Kittycat Issue 2 March|April 2014 by Jenni Ferreira

Kittycat online magazine

Breed Profile

Chinchilla Longhair

Your Kitten

Food and Diet

Cat and Dog

Introductions Russell the Cat

Fire Survivor Feline

Hyperthyroidism March|April 2014

www.kittycat.co.za

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Contents Message from the Editor 1 Contributors 2 Breed Profile The Chinchilla Longhair 3 Just for Fun Little Grey Ball 11

Articles Cat to Cat Introductions 15 Cat to Dog Introductions 17 Cat and Dog Friendships 19 Your Kitten - Food and Diet 23 Feline Hyperthyroidism 25 At What Age should a Kitten go Home 29 News The Inspiring story of Russell the cat 31 LA Art Show 35 You’ve Got Talent Feline Sapien Art 38 Elena Zavalishina 39 Raphel Vavasseur Art 40

How I met my Cat 41 Let’s talk about Cats 44 Show Biz Show Calendar 45 Book Reviews

Kittycat of the Month

Rescue Stories Happy Endings 49 Adoptions 55 The Pink Pages Breeder and Pet Services Directory

Message from

Message from The Editor

Pic of Jenni Ferreira

Welcome to the second issue of Kittycat Magazine. I hope you enjoyed reading the first issue of Kittycat Magazine? Issue 2 features the beautiful Chinchilla Longhair, the cats with the gorgeous eyes that look like they’re wearing eyeliner. Our medical feature this month is on Feline Hyperthyroidism, a metabolic disorder arising from excess production of active thyroid hormones from abnormally functioning thyroid glands. If your cat is over 9 years of age, he/she qualifies to take part in the South African Feline Hyperthyroidism study. Please refer to article on page 25 for further details.

Meet

Cat behaviourist, Jackson Galaxy advises on how to introduce a new cat to the current cats in the household, as well as how to introduce cats to dogs. There is also a very interesting article on what age a kitten should leave home. For some reason many people believe that they can’t bond with a kitten if they get the kitten ‘after a certain age’. It is however so important for kittens to be properly socialised and it really is better for them to stay with their mothers until at least 12 weeks of age! We introduce you to three talented artists, and once again share happy ending rescue stories and tributes from proud owners about their special cats. Read the inspiring story about Russell, the three year old cat that was recently burnt in a fire and is undergoing treatment and improving every day. We’ve included some Adoption pages after receiving requests from our readers and hope that we can assist in getting more kittens and cats get the forever homes that they deserve. Don’t forget to enter your cat in our Kittycat of the Month competition. Please send through your comments and suggestions. Enjoy this issue and I look forward to seeing you all again in May.

Jenni

The Cover Cat

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

BBM 7C74BBF3 LAYOUT AND DESIGN Jenni Ferreira WEBSITE Jenni Ferreira Retha Scholtz CONTRIBUTORS Dr Joanne McLean Dr Laurence John Behrens Jackson Galaxy Linda Deane Patsy Smyth PHOTOGRAPHY Jenni Ferreira ADVERTISING kittycat.advertising@gmail.com kittycat.classifieds@gmail.com ADDRESS P O Box 1220 Randburg 2125 South Africa Email: kittycatsa@gmail.com Fax: 086 428 5044 www.kittycat.co.za The Publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy, safety or performance of the info or products presented.

The Editor reserves the right to edit material submitted. Balinese Lilac Tortie Point Photo by Jenni Ferreira

www.facebook.com/Kittycatmagazine

Jenni Ferreira kittycat.editor@gmail.com

The opinions expressed in the Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor / Publisher or Advertisers.

Our cover cat this month is My Heart’s Whisper, a Chinchilla kitten owned by Cindi Edmunds (Chindy’s Cattery).

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Message from

Dr Laurence John Behrens BSc: Veterinary Biology, BVSc 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.

Photo by Theresa Fouche

Contributors

Dr Joanne McLean BSc, BVSc Hons Graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Onderstepoort in 2009 with a BVSc degree. She started working at Bryanston Veterinary Hospital immediately after qualifying and is currently completing her MMed Vet degree in Small Animal Medicine. Joanne’s interests include oncology, endocrinology and critical care medicine. Outside of work she enjoys reading, travelling and wildlife.

Jackson Galaxy Cat Behaviourist Cat behaviorist with more than fifteen years of experience, and the host of Animal Planet’s hit show My Cat From Hell. Jackson Galaxy specializes in helping individuals whose “out of control” cats are turning their lives and homes upside down.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Breed Profile

Chinchilla Longhair

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Chindyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earl McDuff Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

By Cindi Edmunds

Chindy’s My Heart’s Whisper | www.chindys.co.za Ashton, Balinese Blue Point Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com Photo by Jenni Ferreira

ence breathing problems, and

They are generally happy to sit quietly with their owners, either on a lap, or alongside, just enjoying the presence of their human companion.

Chindy’s My Heart’s Whisper Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

– exhibit little if any tearing of the The cat with the smiling, eyes. The cat withface the smiling, angelic andangelic gentle They have finer bone structure than face and gentle nature. nature a Persian, with slightly larger ears, The first Chinchilla was round to almond shaped eyes, and The firstin Chinchilla was born the UK inborn thein the UK in the 1880s. Theyfirst wereim- longer legs. 1880s. They were first imported South Africa in in ported to toSouth Africa The fur on their hind legs should the 1970’s. theearly early 1970’s. Chinchilla Longhair cats resemble “pantaloons”. They reach Chinchilla Longhair cats are of-as a their full maturity and beauty at 3 are often described ten described as a ‘fairy’ Persian. ‘fairy’ Persian. They have years. long, luscious, silky white These cats do require daily groomThey havewith long, luscious, silky coats, even black ing. Their coats need to be combed white coats,or with even black The tiptipping shading. ping or shading. is pure white. through once a day, for just a few undercoat Their most striking feature minutes. The breeder usually begins bathing kittens at 6 weeks of age, The undercoat pure liner white. that is the kohl iseye emphasises their emer- so that by the time they go to their forever homes, they are quite used Their most striking feature is the ald green or aquamarine kohl eye Nose liner that emphasises eyes. leather must to being bathed and dried with a hair dryer. their emerald aquamabe a brickgreen redorcolour. rine eyes.the NosePersian, leather must be Unlike the a brick red colour. Chinchilla Longhair has a Chinchilla Longhairs are ideal indoor slightly longer nose, and cats. However, given half a chance, they will still enjoy a run around the Unlike Persian,experience the Chinchilla thus the seldom Longhair has a slightly longer and garden, and a catch-me-if-you-can breathing problems, nose, and thus experiexhibit littleseldom if any tearing run up the nearest tree!

Photo by Dr Mirjam Kessler

Chinchilla Longhair Chi Chinchilla Longhair

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Feetje van Patser, Chocolate Point Female Balinese Photographer/Breeder: Swanneke Landkroon www.cattery-patses.nl www.foto-z.nl

2 5

Kittycat Issue 1 January/February 2014

Aagje van Patser, Chocolate Point Female Balinese Photographer/Breeder: Swanneke Landkroon www.cattery-patses.nl www.foto-z.nl

Chindy’s My Heart’s Whisper Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

Chindy’s My Heart’s Whisper Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com Helmi Flick Cat Photography, www.helmiflick.com SGC and NW Avalon Pendragon of Noah’s Ark, Balinese b21

Chindy’s Boarding and Breeding Cattery

Cindi Edmunds 082 378 5892

ins4chins@yahoo.com www.cindys.co.za

The SACC Breed Standard is as follows: HEAD Round, with slight muzzle. Open

BODY Medium in size, short body, low on the legs and in proportion without being coarse.

face.

Medium boned.

EARS Medium, set well apart, round

LEGS Short and in proportion to the

tipped and not unduly open at base. Well tufted inside. EYES Large, round, set well apart and

body. Forelegs straight. PAWS Round, firm and tufted.

wide open.

TAIL In proportion to body length, car-

NOSE Medium in length, broad with

lower than the back. Well furnished.

slight break in profile. Adequate nose leather and nasal

Kitty Quote

ried without a curve and at an angle

If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up. J A McIntosh

COAT Dense and long on body, with full

apertures. Nose not snub.

ruff and brush. Hair shorter on head and

JAW Broad with gentle contours giving

From the rear, hind legs should have a

forelegs.

the impression of a smiling face.

trousered appearance.

CHIN Broad, firm and well developed.

Texture fine, soft and silky, glossy in

NECK Short

body.

appearance and standing away from

Chindyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nuk Nuks Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

www.chindys.co.za

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Chindy’s My Heart’s Whisper Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Chindyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earl McDuff owned by Taryn Vlok Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

Kittycat Kittycat Issue 1 Issue January/February 2 March/April 2014

Anjee, Balinese Seal Tortie Point Photo by Jenni Ferreira

What is it like to own Chinchilla Longhairs? I’ve been a breeder of chinchillas kitties for the past I urge buyers, please don’t buy a chinchilla, or any other seven years. I’ve always had domestic cats and grew up kitty if you can’t, or don’t want to keep him indoors. with cats. Zelda Jacobs In 2006 I decided to become a breeder, not knowing Zelda’s Cattery what cat I would like to breed. I decided to breed the chinchillas, and decided to buy my first little boy, Robin Hood, from Issie Venter of Purrland Cattery. From the very first day I brought my darling Robin home, I was madly in love with him, he is such a gorgeous kitty, I then started looking for little girls, and met Rochelle Wolman of Armani cattery, and bought my first three gorgeous little girls from her, Vanity Fair, Tatianna and Kendra. I find the chinchillas very lovable, each one has their own little personality, and very playful, always on the go. Of course they need grooming on a daily basis, I prefer them to be indoor kitties only, in the seven years I’ve been a breeder I have experienced a lot of heartache, a lot of my kitties have been killed by dogs, poisoned by neighbour’s, I even had to fetch one of my gorgeous little kitties at a shelter in Pretoria after being dumped there.

I have had cats all my life but none compare to my Chinchilla boy. I cant imagine having any other cat but a chinchilla, they have the most loving temperaments and love to lounge around and yet given the chance, they play like kittens. They have an air of authority and love telling you what they want when they want it, but they love to be loved and snuggle close to you. If you feel there is something missing in you life, Get a Chinchilla. :)

Nicky Crellin

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

“Matteo and Giacomo are brothers, the most interesting and striking cats I’ve had the good fortune of sharing my home with. Beautiful characters and coats seem synonymous with this special breed, the Longhair Chinchilla. Mesmerizing eyes lined with kohl and those black fluffy tufts under their paws are constantly engaging my fond glares. They are loving towards each other as to us, their devoted caretakers. I am grateful to the dedication of the breeders who carefully bring these wonderful creatures into our world. Thank-you Cindi Edmunds for this delightful pair, truly, bundles of joy!”

Anna Harrington

Having grown up with Persian cats since the age of 4, it took little convincing to acquire a new addition to our home with our one male cat. However, this time we opted for Chinchillas because of their chattiness, beauty and would be more efficient eaters than the Persian due to the sharper face. We ended up taking the only 2 girls in the litter. Willow and Demi. One of the best decisions was to take two together, since our 12- year- old cat, Shaggy, was not often in a gaming mood. Both girls are individuals despite having the exact same upbringing and their personalities, like humans, change with time. Demi, while being timid and cautious, is intelligent (having learned tricks through training) and is very curious. Willow, on the other hand, is sociable and laid-back and is not as inclined to go investigate. Demi is certainly more advanced (a trait noted since 5 weeks of age) and is a huntress of bugs and lizards, while Willow loves nothing more than when I bring out the leash for a walk.

them very often as kittens which, luckily, mine were. If you are looking at getting a Chinchilla, there’s little doubt that coat maintenance has crossed your mind. If you have time to care for it then it is no trouble. It has been a great benefit to my household including Shaggy, who occasionally scores young adult cat food, as they have become an integral part of our daily lives. Caitlin Henning

What is it like to own a chinchilla? A chinchilla cat of course. Alot of people will argue the point that they are simply persians with long faces and that “chinchilla” refers to the white of their coat. It may be true. But this breed is far from the persian breed. Naughty but innocent (or so they like us to believe) Macduff is a real boy. And a mommies boy at that. He runs around the house making car like noises (you know that sound cars make when they skid on the race course?) Well thats his sound. He follows me like a tail. Every time I sneeze Macduff is right there to say “bless you” in his own little squeaky way. Taryn Vlok

To list what makes the Chinchilla so unique-apart from their white coats and Audrey Hepburn eyes-it would be their responsiveness and amiableness. The latter is a given if your breeder is responsible and handles Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Short Story

The Little Grey Ball By Patsy Smyth

11 Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Bella looked out across the windswept ocean. It was grey. Like the clouds, like her eyes. The waves fell leadenly on the shore. Everything looked dull &, well…. Just grey! The wind whipped up the sand which stung so she turned back into the shelter of the run-down little beach cabin.

gentle. More kindly. She let her arms swing down over the edges of the outcrop. Her hand touched a soft ball.

