 female cats making MGT the third most common tumour of cats. Unlike dogs, where only 50% of MGT are malignant, almost all feline MGT are malignant.

Clinical signs are attributable to presence of the MGT, which typically affect the cranial or caudal mammary gland pairs. One study reported that cat MGT were present 7 months before the owners consulted with a veterinarian. Client education to allow early intervention is thus very important. Treatment is aggressive surgical resection. The surgery of choice is bilateral radical chain mastectomy. Cats undergoing radical chain mastectomy have a significantly longer median disease free interval (575 days) compared to cats undergoing conservative surgery (325 days). The most significant prognostic variable may be tumour size at the time of surgery. Cats with tumours > 4 cm in diameter have a median survival of 6 months, whereas cats with tumours < 2 cm in diameter have a median survival of approximately 4 years. The role of chemotherapy from MGT is unknown in cats, but because of the aggressive nature of

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

feline MGT, it may prove to be beneficial. Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Vaccine associated sarcomas (VAS) are recent phenomena in cats. The first descriptions of vaccine site inflammatory reactions came in the mid-1980s in North America. This coincided with mandatory rabies vaccine laws for cats and a change from the use of intramuscular rabies vaccines to subcutaneous preparations. The types of VAS may include fibrosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and undifferentiated sarcoma. A common feature of these rapidly growing tumours is the presence of a necrotic centre and prominent inflammation. VAS may develop from 3 months to 3 years after vaccination. The incidence has been estimated to be as high as 1/5,000 cats vaccinated.

EARLY SPAY AND NEUTER Dr Laurence John Behrens BSc: Veterinary Biology, BVSc

rate with regards to doing the procedure is significantly lowered in these younger patients compared to sterilizing older animals at the conventional age. Personally I have found recovery times a lot less when we do practice ENS, this doesn’t only apply to anesthetic recovery but also post-operative recovery at home as well. Most of these kittens are bouncing around by the time they get home and eating as if nothing happened as long as good pain control is practiced.

Many breeders and welfare organizations in South Africa practice Early Neuter and Spay (ENS) for various different reasons. Firstly, this obviously prevents unwanted litters so it is a great way to curb the population of unwanted pets out there. Many people are skeptical about sterilizing these animals so early. At the practice I work at, we work closely with a few welfare organizations, where we do see these shelters being over populated with cats especially queens with kittens. In one welfare organization in Cape Town, it was noted that there was over 40% non-compliance when owners adopted pets where there was an agreement to have the cat sterilized in a few months’ time. People don’t even come back when the welfare organization has sponsored the sterilization so it can be inferred that a large portion of these cats are never sterilized or only sterilized after a few litters. Like with any procedure, there are risks and benefits. I want to mainly focus on the benefits of ENS because I believe they far outweigh the risks. We can minimize the risks of surgery by ensuring we sterilize these kittens from a certain age and a certain weight. The mortality

Various studies have been done to show the effects of ENS in cats with regards to urinary tract problems. I have never seen urinary incontinence caused by ENS and there are recent studies to support claims that ENS does not have these adverse effects as older literature claims. This is different to studies done with dogs. Various conditions such as feline asthma, gingivitis and hyperactivity were decreased with ENS where as in some cases shyness was increased. No one likes a tom cat spraying in the house on curtains, carpets and furniture. Male cats neutered early, before puberty, have less likelihood to urine spray as the drive in these cats is caused by surging testosterone levels that occur at puberty. Aggression and fighting are also dominance issues caused by testosterone levels which can again be decreased by practicing ENS in male cats. Many vets support the idea of ENS but if you are planning to practice ENS be sure to use a vet that is confident and knowledgeable with regards to ENS. I support the practice of ENS when you look at the benefits with regards to welfare and health.

www.facebook.com/terraceroadvet

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

POISONINGS IN CATS Sr Janice Clover Hayfields Veterinary Hospital

Beware of these common poisonings in cats: By far the highest numbers of poisonings seen in cats are due to well-meaning owners either dosing their pet with human medications or using natural remedies. Below is some information on some of the more common or seemingly innocuous sources.

a massive release of insulin into the bloodstream, causing hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). This results in lethargy and even coma. In larger doses, irreversible liver failure inevitably occurs generally resulting in death

Paracetamol

Onions and Garlic

Paracetamol, even in tiny doses can be lethal to cats. Cats do not have the enzymes to metabolize paracetamol safely so even the smallest dose will cause toxic levels. It causes the breakdown of red blood cells creating a condition called methaemaglobinaemia and liver damage. This is sadly invariably fatal. If your cat ingests any amount of paracetamol, seek immediate veterinary attention as there is an antidote called acetylcysteine which can be effective if administered early enough.

Onions and garlic contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to cats and dogs. Garlic tends to be more toxic than onions on an ounce-for-ounce basis, and cooking does not destroy the toxin. While it’s uncommon for cats to eat enough raw onions and garlic to cause serious problems, exposure to concentrated forms of onion or garlic, such as dehydrated onions, onion soup mix or garlic powder, can put cats at risk of toxicosis. The ingestion of onions causes a condition called haemolytic anaemia, which is characterized by damage to the red blood cells. Onion toxicity can cause the red blood cells circulating through your pet’s body to burst. Symptoms of this condition include breathlessness, lethargy, diarrhoea and vomiting. It may take up to two to four days after your pet eats the onion for symptoms to appear.

Tea tree oil Tea tree oil if taken orally is toxic to cats (as well as dogs and humans ). The concentrated oils are also rapidly absorbed through the skin. Minor symptoms like drooling or vomiting may be found with mild doses of oil. Animals with moderate illness may appear weak, or seem partially paralyzed. Severely ill animals have lifethreatening symptoms like tremors, seizures, reduced level of, or coma. Symptoms follow 2 to 12 hours after exposure. Topical application of concentrated oil can result in the same toxicity as accidental oral ingestion. Given the tendency of pets to groom, especially cats, the toxicity risk of topical applications is very high.

Please do not believe everything that is published on the internet. While there are some very useful articles, some do contain misguided and potentially harmful advice. Unless a medication or supplement has been prescribed by your veterinarian, contact them first to ensure its safety in cats.

Xylitol Xylitol is increasingly found as a sugar substitute in many ‘diet’ foods, and is perfectly safe for human consumption. Cats (and dogs) have a very different metabolism to humans and the ingestion of xylitol, even in small amounts can be very dangerous. It induces

Hayfields Veterinary Hospital 86 Cleland Road, Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg Tel: 033 386 1212 http://www.hayfieldsvet.co.za http://www.facebook.com/HayfieldsVeterinaryHospital

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

WORKING WITH YOUR VET Dr. Kathryn Knipe (BVSc) Bruma Lake Veterinary Hospital

This creates a problem for vets, not with loss of income, but rather with providing you with the best service. A very good example is an animal with a chronic skin condition. These pets often get treated with cortisone and antibiotics to clear up the condition, and advice is offered on how to manage the problem. Then when the problem flares up again, the pet owner decides that his vet is an idiot and takes his pet elsewhere. The next vet applies the same treatment with the same results. However, had you gone back to your first vet, they could have followed through with the next step, be it laboratory tests, a trial on a hypo-allergenic diet, or the use of a different medication. Now you have to start all over again. If you do not feel that you fully understand the condition your pet has, ask your vet to explain it to you again. You have paid for a consultation and that entitles you to time and professional advice from your vet.

Following the recent debate on excessive veterinary fees, I thought I would share some thoughts from a vet’s perspective, on how to help prevent high vet bills. Create a relationship with your vet You are the client, it is important that you find a vet that you feel comfortable working with. Find the vet that you feel offers the best care for your pet, has fees suited to your pocket and consulting hours that work for you. You, as the pet owner and client, have the right to ask to be referred to another vet for a second opinion and we as veterinarians are required, by law, to furnish this vet with your pet’s clinical history. Do not be shy to change vets if you do not feel that your pet is in the best hands, it’s your right. Once you have found a vet that you are happy with, stick to them. Resist the urge to phone around for the cheapest vaccinations, sterilisations and consultations.

Placing your trust in one vet or veterinary practice, helps to build a relationship between you and them. If you take your pet to one vet for their vaccinations, sterilisations and illnesses and ask their expert advice on problems you’re having, they get to know you and your pet. Realise that if you are in the unfortunate situation where your pet requires an expensive surgery or hospital stay, your vet will be far more inclined to offer you payment options if they feel they know and can trust you. Vets are also more compelled to help people with payments if they know that you are a “good pet owner”. If we know that all your pets are vaccinated and sterilised, that you apply regular flea and tick treatments and that you don’t wait for your pets to be on death’s door to bring them in, we will feel far more compelled to try to “help you out”. Make sure that you have your vet’s practice phone number and the emergency number, or the number of the after-hours facility that they recommend. When an emergency arises, you don’t want to be in a situation where you “can’t find a vet to help you”. Make yourself aware of the consulting hours, put their business card up on your fridge. Make yourself aware of what surcharges are involved when bringing animals to them out of hours or on public holidays. We cannot always prevent an emer-

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

gency from arising, but we can do our best to be prepared. If your vet prefers to work on appointments, try to make one. It is unlikely that any vet will show you the door if you bring your pet in without an appointment, however, trying to fit your pet in between all their other planned work, may be very stressful and may lead to your pet (or someone else’s pet) not having the benefit of your vet’s full time slot. Also realise that postponing your vet appointment until the latest possible time, especially when they are likely to need hospitalisation or anaesthesia, means that your vet ends up working a ten hour work day. Be considerate of your vet, we also have families and need rest to ensure that we are in the best state of mind to help you and your pet. If you find yourself having to make an unexpected vet visit, try to phone in advance, even if it’s just before you leave the house, so that your vet and their staff can try to accommodate you. Trust your vet’s advice. Oftentimes breeders and friends might offer you advice that may make you question your vet. Remember that your vet has trained for years to provide you with expert medical advice regarding your pets. If you have heard of a treatment that may help your pet, speak to vet about it. If we do not have the answers, we will try to find them for you. It is also important to realise that vets are merely human beings and can make mistakes. Some treatments are not going to work on your pet, allow your vet to help you find the one that does. Work with your vet to find the answers.

Very often the very thing that restricts us in finding the answers, is the cost involved for the client. Ask your vet to explain the necessity of the procedures to you, so that you do not leave feeling cheated. Sometimes we will be unable to save your pet, the truth is that this is rarely a result of negligence. Not all patients will react to medication, sometimes you only discover that your pet is ill once it is too late, sometimes animals have underlying diseases or allergies to medication that could not be detected by clinical examination and sometimes even blood tests. If we had to test every animal we see for even just the top 10 diseases we see, your bill would be literally ten times higher. Lastly, be kind to your vet, in fact, next time you see your vet, give him or her a hug! Being a vet is an extremely taxing job, you never know when your vet may have just euthanized a beloved pet and patient that they have treated for its entire life. If you approach your vet in an aggressive or demanding manner, you put your vet in an uncomfortable position where they will try to cut corners to meet your demands. Rather be honest with your vet, tell them if you feel that the treatments aren’t working, or that the cost is too high. Most vets will try to find the best solution for you. Be aware that your vet is not trying to “do you in”, they are trying very hard to provide the best care on offer for your pet. Obtain your pets from a reputable source I have been faced with many instances where kittens and puppies are brought to me from a breeder or a pet shop with pre-existing conditions. You would not purchase a broken car or pay someone for mouldy