Shaking out her jacket & sandals, she wondered how her life had got to this place. From the fast-paced glamorous rat-race in the city to this run down beach cabin in a grey dull beach cove. Rain had started falling on the corrugated iron roof. Coupled with the monotonous sound of the waves it was soothing, its melancholic mood matching her own. She couldn’t cry. The tears wouldn’t fall. Instead she was left with a black hole in the pit of her stomach that seemed to suck everything into it. All the joy. All the enthusiasm. All the bright shining stars in her life. Gone into this black hole. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep on the wicker hanging chair.

A tiny little head with crusted eyes peered out at her. A kitten! A furry lost kitten. She picked up the tiny, skinny, sand covered fluff ball, carefully brushing off as much of the sand as she could. Little fluff ball lay in her hand, looking at her. Bella folded her arms around fluff ball and slowly, gently carried it to the beach cabin.

She woke with a start, a cold sweat chilling her body. She closed her eyes against the images from her dreams. The squealing tyres, the angry shouts, the screams, the explosion of a gun, the lightening pain in her head, orange & white lights that blurred into swirls of colour fading into black. The rain had stopped. There was a quiet chill to the air; the kind of chill that would cool her fevered brain. She didn’t bother to put the jacket back on. The sand was cold under her bare feet. She walked slowly as thousands of tiny white crabs ran here and there in what looked like a mad dash to nowhere. The sea folded itself around her feet, the cold reminding her that she was still alive. She noticed that the indigo sky was filled with a myriad of stars. The crabs rushed out away she made her way to a rocky outcrop that looked exactly like it had been made for sunbunnies to relax and sunbathe on. She lay down & stared at the stars. She had always admired the glitter of night lights in the city. Somehow these stars were prettier. Softer. More

Startled, she rolled off to look at this ball. It was a fluffy ball. Very round. Very grey. A dark smoke grey. She poked it then pulled her hand back quickly as the ball moved.

She’d never had a cat. She’d never had a pet. Her busy life before the “incident” hadn’t permitted her to consider it an option. But she had time now. Time to learn a new skill. She put fluff ball into a basin and rubbed off as much of the sand as she could. Bella dipped cotton wool into warm water and cleaned out her grungy eyes. The big green eyes stared up at her. Little fluff ball uttered a soft melodious mew. It was hungry! Must be. Bella warmed a little bit of milk in a saucer and put fluff ball next to it. She smiled when Fluff ball dunked his whole nose into the milk then sat back sneezing. She sat in the hanging chair that she favoured, and gazed at the kitten as she realised that this was her first smile in what seemed like forever. He drank the milk eagerly while Bella looked for something to feed it. A tin of tuna looked like a good idea, so she sloshed a bit with the oil into another saucer. At bedtime Bella coiled a small blanket into a circle on her bed, putting fluff in the centre. She lay for a long while, willing her mind to be still, her jaw clenched, her eyes squeezed tight. Morning dawned sunny & bright. Little Fluff was sitting on her pillow staring at the bleary eyed Bella intently. She followed Bella through to the kitchen & mewed softly. Again Bella put the milk and tuna down while the kettle boiled. She sat in the wicker basket chair gazing contemplatively at The Grey Fluff Ball while he (she assumed

it was a he) sat carefully washing his face and paws. She suddenly realised that she now had a new purpose. A small fluffy purpose. She started organising the “To Do” list in her head. First – find the local animal clinic and get fluff checked out. Two – get advice on the proper feeding procedures for the kitten. Amend that. Get advice on how to look after a kitten! Three – buy bowls and food. Four – hmmmm. Sleeping bed? Toys? Oh, and what about the toilet – how does she train a kitten to use…. Use what?? She sat up abruptly, almost spilling her hot coffee over her bare thighs. To Do Number One and Two – The most urgent of priorities. She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, slipped a t-shirt over her head and brushed out her hair. She turned her attention to fluff to find him watching her intently. She could not help but smile. Now, what to carry fluff in? She looked around; nothing really suitable for any kind of pet. She shrugged. Oh well, she thought. He looks like a placid kind of cat. Maybe I can take him in the car, just like that. And that was that. It was decided. The little blanket on the passenger seat of her Maserati; fluff in the middle and Bella driving to find an animal clinic with fluff scrutinising every move. Dr Michelle’s Vetinary Clinic and Pet Supplies was not difficult to find. It looked like the largest shop in this sleepy beach village. It was only when she saw the doctor’s PA opening the doors that she realised how early it was still – and how hungry she was. The doctor was standing at the front desk and assessed the situation immediately. “A stray?” she asked. Bella nodded. “I think she needs a check-up. And I need advice. I’ve never had a pet before.” Dr Michelle smiled, happy that this person with the sad eyes was willing to adopt the little cutie. “So, what’s her name?” Bella started at her blankly. “Oh, it’s a she. I couldn’t see.” Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Dr Michelle laughed. “With all

look after a cat. She laughed

this fur, it’s not surprising. So

roundly at Bella’s toilet concerns

what’s her name?”

who was surprised to learn how clean cats are.

“I hadn’t thought …. I don’t know. I just refer to her as fluff

Soon her trolley was laden with

or fluff ball.”

cat sand, litter boxes, toys, bedding, food and bowls. The vet

“Then I think you’ve named her”

brought out a smart, plastic cat

Dr Michelle smiled. Bella’s eyes

carrier as Bella put all the items

lit up. “Fluff! Of course.”

on the counter. Dr Michelle opened the door and out walked

“Why don’t you leave her with

the prettiest, fluffiest, sweetest

me for an hour?”

little kitten. All the matted fur and sand were gone. Her fur shone;

“An hour?” Bella looked alarmed.

her green eyes glowed. Fluff rubbed her face against Bella’s

“Don’t worry. It’s just so that I

hand.

can do a full check-up and, clean up. Besides, you’re probably go-

“She is very healthy. No diseases,

ing to need some supplies.”

just a few fleas and worms, but I’ve given her treatment for that.

She nodded towards the prod-

I’ve given her the necessary vac-

ucts shop. Bella had a lot of

cinations, and I’ve microchipped

money. But she’d lost all the

her. We just need to load the in-

things that had made all that

formation into the chip. Oh, and

money worthwhile. Now that her

you’ll need to bring her back in

money was able to bring some

about 3 months or so for spaying.

happiness to a little lost kitten,

I estimate that she’s between 4 &

she felt more alive; more neces-

5 weeks old.”

sary; more needed. Bella stared at her. VaccinaBella nodded relieved. “I’m go-

tions? Microchips? Spaying? This

ing to need some advice on that.

precious little soul needed a lot

But first, I’m going to have

more care than she realised. An

something to eat!”

unexpected sense of excitement flashed across her heart. Bella

She surveyed the scenery

picked up an emerald green collar

around her with renewed eyes.

and put it around Fluff’s neck.

With the sun having just risen,

Fluff licked her hand and started

sun beams had bathed the sand

purring. She stood on her hind

and beach cottages with a gold-

legs and put her paws around

en tinge. It was actually a quaint

Bella’s neck as far as she could,

village. Sun-bleached. Weath-

her little body pressed against

ered, but calm and serene.

her.

Even the food tasted better than she remembered.

Bella put her arms around the tiny angel and sunk her face into

The hour passed quickly so Bella

the soft fur as her frozen heart

found herself racing back to the

melted like an avalanche. The

vet. Fluff was still being exam-

tears finally fell.

ined by the vet, so the friendly PA gave her advice on how to

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

END

Kitty Quote It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens. Cynthia E. Varnado

Cat to Cat Introductions Article courtesy of Jackson Galaxy www.icatcare.org

Article courtesy of Jackson Galaxy www.jacksongalaxy.com

The common wisdom in introducing a newly adopted cat to a resident one in the past was to open the carrying case and “let them work it out.” We most definitely have a new way of looking at things; from the cat’s perspective. Cats are, after all, about territory. Bring a new, utterly alien scent of the same species into the house, and more times than not, we’re asking for chaos. Of course everyone has a story about introducing two cats that went smoothly doing the old fashioned technique. The point to stress is, if it goes poorly, this one meeting is the association that these two cats will hold onto for quite a long time and make a peaceable kingdom a difficult task. It is, ultimately, better to be safe than sorry. A slow and steady introduction starts with the establishment of a base camp for the newcomer (the article on setting up base camp). Once you’ve set up his or her space, you’re ready to start letting the cats make positive associations between one another. This is key, and will be repeated ad infinitum; all associations between the cats during this critical period have to be as pleasing as possible to reduce possible friction when they finally have free access. Let’s start with one of the most pleasing motivators-food! Feeding time will happen at the door of base camp until introduction is complete.

decrease the amount of dry so that wet feeding time is looked forward to more. Remember that the only time either cat gets wet food is during these “meet and greets” at the base camp door, which can be divided into two daily sessions. Place food bowls on either side of the door with a couple of feet of breathing room for each cat. Ideally, there should be a family member on either side of the door to praise each cat as they eat. The idea is that they are rewarded with food for being so close to the scent of the unfamiliar cat, and also rewarded by you with praise for eating.

Instead of using it to lock a door shut, you would employ it backwards, to give us just a couple of inches of cracked space between the door and the jamb. Again, the time required in moving from step to step is determined by your observation and the cats’ level of comfort. Keep cracking the door further until each cat could, if they wished, bat at one another-first up to the elbow joint then all the way to the shoulder, just making sure not to leave enough room to let a head get through. The object of “the game” is to give them enough rope to succeed.

At this initial point, the door should be closed; the cats can smell one another just fine. If they don’t devour their food at first, that’s okay. They will eventually eat. Don’t give in and move the food.

If they fail, just go back to the previous step.

The next step is to open the door just a tiny crack, giving the cats limited visual access to each other.

In scent swapping, we take a washcloth per cat and rub them down with it, making sure to go across their cheeks, head, sides, and around the base of the tail.

How soon do you move on to this step? As with all steps in introduction, pay attention to the cats; let their body language tell you when they are comfortable enough to move on. Remember that proceeding too quickly will force you to jump backwards by anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Slow and steady definitely wins this race.

If the resident cat is not on a scheduled feeding diet, it might be best to put him or her on one for now.

We need to remain safe, so use rubber doorstops on either side of the introduction door to prevent any more than visual accessibility.

Or, if you leave dry food out and supplement with wet food, greatly

If the door is too high off the ground to use stops, or if one or both cats are

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

muscling the door open, try using a hook and eye setup.

Other tricks to use during the introduction period are “scent swapping” and “site swapping.”

Then, present the other cat with the scent of the washcloth in a conspicuous part of their territory, perhaps near a favored sleeping spot or near (but respecting the space of) their food or water. This will start getting them accustomed to the new facts of life; their space will have to be shared with one another, and better to have this fact introduced by scent than sight. Site swapping relies on more paws–on physical exploration of one another’s space. Once a day, switch the two cats.