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

food? Why accept a sick animal from a breeder? Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are “saving that puppy or kitten’s life”. In purchasing animals that look ill and come from unsanitary conditions, you are setting yourself up for heartache and further enabling an unscrupulous puppy or kitten farmer to continue in their seedy business dealings. If you are concerned about puppies or kittens that you consider buying, contact the SPCA! They will confiscate the animals and if they can be saved, they will find them loving homes. In fact, if they are confiscated, keep contact with the SPCA regarding the case and they may even put you first on the adoption list for these animals. If a breeder will not allow you to see the parents of the puppies or kittens, that is a very bad sign. It means that either the condition of the parents is such that they don’t want you to see them, or that they are aggressive. (Aggression is a highly heritable character trait in dogs!) Check with the breeder that all the animals on their property have been properly vaccinated, by a veterinarian! This goes for the puppies and kittens also. Breeders may feel that it is ridiculous to pay a vet to do a simple procedure such as vaccination, but they do not have the necessary skill to detect a problem such as a congenital heart murmur or a host of other diseases that will end up being your problem! To me, the fact that a breeder is not willing to take their puppies or kittens to a vet to vaccinate, is a sure sign that they are providing an inferior product. The cost of vaccination need simply be worked into the price of selling the puppy or kitten. If they do not make use of veterinary services, they are simply trying to increase their profit margin! The mother of the animal needs to have been dewormed 3 times in the six weeks before her

due date, and both her and her litter need to have been dewormed at two, four and six weeks after the birth. Any breeder who tells you that their animals don’t have worms, is lying! It shows a lack of understanding of the worm lifecycle, if worms were that easy to entirely eradicate, they would have died out with the dinosaurs! I myself, being a vet, would not even go as far as saying that my animals are 100% worm-free, even with regular deworming. If you see any fleas, ticks, worms or suspect ringworm lesions on any animals in their care, do not purchase an animal from them! These conditions can all be managed and no breeder of high quality puppies or kittens would neglect to do so. If you see diarrhoea, do not buy a puppy or kitten! If the breeder tells you it is due to changing their diet or deworming, tell them you’ll come back in a week, once the diarrhoea has resolved. Any reputable breeder would agree to do so, if they try to force you to buy a puppy or kitten quickly, they have dubious intentions! Look at what they are feeding their pets, if they are feeding the cheapest food on the market, they are not providing the mommy or the babies with adequate nutrition. If you put quality in, you get quality out. Thin or underweight puppies and kittens as well as those not interested in playing are a definite no-no! If you have decided that you would like to own a particular pure-bred animal, make sure that you make yourself fully aware of any special health-care needs of that animal. For example, a large or giant breed dog eats substantially more food than a small dog or cat and its deworming, flea treatments and any drugs it may need will cost a

lot more (as we have to dispense medications based on body weight of our patients owing to the large variation). Certain dogs and cats are more likely to develop certain health problems and you need to be prepared to deal with those. This is as a result of a generally small gene pool (compared to natural mating in nature) as well breeding toward certain breed standards, such as dropped hips, excessive skin folds, flat noses, screw tails etc. I once heard someone complain that vets charge extra for a certain breed of dog’s treatments. That is of course entirely absurd, but I can understand how it can feel that way if you have to maintain your pet’s various abnormal characteristics! Also ensure that you are ready for the commitment of owning your intended pet. Certain breeds need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation, if they get bored, they may get destructive. Be ready to provide your new puppy or kitten with the necessary socialisation and training. With this all in mind, never discount the value of a “mutt” or “moggie”. Crossbred dogs and cats have the same capacity for loyalty and companionship as any of their pure-bred counterparts! Now the best place to obtain a new pet is of course from reputable welfare shelters. Think about it, if you adopt instead of shop, you can know that you are saving a life. Most of these animals will have received their vaccinations and deworming, many of the kittens would have been tested for FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and FeLV (Feline Leukaemia Virus), they often come micro-chipped and a lot of organisations include the cost of sterilisation in the adoption fee. You can rest assured that when you adopt an animal from welfares

such as the SPCA, you know that you are making a difference to the welfare of all animals in your community! And if these benefits are included in your adoption fee, you save yourself literally hundreds of rands in vet fees for sterilisation, vaccination and micro-chipping! If you are looking for a specific breed of dog or cat, search various welfare societies, there are even rescue organisations for various breeds! Many of the animals that end up at shelters are in fact pure-bred animals. And if you can integrate an adult animal into your home, you are truly changing a life that may have been lost, as many adult animals, especially cats, do not make it out of animal shelters that euthanize. (Although it is sad that animals have to be put to sleep at some shelters, it is important to realise that the shelters are not the problem. Due to large intakes of animals, those that cannot find homes and are suffering severe kennel stress or other diseases are often put to sleep to make room for more adoptable dogs and cats. This problem can only be solved if we all work together to promote responsible pet ownership, adoption from shelters and sterilisation of as many animals as possible to prevent overpopulation!) Although you can never be 100% sure that a problem with a pet from welfare won’t pop up, there are already major savings in lives and money that you would have spent on primary health care! Keep your pet in good health Preventing your pet from becoming ill is the best way to prevent yourself from incurring large vet bills. Not all diseases can be prevented, but responsible pet ownership will give you piece of mind that you have done

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

everything in your power to keep your pet healthy. Ensure that your pets are all vaccinated at the correct times. Delaying your pet’s vaccination, particularly in their first year, is taking a gamble that your pet will not contract a preventable disease. Although there has been much talk about annual vaccinations for adult pets being unnecessary, the evidence has not been enough to compel vets to discontinue this practice in South Africa. Understand that we see hundreds of animals each year, and each case of parvovirus infection, distemper and snuffles, is one case too many. Furthermore, if your pet gets a disease that compromises their immune system or requires use of chemotherapy, it will ensure that your pet’s immune system is primed for the most common infections. Taking your adult pets for annual vaccinations will also allow the vet to examine your pet, pick up problems such as a heart murmur, periodontal disease and arthritis before it becomes very serious. Oftentimes instituting treatment for these problems will add years to pet’s life expectancy. Parasite control is vital in pet ownership. This includes deworming your pet with proven products every three to six months as well as monthly flea and tick treatments. Applying a proven acaracidal product (one that kills ticks and mites) is the only way to prevent your pets from getting tick bite fever. Ask your vet about the most effective products and treatments. Fleas are also a major cause for concern. Animals that suffer from flea-bite allergies may require regular vet visits that can cost between R500 and R1000 depending on the severity

of the problem and your pet’s size. The only solution is to prevent your pet from being bitten by fleas, the most reliable method being to treat them monthly with a suitable product. Applying tick and flea products to your pets is like applying sunscreen to your skin. If you don’t apply sunscreen when going out into the sun, chances are you will get burnt. Applying proven products monthly can very well reduce your visits from once in six weeks to once in six months, saving you money! Your vet can also assist you in identifying and treating any other allergies that your pet may be suffering from that may be compounding the flea-bite allergy. It is also important to know that as much as 95% of the flea population is located in your home and not on your pet! Ask about ways in which to decrease the numbers of fleas in your pet’s environment. Fleas also carry tapeworm eggs, therefore it is important to deworm your pets regularly if you have a flea problem in your home. Sterilising cats and dogs is one of the most underutilized methods of keeping your pets safe and healthy. It is entirely untrue that having a litter of puppies or kittens will affect your pet’s personality or future health, it holds absolutely no benefit for your pet, only risks! Firstly, early sterilisation of your female dog will reduce the risk of her contracting mammary cancer later in life, which is as malignant in dogs as what breast cancer is in women. Dogs that grow old with their reproductive organs intact are at a high risk for developing pyometra, a uterus infection, which is fatal if left untreated. The cost of having the treatment for this condition, will also be substantially higher than the cost of regular sterilisation. It is also often cheap-

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

er if your pet is sterilised when it is not on heat, as this complicates the surgical procedure. Having your female pet sterilised before its first heat cycle (commonly at around five to six months of age) will prevent all these problems, it will also mean that your female dog won’t be dripping blood from her vagina for a week in your house, as well as prevent unwanted pregnancies. It is extremely difficult to prevent your pets from mating if there is a female dog on heat. The result for a young dog is the equivalent of teenage pregnancy. How can your dog be expected to develop and grow normally when she has to divert energy and protein to a growing litter? As mentioned, when a female is on heat, both the male and the female will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure a mating. This means your dog may try to jump your fence and get impaled on it, or get knocked over by a car in the street, or get mauled by other dogs or cats. It is actually surprising how many traumatic injuries seen by vets, involve unsterilized animals! Cats that wander are at a substantially higher risk of contracting Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV), both of which are contracted by fighting with and mating other cats. These two diseases are terminal, once your cat has them, the chances are high that they will fall ill and die or be euthanized as a result of them. The other important contribution you are making by sterilising your pet, is preventing unwanted litters of puppies and kittens. The sad truth is that every day, hundreds of animals are being euthanized all over the country simply because there aren’t enough homes for them. And obviously if your pet doesn’t fall pregnant, she will not be a potential candidate for a costly Caesarean section! There is only one reason to not sterilise your pet, and that is if you have a clear intention to

breed that animal. Even then there are certain criteria that you need to meet to ensure you are providing the highest quality puppies or kittens, but that is a discussion for another article. And once retired, all breeding females should be sterilised to prevent them from developing a pyometra. The last thing that you can do to keep your pet in optimal health, is to feed them the best quality diet you can afford. There is one simple reason for the discrepancy in the costs of pet foods, meat. Diets that are cheap, do not contain any meat. As dogs and cats are carnivores, a source of high quality meat in their diet is essential to their growth, development and long-term health. If you think about the price you pay for your pet food, can it possibly contain 30% lean meat? That is the recommended inclusion rate for meat in a good quality pet food. Additionally, all diets that are considered “premium” and “super premium” (generally those supplied by veterinarians) contain a multitude of additional features to promote your pet’s longterm health without the need for any supplements. We do not sell expensive pet food in our practices because we want to make more money, we sell these foods in our practices because they meet our high standards for pet nutrition. Ask your vet about what diets are available to suit your pet’s needs and your pocket. There are a number of products that are designed to provide balanced and complete nutrition for a similar price to supermarket diets. There are even loyalty programmes with many of these diets to make it even more affordable, now that’s something you don’t find in a supermarket!

Pet insurance Pet health insurance is probably your best tool to ensure that you can always provide for your pet’s health needs. There are many products available and they are surprisingly affordable. We can apply all the best principles in caring for our pets, but still be faced with unfortunate accidents and unexpected illnesses. Having health insurance for your pet will put you in a position to not have to put your pet to sleep or provide them with suboptimal care for lack of finances. If you feel that you would get better value out of saving up for your pet’s medical care yourself, then do that. Having around R10 000 in a savings account for your pet will mean that you can deal with about 60-80% of your pet’s healthcare needs, depending on what type of animals you have. Having R20 000 saved up will mean that you will be able to afford 95% of treatments your pet may require. (The exception being longterm chemotherapy treatments for example). Research the various products and service providers or ask your vet for advice on which they recommend.

I hope that you were able to gain some perspective from a vet on how to manage your pet’s health and welfare without breaking the bank. Wishing you and your pet many healthy, blessed years ahead!

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Kathryn & Felix

Felix

Java

Kitten Fracture

Kathryn & Mr Cuddles

Napoleon

Squee

Java

Squee

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Squee

SOME HAPPY VET STORIES Dr. Kathryn Knipe (BVSc) Bruma Lake Veterinary Hospital

Felix

Kitten Fracture

This kitty was adopted by a gentleman from our clinic after his cat was knocked over in the street and killed. This gentleman is a carguard in the town I was working in at the time, and I knew he would never be able to afford doing the castration and vacs, so before I let him take the cat I did his castration, vaccination and deworming for him at no cost, as he was offering the kitty a home.

This little kitty was found as a stray at around six to eight weeks of age, she was brought in by one of the ladies that had worked for us at the clinic. It soon became evident that this kitten had a problem with one of its back legs, so I sedated her and found on x-rays that she had a fractured femur. With no owner euthanasia was on the cards, but the girl who brought her in immediately offered to pay for her fracture to be repaired and offer her a home. Again I went to speak to my boss, who often had me nagging him to let me treat stray animals, and he agreed to let me do the procedure at half price.