The new cat gets to explore the house while the resident cat is base camp to freely explore the scent of new arrival without the fear of retribution. This process is best done with a human partner just to make sure the cats don’t inadvertently get in each other’s way while trading places; but if you don’t have help, try putting the resident in, say, a bedroom. When the new cat heads for the kitchen or other area out of sight, move the resident cat into base camp. Both cats should get the praise and encouragement they need/deserve in bravely going where they have not gone before! Don’t forget, during this entire process, to play with the cats! This may seem elementary, but remember, they are just energetic balloons naturally, and even more so during these intense times of stress. Of course, you will have separate play sessions during the introduction phase. Once they’ve met and cohabitated for a bit, group playtime will be another wonderful way of diverting aggression they might have towards one another into a positive route. Refer to our article on play therapy to learn the ins and outs of keeping them both as happy as possible during the period of adjustment. Additionally, consider flower essences to help both (or all) cats get through the initial introduction period with the least amount of stress and anxiety. Spirit Essence has many formulas to choose from, depending on the personalities involved, including “Peacemaker”. When you think it’s time to let them be in the territory together at the same time, take precautions. If a fight breaks out, do not try to break it up with your hands! Unfortunately, this is most of the time our first instinct. You are almost sure to be clawed and bitten, and it will not be pretty. In the heat of the moment, the cats will not be able to distinguish between

your arm and each other, and they will have no inhibition about attacking whatever is handy, even if it’s you. Instead, have an immediate barrier like a couple of large, thick towels or blankets at the ready. You can toss them over the cats to disorient them, and immediately relocate them by scooping them up inside the towel (to protect yourself).

They can, over time, learn that every time they view or smell the other, something good will happen. Do it too quickly and that negative first impression might very well be the one that lasts.

There is no need to follow this up with a scolding. That will not do anything except increase the cats’ agitation, which is just what you don’t need! Let the event pass with each cat in their own “time–out”, and start again fresh tomorrow–at the very beginning. Also make sure that when the two cats meet, they have escape routes from one another. Getting cornered is a sure recipe for a fight in the mind of a defense–minded animal like a cat. Keep a close eye on all interactions for the first week or so, not letting the cats have free access to one another when nobody is home. Finally, keep the food and litter setup established in the base camp room, at least for the next while.

The point to stress is, if it goes poorly, this one meeting is the association that these two cats will hold onto for quite a long time and make a peaceable kingdom a difficult task. It is, ultimately, better to be safe than sorry.

The accepted “recipe” is three litterboxes for two cats (to be precise, 1 box per cat + 1), so bear that in mind. Also bear in mind escape routes from the boxes, as the last place we want a skirmish to erupt is while one of the cats is having a “private moment.” They should be able to see as much of the room around them as possible when in the litterbox, which is why uncovered boxes would be highly recommended. This should pretty well cover the bases for the initial introduction between your cats. Of course there are always variables, but the broken record theme should get you going; do it slow–there’s always tomorrow to make another positive impression. Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Cat to Dog Introductions Article courtesy of Jackson Galaxy www.icatcare.org

Article courtesy of Jackson Galaxy www.jacksongalaxy.com

There are some cornerstone thoughts to remember when introducing dogs to cats in a new living arrangement. These revolve around the rather simplistic thought that they are different species. They don’t share the same set of body language postures, nor the same social structure. Of course, if either animal was exposed to the other species during their “critical phase” of social development, that may give them an advantage in knowing what to expect from the other. On the other hand, cats will never be pack hunters and dogs will never be as confident as cats when in solitary situations. It’s just the nature of the beast! If you have the opportunity, try to establish compatibility before ever bringing your new companion home. Let’s say that you are bringing a cat home to your resident dog (the information in this article can be used in the converse situation as well). If you are adopting from a shelter, bring your dog with you for a meeting with potential adoptees. Most shelters these days encourage this practice; many insist on it. This will give you a rough idea of how much work will lay in front of you, not just in terms of the trepidation factor between the two, but the amount of extra training work that might have to go into your relationship with your dog. Once home, the introduction process has to be as slow and methodical as possible. The mindset of “letting them work it out,” while it may have worked for some, is by and large not only impractical, but from personal experience, inhumane. We’ll touch on that more a bit later. The first step is to establish a base camp for your newcomer. Please read the article on setting up base camp before continuing.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Now that your new friend has a temporary place to call home, it’s time to move on to the rules of engagement. As indicated above, every step of the meeting will be controlled. Introducing dog to cat, at least at first, will not be much different than cat to cat, despite all of the cornerstone differences mentioned. Scent before sight is how they will get to know, and begin to trust, one another. The rules of engagement are outlined in the article about introducing one cat to another. As you are working on opposite side of the door feeding, as well as scent and site swapping, remember to reward both parties for good behavior anywhere near the presence of the other. They need to know that good things will always happen when the scent or, in the future, the sight of the other is on their radar. While working these first steps, it is smart to practice training with your dog. Your dog needs to be well trained enough to reliably sit or stay when asked, even if the cat dashes across the room. This point becomes even more important when you take into consideration how many dogs you have and what their breeds might be. These factors might kick up the “pack factor” that extra notch and lead to a chase, which is one thing we want to avoid. It could be a week or two, it could be longer–only you will know for sure. In either case, when the time is right, start attempting short, controlled, open–room meets. Have plenty of food treats on hand for both cat and dog, as we will be positively reinforcing their behavior as we go along. This is a two-person job; if you live alone, bribe a friend or family mem-

ber to come over for these sessions, as it is infinitely frustrating and virtually impossible to do it alone. Have the dog on leash; if you’re not 100% sure about your dog’s chase reaction, it would be a good idea to keep the leash on at all times the dog and cat are freely exposed to one another so that you can at the very least foot the leash, prevent an escalation and correct the behavior. Try to do this meet in the largest room of your home. Have the dog in one end, already in the room and in a down–stay. Distract the dog by just talking to him/her, intermittently rewarding for keeping the stay position. It’s better to try to lure your cat into the meet room from base camp rather than carry him or her. Use an interactive toy, praise and treats to get her within eyeshot of the dog. Make sure that the cat is the positioned in the room with a well-established escape route. The idea at this point is to get the two in the same physical space and ignoring one another’s presence for as long as possible. Lots of short sessions are better than pushing either animal to their energetic breaking point and having either an incident or just needing to correct behavior over and over. In the big picture, it’s much more desirable to reward the good than correct the bad. Going back to one of the original tenets of positive reinforcement, good things must happen in the presence of the other animal for the likelihood of our desired behavior recurring. This way, the dog will learn the rules of engagement in a much more positive light, not constantly being punished around the cat, which could lead to redirected aggression onto the newcomer.

Once these sessions are predictable in length and temperament, which again, may be days or weeks, go slowly and on the schedule of your animals, it’s time to let your cat free from base camp. For the time being, keep the cat’s key belongings (litterbox and dishes) in the base camp room while spreading out beds and blankets to other parts of the house to increase the cat’s sense of territorial security. Until you’re absolutely certain that the introduction has succeeded and the cat is safe, physically separate cat and dog when you’re not around to supervise their interaction. Once again, there is no timetable on this; trust your gut. Some warnings, a section we can call “Space Invaders.” Dogs generally love to eat cat food, and, yes, cat poop. Both acts can have disastrous behavioral backlashes from the cat. Not only are these acts the worst kind invasion on cat territory imaginable, but also if the dog happens to nose into the box when the cat is using it, that constitutes ambush.

guardians let them “work it out” in this manner, and receiving a mangled, dead cat back at the shelter the next day. Gruesome, but all too often true. You may think you know your dog, but depending on its life experience, their breed, and its general temperament, only one innocent event could make them snap. One woman came home and found that three of her cats had evidently been chased into the bathroom by the dog, where they were cornered, then brutally slaughtered, by their own trusted friend — a terrier who had lived peaceably with them their whole lives. The distraught guardian never knew what set the dog off. And the terrier himself was the final victim, when he was subsequently euthanized for his acts. So take as many precautions as you can, especially around feeding time.

Either one of these scenarios can easily lead to a lack in confidence in the litterbox by the cat, and an ensuing preference to use someplace else where they’ll have a better view to see if the dog is coming. Solve this problem before it starts by raising the level of the food and water dish to where only the cat can reach it.

With dogs of breeds who have been selectively breed for hunting, chasing, protecting or aggressive action, including terriers, sighthounds, huskies, herding, working, and hunting breeds, it is prudent to make sure there are several totally dog–proof escape routes for the cat should it be pursued at any point.

Similarly, if the litterbox needs to be behind a baby gate, or you need to install a cat door in a closet door, so be it. Just remember that ambush can happen outside that cat door as well. Your dog can be trained not to lie in wait for the cat to come out of his or her litterbox area.

For every “in” make sure there’s an “out,” or provide a small entry or high place that the cat can access easily but the dog can’t get to. Dogs with a high prey drive may never be trustworthy around cats and must be leashed at all times in the cat’s presence.

You’ll save a lot of time and frustration cleaning up cat urine from your carpet, couch or bed by being proactive in this area. Also remember, booby–trapping the litterbox so that the dog doesn’t get into it will not work; the cat will just avoid it as thoroughly.

Additionally, consider flower essences to help both (or all) animals get through the initial introduction period with the least amount of stress and anxiety.

On the other end of the space invaders spectrum, be very careful about cats who decide to nose in on the dog’s food. We’ve all heard cute stories about cats who come into a home and take over the dog’s food bowl, toys or bed and the dog just learns to share. I’ve unfortunately had to deal with adopting out cats into homes with dogs, having the

holding a new life in your family’s hand. This is just an outline of a few weeks to a few months towards ensuring that life is a happy, well– adjusted one. And, of course, ensuring the relative happiness and confidence of the life or lives that have been interrupted by your newcomer. Ahh, one big happy!

Until you’re absolutely certain that the introduction has succeeded and the cat is safe, physically separate cat and dog when you’re not around to supervise their interaction.

Spirit Essences has many formulas to choose from, depending on the personalities involved, and the smoothness of the introduction process. Some choices to look at are our bestselling three formula sets, Ultimate Changing Times, and Ultimate Peacemaker. All of these steps may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but it is all well worth it. You just took the step of Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Cat and Dog Friendships

My cat Coco and his doggie friend Sookie having naps after their walks. Aimee Hendriksz

This is Minnie and Sylver. Both are rescues but they are inseperable! BFF’s. Patty

Best friends for life! Our cat comes with when we visit my in laws in cape town and he has made such good friends with the dogs, he loves playing with them. Jessie Schroeder

I took this photo on a cold day, a common sight in our home. Romeo and Penny love to cuddle up together under a blanket to keep warm. Penny, our pug, was 4 years old when Romeo came into our lives, a 3 week old ‘flood victim’ kitten. They are best friends, always playing or cuddling. Sharon Martin

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Our Westie and the kittens By Pauline Nicolaï

In October 2002 a puppy was introduced to our 3 mog-

Gizmo turned out to be a rather odd cat. She actually

gy cats (Ollie, Footie and Misha). Not just any puppy,

hated the other three felines, but loved Sasha. Those

no, a West Highland White Terrier (Westie), who was

two often slept together.

going to learn to listen to the name Sasha. During the introduction we probably broke all the rules Vicky Halls mentions in her book Cat Counselor, which I am reading at the moment.

Sasha and Gizmo asleep All our cats were, at the time, able to go outdoors and ‘escape’ the garden and roam around in the woods in Sasha’s favorite position The cats were not really amused at having to tolerate this weird, barking, chasing animal. Too old to be bothered probably. So, we decided it might be a great idea for Sasha to grow up with a kitten! In the autumn of 2003 we searched the internet for a moggy kitten and arrived home with a beautiful little kitten. We didn’t know what name to give her, so she went without a name for a few days, awaiting some suggestions from friends and family. Still, we couldn’t choose and decided she, the kitten, should do so. We wrote all the given names on pieces of paper, tossed them around and let the kitten lose in the pile. The name she selected was Gizmo!

our neighborhood. No, we did not and still don’t have a cat flap. In poor weather we have to open the door ourselves to allow them into the garden, and back inside. In summer, we do have a mini-door cut out of our mosquito screen door; so, weather permitting, we open the backdoor and all can wander into the garden through the mini door. In the summer of 2005 we discovered, that Gizmo was pregnant. We didn’t mind, because we had hoped there was still an unspayed tomcat around. And there was: a pinkish, red tomcat had been noticed lurking around! And so, at the age of two, Gizmo produced 4 beautiful babies. When her labor had started, she actually warned us and allowed us to guide her to the nursery area we had setup in the spare bedroom. It was a pretty heavy birth. The first kitten got stuck and it took Gizmo a lot of effort to push it out. We did confer with the vet, who advised us to wait a bit longer. We anxiously waited for the first one to come out and sighed in relief, when it finally did. After about an hour all four kittens were born. Gizmo cleaned them, we also helped and then we allowed her to have a rest. We constantly visited the nursery to check up on Gizmo and

Gizmo as wee kitten

the kittens during the next few days.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Our Westie and the kittens By Pauline Nicolaï

Sasha was very interested in what was going on up-

The kittens and Gizmo were moved downstairs and lived

stairs during the birth. She is not allowed upstairs at all.

in a snug cardboard box next to the radiator.

Upstairs is our cats’ domain. Sasha only goes upstairs when she needs a bath, and is usually carried, because she hates being bathed and does not like walking the stairs either! We decided that, after a couple of days, it was time to show Sasha what all the fuss upstairs was about. We carried her upstairs and allowed her a peek into the nursery. Okay, so now you know, Sasha, and back downstairs we all went. A while later we discovered that Sasha was no longer downstairs! She had quietly crept upstairs, where we found her at the bottom of the birthing bed watching Gizmo and the kittens with a sedate, intrigued look.

Kittens in the box As soon as the kittens could crawl out of the box, Sasha started showing her maternal instincts. She would massage the belly and clean the bottom of a kitten. You could actually tell when the bottom didn’t taste too good: her face sort of crunched up. You could almost hear her say: Yech! During the kittens’ stay with us, she behaved almost like a nursemaid. She watched out for them, tried to play with them gently, lay quietly alongside them, watched them fool around together, etc. She never once chased the kittens. We were very touched. Below are a couple of pictures that illustrate how well she got on with the kittens:

Sasha intrigued by it all Gizmo was not phased by it at all! After a while, when the kittens were feeding, Sasha just stayed there, fascinated by what was happening. Gizmo made no attempt to ‘protect’ her kittens from Sasha.

What’s this we’re seeing

Sasha and feeding kittens

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Our Westie and the kittens By Pauline Nicolaï

What are y’all doing? We so love this dog basket! Two of the kittens found a home together with a young couple in the south of The Netherlands and the other two with an elderly couple in a nearby town. The story did not end well for Gizmo. She had to be rehoused as she became increasingly aggressive towards the other pets. She managed to escape from her new home and was later found dead next to a highway. Early last year Sasha was watching TV and, as always, was barking at the animals she saw on the screen. Until Hmmm, gotta clean this bottom

... she saw a mother cat with a litter ... she stopped barking, looked and then started whining! Next image was another, different animal, so she started barking again. This set us thinking and we decided to go for it (again). We have had moggies for many, many years, but since May last year we are the proud owners (or does she own us?) of a gorgeous Blue Russian girl, called Moomin. The breed, Blue Russian, has completely stumped me. Btw, she already is an international Champion (after 3 consecutive international shows in Holland; we didn’t enjoy that too much, but Moomin took it very much in her stride!) and we are eagerly awaiting her next heat, so she may be sired by a grand international

Hope Sasha isn’t hungry!

champion (CACIB), called Jánosch. Moomin has integrated very well with Misha, Footie and Sasha (Ollie passed away last year at the age of 15). We hope that Moomin will allow Sasha to be friends with her kittens as Gizmo did!

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Your Kitten - Food and Diet A General Reference Guide for New Kitten Owners Dr Laurence John Behrens, BSc: Veterinary Biology, BVSc (Pretoria)

Your new kitten grows exponentially over the first 6 months, where they reach 75% of their adult body weight in this time. During this time, nutrition is of paramount importance to manufacture muscle, healthy bone, hair, teeth and a fully developed immune system. A poor nutrition has a marked effect on these structures and this can be life lasting. The most important time for quality nutrition is during this growing period. Kittens are full of curiosity about the world around them and need lots of energy to explore it. A specially formulated kitten food will contain abundant protein to support healthy tissue and organ development, and higher levels of essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc and iron to help them build strong bones and teeth. Cats also have a unique requirement for taurine, an essential amino acid that promotes a healthy heart and vision, so it is important to ensure that this is available in the food you are feeding. Most brands of food now contain this essential amino acid to prevent problems. Kittens also have smaller mouths than adult cats. Although this sounds logical, the pellets of most kitten kibble need to be smaller than the adult kibble. Giant breed cats, like Maine coons often don’t do well on small pellets so individually formulated diets for these specialised breeds is a great way of ensuring they get the nutrition they need. As discussed previously, a kitten should be left as long as possible with its mother for developmental reasons. Kittens need milk from their mothers till they are weaned at about 6 weeks where they are transitioned onto solid foods. This time often co-insides with the time many kittens are homed. Digestive upsets are very common at this time. Al-

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

ways find out from the source where you got the kitten from what food they have been feeding and what the kitten is used to eating. This is important because you will need to transition them now from the food they are being fed to something you want to use. This transition should take about a week. You can do this by slowly changing the amounts of the old food mixed with the new food by phasing out the old food over a week to ten days. At this stage it is a good idea to use a probiotic as gastro-intestinal support is of utmost importance when this transition occurs. There are also a lot of probiotics on the market which you can find at your vet shops. Something I always have in my home is low fat or fat free yoghurt. A teaspoon or half a table spoon on top of the food is a great way of giving a source of probiotics. If the stool does become very loose during this change in diet, it may be important to seek out vet advice as kittens dehydrate very quickly and a small fluid loss in a tiny kitten can snowball out of control. By the time kittens reach 10-12 weeks the transition to solid food should be complete. Kittens don’t digest cow’s milk well as the lactose content is too high. Cow’s milk gives kittens a loose stool and should be avoided at all costs. Cats are natural ‘grazers’. They do not adapt well to eating just one meal a day, as some dogs do. Cats prefer food that is fed at room temperature, so it’s better not to feed wet food direct from the fridge. Leave it to warm up a bit before serving. I always tell my clients to feed the best food… they can afford. There is a world of difference between

supermarket brands of food and foods you would find being sold at the vet or vet shops. If you have a supermarket food that your cat likes and is healthy on then by all means continue to use that food. I often insist new owners use a super-premium brand like Hills even if it’s just for the first year of the kitten’s life. Many owners see how healthy their cats are on these super-premium foods that they continue to use the super-premium food for the rest of the cat’s life. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means, they need meat in their diet. Many health problems will occur by trying to feed a vegetarian diet. Some kittens can be fussy eaters. Try and vary the flavour of the food first before changing the brand. Trickery to encourage eating a specific food can be done by adding tiny bits of boiled chicken or a low fat gravy/wet food onto the kibble to encourage appetite of that food. A lot of breeders like to feed raw diets. I am not a fan of raw diets but when the source of the raw food is of good quality and the feeding is managed well, this can be a great source of protein and nutrients. Always seek advice of someone familiar with raw foods if this is a route you want to pursue. Even though most cats look fullygrown by six months, they’re still kittens on the inside. Their bones are becoming stronger and their bodies filling out. Kittens shouldn’t transfer to a commercially produced adult food until they are 12 months old. This should again be done gradually like mentioned above, to avoid stomach upsets.

Water is a very important resource to any animal. Water needs to always be provided for kittens. Many water bowls of different sizes need to be scattered throughout the house and garden for kittens. Cats have an amazing attraction to running water. Drinking fountains for cats that provide flowing water can encourage them to drink. Fresh clean water needs to be provided every day. In the next issue we will discuss Early Spay and Neuter, General kitten care from Puberty to Adult and Adopting an adult cat.

Kitten Blog The Bed Changing Episode!! We agreed to change the bed today, a simple little task. Just strip the bed, remove the sheets, what more could anyone ask? Instead we had some extra help, four felines bright and keen. Havoc started straight away, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll tell you what I mean! First there was the bedding pile that seemed to come to life. It started running round the room to add to all our strife. Pillowcases everywhere, even up the stairs. Some were scattered on the floor with others on the chairs.

The more we tried to disengaged, the deeper they would hide. Eventually we turfed them out and got the duvet on. But something looked peculiar something was quite wrong! The strangest bulge was evident, a lump distending out. A closer look for route and cause, led us to have no doubt. Following a grappling fight with kits so keen to aid, we found the lump that caused the bulge, our puzzlement allayed. There it was for all to see, a present from our cat. A purple knitted smelly toy, their favourite catnip rat! Teresa Harrison-Best

The duvet cover full of kits was rolling round the bed. We wished we hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose this task, just watched a film instead. Our duvet was now tangled up with kittens still inside.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Feline Hyperthyroidism Dr Joanne McLean BSC (Vet Biol) BVSc (Hons) Bryanston Veterinary Hospital PO Box 67092, Bryanston, 2021 Email: joanne@fuseprop.co.za

Feline hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis) is a multisystemic endocrine or metabolic disorder arising from excess production of active thyroid hormones from abnormally functioning thyroid glands. In approximately 97- 99% of cases this excess thyroid hormone production is as a result of hyperplasia (enlargement) of the thyroid glands or a benign tumour of the thyroid glands (adenoma). In 70-75% of cases, both thyroid glands are affected. This disorder is now not only recognized as the most common endocrine disease of the cat, but one of the more frequently diagnosed disorders in small animal practice throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. It is typically a disease of middle age to older cats (average age of 13 years) of any sex or breed with only 5% of hyperthyroid cats being younger than 10 years of age at time of diagnosis. Since first been reported in America in the late 1970’s, studies have shown that there has been a steady but dramatic increase in the number of cats affected with the disease worldwide. These studies have also shown that there is a large variation in the prevalence of the disease in cat populations throughout the world with the disease more commonly diagnosed in cats in countries such as America, the UK and New Zealand but much less commonly in others such as Scandinavia and Hong Kong. The reason for this is still unknown but may reflect differences in dietary or environmental factors. Unfortunately to date no studies have been performed to evaluate the number of cats affected by hyperthyroidism in South Africa, however the disease is

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

seen and diagnosed in cats in South Africa and its incidence seems to be on the increase. The exact underlying cause of hyperthyroidism in cats is also still not known and thus no recommendations can be given in terms of preventing the disease in cats. Possible causes which have been investigated include: • Genetic or hereditary factors • Nutritional component(s) in cat food leading to metabolic thyroid dysfunction e.g. iodine (deficiency or excess), selenium • Thyroid -disrupting compounds in troduced into the environment or diet e.g. resourcenel, polyphenols (plasticisers that line tin cans), polychlorinated biphenols, polybro minated diphenyl ethers (fire retar dants) and soy isoflavones Certain risk factors for the disease have however been identified. These include increased risk of the disease in: • • • • • •

• •

Indoor cats Female cats Cats in multi-cat households Use of topical flea preparations and pesticides Use of cat litter Consumption of certain flavours of canned foods (fish or liver and giblet flavour) Non-pure bred cats Consumption of canned foods with ’pop top’ lids

As the over production of thyroid hormone affects a multitude of body systems including the heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, liver, muscles and nervous system, cats affected with the disease can show a variety of clinical signs including: • Weight loss

• • • •

Increased appetite Increased activity and restlessness Aggressive or “cranky” behaviour A poor hair coat

• Palpable thyroid nodules in the neck area • A fast heart rate • A heart murmur • Increased blood pressure • Sudden onset blindness due to retinal detachment • Increased water drinking • Increased urination • Periodic vomiting • Increased amount of stool or diarrhoea • Occasionally difficulty breathing • Occasionally weakness • Occasionally depression A diagnosis of hyperthyroidism is made when the level of thyroid hormone (total T4) is increased in the blood. Most hyperthyroid cats have very high levels of this hormone but some cats will have signs of hyperthyroidism with normal or only slightly increased levels of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone levels can vary over time so it may be necessary to check blood levels several times or perform a different test called a T3 suppression test. The enlarged thyroid gland(s) can also often be felt in the neck area. If the diagnosis is not obvious by blood tests, a nuclear medicine scan of the thyroid glands can be performed. The cat is given a small dose of a radioactive compound that travels by the blood to the thyroid glands. Hyperactive thyroid glands accumulate more of the compound than normal glands. After this test the cat must be hospitalized for a few days while it clears the radioactive compound from its body.