A few weeks later, I was standing in my consulting room talking to a client whose cat I was treating for a terminal illness. Suddenly I heard an ear-splitting screech from outside the consulting room. As the gentleman I was speaking to was leaving, I saw this oom with the kitty he had adopted from us, sitting with the cat on his lap and its leg was daggling loosely. I’m not sure how he managed to get the cat there on his bicycle, because he didn’t have a car. My heart sank as I realised that it didn’t really matter what was wrong with his cat, he wouldn’t be able to pay for anything. The gentleman I had been speaking to took one look at the oom, recognising him as a local car guard, turned around and said to me: “I don’t care what it costs, I’m paying this man’s bill”. I almost burst into tears! I quickly sedated the cat and took an x-ray, the kitty’s tibia and fibula were fractured, the estimated cost to put a bone pin in was R6000. I then discussed with my boss that the other gentleman had offered to pay the bill and my boss decided that as he was so kind, we would meet him halfway and cover half of the bill at the clinic’s expense. So I was able to place a bone pin and wire in this kitty’s leg and kept him in hospital with me for four weeks to make sure he rested his leg. And this all at no cost to the owner. When I told him the tears just ran down his cheeks and I knew in that moment that this is the reason I wake up every morning. The owner dutifully brought his kitty in for all his bandage changes and the pin removal. After all this kitty had been through, the owner stopped in regularly to come and show us videos of Felix playing and purring. I will always treasure the opportunity we had to make this man’s life just a little better.

Now at this stage, the kitten weighed all of 500g! It was a very delicate procedure, but I managed to place a pin in this kitty’s femur. She also spent the next 6 weeks in bandages, just to be safe. Although she had had a very rough start in life, she made a full recovery and landed herself a wonderful adoptive family as well! Included is a photo I took of her a couple of months later when she came for her vaccinations. Java Java was brought to me in critical condition after he had been mauled by a pack of dogs. Although he had suffered no fractured bones, the skin on abdomen had been torn from the naval down to his inner thighs. We started the long road to recovery with daily open wound flushing and dressing under sedation and started to slowly debride (surgically remove) all the dead tissue under anaesthesia every few days. We performed at least 3 separate surgeries to slowly pull the remaining skin towards the centre so that it could cover the wound. After about three or four weeks in hospital, the owners, a young couple, said that they could no longer afford the treatment, and that they felt we should rather put Java to sleep. We at the clinic then decided, that we had come too far to simply let him slip away, and so unbeknownst to the client, we continued to treat Java’s wounds at no expense and kept him

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

with us in hospital. Another week later, we were able to phone the owner and break the news to her that we had never put Java to sleep and that we had managed to close the wound on his tummy. She was totally overjoyed and soon after Java went home happy and healthy, another life saved! Mr. Cuddles aka Titan This poor kitty has a very sad story. He belonged to someone, who after a few months had decided that as he wasn’t cute and fluffy anymore, they no longer wanted him. Instead of taking him to a shelter or finding a new home for him, they simply started locking him out of the house and stopped feeding him. A neighbour found out what was going on after he started frequenting her house in an attempt to find some food, and being friends with my boss, brought him to us to try to rehome. I fell in love with him the moment I met him, but I could not take him in as I already had 3 adult cats that didn’t get along. He was the most loving soul and loved to sit on top of you and knead and suckle your clothes! That’s what made me name him Mr. Cuddles. Now as I’m sure you know, finding a home for an adult cat is not easy, but I decided that I would not give up on him. He came to me not having been castrated, which may very well have lead to spraying or other negative behaviour that caused his original owners to kick him out in the first place. So I castrated and vaccinated him and started the long wait for a home. We would let him out of his cage to roam around the practice every evening when it was quiet. One evening when we wanted to leave, we couldn’t find him anywhere, we searched everywhere, turning the hospital inside out, and even walked around the block two or three times calling his name. My heart was shattered, Mr. Cuddles had run away, I cried all night. The next morning I got to work, my eyes all red and puffy from crying. “Guess who crawled out amongst the dog beds this morning? Mr. Cuddles!” And there I was crying all over again from relief. I had been sharing his picture on Facebook, hoping to find him a home. After two long months of waiting, one of my husband’s friends decided that he needed to give Mr. Cuddles a home. A week later I got the first pictures of him in his new home, but with a brand new name, Titan! A strapping young boy cat couldn’t possibly be called Mr. Cuddles for the rest of his life! But he still lives up to the name I gave him, frequenting nearby homes to cuddle with all his owner’s neighbours!

Napolean Originally, this kitty had been brought to the emergency hospital I was working at as a stray. He had been hit by a car and we had treated him for shock, but after taking x-rays, we saw that he had a dislocated hip as well as a dislocated knee. One of the senior surgeons did an operation called a femur head-and neck resection, which involves removing the top part of the femur bone where it fits into the hip socket. We often do this procedure as placing a dislocated hip back in place very seldom works, often popping right back out again as soon as the animal starts moving it. We had hoped that the dislocated knee would heal up with rest in the cage, as correcting this surgically had a low chance of success and carried a hefty price tag. After a couple of weeks, it became apparent that his leg was not going to heal up. The decision was made that his leg needed to be amputated. Being a fresh graduate, I had never done this procedure before, and asked if the senior staff would allow me to. They agreed, but under one condition; if I was not able to give him a forever home, I had to put him so sleep after I had done the procedure (in lieu of practicing) as it would be cruel to put him through the pain of the operation if he didn’t have a forever home waiting for him. My heart sank, I couldn’t possibly take him in, I already had two cats at that time that did not get along. That very same morning, as I was standing chatting to my friends working at reception, a lady came in: “Do you possibly have any cats looking for homes? I stay in a complex and would prefer a cat that won’t wander far”. I could not believe my ears! It was a perfect fit! I introduced them and it was love at first sight! The following day I removed his gimpy leg and the new owner came to see him that evening, christening him Napolean, for his bravery despite the odds he faced! The following day, after having spent months in our hospital, waiting for his very own forever family, he got to go home! Squee One night while I was working night shift, a couple brought in a tiny kitten, about a day or two old, that had gotten caught on some thorns in a rose bush, where his mother had given birth. Unfortunately he had sustained quite a nasty wound on the inside of his leg, about the size of a R2 coin, which is very big for a kitten that fits in the palm of your hand. That night, after I’d completed all the midnight rounds, I anaesthetized him and sutured the wound closed. As I was stitching, the little kitten would slowly slide across the table as my assistant dozed

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

off and waked again with a start. I decided to call him Squee, which is word born of the internet, meaning “so cute your head might explode”. Unfortunately the stitches didn’t hold very long as he was just too tiny and his skin just too thin. So my husband and I started the three week process of cleaning and dressing his wound twice daily, all while bottle-feeding him every couple of hours. One benefit of his young age is that he hadn’t yet learnt to wee and poo by himself, so fortunately his dressings stayed nice and clean. And as his wound grew smaller and smaller, he grew bigger and bigger and so did my love for him. We fostered him until he was 8 weeks old, but as I already had two cats that weren’t too keen on each other, I couldn’t possibly adopt another. All it took was one morning for me to find him a home with a wonderful family. I was tremendously blessed to have been able to watch him grow with each vaccination and his sterilisation. When he did come to see me at the hospital, he would curl up under my chin the way he used to as a tiny kitten. He is all grown up and handsome and happy as ever!

GREEDY VETS Rebecca Porter Operations Co-ordinator Manly Road Veterinary Hospital Queensland, Australia

I spend my days with greedy Vets, It is plain for all to see. Yes my vets are greedy, For their labor there is a fee.

Their greed for knowledge is endless. Their greed for answers is clear. Their greed to heal consuming. To fail their biggest fear.

Many years of study and toil, It takes to learn the ropes. To one day pay their Uni debts, Amongst their greatest hopes.

These vets want nothing more, Than to cure the very ill. They do not do it for the cash, To say so breaks their will.

Do you enjoy reading Kittycat Magazine? Please follow us on ISSUU. http://issuu.com/kittycatmagazine

Their healing hands surround our pets, And often they hold our own. When everything can be done to help, Yet our babies are still called home.

So you see, this greed is very real, They take it home each day. The greed to help, the greed to heal. It never goes away.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

A VETS LIFE Dr Larry Kraitzick, BSVc  Bruma Lake Veterinary Hospital

absolved of this responsibility. The average human medical specialist is is insulated and inaccessible to the public at large.He or she cannot authorise free access to hospital facilities so is therefore also absolved of this responsibility.   The big veterinary facilities do perform charity work but it generally in those dire cases especially strays and is well publicised.They generally have very effective mechanisms to protect themselves from the average person running up huge bills or not paying. This is because they have practice managers and sophisticated systems in place.

When Jenni Ferreira asked me to write an article about how I felt about the Carte Blanche piece concerning vets, I experienced so many feelings and thoughts at the same time. I was completely overwhelmed. I will not address the programme directly but will tell you from a personal point of view what I think and feel.   I believe that we as vets have been given the privilege and responsibility of taking care of animals. I also believe that no profession on average and without fanfare gives more than the the veterinary profession and this applies especially to the small practice.  The average GP is not in a position to safe many lives or make huge differences to a person’s health as he or she does not have the resources i.e theatre, equipment and hospital facilities the. GP is therefore

The small veterinary practice deals daily with with people who can’t or won’t pay their bills. We cut charges where we can and have to absorb bad debts. We are always helping worthy causes, poor people and our good clients who have fallen on hard times.  It goes without saying that we have to limit this to continue in business and comply with the high standards set by the South African Veterinary Council .We would obviously like to maintain our clinics, improve our facilities and improve our knowledge and skills through continuing education. I also have two sons and I would like to afford them the same opportunities that I had to be educated.  I manage the clinic myself and I have the huge responsibility of providing salaries for 4 permanent and 1 part time staff member. I am also the main bread winner in my family.  Having said this I would say I fall into the upper middle class. I do more than all right but it takes huge effort. I am not complaining because as I said in the beginning this vocation is huge a privilege and responsibly. It helps to give my life meaning and joy. This is not just a job for me, I take it extremely seriously and I spend much of my life and energy involved in this endeavour.  I am proud of the work I do.I do not believe that I am close to perfect but I continue to strive to improve my professional care. I also endeavour to continually improve my emotional care of all the pets and their owners, and my service to my clients.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Unfortunately the issue of money and emotions do make my work more difficult.I do the best I can.  New technology in diagnostics and treatment have made veterinary medicine better but these are very expensive. This places an extra burden on the owner and vet so it is indeed a double edged sword.The increased legal standards expected of facilities and staff care, has placed a further financial and administrative burden on the small practice .

which keeps my clinic running and pays my salary.   One of the most important and positive gifts my clients give me is their gratitude and friendship which together with the rewards of caring for pets makes this job worth doing! Most people appreciate my efforts.

I am writing the above in order to explain to people what the small practice has to deal with. I am afraid that the days of the smaller practice may be numbered because of all these factors.  I have not given up though and I will tell you why.I love my patients and my clients.My clients will tell you so and my patients would do so to if they could talk.

This is not just work for me , this is a real and very big

In an age of big business, digital communication and impersonal relationships, people crave the personal touch. This is my strength. I love talking to, finding out about and connecting to people and their pets. I love having a lifetime relationship with pets and their owners. This is the power of the small practice. We cannot provide 24 hour service, nor every conceivable diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. We do need and appreciate specialised facilities . We can provide the personal care and relationships that people are missing..Pets under my care receive a very personal attention and I invest a lot of myself in their care. This comes at a cost to me but I believe the price is worth it. My clients are very important to me-they help me do my job by providing essential information, and they give me valuable input when they think I am interpreting what they are saying or their pets symptoms incorrectly. They supply the income

Thank you for the trust you have placed in me and all the support and positive energy you have given me over the years.

THE VETERINARIAN In the treatment of human beings there are 26 medical specialists. Together they oversee human life from prenatal procedures to post-mortem examinations. And yet there is one practitioner who must be an Anaethetist, Cardiologist, Clinical Pathologist, Coroner, Dentist, Dermatologist, Obstetrician, Ophthalmologist, Orthodontist, Orthopaedist, Pathologist, Paediatrician, Podiatrist, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, Psychologist, Radiologist, Surgeon and Urologist all in one. This person is responsible for the healthof your pet throughout its entire life. To you this person is your local veterinarian. To your pet, this person equals 26 doctors rolled into one. Unknown

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

VETERINARY FEES

Banie Penzhorn Managing Director: South African Veterinary Association

Dear Cat Lover Jenni Ferreira, Editor of Kittycat Magazine, asked me to give you some information pertaining to veterinary fees.

profession per se is now unregulated. On the contrary, the SAVC still regulates the profession very strictly.