A blood panel and urinalysis are also performed to screen for abnormalities in other organs such as liver and kidney that may be present due to the advanced age of the animal. High levels of thyroid hormone may cause heart disease. The heart may appear enlarged on x-ray or ultrasound and may show abnormal electrical activity on an ECG (electrocardiogram). Heart disease may cause fluid to build up in or around the lungs. Cats with serious heart disease and hyperthyroidism need to be treated for both diseases. The heart disease will reverse in many cats after successful treatment of hyperthyroidism. There are four types of treatment for hyperthyroidism: • Life- long oral anti-thyroid medication (carbimazole) • Surgical removal of affected thyroid glands • Iodine deficient diet (Hill’s Y/D) • Treatment with radioactive iodine The anti-thyroid pill is carbimazole, also known as Neomercazole. Carbimazole is given one to three times daily and must be continued life -long. It takes several weeks for carbimazole to reduce blood thyroid hormone levels to normal. If carbimazole is discontinued, thyroid hormone levels will return to high levels over a few weeks. Carbimazole may be used to reduce thyroid hormone levels to normal before surgically removing the thyroid gland(s). Cats with heart disease may be too sick and fragile to anesthetize for surgery in which case carbimazole can be given until the heart improves and the cat is stronger. Some owners (and their cats) find it difficult to give pills daily and may decide, after starting anti-thyroid pills, to later have their cat treated with an iodine deficient diet or surgery. Carbimazole may produce side effects in cats including depression, vomiting and lack of appetite. These signs usually resolve without stopping the medication. A more serious side effect is the development of low blood cell counts which are more likely to develop during the first 3

months of treatment. Enlarged thyroid glands can also be surgically removed. Carbimazole or an iodine deficient diet is given for 1 to 2 months before surgery so that thyroid hormone levels are normal at the time of surgery. If both glands are enlarged, they can both be removed and most cats will still produce enough thyroid hormone by a few thyroid cells scattered throughout the body to prevent hypothyroidism (abnormally low thyroid hormone levels). A few cats will become hypothyroid and may need to take thyroid pills. Surgical removal of the thyroid gland(s) can usually be performed without complications. Occasionally complications may develop including damage to the parathyroid glands, which are closely attached to the thyroid gland, damage to nerves close to the thyroid gland or damage to the voice box. Parathyroid gland damage causes low blood calcium that may cause seizures. Low blood calcium is treated with calcium or vitamin D. Nerve damage causes abnormal size of the pupils of the eyes and droopy eyelids. Damage to the voice box causes a change in voice. Some cats will remain hyperthyroid after surgical removal of the thyroid glands. These cats have thyroid cells in abnormal locations, including inside the chest cavity where surgical removal is difficult. This extra thyroid tissue is called ectopic thyroid and thus cats that have had surgery may have recurrence of hyperthyroidism. Based on recent studies, a novel option for treatment of feline hyperthyroidism now exists in the form of a commercially available iodine restricted diet (Hills Y/D) and is an alternative treatment to consider in cats that are difficult to pill or are too debilitated to undergo surgery. An iodine restricted food was developed based on the hypothesis that feline hyperthyroidism can be managed nutritionally by limiting the amount of dietary iodine available for production of thyroid hormones. It has been shown to be an effective and safe option for the sole management of the disease reportedly converting 90% of hyperthyroid cats in in one study

to euthyroidism within 8-12 weeks. The only drawback in using an iodine restricted diet is that compliance has to be 100% for the diet to have an effect and as such any exposure to products or foods containing iodine, such as compounding agents for medications, treats, supplements, cleaning agents, other pet food, prey food or home prepared meals or treats and even in some cases municipal water, should be discontinued. The diet however has been shown not to have any adverse effects if fed to healthy cats and as such, the maintenance of normal thyroid concentrations and lack of clinical signs of hypothyroidism in these cats indicates that adequate amounts of iodine is provided to healthy animals fed the diet. Treatment with radioactive iodine is only performed at selected specialty veterinary practices overseas and is unfortunately not available to cat owners in South Africa. Radioactive iodine is given intravenously and will accumulate in the abnormal thyroid tissue killing the abnormal thyroid cells but sparing the normal thyroid cells. Radioactive iodine will also accumulate in ectopic thyroid tissue. Radioactive iodine treatment is very effective and rarely causes hypothyroidism. The cats do not have to be placed under anaesthesia for the procedure. The disadvantages of radioactive iodine treatment include the need to travel to a facility that offers this treatment and the need for the cat to remain hospitalized until the level of radioactivity decreases to a safe level as determined by the state radiation control office (usually 1 to 3 weeks). Older cats with hyperthyroidism often also have kidney disease. Treatment of these cats is a delicate balancing act. Hyperthyroidism can actually improve kidney function by increasing blood flow to the kidneys. Some cats with kidney disease will show a worsening of kidney function after treatment for hyperthyroidism.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Kittycat Issue 1 January/February 2014

Kittens are angels with whiskers. ~Anonymous

Cat Buyer Guide At what Age Should a Kitten Go Home? Article courtesy of Cat Buyer Guide www.manhattancats.com www.catbuyerguide.com

replace pic with high-res

At What Age Should A Kitten Go Home? Responsible breeders sell their kittens at 12 weeks or older. Many do not sell their kittens until they are between four and six months old. There are some who argue that a kitten is ready to be sold at age 10 weeks; while most responsible breeders do not believe that this is best, it’s within acceptable ranges. However, any breeder who offers you a kitten younger than 10 weeks of age is not up on his or her research and doesn’t have the kitten’s best interest in mind. Run -- don’t walk -- from a breeder selling kittens so young. A kitten younger than 10 weeks of age is not fully weaned or socialized. Most are not fully weaned or socialized until age 12 weeks or older.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

While some kitten buyers believe “the younger, the better” and that an older kitten will not bond, this simply isn’t true. Cats are not pack animals and are able to bond with new humans at any time through their lives, even into old age. What is true is that a kitten separated from their mother too young may not learn to bond properly at all. The weeks between six and twelve weeks of age are an important time for a kitten’s emotional and mental development. It’s during this time that the kitten learns “cat language” (the body language used by other cats), learns to socialize properly with mother and siblings, learns that humans are really OK -- most very young kittens largely ignore the humans around them -- and develops the confidence to face the outside world alone. By age twelve weeks,

the mother-kitten bond is beginning to break naturally. A kitten separated from the mother and siblings before this process is over may have lifelong problems interacting with other cats; may never be able to bond with humans properly; be fearful, skittish, or shy; and develop inappropriate attachments to items. Most kittens, left to their own devices, will become fully weaned between ten and twelve weeks of age. Most breeders begin introducing food sometime between four and five weeks of age, and the kittens gradually substitute mother’s milk with solid food. However, weaning is a process, not an event; kittens will continue to nurse and eat food together until they stop nursing on their own or Mom begins tiring of the activity and stops allowing them to nurse.

The best solution for their emotional and physical health is to let the process take its course naturally. More importantly, the six-to-twelve week period is a critical time for a kitten’s health development. This is the time when the immune system is taking over from the immunity gained from mother’s milk to immunity gained from vaccinations. This is also a process and does not happen overnight. This period can be a stressful time for the kitten’s immature immune system. A kitten subjected to the extra stress of being taken from familiar surroundings, mother, and siblings on top of this immune system stress is far more susceptible to upper respiratory infections or digestive upsets, particularly diarrhea. A six-to-eight week old kitten is an infant. Leave them with Mom and don’t work with a breeder who would force them to do just that. Beware of Backyard Breeders and Pet Shops Backyard breeders are not professionals; rather, they are people with little knowledge of cat breeding issues, such as the need to screen for genetic problems that may afflict certain breeds. In addition to increasing the risk that kittens will suffer from horrendous genetic defects and illnesses, backyard breeders often don’t know how to properly socialize kittens, and they tend to adopt them out too young, which can lead to a lifetime of physical and psychological problems. Backyard breeders can usually be recognized by their failure to register their kittens, keep them until at least 12 weeks of age, or participate in cat shows. What age should kittens be before they are taken away from their mothers and brought to a new home? Although many newspaper ads offer much younger kittens for sale, most veterinarians and reputable breeders say that kittens should never leave their mothers before 10 weeks of age, and should preferably stay with their mothers for at least 12

weeks. When kittens are separated from their mothers and siblings too early, they suffer extreme anxiety, and in some cases medical problems so severe that they actually die from them. Problems with Early Adoption Kittens that are taken away from their mothers too early can suffer from a variety of psychological and health problems because they miss out on critical emotional, mental, and developmental milestones that occur at 6-12 weeks of age. The following are some common problems afflicting kittens that are adopted before 12 weeks of age. Poor Immunity - A kitten’s immune system develops between 8 and 12 weeks, and a kitten less than 12 weeks old has not received its full set of required vaccinations. A mother cat’s milk provides antibodies that protect the health of her kittens. If they are prevented from nursing before their own immune systems have become strong, kittens are more likely to succumb to a wide variety of illnesses, particularly respiratory conditions. Rushed Weaning- Kittens shouldn’t be weaned suddenly. Rather, weaning should be a gradual process in which they alternate between nursing and eating cat food, slowly increasing the amount of cat food consumed and decreasing nursing time until nursing ceases altogether. At 6-8 weeks of age, kittens are not ready to stop nursing. Usually, a mother cat will begin denying opportunities to nurse between 8 and 12 weeks of age, and thus the kitten learns to deal with frustration in a natural way. Kittens that are taken from their mothers too soon miss out on this natural process, and are more inclined to develop behavioural problems as a result of low frustration tolerance later on. Kittens taken before 8 weeks of age may suffer from diarrhea as a result of sudden weaning and a too-rapid shift to solid food. This condition can be life threatening, as kittens will quickly become dehydrated and lose weight rapidly. Even if they don’t develop severe diarrhea, kittens taken too early often become malnourished

and fail to put on weight. Litter Box Problems- Litter box training usually occurs between 6 and 12 weeks, and this is also a gradual process. A kitten taken too early will either not be litter trained or may have inconsistent litter box habits. This, combined with the stress of losing its family too early, can cause a kitten to develop lifelong bad habits, such as avoiding the litter box completely or using it inconsistently. Neurotic Behaviour - While many people seek younger kittens because they mistakenly believe that an older kitten won’t bond with them properly, the reality is that older kittens have no problems bonding with new humans. A younger kitten may bond with a person as well, but it is often a neurotic bond in which the kitten is terrified of being left alone and needs to have its surrogate mother in sight at all times. Kittens adopted too young are more likely to suck on fabric, people’s earlobes, or their own fur, and they tend to run and hide when they see unknown people. Poor Socialization- Kittens are socialized between 4 and 14 weeks of age, and it is during this critical period that they learn which behaviours are appropriate. Kittens taken too early are more likely to be hostile and aggressive toward people and other pets. They often get along poorly with other cats because they have never learned to interpret feline body language, having missed out on the longer socialization process that they should have had with their families. Overall, they are more insecure and less tolerant. Adopting at 12 Weeks Is Ideal While the ideal adoption age may vary somewhat from breed to breed, and even among individual kittens within a breed or a litter, most kittens should not be taken away from their mothers before 12 weeks of age, and a kitten should never be separated from its family before it is 10 weeks old. Waiting three months to adopt is worthwhile because it will increase the likelihood of having a happier and healthier cat in the long run.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

News

The inspiring story of Russell the cat Article courtesy of Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care

This is Russell, burned in a house fire on January 12th, presumed dead, and miraculously found four days later.

They gave us a picture of him before the fire (with his housemate, who was lost in the fire) and gave us some back story on his life.