I know that I am preaching to the converted, but owning a pet carries quite a responsibility.

The ideal situation, in my view, is that there is a longterm, stable relationship between client and veterinary practitioner.

Since cats age much more rapidly than humans, taking them to a veterinarian for an annual general health check-up is not only a good idea: it is essential.

Before agreeing to any procedure, please make sure that you are fully informed about the potential costs involved.

The vet can check for signs of disease, discuss tick and flea control, make sure vaccination and deworming are up to date, etc. Prevention is always better (and cheaper!) than cure.

Fees for specific procedures will vary among practices.

Veterinarians are highly skilled professionals who have to be registered and in good standing with the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC), a statutory body created by an act of parliament. The SAVC determines minimum standards for veterinary practice and also expects veterinarians to adhere to its strict Code of Ethics. In the past the SAVC published a guideline of tariffs for veterinary procedures. SAVC accepted a deviation of 30% either way as acceptable; any deviation greater than this could be seen as either touting or overcharging, respectively, and would have to be justified to the SAVC, should a complaint be lodged.

Clients are welcome to “shop around”, but should also remember the old Afrikaans saying: “goedkoop is duur koop”. A client has the right to ask for a second opinion. This will not offend a reasonable practitioner. What is not acceptable, however, it to take an animal being treated by vet A to vet B, without informing the latter of the situation. Before taking over the case, vet B is obliged to contact vet A. By far the best option is to discuss your concerns with vet A before involving another vet. Remember: veterinarians are your professional partners caring about the welfare of your animals.

The Competitions Commission has now ruled that this is anti-competitive and that such guidelines may no longer be published. This does not imply that the veterinary

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN A VET Jenni Ferreira

I used to take my kittens to a vet in the neighbourhood until one day, I took my new kitten for a check up and the Dr told me she was deformed but couldn’t tell me what was wrong with her. He said he’d have to ‘look it up’. Unfortunately I lost faith in him that day. The breeder said I could exchange her for another kitten but I was already hopelessly in love with her and wanted to keep her! I took her to a specialist to try find out exactly what was wrong with her. Amber was diagnosed with Pectus Excavatum and they wanted to operate, but had never done the procedure on such a young kitten before and told me it would be better for me to lose her at 13 weeks than to love her and lose her later. Not something I wanted to hear! One of the vets I called looking for a second opinion recommended that I take her to Dr Lobetti at Bryanston Vet Hospital. He was so gentle with my baby girl when he examined her and explained everything to me and assured me that she did not need a risky operation at that young age. I didn’t know this Doctor from a bar of soap but believed in him and have the utmost respect for him to this day. Amber is 10 years old now, and is a healthy, amazing little cat with the most beautiful nature and I love her with all my heart. I’m so glad that I followed my gut back then and didn’t go through with the operation which I had a bad feeling about. What do I look for in a vet? It is important to me that a vet is experienced, knowledgeable, has a good reputation, an up to date surgery with all the necessary equipment etc, but he/she must also be gentle and patient with my cats. Something simple like taking my cat’s temperature can

put me off a vet if they aren’t gentle! I prefer to go to a vet that knows my cats and their medical history. I like my cats to see my preferred vet all the time, which I know is not always possible in a large busy practice, but I feel more comfortable taking them to a vet who I trust and know. I’m a soft, sensitive person, I do not enjoy arrogant or rude people. It is therefore also very important for me to feel comfortable with a vet, and to be spoken to in a nice manner. I asked Dr Lobetti the day that he examined Amber when she was 13 weeks old if he would be our new vet and he’s been absolutely amazing with my A Team over the years. We were very fortunate to have had a good vet in Switzerland too. I remember feeling completely overwhelmed at the thought of having to move to a new country and having to find a new vet there that I could trust with my A Team! I kid you not, I went to visit and chat to several vets in the area when I flew over for my ‘look-see’ trip before I’d decided to move. I found 3 that I felt comfortable with. When we arrived in cold and grey Zurich in December 2007 Dr Canteini came to our home to examine the A Team to check if they were ok after their long flight from Johannesburg . Although he was a great vet, he travelled fairly often and his stand-in vet told me that I could call her in an emergency but just not after 10pm or before 6 am which made me feel uncomfortable. So the A Team ended up with Dr Suppiger, who happened to be only a few houses away from where we stayed in a beautiful, peaceful setting overlooking a farm. My cats never even got to meow me a full song in the car because the vet was so close to home!

I kept in touch with Dr Lobetti regarding my cats health while we were in Switzerland. The poor man received a few emails from this ‘Crazy Cat Lady’ not only questions about my own cats, but also questions about cats that I was looking after, Elroy with diabetes, Bella with urinary crystals, Anis who had lost half his body weight, Spunky with cancer. He always replied and was always polite and helpful. Perhaps I am a neurotic pet owner, and am definitely guilty of being an over protective pet parent, but my cats are my world! I was not blessed with human children, my cats ARE my children and I want what is best for them. I will do whatever I can to make sure they are happy, healthy and safe. Making sure that they receive the best medical care is part of the deal! I was excited to see ‘our vet’ on Carte Blanche recently when they did a piece on vet fees but after watching the program felt bad for vets because the story came across as quite ‘one sided’. There are many good vets around that do what they do for the love of animals. I managed to get a few feel good stories from pet owners and some stories from vets to feature in Kittycat Magazine which I hope you enjoy reading. I would like to thank Dr Lobetti and BVH for taking such good care of my A Team and would also like to thank all the special vets out there that do so much for our precious pets! What would we do without you?

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

MY AWESOME VET

OUR CARING VET

Ethel Sleith

Nikki Venkiah

I have to tell you about my awesome vet. His name is Denver Mudie and he owns Manorswood Veterinary Hospital in Gallo Manor.

We have been going to our local vet for many years with just the general check ups and small problems etc. but about a year ago our ‘baby’ got very sick and the vet suspected cancer but they took very long to get back to us with the blood results, only to find out that the Dr who was helping us actually went away on holiday and didn’t bother to leave any instructions about our pup, another Dr at the vet then referred us to Dr Larry Kraitzick at Bruma Lake Vet and we have never looked back.

He used to practice close to where I live, in Kensington, but left here because the owners wouldn’t allow him to buy into the practice. What a shame. When my precious Ragdoll Phoebe became reluctant to eat some years ago I took him to the vets around the corner from my house. “He has a bad tooth, we’ll have to remove it”. (Yes, Phoebe was a boy!) The tooth was removed but Phoebe didn’t seem to be getting any better, and showed little interest in his food, even though I knew he was hungry. Repeat visits to the vet didn’t satisfy me, so I figured it would do no harm to have someone else look at him. Maybe a different pair of eyes would see things differently, so I went a few kms further away to the sister practice, where I was fortunate enough to find Dr Denver. He immediately ran a battery of tests, and found my angel was suffering from feline leukemia. Denver spent personal time at his pc researching the problem, then sent both of us off to Onderstepoort . Sadly, the vet there took one look and told me that there was nothing to be done. Denver helped me through several visits over the next year, and told me that I would know when the time was right to say goodbye. It’s the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life, but I couldn’t have put Phoebe into a pair of more caring hands to administer that final injection. Gallo Manor is some distance from Kensington, but if my now eldest girl, Bronte – who will be 16 in a few weeks – needs a vet, that’s where we go. They can all go locally for vaccinations, but the only vet I trust – and I trust him implicitly – to CARE for my girls’ heath (I live with 3 girls) is Denver Mudie.

Although our doggy didn’t make it Larry was brilliant from day one. He immediately started taking action and helping our baby. Thanks to him, we got another three very valuable months with our precious pup. He was so amazing throughout the entire treatment process and called us constantly to find out how she was doing and what we should do to care for her which to us was very surprising as we had never seen such great care from a vet before. At one stage Dr Larry had even gone overseas on holiday but yet still took the time to call us and email us with regards to the status and care of our pup. Just recently my mom’s dog (who we inherited) has not been feeling very well and off we went to Bruma Lake Vet (I took my mom with) and we were there for very long while Larry checked and checked and checked some more. When we left there, my mom mentioned to me how thorough Larry was with the appointment which I then realised our previous vet never really was. Although Bruma Lake Vet is not in our area we will never again go to another vet as Larry is absolutely brilliant and the care he shows to all the animals is just amazing!

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

A HAPPY, SAD KIT TY STORY Michelle Mostert, Village Veterinary Clinic, Kloof, KZN

When you work in a veterinary practice, it is an emotional roller coaster, one minute you are meeting excited owners, who are bringing in a brand new puppy or kitten. Sometimes it’s a child’s first “very own’ pet, and it’s a celebratory occasion, smiles all around. You can move from that to a family saying goodbye to a much-loved family member whose time to go with dignity has come. Often it’s a patient you met as a kitten or puppy and have walked their whole life with them, the tears shed when last words goodbye are spoken are yours too. This is a story about a kitty; let’s call him “Charlie” who had a problem with his intestine. Normally food is processed and pushed down the intestine by peristalsis, but for some reason Charlie’s intestine became paralysed, and it could not work anymore. He was an adult cat, but not elderly by any stretch of the imagination and now there was no potion, pill or surgery we could give to change the situation. How could we say goodbye to Charlie, who was still in the prime of his life?

In fact, it was like he knew that he was special because he had a team of people caring for him to give him time that could so easily have been taken from him. For a decade Charlie was cared for - and then the time came. Charlie’s health began to fail, and treatment was not so easy anymore, his discomfort grew and his quality of life diminished. Everything that could be done had been done, to keep Charlie going would be to save our consciences, not his life. And so, his family of well wishers gathered to say goodbye, tears were shed, and final farewell was said. We don’t see Charlie anymore, and he is missed, not just by his owner, but by his team. There is a movie called “Phenomenon” with John Travolta who plays a character called George who is diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. Lace Pennamin loves him even though she knows she is going to outlive him by a long way. The conversation goes like this: George Malley: Now, the doctor, he didn’t say how long, days or weeks, they don’t know. I’m so sorry, Lace. I know how you hate surprises.

What to do? Charlie was a sweet boy, with an owner who loved him dearly, and was committed to doing whatever it took to give him as full a life as she could. Charlie’s veterinary surgeon came on board and working together as a team Charlie came in often for special tummy massages that worked the food down his intestine to be eliminated. His owner, Charlie and his vet worked closely together. When his vet was away on leave Charlie would be taken to her house and she would take time out from her family to tend to Charlie. Charlie became part of the practices extended family, everyone knew him and greeted him by name, he was there so often. Treatment was uncomfortable but in the grand scheme of things, it allowed him to lead a full life. Many happy memories were made, and he knew he was much loved.

Lace Pennamin: I tried so hard not to love you. George Malley: How’d you make out? Lace Pennamin: Terrible. George Malley: Hey, would you,love me the rest of my life? Lace Pennamin: No. I will love you for the rest of mine. Goodbye Charlie, you loved us, and we love you still, you live on in our memories. And so ends our happy sad kitty story, sad because it ends with goodbye but happy because, a chance was given, a commitment to care was kept and a life was well lived.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

MAVERICK’S STORY Janine Meyer-Hoffman My husband, Andre’, saw him in a urban animal shelter. His sad face was pressed against the wire of his kennel. His body was curled up as if he were trying to protect himself. I don’t know why Andre’ stopped by the shelter that day. We only wanted to get a dog once we were settled. My husband phoned me “I have found our dog! You need to come and see him at the animal shelter. With trepidation I went to the shelter where my husband met me and guided me to, “Maverick” , the Doberman who had stolen his heart. He was one year old, with soft sad brown eyes. That evening while looking on the internet for dogs, we saw that Maverick had been posted on the watch list. His countdown to euthanasia had begun. That night I hardly slept. I was waiting at the phone early the next morning. I called the SPCA 8am sharp to tell them that we wanted Maverick to be with us forever. We drove to the SPCA where the paper work was completed and then the waiting game began. Our house had to be inspected before we were officially allowed to adopt him. These were the longest 10 days of my life. When the call came saying that we had been given the all clear, my husband and I could not wait a moment longer and we rushed off to fetch him.