He was immediately rushed to Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care for treatment. Suffering from second and third degree burns to his feet, face, ears, body, and rectum, as well as major injuries to his mouth and tongue, he was painful and dehydrated. He had developed a fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis) as he had not eaten in four days. The fur on his entire body had been singed off.

www.ervets4pets.com

At first we focused on life-saving treatments and pain management. Once he was more stable, he was sedated as the tips of his ears had to be amputated, his burns cleaned and dressed, and a feeding tube was placed. He was kept heavily sedated for a few days to keep the pain under control. We first posted his story on our Facebook page on January 19th. Russell’s family had lost everything in this fire, including their pet dog, Fifi, who was treated at our hospital for several days before the family decided to euthanize due to complications from carbon monoxide poisoning. Knowing the tragedy they were suffering through, we wanted to help. We knew with the extensive treatment he needed that Russell’s medical bills would be high, and so we posted his story on Facebook and asked the community to mail or phone in donations if they could. We hoped to get small amount of his estimated costs covered by contributions from the public. The donations for Russell started coming in. The generosity of the community was amazing! We immediately began receiving inquiries about payments from citizens in other countries, and we had to figure out how to create a PayPal account for Russell and link it to our Facebook page. His family asked us to post a Thank You from them; they were able to go on our Facebook page and see the support Russell was receiving

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Russell was found as a homeless kitten on the family’s return home from a trip to Georgia. He has been with them ever since. “He has always been a big talker. Russell has an answer for everything and always wants the last word!” With his popularity on Facebook it was only a matter of time before the news media picked up his story. Within days WNCN picked up his story, and then our local ABC station, ABC 11, also ran a news piece on him. Radio station G105’s famous “Bob and the Showgram” picked up the story as well as countless websites and online organizations worldwide. Over the next several days Russell began to improve as he received our around-the-clock care. He was kept on IV fluids and fed through a feeding tube. He underwent several surgical procedures to clean and remove the dead tissue from his wounds and to change the bandages on his legs and feet.

News

The inspiring story of Russell the cat Article courtesy of Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care

We also used a concoction of SSD and Insulin on his burns to help keep the pain and inflammation down, improve healing, and regenerate tissue. We were thrilled to see that his vision has not been adversely affected, though the swelling around his eyes was such that he kept his eyes closed most of the time. His attitude throughout has been amazing! He continuously purrs, tries to knead with his front feet, and is such a talker!

www.ervets4pets.com

Over the next 24 hours we were able to take him off of IV fluids. We continued to administer pain relief medications and apply Collasate (a collagen based ointment) to his burns to help them heal. His feet also remained heavily bandaged and we left the feeding tube in place in case we needed it. He developed an arrhythmia and we had an echocardiogram performed. It was concluded that Russell had an underlying heart condition (HCM) that was exacerbated by the trauma of the fire. He began to leak fluid into the space around his lungs due to a combination of his heart disease and his low protein resulting from injuries sustained in the fire. Russell was started on 3 different heart medications, is monitored with regular ultrasounds, and has thoracocentesis performed as needed. By February 2nd Russell was eating dry food on his own and was able to remain off of IV fluids. He was treated with a special product called ACeLL, which is a matrix created from pig bladder that encourages and stimulates the patient’s own cells to regrow.

The donations kept pouring in especially as other internet celebrities would pick up his story on their page. Russell achieved true internet fame when Dr. Marty Becker posted about him! We had to call in reinforcements to help answer phones, email, Facebook messages, and mail! We were blown away by the generosity of the public. Russell received donations and encouragement from all 50 states as well as over 40 countries! It wasn’t long before we humbly reported that Russell’s medical expenses had been completely covered! Since so many still wanted to help, we began to advertise our Good Samaritan fund to help other animals in need. On January 30th Russell finally started eating!

The matrix was applied to his limbs by being sutured over the wounds. An injectable form was applied to the tissue around his eyes. We could see whiskers starting to grow back and he was looking tremendously better. He continued to be very talkative, purr loudly, and loved to be petted.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

News

The inspiring story of Russell the cat Article courtesy of Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care He was receiving cards, blankets, bedding, treats, and toys from all over the world. Donations were continuing to come in for our Good Samaritan account in Russell’s honor. On February 7th we received one of the sweetest donations. A seven year old girl named Bella mailed Russell a handmade Get Well Soon card complete with the one dollar donation of her tooth fairy money. Some of our frequently asked questions: Will he see again? Yes! Russell has fortunately not suffered any damage to his eyes and can see fine. Isn’t he in a lot of pain? He was in the beginning. We kept him heavily sedated and gave multiple pain relief medications. He started recovering quickly and is doing well. Russell even fell asleep on his technician’s arm during his last bandage change. Will his fur grow back? We aren’t sure yet. There are some places where fur and whiskers are growing back, but it is possible that he will have some neat scars to tell his friends about. Any patches where the fur does not grow back will be purely cosmetic and will not cause Russell any problems. What about the family? Russell’s mom lost everything in the house fire. She suffered severe burns to her hands trying to get her pets out of the house, and sustained a knee injury weeks later. We are keeping the family updated on Russell’s progress and they visit when possible. Two of the family members post on our Facebook page when they can. They are looking forward to taking Russell home! We are covering all of Russell’s medical expenses, Fifi’s (Russell’s canine companion who passed away due to injuries from the fire) medical expenses, and helping the family with the cost of Russell’s continued medical care after he is discharged. What is the Good Samaritan Fund? Our hospital has a long history of treating homeless, rescue, and surrendered pets as well as local wildlife. We accepted small donations from clients here and there, but mostly absorbed the cost of these cases. After the outpouring of support for Russell reached a level where

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

www.ervets4pets.com

his expenses were completely covered, we thought to create a PayPal account for our Good Samaritan Fund for those who wanted to continue donating to a good cause. It is currently not a 501(c)3 fund. 100% of all donations go directly to animals in need. Are you taking money from Russell for the Good Samaritan Fund? Absolutely not. All of the donations that came in for Russell will be used for his care. The donations received were so generous that they covered all of Russell’s medical expenses to date as well as our best estimates for his continued treatment and follow up care. Should the cost of his care exceed those estimates, then we will take from the Good Samaritan fund and cover his expenses. Can we send things to Russell? Russell has received so much love from all over the world! People have sent cards, blankets, toys, and pictures. We appreciate everything and will be giving it all to his family when he leaves. We have decorated his kennel with his cards. At this time Russell does not need anything but we do appreciate the thought! If you’d like to send cards our address is 409 Vick Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612.

News

The inspiring story of Russell the cat Article courtesy of Animal Emergency Hospital and Urgent Care

www.ervets4pets.com

Follow Russell on Facebook

Animal Emergency Hospital & Urgent Care www.facebook.com/AnimalEmergencyHospitalAndUrgentCare www.ervets4pets.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

News

LA Cat Art Show

Cat Art Show Los Angeles, the largest multi-artist exhibition of cat inspired artwork for sale ever exhibited, was held from 25 January to 2 February 2014. CAT ART SHOW LOS ANGELES is a both a meditation and a celebration of the feline form. This exhibition goes beyond heralding felines as domesticated companion, and instead explores their role as muse and inspiration. Aloof one moment and adoring the next, their behavior alone is a constant source of artistic fodder destined for reinterpretation. Then there is their adroit physicality; be it lounging languorously across our still unread newspaper, or their instinctive predatory sensibilities. Cats have been part of our lexicon (not to mention our home life) for thousands of years. The Egyptians frequently aligned them with the gods, like Bastet, the goddess of warfare.

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Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Later, great artists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Utagawa Kuniyoshi, and Pablo Picasso all created masterpieces centered around cats, sometimes showcasing them as companion, sometimes around something much deeper symbolically. All in all, art featured in Cat Art Show Los Angeles is a contemporary examination of the psychology, inspiration, and physical impact of cats in our lives. A portion of proceeds was donated to the Stray Cat Alliance. Copyright: www.lacatartshow.com

News

LA Cat Art Show

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

“

AM NOT A VEGETARIAN”

“ DEMAND

“Iams gives me that” Animal protein helps build and maintain strong, lean muscle. Check your bag; chicken and turkey is our first ingredient ▲

Act 36 1947 Reg. No. V15774

ANIMAL PROTEIN ”

▲

excluding IAMS ProActive Light in Fat. Available at veterinarians.

For more information on your cat’s nutrition, ask your vet or call our helpline on Kittycat Issue 1 January/February 2014 9 Tel: 011 463 8140 or E-mail: iams@cuberoute.co.za

Regular Feature

You’ve got talent! International Artist

Feline Sapien Art I started sculpting a couple of years ago after wanting to try something I could do at home that was creative. I bought some Polymer Clay and decided to just give it a go and once I had, I absolutely loved it. It was probably quite inevitable that I ended up focusing on Siamese and Orientals, not only because I have three wonderful cats of my own, but I find their elegance and character very inspiring to try and capture. For me the eyes are the most important part of my sculptures and so I always start there first, then the rest of the face evolves. Most of my cats are created as I go along, I don’t normally have any set ideas about what finished sculpture will look like, the pose or even colour, but once the face and the character starts to form all of those elements follow naturally. Each cat takes a while to make - sometimes I have to play around with the clay for a while until I’m happy and then refining the pieces once the Polymer clay is cured. The cats are then hand painted using acrylics, and even if I have an initial colour for the sculpture at the beginning, it is only when a cat is ready for painting that I know for sure what will suit that individual - and it’s amazing how, when you pick the right colour, the cat really looks at its best. Some of my sculptures have a more whimsical feels to them than others, although I think I’ve developed a certain look to my work that’s individual to me. Sculpting also lead me to rediscover a love of painting as I hadn’t picked up a paintbrush for a long time until I started to paint my sculptures. I like to work in watercolour and am becoming increasingly enthusiastic about painting and ideas for future works. My art has become such a positive part of my life and I’m very excited by all the things I want to do in the near and long-term future, one of those being to buy a kiln so I can work in ceramics. There is so much to see and be inspired by, either other artists or so many beautiful subjects, I feel very fortunate to be doing what I am. You can see some of my work on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FelineSapienArt

Readers are welcome to contact Anet on anetdutoit@gmail.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Regular Feature

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got talent! International Felting Artist

Elena Zavalishina My hobby, and my job at the same time, is to create portrait sculptures of different animals from photographs by needle felting. I have been doing needle felting 2 years. I have had no education in sculpture, nor did I attend any courses on needle felting. I saw photos of needle felted toys on the internet and I liked them so much that I decided to try needle felting myself! At work I use only natural, hypoallergenic materials i.e. merino wool and silk . To create a toy takes me 4-5 days. I try to achieve the color, spots and stripes of the real animal therefore my toys appear to be alive! I love the process of creating each sculpture. I call it the birth! I believe that each of my felted animals have their own character, they are totally different! I put this process in my soul, my heart, and the most important thing for me is to know that they make people smile and bring them pleasant memories of their pets! Please visit my Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/felteddogs

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Regular Feature

You’ve got talent! Painter

Raphaël Vavasseur Art I was born in Paris and now live in Normandy (country). I have been practising art since my childhood. I am very attracted by graphism, I mix painting and comics style drawings to make a contemporary style. Cats are a subject recurring in my paintings as well as the universe of childish illustrations. Please visit my Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rapha%C3%ABl-Vavasseurart/394058587361515 You are welcome to buy a Raphaël Vavasseur’s Painting from my eBay shop: www.ebay.fr/sch/ombre-de-lune/m.html?_ nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from= delivery around the world

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

How I met my cat? Scorpio As a Generation-Y yuppy it seemed only appropriate that I met my cat, Scorpio, online. His photo had popped up on my Facebook newsfeed, accompanied by a plea from an old school friend who was desperately trying to re-home him on behalf of her late dad. My fiancé and I live in a small ground floor apartment and we’d agreed several months earlier to not adopt a pet, rather keeping our responsibilities to a minimum and enjoying a lock-up-and-go lifestyle. Looking back, I can only laugh at how quick we were to think that we would be happy without a furry friend. Arriving to officially collect Scorpio felt like a blind date as we hadn’t yet met. I’d agreed to adopt him banking solely on the sterling review of his character that my friend had given me and took it for granted that we’d quickly become friends. But every first meeting involves some anxiety, and mine set in with full force when I realised that not only did he hate being in a car, but the accident that he’d had on-route in his carrier meant that I would have to bath him the moment we arrived home. Despite what seemed an awful first impression on my part, by the time I was towel-drying his little black body he was already full of purrs and nudging my hands in request for more. Fewer than 20 minutes later, a damp Scorpio had made himself comfortable on my fiancé’s lap. He’s an affectionate, easygoing little fellow, and that’s how it’s been ever since in our happy little home of three.