He then developed an unusual skin infection which Dr Larry was quick to diagnose and treat with excellent success. Today Maverick is a handsome ,strong and confident dog with happy soft brown eyes. He is a gentle natured dog and watches me constantly as we walk around the property , always standing between me and the gardener. His way of saying “lm protecting you mom”. When Andre comes home and sits down on a garden chair, Maverick jumps up, moves in close. It is as if he saying “Don’t worry dad, I kept mom safe. Now I will keep you safe too”. I know every pet owner says this, but I can’t imagine my life without him. I’m so glad that Andre’ walked into the shelter that day and this “reject” became part of our family. I am also glad that we have Dr Larry as our vet and friend. Thank you Maverick and my wonderful husband Andre. Thank Dr Larry for giving us the peace of mind that you are always there to take care of our special boy. And so ends my happy story.

It was very important for us to find a great vet near us so that Maverick did not have to go far for treatment. More important though was to find a kind caring vet. We really lucked out. Dr Larry is the most caring and proficient vet ever. The added bonus is that his practice, Bruma Lake Vet, is just down the road. He is one of a kind has excellent knowledge, loves pets and is dedicated to his profession. From the moment I met him, I knew that Maverick was in safe hands. He adores Maverick and Maverick adores him. He has benefited from Dr Larry’s excellent veterinary care. With good food and affection he has blossomed into a beautiful, shiny, bouncy and happy young dog. When firework season was upon us, Dr Larry gave him tranquilisers which calmed him.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Maverick and his Dad

THE PET’S CHOICE Tanya and Angela Nothing can prepare you for the helplessness and inadequacy that you feel when your beloved pet is ill. We were out on our morning walk as normal when Dazy, the latest edition to our rescue family, froze suddenly in the road before falling over, going into spasm and foaming at the mouth for what seemed like an eternity. When your pet has a chronic illness that is going to require ongoing medical management you know that the relationship that you have with your vet is something that has to be able to go the distance. You and your dog are in this for the long haul, you will have questions and plenty of them and regular visits to the vet mean that your dogs needs to love your vet as an extension of its immediate family. It is imperative that you find someone who understands that you are going to be making an often-times sizeable investment in the health of your pet in terms of vet visits and medications for the rest of that dog’s life. You need to find someone that does not see you as a cash cow and is sensitive to the commitment you are making to your pet, not just in lifestyle changes but, not to put too fine a point on it, financially. Our dogs don’t go to the vet - they go to visit Uncle Larry and Aunty Shelley. Our dogs were never stressed about going to the vet and thanks to Larry’s treatment of Dazy as though she were his own, she handles things like blood tests like a pro - without fear or panic. When we took Dazy in to see Larry about possible causes of these early seizures, Larry was fairly sure it was epilepsy, but still did further research to ensure he was not making a rash call in diagnosing something that was about to change our entire lives. And a chronic illness such as epilepsy in your dog DOES change your life. He took the time to explain what epilepsy is, how it affects the dog and what actually happens in the neural pathways at the onset of a seizure - giving us a deeper understanding of what our dog was going through rather than just medicating without a holistic approach to her requirements. It took some time for us to find the best combination and dose of medication to manage Dazy’s epilepsy and it can be quite distressing when the seizures comes and she is helpless against them. Larry made

this all the more easy for us to handle, not just in the visits to his clinic but also by calling us to check up on how she was doing. One of the coolest things about Bruma Lake Vet is that you get these little phone calls a couple of days after a visit to check on how your dog is feeling, how you are, how the dog is … just an overwhelming sense that someone else really does care about what happens to your dog. The health of your pet is always the first consideration but you also get the feeling that they are looking out for you too! In the three years since the onset of the epilepsy, what started out as weekly seizures, became monthly, then bimonthly and finally, a period of 11 months seizure-free. This is just one feel-good story - Bruma Lake Vet has seen us through Freeway’s peri-anal tumour and care after being in a bad fight, Dazy’s flying adventure when she shattered her leg and everything that was required for us to move our four dogs to the UK - taking care of a stressful situation through managing the timing around the necessary vaccines and tests and ensuring that our dogs got in to the UK with a clean bill of health. He recently cried with us when we lost our beloved Tequila. Compassionate, caring, professional, friendly, exceptional, these are just a few of the words that spring to mind when we think of Larry and the team at Bruma Lake veterinary clinic. We can honestly say that never before or since have we encountered such a unique and genuine service when it comes to the health and well-being of our four legged companions. You only need to visit the Facebook page to witness first-hand the relationship that ‘Uncle Larry’ has with all of his clients and their pets.

Dazy

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Do cats that have been innoculated with Fel Leuk have to have boosters each year? One of my cats tested positive for both Fel Leuk and FelAids, and I then decided to have my remaining 6 cats innnoculated against FelLeuk last year. My Sweetness was put to sleep after testing positive. Thank you. Maria Thank you for your question, firstly I’m sorry to hear about your positive feline companion. It is because of questions like these that we are promoting FeLV awareness this month at Terrace Road Veterinary Hospital. Feline Leukemia is becoming a more common problem in a lot of areas especially where there are roaming or

feral cats and our pets get caught in the cross-fire. Each vaccine differs in their vaccination protocol but after a cat has been vaccinated for FeLV, that animal MUST BE VACCINATED EVERY YEAR with a FeLV vaccine. So each year, on their yearly checkup, they will get a booster of the FeLV vaccine on top of their regular vaccine. It is wise to have all the animals tested for FeLV to have peace of mind that the household is free of this terrible immune suppressive viral infection. The American Association of Feline Practitioners’ 2006 vaccination guidelines, for FeLV vaccines are the following schedule:

• For kittens, an initial dose as early as 8 weeks of age is recommended, depending on product; a second dose should be administered three to four weeks later. • For adults and kittens over 16 weeks of age receiving vaccination for the first time, two doses, three to four weeks apart are recommended. • When indicated, a single dose is given one year following the last dose of the initial series, and then annually in cats determined to have a sustained risk of exposure.

Please submit your questions for Dr L J Behrens to kittycatsa@gmail.com

ASK THE VET Dr Laurence John Behrens BSc: Veterinary Biology, BVSc Terrace Road Veterinary Hospital

I have my eldest cat for nearly 11 years, and note that he is loosing weight. He eats Hills Adult but is still losing weight. Should I be concerned about anything or is it just age? Christa Our geriatric patients should never be treated lightly or dismissed when anything abnormal is going on. Weight loss is not normal. There are a variety of different causes for weight loss in our geriatric patients and early detection of these problems is of paramount importance to extend the life further. The next time you have your cat at the vet for its annual check up, as geriatric patients need annual vaccinations too, get your vet to run some pre-screening tests that check liver and kidney health after he has done a general physical exam.

Nutrition is of utmost importance in these patients as they do have special dietary requirements. Hills is usually my brand of choice and am happy you are using it, but you are using the wrong life stage product. I would recommend a Hills Feline Mature Adult 7+ diet. This diet has a variety of different benefits. A controlled protein and sodium level provides ideal balance for good health and avoids excessive intake which may contribute to ill health. Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus levels are also strictly controlled to support urinary tract health. This diet also has adequate fibre levels to promote regular bowel movements as well as superior antioxidants to neutralize free radicals and help maintain a healthy immune system.

You can also ask him also to check the urine for any abnormalities. Various problems from kidney failure to dental disease when picked up early give a better prognosis and can be treated before they spiral out of control.

www.facebook.com/terraceroadvet

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coolest pet gear

PROTECT YOUR PET WITH ROGZ PET INSURANCE

Like any member of your family, your pet can unfortunately and unexpectedly become ill or suffer an accident. Did you know that 2 out of 3 pets require veterinary attention each year, and that 66% of all veterinary visits each year are due to sudden illness? The fact is accidents and serious illness can affect your pet at any time, no matter what their age. Even expenses for annual routine care like vaccinations, flea, tick and worm control can come as quite a shock. Imagine knowing your pet can be treated, but that it will costs hundreds or thousands of Rand. Rogz Pet Insurance assists with the cost of the very best veterinary treatment, which your pet deserves. We take the financial aspect out of decisions relating to your pet, ensuring that you always do the best you can. Rogz Pet Insurance covers veterinary treatments and surgeries for accidental injury and illness ranging from minor problems such as ear infections and bee stings, to major conditions such as broken bones, diabetes and cancer. At Rogz Pet Insurance we recommend and encourage responsible pet ownership; we offer Routine Care benefits towards preventative treatment on our Option C which includes sterilization, vaccinations, tick and flea control, deworming and dental scaling/polishing (procedure only). Pet insurance has saved many pets lives. Your pets deserve quality cover for those unforeseen circumstances, just like you do! Visit www.rogzpetinsurance.co.za for a quotation or email us at info@rogzpetinsurance.co.za for more information. Rogz Pet Insurance is giving away a lovely Cat hamper to one lucky reader! To enter the giveaway, simply answer the following question: Question: Which option of Rogz Pet Insurance cover offers Routine Care benefits? Email your answer to info@rogzpetinsurance.co.za and use â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kittycat Online Magazineâ&#x20AC;? as the subject line of your email. Competition entries close 31st October 2014, and the winner will be notified via email.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

FIND A VET NEAR YOU VetDirectory.co.za is your port of call for all veterinary information for your pet Find a vet near you, uses the geolocation of your computer or mobile device to find the vets in your surrounding area and give you directions to the practice of your choice. Pet info provides informative articles written by vets giving insight on the well-being of your pets. Find the contact information of providers of the following services: Behaviour and Training Kennels and Catteries Veterinary Retail Outlets

Grooming Pet Sitters Welfare and Rescue Societies

Find it fast! First time!

VetDirectory has been designed for ease of use. Access the platform from your computer, tablet or smartphone either in the comfort of your own home or on-the-go.

Get in touch with us www.vetdirectory.co.za f Find us on Facebook g+ Find us on Google+

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

YOU’VE GOT TALENT! International Artist

Diane Hoeptner Diane Hoeptner grew up in rural Ohio. When she majored in graphic design at Kent State University (Kent Campus) during the 80’s, handy use of an exacto blade and press type were crucial requirements. Try as she did, she discovered she was not a good fit for the program. Sunshine and big city opportunities then lured her to Los Angeles for what would be a 17 year stay. She finished a degree in Studio Arts at CAL State Northridge and enjoyed many years as an animator for video games and films before taking up painting full time. Her first year of fulltime painting resulted in numerous regional awards. Public collections that showcase Diane’s paintings include Kohl’s corporate offices and Obaji headquarters. Saks Fifth Ave offered hand signed limited edition giclees of one of her water lily paintings. Modern Cat Magazine featured her cat paintings in the premier issue. Her art can be found on greeting cards by American Greetings and Current, INC. She moved back home to Ohio in 2004 and resides with her husband and a cat named Coco. See new paintings (posted weekly) on her blog: dianehoeptner.blogspot.com Where are you from, where are you currently staying, do you have cats, what do you enjoy to do etc etc etc ? I grew up in Ohio. I lived in L.A. for many years and moved “back home” in 2004. I have one beloved cat, his name is Coco. My husband and I became novice boaters last summer, we enjoy that very much. :) I love to paint and Coco is my favorite subject.

What is your favourite subject to paint? Cats. At the moment. What do you believe is the key element in creating art? The ability to pick yourself back up and try again when you paint a “dud.” What has been your greatest artistic success? I had paintings in a show called “Cat Art: L.A.” last year. Fellow artists included Shepard Fairey, Tracy Emin and Ray Caesar. That was quite thrilling. One of my poppy paintings became a best selling poster once... I hope my greatest success is yet to come. What are your future plans regarding your art? Keep making it. Can people commission you to do work for them? New paintings can be viewed and purchased from my blog: dianehoeptner.blogspot.com I also do custom pet portraits, more information about those can be found here: http://dianehoeptner.com/pet%20portraits. htm Website: dianehoeptner.com Email: Diane@dianehoeptner.com

When did you start painting (drawing, etc)? I can’t remember when I didn’t draw or paint. Did you attend Art school? I have a degree in Studio Art from California State University, Northridge. How do you choose the subjects you paint? Trial and error! I’m better at floral still lifes than I am landscapes. Intimate viewpoints that convey both abundance and order are appealing to me... When I started painting my cats (I had two at the time) they brought a new dimension to my art and people noticed.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

YOU’VE GOT TALENT! International Artist

DianneWoods Woods Dianne I grew up in Los Angeles, California where I attended Art Center College of Design, graduating in 1977 with a BFA degree in photography. For the following 35 years I made my living as a commercial photographer shooting mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area for design firms, advertising agencies, book publishers, and magazines. The beginning of my “second” career in 2001 emerged out of the transition from film to digital photography. Honing my computer skills in an effort to keep up with deadlines and the demands of an established client base, I discovered a new creative playground: Photoshop. The technical side of this transition was difficult and extremely frustrating at times. Simultaneously, all I had come to know about light in my years as a commercial photographer translated directly into this new medium. Once the steepest part of the learning curve was behind me, I was off and running. Today, I am retired from commercial photography and happily spending my time creating new imagery, mostly of cats. My art is licensed for use on a variety of products including greeting cards and wall calendars. The 2015 editions of my two calendars can be found on Amazon, and at ShopLegacy.com. Every day I spend my time with three of my favorites things, my husband Brad, art, and cats. Lucky, lucky me! Dianne Woods dpwoods@earthlink.net

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

All images Copyright: Dianne Woods KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

YOU’VE GOT TALENT! International Artist

Heidi Shaulis Where are you from, where are you currently staying, do you have cats, what do you enjoy to do? I was born in Germany (my father was a photographer in the US Army) and raised in the northeastern US; I’ve lived in a suburb of New York City for the past 2 years, but I’ll always think of myself as a country girl. I have 4 cats; Charlie, Harry, Willy and Thistle. My favorite things are animals, vintage and handmade things, baking, hiking and country living. When did you start painting? In 1987; I was a graduate student in archaeology (my first career!) and I started painting as a hobby. I kept at it, and in 1999, during a winter break in work (archaeology is subject to the weather), I decided to try to sell my paintings online. Much to my surprise they sold, and I never went back! I had 2 young children, so finding something I could do at home was wonderful! Did you attend Art school? No, I’m self-taught. How do you choose the subjects you paint? My own cats are a constant inspiration, as well as photos that friends post online and of course, commissioned portraits.

Over time and through trial and error I’ve developed my own style, though my paintings will always have a naive quality to them. What has been your greatest artistic success? Being able to be a full-time artist by selling my work directly to customers on the internet has been a dream come true. What are your future plans regarding your art? To continue painting cats and other animals, and get better and better. I’ll keep painting as long as I live! Can people commission you to do work for them? Yes, I love to do commissions! Please email me at heidishaulis@yahoo.com to discuss your project.

Email: heidishaulis@yahoo.com etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/heidishaulis Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ heidishaulispaintings Website: www.heidishaulis.com Instagram: HeidiShaulis

How long does it normally take you to complete a painting (drawing, etc)? My medium is oils, and I use a glazing technique which is thin layers of color placed over each other. It results in the jewel-toned translucent effect that I like, but it does take a long time due to the oils needing time to dry. A painting takes anywhere from 2 to 6 months to complete, and I continuously have between 5 and 8 paintings underway at a time. What is your favourite subject to paint? My tuxedo cat Charlie; he loves to pose and has the sweetest personality. How has your style changed over the years? Since I’m self-taught, my paintings started out amateurish.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE GOT TALENT! International Artist

Irina Garmashova I have been painting as long as I can remember since I first could hold a pencil. I had many hobbies in my life but in the same time have always drawn or painted. I went the long way from child art studio to the Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg Russia. Despite all the subjects I paint I consider the main one is pets particularly cats. Cats have always been around me as a member of my family. Now I am living in Yorkshire England and my main feline inspiration is my ragdoll Motia who making me company with me all day long when I am working in my studio. I could talk endlessly about cats, about all their internal and external beauty and intelligence but what I have learnt from all my years of experience painting and drawing cats is every cat has a unique character no two cats are alike.

How all their emotions can be written in their eyes and furry faces you just need to read it. My cat is very talkable he can converse with many different sounds. I am member of the Society Of Feline Artists and Colour Pencil Society UK. I regularly exhibiting, writing tutorials. Web address: www.irinagarmashova.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irinagarmashovafineart

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

CAT OF THE YEAR

Karen Pepler

Cat of the Year 2014 certainly will be remembered as an event full of surprises and interesting turns and twists and quite a few digs from Fate. As every event organiser knows, lots of little things go wrong and get fixed in the nick of time, but the COTY committee were really not prepared for the message on the Thursday evening from our international judges, Kurt and Tomoko Vlach stating that they missed their connection to Johannesburg. The flight from Austria to Frankfurt was rerouted and they had to go on standby for the Friday evening flight. What to do? We would only know by 10pm on the Friday evening if they did manage to get seats. Emergency plan was to call several local judges and ask them to be on standby from this side of the equator. All this while we are setting up the hall and calming nerves of excited exhibitors and cats. The hall started looking great and the hotel management were fabulous. Royal Canin girls were wrapping gifts furiously and RCC committee members got down and dirty making it all come together. Jan spent hours on his phone constantly reassuring the two stranded in Frankfurt. Shirley seemed to have hired removal vans to bring all the paperwork and decor to the venue. Never mind the goldfish. Even they caused chaos as the ones booked for the occasion turned out to be child actors and there are laws about the hours children have to work. So Shirley had to race to another casting agent/pet shop to get the correct cast we needed for the fish bowls. Meanwhile I am getting messages from frantic owners re cats with scars and nicks and knots. One of them was the third message in 4 weeks from Ant Dawson about ‘Forty’ getting another ding in his face. And in the hotel Ivo Huisman was on the verge of getting the demolition squad in to dig Mattewis out of the bowels of the walls in his hotel bathroom. This is not the first Coty where Mattewis pulled this stunt. One of the exercises that went exceptionally well was the ceremonious preparation of the drunken teddies. With the help of our CFSA friends, Daniel and Deon, we drowned dozens of jelly babies in tubs of vodka – all this while being watched by the fishy stars, waiting patiently for their grand appearance the next night. At last we got word that our judges from Europe are on the flight. We cancel our local standbys and put plan B into motion: Move the starting time two hours later, Shirley and I sms’d, emailed, phoned and telepathically connected with everyone possible re the change of time. Of course not everyone looks at their cell phones after 10pm but everybody who arrived too early understood what went down.

The travellers finally arrived in the hall at 11am on Saturday morning and judging started. Our judges, Kurt, Tomoko, Kim, Ngaio and Ingrid were incredible, doing a very hard job in record time. Most of the feline stars behaved very well, with one escapee American Shorthair who was a bit rattled after a marathon run through the hall and an Aby who thought she’d audition for a Kung Fu movie whilst being judged. When all was done (no fat lady singing at this point), the real stars of the show went back home to relax while everyone else prepared for the evening. Setting up for the banquet was pretty plain sailing until we realised we never put the fish food under the chairs – sending me and Andre crawling under the tables to sort that out at the last minute. The evening event was great fun, with some lovely surprises, particularly Theresa winning the President’s award from Ngaio Crawley. Some amazing ‘Eastern’ apparitions filled the hall, including Dina Freitas as the mystery geisha, who was totally unrecognisable. Ngaio and Rita kept everyone on the edge with the nervewracking Countdown. Table 11 suffered the most with all the top cats’ representatives seated there. First cat called for the evening was also from Table 11 (Miss Sophie Ter’blanche) who was Pet number 8. The very last cat called from that table was the stunning Mela Forty Winks - our fabulous Cat of the Year 2014, who belongs to Ant Dawson. Congratulations again to every cat that qualified and the marvellous owners who loved and nurtured them to glory. Huge thanks again to everyone who made it all come together in the end.

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

COTY 2014

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

ADULTS 1.

Sp Ch Mela Hanky Panky, Lilac Burmese female, Owner/breeder: Jane Goble

2. Cracker Bo-Jangles of Purrbridge, Black Exotic male, Owner Rindi and Clint Fourie, Breeders Amanda Visser and Pat Williams 3. The Catwalk Brettachtal’s Maserati (Imp), Black shaded silver Persian male, Owners Stuart Marsh and Charles Pretorius, Bred by Karin Sinn 4. Hypnotic Heaven Sent, Persian female, Owner Colleen Gardner, Breeder Kirsty Gous 5. Elias vom Hagedorn of Artekatz (Imp), Siberian male, Owner Cherylee Powell, Bred by G and S Quittenbaum 6. Spandau’s La Paloma Blanca, Sphynx female, Owner/breeder: Wilma Hyman 7. Kimara Zaris Evelina of Azreal (Imp), Russian Blue female, Owner Leanne Hewitt, Bred by T Nikiforos 8. S*Just Catnap’s Lotus of GeeDee (Imp), Norwegian Forest Cat male, Owner: Athylle Caw, Breeders: K and ML Kristiansson 9. Cracker Blue Bijou of Tres Jolie, Persian male, Owner Charmaine Danziger and Daniel Viviers, Bred by Pat Williams and Amanda Visser 10. Kashew’s Indiana Jones, American shorthair male, Owners/breeders: Wendy and Kelly Welham 11. Taldi Uptotrix, Devon Rex female, Owners Michelle Moorhouse and Stuart Ali, Bred by Johan Groenewald and Ian Taylor 12. Taldi Alaska, Lilacpoint Siamese female, Owners/breeders: Johan Groenewald and Ian Taylor 13. Waterlee Mattewis of Rasasayangrags (Imp), Blue bi-colour Ragdoll male, Owners Ivo and Traci Huisman, Bred by T Zanen and M Heijnis 14. Karnaki Something ‘Bout You, Sealpoint Birman female, Owner/breeder Karen Pepler 15. Zack Nova Axis Star*CZ of Shangri-La (Imp), Maine Coon male, Owner Vivian Wright, Bred by W Choulikova 16. Kriss Cross Sexy & I Know It, Oriental female, Owner/breeder Krystle Callaghan, 17. The Catwalk Brettachtal’s Rolex (Imp), Persian male, Owners Stuart Marsh and Charles Pretorius, Bred by Karin Sinn 18. Abyzona Flight-of-the-Phaulkon of Sherada (Imp), Abyssinian male, Owner Gill Burman, Breeder A Watanabe 19. The Catwalk Kenzo, Black Golden Shaded Persian male, Owners/breeders: Stuart Marsh, Charles Pretorius 20. Abyzona’s Crack of Dawn of Sherada (Imp), Abyssinian male, Owner Gill Burman, Bred by A Watanabe 21. Jalbertus Joop-Joop of The Catwalk, Persian male, Owners Stuart Marsh and Charles Pretorius, Bred by Marsh, Pretorius and van Schoor 22. The Catwalk Brettachtal’s Oskar Wilde (Imp), Persian male, Owners Stuart Marsh and Charles Pretorius, Bred by Karin Sinn 23. Justcoon’s Fastpaw of Highlanders (Imp), Blue classic tabby with white Maine Coon male, Owner Carol Middleton, Bred by Katrina Mager 24. Guysndolls Full of Kharizma of Ragtime (Imp), Bluepoint Ragdoll male, Owner Beverley Steyn, Breeder D La-Strange 25. Taldi O’veryoptomistix, Brown tabby Devon Rex female, Owners/breeders Johan Groenewald and Ian Taylor 26. Abyzona’s Skyfall Blue Charisma of Sherada (Imp), Blue Abyssinian female, Owner: Adri Swart, Breeder: A Watanabe 27. MyEden’s Alaska, Lilacpoint Siamese male, Owners/breeders: Tony and Ivone Perestrelo 28. Sherlah Jay Natalie, Bluepoint Siamese female, Owner Maureen Cannell, Bred by Lynell du Toit 29. Ormeryds Buddy Boy of Cracker (Imp), Red Classic tabby Persian male, Owner Rentia Ferns , Bred by Anna Lange 30. The Catwalk Lionstone’s Dayo (Imp), Black shaded Persian male, Owners Stuart Marsh and Charles Pretorius, Bred by E Hartmann