Stevi-Mae Kruger

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

How I met my cat? Lily On our small holding in sun valley , Kyalami we have 8 rescue cats. I have attached pictures of Lily, a very happy ending story as are they all when they arrive here. We went to have a look at an antique bath advertised in the junk mail and there she was lying under the fridge in this home, she was screaming for help (I did not know that I could hear cats until this day). I asked the owner if she was prepared to part with her, she was not. We got into the car and I sobbed asking the universe if she called out to me and wants a new life to make it happen. A few days later I received a call with the words if you want her come fetch her .... we rushed over there. The husband had her hanging by her tail and had cut all her whiskers off. His comment was that it is very funny when she screams ... I grabbed her and wrapped her up in my jersey and we left. We named her Lily. She was very sick and turns out very deaf after 3 weeks of hospitalisation being force fed , loads of love Lily came home to her forever home and rules our hearts. She is everywhere we are and so grateful for her home, loves pictures being taken of her and does very cute things to get attention and most of all she has a voice that is heard. I give thanks for her everyday.

Mandy

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

How I met my cat? Knatso Sometime in 1995 a friend came to my door with this young white and black male cat. I had only been living in Johannesburg a few months and I was working long hours in the restaurant industry. Knatso Boy had been living at the police barracks in Gallo Manor and some of the residents had threatened to drown him, and knowing I was mad about cats, he was delivered to me. This little boy was a typical CAT … “when I feel like it and IF I feel like it”. He didn’t want any other cats around, totally ignored my house mates dogs and chatted away when he wanted milk or breakfast, other than that – I may as well have been invisible. IT WAS TRUE LOVE! Knatso was such an easy going companion and we were the perfect fit. Neither of us expected too much from each other, but every night we snuggled in bed and we went for walks together often. He moved house with me many times and didn’t have to be kept in to get settled like other cats. He went to the vet on a leash and sat amongst all the dogs accepting the admiration of the other people in the waiting room like it was totally expected. And we went to the vet A LOT! He was always out getting in to trouble. Despite being neutered, he was a fighter and a hunter. He had more bite wounds that got infected than any other cat I have ever had. He somehow got a stick in his eye. He got caught in a snare and nearly lost his paw. And as he got older his misspent youth caught up with him and his teeth and kidneys started giving in. My beautiful boy was with me until July last year when I made that terrible decision, no more drips, no more vomiting, no more injections, no more cold nights spent at the vet – it was time to say goodbye. I have cried while typing this. I still miss my guy. Even my husband knew he took second place to Knatso Boy. His paw has touched my heart and the imprint will remain forever.

Karen Corriea

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Let’s talk about cats I just want to say, this is a lovely mag, I was looking for cat clubs as I moved from Cape Town to Jozi in July 2012.

I landed up feeding Loss Lappie and their dog. Loss Lappie moved in with me and my then kitty Stormy.

I love cats and was thinking of visiting them here in Jozi. Give me an interest that I will enjoy.

Stormy and she came to terms that they now shared my space. Stormy passed away and Loss Lappie was taken from me when her owners moved.

Both my cats are adopted from family members. Looney Tunes was known as Luna. She belonged to my son who had to give her up as he was not allowed animals in his flat. I changed her name to suite her character. She was born at 2am on a mat next to my bed, almost landed on my foot when coming out. She loves being on a mat that one moves around with your foot or hand. Jumps around like a mad thing, she charges all over the place and generally makes me laugh. She’s a big black & white spayed female that I adopted from my son. She is the daughter of my previous kitty Gypsy. I gave Gypsy her name as she was moved around so much as a tiny kitten by her mom & I. I was trying to keep the kittens safe from the weather and the dog on the property and she was trying to keep the kittens safe from the Nabors kids. Gypsy’s mommy was called Loss Lappie which I gave her the name as her owners never gave her a name or fed her and their dog.

I had kept one of Gypsy’s kittens, Luna’s brother Sparky which I named as his tip of his tail was white in the very dark tabby colours. Luna/Looney Tunes was taken by my son and later had to find a home for her. I brought her back with me when I left Cape Town from a holiday. She was lonely so I started looking out for another cat. That came from my niece who was getting married and moved in with her mom who had a bull terrier who eat kittys.

He was called Sammy, I changed it to Cyclone Sammy as he has so much energy that he breaks things climbing onto anything he can get to. I love them both soooo much and can’t imagine my life without them. I live alone and come home to my little furry kitty family each day to be greeted with meows and rubs. They wake me if my alarm goes off and I don’t wake. Looney Tunes pulled the duvet off my shoulder or Cyclone Sammy puts his paw on my face and throat to wake me. They are so special. Kitty’s are a breed of their own and we don’t own them, they own us, we give in voluntarily as who can resist the love of a kitty or few. Thanks again for a great mag Cynthia Mac Gregor, Linden, Randburg Jozi.

She said he is a Burmese. Not sure as there are no papers. He is pitch black with orange eyes, the beginning of his whiskers are white and half way they turn black. He and Loony Tunes are now friends.

WIN We would love to hear from you. Send your letters to: kittycatsa@gmail.com Winning letter will receive a Sphynx outfit from Sphynx Cat Gear.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

2014 CAT SHOW

Calendar

DATE

SHOW

SHOW MANAGER

CONTACT

01.03.2014

TCS

ATHYLLE CAW

011 234 0126 PM

01.03.2014

ECCC, PE

JOHAN GROENEWALD

014 368 2948

08.03.2014

CASA and AICA (Durbanville)

JOHAN LAMPECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

08 03.2013

FFC (Johannesburg, Single show)

ETRECIA BESTER

083 442 1512

15.03.2014

WPCC (SAASA,Cape Town)

IAN MOORE

021 712 2001 PM

15 03.2013

CCC (Pretoria, Single show)

DANIEL GERMISHUYS

016 987 1170

29.03.2014

PCS (KZN)

JANE GOBLE

082 784 3126

05.04.2014

CFC (BRS, Johannesburg)

GRANT LEIH

084 584 8922

05.04.2014

ABCC (Cape Town)

LIANNE MULLER

082 490 7567

12.04.2014

NC/FS CC (Kimberley)

WENDY WELHAM

083 633 3344

12.04.2014

AICA/OSBG (Kimberley)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

19.04.2014

CFC (Johannesburg)

INGRID DE WET

011 849 4870 PM

26.04.2014

NCS (Boksburg, Single show)

TBA

mwpaws@mweb.co.za

27.04.2014

CLASA (George)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

03.05.2014

PCS (KZN)

JANE GOBLE

082 784 3126

10.05.2014

CdCi and AICA (Wellington)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

10.05.2014

SACC Kitten Show (Gauteng)

INGRID DE WET

011 849 4870 PM

10.05.2014

KZNCC (Durban, Double show)

TBA

kzncatclub@gmail.com

24.05.2014

ECCC (PE)

JOHAN GROENEWALD

041 368 2948

24.05.2014

TCS (Johannesburg)

ATHYLLE CAW

011 234 0126 PM

31.05.2014

WPCC (Cape Town)

IAN MOORE

021 7122001 PM

31.05.2014

FFC (Gauteng, Double show)

ETRECIA BESTER

083 442 1512

31.05.2014

AICA/OSRBG (Pet Expo Cape)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

01.06.2014

AICA/OSRBG (Pet Expo Cape)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

07.06.2014

PCS (KZN)

JANE GOBLE

082 784 3126

21.06.2014

SACATS (Pretoria)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

21.06.2014

TBCC (Cape Town)

KIM CUTTER

021 461 9505 PM

21.06.2014

CCC (Pretoria, Single)

DANIEL GERMISHUYS

016 987 1170

28.06.2014 - 29.06.2014

AICA/OSRGB (Kirkwood)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

28.06.2014 - 29.06.2014

ECCC (Kirkwood)

JOHAN GROENEWALD

041 368 2948

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

2014 CAT SHOW

Calendar

DATE

SHOW

SHOW MANAGER

CONTACT

05.07.2013

ABCC (Cape Town)

LIANNE MULLER

082 490 7567

12.07.2014

SACC COTY (RCC, Gauteng)

JAN VAN ROOYEN

011 616 4687 PM

18.07.2014

WODAC (SACC, Gauteng, Gallagher)

JAN VAN ROOYEN

011 616 4687 PM

19.07.2014 - 20.07.2014

WODAC (SACC Gauteng, Gallagher)

JAN VAN ROOYEN

011 616 4687 PM

26.07.2014

FFC (Gauteng, Single show)

ETRECIA BESTER

083 442 1512

02.08.2014

KZNCC (Durban, Double show)

TBA

kzncatclub@gmail.com

09 08.2013

ABCC (Cape Town)

LIANNE MULLER

082 490 7567

09.08.2014

CFC (Johannesburg)

INGRID DE WET

011 849 4870 PM

10.08.2014

AICA (Durbanville)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

10.08.2014

CASA

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

16.08.2014

KZN TOP CAT (PCS)

JANE GOBLE

082 784 3126

16.08.2014

NCS (Boksburg, Single Show)

TBA

mwpaws@mweb.co.za

23.08.2014

WPCC (Cape Town)

IAN MOORE

021 712 2001 PM

30.08.2014

RCC (Johannesburg)

JAN VAN ROOYEN

011 616 4687 PM

06. 09.2014

NC/FS CC (Bloemfontein)

WENDY WALHAM

083 633 3344

13.09.2014

ECCC (Port Elizabeth)

JOHAN GROENEWALD

041 368 2948

13.09.2014

CAPE TOP CAT

IAN MOORE

021 712 2001 PM

20.09.2014

CFSA COTY/GARS (Gauteng)

ETRECIA BESTER

083 442 1512

27.09.2014

GAUTENG TOP CAT (RCC)

JAN VAN ROOYEN

011 616 4687 PM

11.10.2014

CdCi/OSRGB/SACATS (Robertson)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

25.10.2014

CCC

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

25.10.2014

SACATS (Gauteng)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

loampr@mweb.co.za

CASA / AICA (Durbanville)

JOHAN LAMPRECHT

lampr@mweb.co.za

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER 29.11.2014 LEGEND ABCC (All Breeds Cat Club), AICA (African Independent Cat Association), CASA (Cats Association of South Africa), CCC (Cleopatra Cat Club), CdCI (Chats du Cap Cat Club), CFC (Cat Fancier’s Club), ECCC (Eastern Cape Cat Club), FFC (Feline Cat Club), NC/FS CC (Northern Cape/Free State Cat Club), NCS (National Cat Society), OSRBG (The Oriental, Siamese & Related Breeds Group), PCS (Provincial Cat Society), RCC (Rand Cat Club), SACC (South African Cat Club), TBCC (The Big Cat Club), TCS (Transvaal Cat Society, WPCC (Western Province Cat Club) Please Note: Dates are subject to change. Please check the relevant websites (SACC, CFSA, CASA/AICA etc) and also contact the show manager of the shows you would like to attend to confirm date, place & time.

Book Reviews The Cat Who By Lilian Jackson Braun Reviewed by Patsy Smyth

I found this series first in my local library. I don’t always like deep reading, so I found these books perfect for sitting curled up in my favourite chair on a rainy or cold day. This is more of a review on a series than on one book in particular. This series is focused on murder mysteries which are light-hearted and fun. Each book focuses on a different murder, but there is the underlying theme in each book highlighting the progression of James Qwilleran’s life with the 2 cats. The Cat Who …. Series dates back to around 1966 and focuses around James Qwilleran and his 2 Siamese cats. James Qwilleran was a newspaper reporter who, through 2 different murders, ended up adipting 2 cats – Koko & Yum Yum. Through an unexpected turn of events, he inherits a fortune and moves to Pickaxe where he becomes involved in bizarre murders that happen in Pickaxe and the surrounding towns.