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

NEUTERS 1. Gr Ch Mela Forty Winks, Lilac Burmese male neuter, Owner Ant Dawson, Bred by Jane Goble 2. Cracker Razzle Dazzle, Black tortie Persian female, Owner René van Wyk, Breeders: Amanda Visser, Pat Williams 3. Cracker Vanity Fair, Copper-eyed white Persian female, Owner René van Wyk, Breeders: Amanda Visser, Pat Williams 4. Wizz Billy the Kid, Sealpoint Siamese male, Owner/breeder: Rita Wiseman 5. Spandau’s Fudge Parfait, Seal tortie bi-colour mink Sphynx female, Owner/breeder: Wilma Hyman 6. Carmandale Malakai, Persian, Owned by Petrina Huelin, Bred by Armand and Nortman 7. Cracker Blue Boyo, Blue Exotic male, Owner Julie Banham, Bred by Amanda Visser and Pat Williams 8. San-Shing’s Mauve Melodee, Lilacpoint Siamese female, Owner Leigh Williams, Breeders Paul and Tania Prime 9. Exposed Spots Bella of Anastacios (ASAA), Sphynx female, Owner Sonya Lindeque, Bred by Anthony and Theresa Aldum 10. Sha-Sumé Candy Delight, Blue van Persian, Owner Carina Langner, Breeder Hedwig Peplar 11. Waterlee Richie Rich’s Perseus, Ragdoll male, Owner Hanri Rossouw, Bred by Ivo and Traci Huisman 12. Wizz Sundance Kid, Siamese male, Owner/breeder Rita Wiseman 13. The Legends Baryshnikov Blue, Blue classic tabby Maine Coon male, Owner Bev Smullen, Breeder Petra Smith 14. San-Shing’s Gallant Man, Siamese male, Owner Leigh Williams, Bred by Paul and Tania Prime 15. San-Shing’s Kings Best, Siamese male, Owner Michelle Bolton, Bred by Paul and Tania Prime 16. Purrbridge ChaCha Cupie Doll, Persian female, Owner Rindi and Clint Fourie, Bred by Charmaine Turner 17. Milkwood’s Hey There D’Lila, Persian female, Owner Dawn Keyter, Bred by Adele Breedt 18. Delilla Private Baloo, Siamese male, Owner Alex McDonald, Bred by Karen Labuschagne 19. Surrey Mokee Chloe, Oriental female, Owner Helen Griffiths, Bred by Jane Vermeulen 20. CoonStars Sideways, Maine Coon male, Owner/breeder: Annie Conway 21.The Legends VIP Drew Barrymore, Maine Coon female, Owners/breeders Petra Smith & Petricia Oosthuizen 22. ChaCha Spellbound, Persian male, Owner/breeder Charmaine Turner 23. Anco Kelby, Maine Coon male, Owners Bruce White, Bred by C and A van der Merwe 24. The Legends Pearl Heart, Norwegian Forest Cat female, Owner Bev Smullen, Bred by Petra Smith 25. Maverick’s Lucy Liu, Siamese female, Natasha and Simon Greaves 26. Colorkats Rowdy Yates, Maine Coon male, Owners Natasha and Simon Greaves, Bred by Debbie le Roux 27. Mai-Thai’s Take That, Oriental male, Owner Charlene du Toit, Breeder Charlotte van der Riet 28. Allomi’s Raimondo of Lauvander (Imp), Persian, Owner Hanri Rossouw 29. Westwood’s Apollo of Surrey, Oriental male, Owner Helen Griffiths, Bred by Gail Nel

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

KITTENS 1. Spandau’s Veni Vidi Vici, Sphynx male kitten, Owner/breeder Wilma Hyman 2. Mela My Kind of Girl, Lilac Burmese female, Owner/breeder Jane Goble 3. Carmandale Princess Kiara, Persian female, Owner Petrina Huelin, Bred by Armand and Nortman 4. Mysticats Cracker, Persian female, Owner Mandy Hawkins, Breeder Rentia Ferns 5. Mapantsula Twelkie, Lilac Burmese, Owner Helena Harland, Bred by Denis Jansen 6. Wizz Creme de Cassis, Siamese female, Breeder/owner: Rita Wiseman 7. Siamlove Ooh-La-La-Lulu, Black Oriental female, Owner Hennie Greyling, Bred by Elizabeth van Renen 8. Kashew’s A Little Night Music, American Shorthair, Owned and bred by Wendy and Kelly Welham 9. Classicats Master Co-Co, Birman male, Owners Andre and Cindy Blom, Bred by Jeanne le Roux 10. Purrbridge Marcello, Persian male, Owner Carina Langner, Bred by Rindi and Clint Fourie 11. GeeDee’s Queen Lucia, Norwegian Forest Cat female, Owner/breeder: Athylle Caw 12. Taldi Exposed Spots Sleepwalker, Sphynx female, Owners/breeders Johan Groenewald/Ian Taylor 13. Disal Churchill the Magnificent, Sphynx male, Owner Stephen White, Breeder Elizabeth Swart, with niece Kamryn

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

8 2

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

PETS 1. Chicken, Owner Renate Haussmann 2. Aramis, Owned by Juvaan Pilcher 3. Tiara, Owned by Lashan Moodley and Sher Singh 4. Catnip, Owner Juvaan Pilcher 5. Pixie, Owner Gerda Chambers 6. Nina, Owner Yvonne Bester 7. Powderpuff Superpoof the Magnificent, Owners Michelle Moorhouse and Stuart Ali 8. Ms Sophie Terâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Blanche, Owner Karen Pepler

Photography by Therese Fouche

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

Photography by Therese Fouche A special thank you to Theresa Fouche for all the gorgeous COTY photos and congratulations on winning the prestigious Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award from Ngaio Crawley on your outstanding contribution to the South African Cat Fancy!

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

Photography by Therese Fouche

CHICKEN’S STORY CHICKEN - HE IS NOT! A normal day in the office – phone calls from prospective clients asking for information, existing clients bringing their pets in for a holiday in the kennels and ecstatic animals being reunited with equally excited owners after a few days stay. And then the call came that would change the lives of a number of people although we didn’t know it at the time. “Harmony Hill, Good morning” answered Renate. I could hear a rather urgent voice coming from her cell phone. “Renate, a primary school teacher has just brought me a kitten that was found in the playground sandpit”, said the voice. “He’s very little and crying and his eyes are hardly open. Can you help please?” An hour later a little scrap of tabby coloured fur appeared wrapped in a piece of blanket in a cardboard box. Very young but old enough to be showing a good deal of self- preservation – hissing and spitting and blowing his tail up. Kitten no 43 had arrived and was demanding immediate attention and most importantly – FOOD ! With the skill and speed of having done this many times before, Renate prepared a warm bottle of kitten formula. Instead of grabbing the chance to drink as much as he wanted, he chose to spit, hiss and show a mouthful

of tiny wickedly sharp teeth. He also made good use of the blades attached to the end of his feet. We weren’t duly unperturbed – it sometimes happens that kittens and puppies have to be taught to take a bottle and teat. So, perseverance was put into practise and with much patience all the lessons he needed to learn when it comes to FOOD were taught. Not one was successful ! Three days later, Renate was looking decidedly baggy eyed and frantic. Against all advice and experience, but in desperation she defrosted a small amount of raw minced chicken and made a feeding bag out of a freezer bag. Voila ! A tiny little mouth latched onto the open end and sucked until the fur on his body stood out straight and he was in danger of splitting open. CHICKEN had arrived, conquered and survived. From that day on he was never without his minced chicken bag. He thrived and grew and made friends with dozens of other kittens and the dogs who live in the same house. He filled out and put on the most beautiful Bengal striped coat of deepest black with golden stripes. His eyes turned a pale shade of jade and he insisted on outlining them in fine black. But most of all, he took all the love and care and attention that had

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

been showered on him and gave it back tenfold. He distributes kisses and holds your face while he does it. He sits on your shoulder and goes for a walk around the garden. He cares for lots of other little ones younger than himself, giving them life skills to cope with life in the human world. He is always around the encourage and uplift and makes all he comes into contact with feel special. There is no doubt that some of this rubbed off on the representative from one of the most prestigious animal food distributors and our favourite – Royal Canin. Within minutes of meeting Chicken she had persuaded Renate to enter him in a forthcoming pet show. We were blown away when he walked off with first prize in the Domestic Pet division along with his pal, Piccanin who took second place. Feeling rather good about this new status, he insisted on being shown at another event. Walked off with first place and Piccanin in second. He then accepted an invitation from the S.A. Cat Council to present himself at the 2014 Cat of the Year show in Johannesburg. So seasoned by then, he slept through all the hype of being driven to Johannesburg, finding accommodation and then arriving for the grand event in the ballroom of a rather nice hotel along with 81 other contenders in various categories. With aplomb that would suit a cat much older than himself and a self assurance of note, young Chicken, the 8 month old feral rescue of unknown parentage, from a sandpit in Port Shepstone, won his title: 2014 Domestic Cat of the Year. Two months later we are still trying to find enough space on his wall to hang the rosettes, floating trophy and hundreds of good luck charms that were showered on him. He also has a new show crate and food and buckets and blankets and bags and toys from the I believe he has just asked for a shot at yet another title – KZN Top Cat of the Year. Well wouldn’t that be a thing!

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

A HAPPY ENDING STORY

BOB I had a stray ginger Tom cat called Bob that visited me for a year and is the father of two feral kittens that I found, he used to sit outside the kitchen door on the mat every morning giving me his croaky meow as I dished up breakfast. Then he suddenly vanished just after Christmas last year, I was quite upset as I had had him neutered, he used to spray everywhere and I didn’t need anymore feral kittens, he was also a wanderer and I would often see him plodding off down the road on one of his jaunts. He was a nice friendly cat and I thought that maybe he had got an owner and they moved so no more Bob, well that was what I had hoped. Today we went to visit the cats at “Cats Cradle”, its a rescue and a cattery/kennels, it’s about 120km from us in Port Shepstone and I had been really looking forward to going as I am mad about cats. Well we were amazed at all the beautiful cats, they were everywhere and of every coIour, all rubby and purring and wanting a cuddle, I was in kitty heaven. suddenly I spot one of many ginger cats and it looked like Bob, so I call his name and immediately up goes the tail and he runs towards me with his familiar croaky meow, I couldn’t believe it and neither did anyone else. I told his story and that I had got him neutered but he still still looked intact, which my vet couldn’t understand, we even took pictures of his “rear end” and my vet agreed he did indeed still “look like a Tomcat”. Cats Cradle had taken him to their vet who put him under a GA for his neuter and there was nothing there, he had been neutered already. A quick phone call confirmed he was found in our area and it turns out he must have wondered off and got adopted by somebody else about 1/2 km away, Bob then attacks their show Labrador quite viscously and so they

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

decide not to keep him and organize for somebody to take him to Cats Cradle, where I found him today. I can’t take him back as he will probably start roaming again and my 5 cats are not that enthusiastic about him, so I am going to be his cyber Mum and visit now and again. I think it’s quite remarkable that I found him again. :) I hope you enjoyed the story of Bob. Sue Funcke

BOB’S KITTENS I had a stray ginger Tom cat called Bob that visited me for a year and is the father of two feral kittens that I found, he used to sit outside the kitchen door on the mat every morning giving me his croaky meow as I dished up breakfast. Then he suddenly vanished just after Christmas last year, I was quite upset as I had had him neutered, he used to spray everywhere and I didn’t need anymore feral kittens, he was also a wanderer and I would often see him plodding off down the road on one of his jaunts. He was a nice friendly cat and I thought that maybe he had got an owner and they moved so no more Bob, well that was what I had hoped. Today we went to visit the cats at “Cats Cradle”, its a rescue and a cattery/ kennels, it’s about 120km from us in Port Shepstone and I had been really looking forward to going as I am mad about cats. Well we were amazed at all the beautiful cats, they were everywhere and of every coIour, all rubby and purring and wanting a cuddle, I was in kitty heaven. suddenly I spot one of many ginger cats and it looked like Bob, so I call his name and immediately up goes the tail and he runs towards me with his familiar croaky meow, I couldn’t

believe it and neither did anyone else. I told his story and that I had got him neutered but he still still looked intact, which my vet couldn’t understand, we even took pictures of his “rear end” and my vet agreed he did indeed still “look like a Tomcat”. Cats Cradle had taken him to their vet who put him under a GA for his neuter and there was nothing there, he had been neutered already. A quick phone call confirmed he was found in our area and it turns out he must have wondered off and got adopted by somebody else about 1/2 km away, Bob then attacks their show Labrador quite viscously and so they decide not to keep him and organize for somebody to take him to Cats Cradle, where I found him today. I can’t take him back as he will probably start roaming again and my 5 cats are not that enthusiastic about him, so I am going to be his cyber Mum and visit now and again. I think it’s quite remarkable that I found him again. :) I hope you enjoyed the story of Bob. Sue Funcke

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

HOW I MET MY CAT

While I was out one day taking a walk to the shop I saw this cute baby in the middle of the road screaming his lungs out! He was so scared and tiny still. It was when I saw an oncoming 4x4 driving right in his direction that I ran into the road and picked up my baby. He is now called Peanut and has been with me for 3 years. Believe me he his name him like a glove! Crazy as hell, only ever wants attention when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in the shower, follows me around like a puppy. Peanut is the boss of the house and I love him to bits!

How did YOU meet YOUR cat?

And that is how I met my Peanut.

Email story and photos to: Charmaine Venter

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

kittycatsa@gmail.com

Ice Angel By Linda Deane

s e i r Se TARA’S Art https://www.facebook.com/tara.cat.dog/info

Angel Cats series available at:

Ice Angel by Linda Deane Text copyright © 2013 Linda Deane Cover design and photograph copyright © 2013 Linda Deane All rights reserved worldwide. This story was inspired by a very special little cat. Angelica was unfortunately mauled by dogs and we tragically lost her when she was only seven months old. We believe she was an angel and this story is a fictitious account of how we imagine one of her nine lives may have been.

http://www.amazon. com/Linda-Deane/e/ B00ENHQ6GI https://www.smashwords.com/profile/ view/LDeane

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

CHAPTER 2 AMAZING DISCOVERY Aric’s mother, Elya, shook him gently by the shoulder. He surfaced from his deep sleep, blinking away the fragments of the dream. “Are you ill Aric?” asked his mother with concern. She was not used to her children sleeping so soundly. In these cold, difficult times, as soon as the first grey light of dawn slid its bony fingers into the cave, the tribe was up and about; anxious to scavenge for anything they could find to fill their empty bellies. Aric smiled a happy, contented smile and gave his mother a hug. She was even thinner and bonier than he was. He felt happier today than he had ever felt. He thought about the strange dream he’d had. “I dreamt about a cat last night, Mom. First, she came to the entrance of the cave and called my name. She stared into my eyes. It seemed as if she could read my thoughts and see right into my heart. I felt all warm and cosy as I looked into her eyes. She disappeared, but then I dreamt she came back and she could fly. She picked me up and flew with me to a beautiful place. I slept so well last night Mom, that I’m not even hungry this morning!” This really worried Elya. At the start of the winter her mother, Aric’s granny, had died. Before she died, Grandma had also lost her appetite and had strange dreams. She kept telling them everything would be all right, then her old eyes would get hazy and she’d sit and stare into space with a peaceful expression on her face. What little food they had to give her, she would not touch. She just sat beside the fire, staring peacefully into the flames all day. When they brought her share of the food, she fed it to the small children. She had grown weaker and thinner. When they came in late one afternoon, having found nothing more than a few dried berries and a root or

two, they found the old woman had died. She had been the oldest member of the tribe. Elya could not bear the thought of losing Aric too. Now her beloved son was showing signs of the same behaviour his granny had shown. “You must get up and help us look for food, Aric. You must eat!” she chided, more harshly than she had intended. “I will Mother, I feel strong and healthy today. I could kill a mammoth by myself today.” “Huh, you’d have to find one first!” snorted Elya, “There hasn’t been one of those seen around here for many, many seasons! I’m surprised you can even remember what a mammoth is!” Aric hummed softly to himself as he pulled on his fur clothes. He picked up his sharp digging stick and strapped on his leather collecting bag, readying himself to join the women and the other children on their foraging expedition for the day. He was not yet old enough to join the men on the hunt. Perhaps by summer time they would consider him strong enough and old enough to go hunting with them. Not that it mattered much; they hadn’t brought in anything bigger than a rabbit since two summers ago. Game was scarce. The cold weather seemed to have chased everything away.

born that summer. It was weak and sickly, and cried most of the time. The tribe had not always lived in the cave. Five winters ago, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and the elders had decided it was time to abandon their old mammoth-hide tents and find a more permanent shelter. Food was becoming scarce and the tents were so old and tattered that most of them were barely usable. It was time to move on to a new area. For as long as Aric could remember, the tribe had never stayed long in any one location. They were always on the move, driven by the constant need to find food, following the herds of game that roamed the plains. The elders told stories of good times when game and fruit were plentiful. Those times were long, long ago and these tales had been passed down from generation to generation. Nobody, not even the oldest members of the tribe could remember a time when they weren’t hungry, desperate and cold.

Nevertheless, Aric practised everyday with the spear his father had made for him. His aim had become quite good. He thought about the cat in his dream. A long time ago, he had watched as a cat from the forest had stalked and caught a bird. He wished then that he could be as agile and swift as that cat had been.

The elders were very worried. A lifetime of cold winters and brief cool summers had made them tough, resourceful and resilient. However, this current period of bad, cold weather was the longest and most intense cold period that any of them could remember. They had only intended to use the cave for a short while, but this was already their fifth winter here. The area around the cave had been totally exhausted of food. They had not found mammoths for many summers and had no hides to make new tents. They dared not venture too far from the cave in search of better hunting and foraging grounds, because they had no shelter.

After their meagre breakfast, the small band of gatherers wound their way down the hill into the forest. The hunters took the opposite path, up and over the hill. The old people stayed in the cave to care for the smallest children. The tribe was quite large. There were forty-seven people including the new baby who had been

Aric was thinking about the gloomy mood of his elders as he walked along, scanning the snowy ground for signs of something to eat but he could not suppress the feeling of optimism inside him. He thought about the cat and about his dream, wondering what it all meant. “Stop daydreaming Aric!” chided his

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

sister Mika, “Hurry up, or you’ll be left behind!” Aric smiled at her. Nothing could annoy him today, not even bossy Mika, or thoughts about how severe their predicament was. His thoughts kept returning to the cat in his dream and he sensed that something good was going to happen today. He knew she had been trying to tell him something last night, something important. What was it? Deep in thought, he stopped at the frozen stream to break off a piece of ice. It was cold and slippery but it was so nice to put a piece of ice in your mouth and let it slowly melt. He looked around to find a big stone. The ice was thick and solid and he couldn’t chip off a piece with his stick. He looked up straight into a pair of beautiful, yellow eyes. Startled, he dropped his stick. Perched on the rock above him was the cat from his dream. She purred softly at him. Aric was taken aback. Had he dreamt about her last night or was she real after all? Was he dreaming now? She stared at Aric, then turned and jumped off the boulder. She walked a few paces then turned again, looked up at him and mewed softly. Aric was confused, he knew he was not supposed to stray away from the tribe but he felt compelled to follow the cat. He looked back at the group of women and children who had crossed the frozen stream. He looked in the opposite direction at the cat who was edging towards the forest. As she stared deeply into his soul he forgot about the rest of the women and children who had slowly spread out along the banks of the stream in an effort to gather whatever food they could find. Aric was inexplicably drawn to this strange little grey cat. Spellbound he followed her. Her tail was thick and bushy and she was dressed in a warm winter pelt. Aric was dressed only in his ragged, patched furs that were full of holes and threadbare,

but he was not cold today. Every now and then, the cat would stop to make sure Aric was following her, encouraging him with a gentle mew. The tribe was so intent on their food -gathering mission, that nobody noticed that Aric had wandered off. The crisp white snow, sparkling in the early morning sunlight, crunched under his deerskin boots. On, and on, and on he trudged over the snowy ground, under the trees and across open meadows.

With a shock of surprise, he lurched back violently bumping Angelica with his hide bag and nearly sending her tumbling over the edge. He could not believe what he had just seen!

The little grey cat was always just in sight. Aric lost track of time. He had no idea where the cat was taking him or why he was following her. He did not even realise that he had been trudging through the snow for hours. Nor did he notice that he was in a completely unfamiliar place. He was oblivious to the fact that he had eaten little more than a small bowl of herb and root stew since midday the previous day. He had not eaten his breakfast – a handful of dried berries. He was not hungry and he was not tired. He knew only one thing, and that was that he had a compelling desire to follow the cat. Although he could not explain how, in his mind he knew she was communicating with him. He could feel her talking to him deep inside. Somehow, he knew her name, Angelica, and she knew not only his name but also all about him and everything that had ever happened to him. They were communicating with each other without words and without speaking. Aric marvelled at the way she could read his thoughts and he could read hers. Just as the sun was starting to set, Angelica slowed her pace. They approached the top of a hill. As the big yellow eyes scanned him, Aric intuitively knew she wanted him to move slowly and carefully. He crouched down low and crept along quietly. It soon became apparent that they would end up at the top of a cliff. Angelica crouched even lower and silently edged her way forward. Aric followed her example and carefully peered over the edge. c

Angel Cats series available at: http://www.amazon.com/ Linda-Deane/e/B00ENHQ6GI https://www.smashwords. com/profile/view/LDeane

Be sure to read Chapter 3 of Ice Angel in our next issue (Nov|Dec 2014)

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

BOOK REVIEW

Under the Paw: Confessions of a Cat Man by Tom Cox

Reviewed by Patsy Smyth

Men are not supposed to like cats. It’s not considered manly. Men are supposed to be dog people. Who ever thought that up? Tom Cox secretly loved cats, but couldn’t come out of the cat closet. He had to show a tough face to his mates, but secretly he would creep back into the “cat closet” to love the cats – any cat. Then he met his cat-loving, now wife. This is the kind of story that will tug at your heart strings and tickle your funny bone. All the stories are true accounts of Tom Cox’s relationship with the various cats in their life. I enjoyed the book. But then it’s about cats – what’s not to love. I found it an easy reading book which I lent my parents to read. My Dad loved it. Yes, he’s a cat man. My Mom didn’t enjoy it quite as much, finding parts of it a little too poignant. I will definitely read it again, but perhaps you would prefer to borrow it from a library. I give it 7 purrs.

KITTYCAT OF THE MONTH COMPETITION Email your photos and a sentence about your cat to: kittycatsa@gmail.com www.facebook.com/KittycatSA To enter the Kittycat of the Month competition, please send a photo of your cat with his/her name and short sentence about him/her to: kittycatsa@gmail.com

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

KITTYCAT OF THE MONTH January 2014 Winner : Duchess

February 2014 Winner : Faith

March 2014 Winner : Braille

April 2014 Winner : Othello

May 2014 Winner : Cody

June 2014 Winner : Mowgli

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

KITTYCAT OF THE MONTH July 2014 Winner : Greyling

August 2014 Winner : Pippins Blue Misty

Kittycat of the Month (held on our Community Facebook Page) is Proudly Sponsored by 2 Black Cats

KITTYCAT MAGAZINE c ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER|OCTOBER 2014

NEW! Kittycat RESCUE Magazine

kittycat

Rescue Kittycat Rescue Magazine Issue 001

Spay & Neuter

Sex and the Kitty

Lil Princess

Bunny

Simonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Story July|August|September 2014

Firs Issuet

Animal

Rescue

Rescue & Shelter