It’s a Catastrophoe By Sibel Hodge Reviewed by Linda Deane

If you’re into Disney, this one’s definitely for you! The artwork is beautiful and the prose too. Essentially, it’s a book for children but as an adult and a bit of a cat collector myself, I could really identify with Ma but that’s not why I loved this book. The characters are well rounded and as I read I could just see them interacting - Sibel does that with her writing - she makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of the story. Sibel also has a marvellous way of conveying her thoughts and getting her message across without ever getting preachy. Youngsters (and

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

It is Qwilleran’s opinion that when his ample mustache begins tingling, that he is picking up an idea that all is not as it seems. When Koko enters his life, it soon becomes apparent to him that Koko has an affinity for murder mysteries. He suggests that Koko’s ample whiskers probably act the same way as his ample moustache! Lilian Jackson Braun was born in 1913 & started writing around 1966. She is best known for this series. The biggest draw back with this series is the availability. You can only get them if you order them. You can also try your local library. A couple of books were released after her passing in 2011 which I wouldn’t recommend. They were not the same as the series and did not meet up to expectations. I give this series 7 purrs.

their parents) can learn a lot about co-operation and problem solving from this book and the artwork at the beginning is simply brilliant. But don’t just take my word for it, click on the Amazon link below and see what other people are saying about this charming kitty book. It’s available as an ebook and in paperback. The ebook sells for US$2.99 And the paperback for US$14.39 http://www.amazon.com/Its-Catastrophe-Sibel-Hodge-ebook/dp/ B00A52PTD6/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Kittycat of the Month January 2014 Winner : Faith

February 2014 Winner : Braille

To enter the March 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 of the Month Sponsor

www.TwoBlackCats.co.za | hello@twoblackcats.co.za

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Pebbles Love At First Sight In September 2013, a young, very pregnant, stray tortoiseshell cat was taken into foster care by Cat Care in Port Elizabeth. Foster mom Carolyn named her Jess. On the other side of town, a young farm cat gave birth to four premature kittens, then took fright and abandoned them. They weighed less than 60 grams each and had difficulty suckling, so the tiny waifs were taken in by Cat Care to be hand-reared. The tiniest one who weighed only 20 grams was the first to die, and after a few days there was only one survivor. Carolyn, completely smitten, named her Pebbles. Carolyn worked miracles. Pebbles clung to life tenaciously, but it was a gruelling battle until the mother cat was found and reunited with her remaining baby. Carolyn named her Izabella. Meanwhile, Jess gave birth to one perfectlyformed but stillborn kitten, leaving her distraught and restless.A few days later, four orphans – slightly older than Pebbles – ended up with Carolyn. Two of the orphans were put in with Izzie and Pebbles; the other two with Jess. Jess immediately started producing milk in response to the kittens suckling. Big-hearted Izzie accepted her two as her own, and, although Pebbles was delighted to have siblings to cuddle with, she made it quite clear that she was boss and the owner of her own private teat. And then, two weeks later, Carolyn ended up with another three orphans: Phoebe, Paige and Piper. Paige arrived with a badly burned little paw. Izzabella readily accepted the newcomers as her own, and, under the expert ministrations of one of Cat Care’s compassionate vets, the injured paw healed quickly.This is still not the end of the tale. Another orphan, Little Kaycee, also found a warm, safe place to call home thanks to Carolyn – and Jess. Cat Care is recognised as a non-profit organisation (NPO 025-224). To adopt a cat or kitten, or to volunteer your services, please e-mail catcarepe@gmail. com. In an emergency, contact 081 270 2387. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cat-Care-Port-El izabeth/114657711889623?id=114657711889623& sk=info To donate to this worthy cause: STANDARD BANK, RINK STREET Account Number 083989625, Branch Code 05041700

Footnote Izabella is to be sterilised and returned to the farm. Jess has found a home to go to near Storms River. Pebbles, Paige and two of the first batch of four orphans are already booked.

Pebbles update: Izabella and Pebbles were adopted together! and at the age of 5 months Pebbles still sneaks the occasional comfort of mom Izabella’s teat. They are constantly together and Izzy has now been sterilised. The last news we heard of Jess was that she was doing very well and her new mom and the children were quite smitten with her.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Roxy Message from Fluffy (Full White) Hello Kittycat! I just have to tell my story how I live such a great life. My name is Fluffy Kayat. I was left at the SPCA with my other siblings when I was just 8 weeks old. I was so scared but the people at the SPCA were very good to me. Moms name is Roxy Kayat & she just loves cats & this website. Her beautiful white girl of 16 years had just died & shame my mommy was so sad, so she came to the SPCA & one look at me she was over the moon. Her Candy had finally come home. I was taken to a beautiful home. I was so loved & pampered & had free reign of the whole house. I ate at the table & slept on the bed lived like the queen of the castle. This was the life I would never stray or go away. I was neutered so no boys were allowed to come home. There were no children so I was an only child. UNTIL OMG! My mom wanted another baby & incomes this fat white & caramel girl called MISSY, with an attitude. I had to take second place only because she has big hair & her tail is bigger than her body what a show off. Everybody who came to see her went crazy & I felt so hurt. My mommy told me not to feel sad she’s just a baby & I am still the boss. As time passed I grew to love my sister although everyone says she’s so pretty. I love my mommy & daddy because they treat us so well & give us so much love. We are on the Kittycat Website if anyone wants to see us. Oh I forgot to mention Missy got a scolding because she bit the vet & I had a good laugh & said to her “no prawns for you girl”. I hope everyone who reads my story has a laugh and to all the homeless kitties out there I wish my mommy had a BIIIIIIIIGGGGGG HOUSE so you all could come live with us but I’ll still be the BOSS. To the Kittycat team - all the best for a SUPER 2014. May you grow from strength to strength with the new mag. Mommy’s gone crazy again! Lots of love Fluffy Kayat & Missy Kayat Roxy Kayat Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Bono The story of Bono

I know most people believe that their pet is special. We proudly boast of our every own “Bono”. Bono came into our lives about four years ago when we had space at our offices for four rescue cats. Bono was the smallest cat with an ATTITUDE and also no tail. The kitten was about 8 months old at the time. Over the years he has crept into everyone’s heart at the office, including into and onto everyone’s desk. Bono take meaning of brave to a whole new level. He slides up to everyone’s face as they are working. He marches around our garden, jumps over the wall and saunters across the roads. He falls into ponds and chases lizards, rats and doves. This mini cat is a real favourite at Chartered Appointments & Woodrock Animal Rescue

Woodrock Animal Rescue

WINNING STORY WILL RECEIVE A CAT BED Sponsored by Le Pawtique. Please send photos and your Happy Ending Rescue Stories to Kittycatsa@gmail.com

Woodrock Animal Rescue www.woodrockanimalrescue.org.za Tel 079 797 1955 Skype: Ntingasuzi Twitter: @WoodrockAnimals 51

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Emi Meet little Emi. We went to visit Kitty Shelter (Cataholics) in October 2013, and fell in love with a tiny little tuxedo kitten who was very shy. She was blind in one eye, but we knew we had to take her and give her a forever home. We were so excited the day she came home, and we immediately started thinking of a name for her. We decided on the name ‘Emi’ which means ‘blessed by beauty’ in Japanese, and we knew it was the perfect name for her. She was always happy to greet you after a long day at work, full of meows and love, and she never missed an opportunity to get cuddled and kissed. She worked her way into my husband’s heart, who had only really been a dog lover until now. He soon had a soft spot for her and she became the apple of his eye. Emi and our other cat Mai became inseparable, chasing each other around the house, and then settling down together for bath time and snuggles. In January, her health took a turn for the worse. She became very thin and lost her appetite, we took her to the vet and the vet confirmed that she had FIP. We were devastated as we knew this disease has a 100% mortality rate. We tried our very best to get her immune system and appetite back, but it was clear that we would have to let her go and free her of her suffering. We lost our little Emi on the 13th January 2014, and we were heartbroken. You might be wondering why this is a happy ending story, and this is why. I’m so thankful that we were able to give her a loving, caring forever home, even if it was just for 3 months. The time we spent together was precious and she brought absolute joy into our home. I’m glad that when the time came for her to pass, that we were there for her, holding her body and speaking words of love to her as her eyes closed. She crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, knowing that she had been loved and cherished here on earth. We love and miss you baby cat, we will never forget you and one day, we will see you again. Suzanne Archer

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Rosie Rosie sat on the office desk at Cataholics for over two months, -hoping that some kind person would take her home with them. She was there for so long that they called her – the secretary. She’s a lovely white kitty with dark grey markings and a grey head and tail. She also has a sweet little face, but at seven years old, she didn’t hold out much hope of being chosen. We had lost our kitty, who was ginger and white, a few months previously to ill health and because we had loved her so much, we naturally told the people at Cataholics that we would like a ginger and white kitten. Well, they had in a litter of four such baby kittens, that were still too young to be adopted, but they introduced us to them anyway and we said we’d wait and book a sweet little ball of ginger and white fluff that appealed to us. They took us through to the office to sign his adoption papers, but as they were busy in the office that morning, with a lot of people coming in and out to buy things or take a kitty home with them, we had to wait a while. Then a few minutes later, Rosie shyly came over and rubbed herself on my legs and jumped onto my lap and began to purr. Then she also walked across and sat on my husband’s lap, so we immediately looked at each other and said, -Rosie is the right kitty for us, as she has obviously chosen us to be her family.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

So this is how our darling, sweet natured Rosie, came to live with us. She was timid at first, but now nearly four months later, she’s the boss of the house. She has also started to play with us and chase us about and she loves the garden. Now we can’t imagine life without Rosie, so I’d highly recommend that people wanting a cat, consider adopting an older animal, who will very quickly become a loyal little friend and playmate. Older cats are not so set in their ways that they don’t fit in, in fact I think they are more than willing to fit into a family and find their own little places, where they can dream away their days and be happy. Hope this is the sort of story you are looking for, Best wishes, Joy Bassetti Kruger

Rescue Stories

Happy Endings

Eva, Cairo and Mia I just wanted to share my stories with you. I adopted 3 cats from the shelter . These are their stories

MIA (Daddy’s little girl)

EVA (Daddy’s princess)

What can I say about Mia. Last year on father’s day my hubby went to the shelter to collect our cat food (I was Eva lives up to her reputation of being a daddy’s princess,

banned from going cos he was scared I’d come back

she walks around very regally and is very moody and will

home with another kitty) and took a short video of this little

only ‘talk’ to her father – one would assume she is complain-

kitty in the office playing and carrying on for herself. He was

ing about me. When we got Eva she was a bit wary of us

immediately smitten with her and needless to say the next

and latched herself to one of our other cats, Jessie. Today

day we adopted her. Mia is the cutest, most lively kitty and

they are inseparable and if he gets a scolding for doing

knows how to get her way. She has that face that you can-

something naughty she lets us know that she takes offence!

not say no to and ends up getting alot of treats and spoilt

5 years later and Madam rules the roost!

rotten by my hubby.

CAIRO (Momma’s boy)

I have to say a HUGE thank you to Catholics and the team for their tireless efforts. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to adopt these 3 wonderful kitty’s and my life would not be as full as it is today. Thanks Jo and Faizel Mohideen

The minute I saw Cairo on one of the Catholics facebook posts, my heart melted and I wanted him. When I went in to adopt him, they had initially thought he was already adopted and my heart sank to the ground!!! Lucky for me he was still available and I have to admit he is definitely my baby. When he was about 10 months old he had an accident (still not sure how) and he went into renal failure and the vet told us to put him down and I refused. Today he is a healthy ginger boy full of life and ray of sunshine in my life.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Adoptions Please give us a chance. We are three brothers now four months old. You can call our foster mom, Linda on 082 553 4484 or our rescuer Anuschka, on 082 693 2772 if you would like to meet us.

Cat Haven? No, Cat Heaven! The “lucky ones”, is how one can refer to the cats at Cat Village – a 2 hectare property on the East Rand that has been converted into a safe haven for abandoned, previously abused and feral cats. Here you will find no cages with cats awaiting their fate. All of them are cared for with passion and love. They live in a natural garden, fenced at the perimeters. They sleep in dry, warm wooden huts which are scattered throughout the property. All cats receive medical care when needed and they have clean water and food available 24 hours a day. Visit our website www.catvillage. org.za for more information on this amazing place or LIKE us on Facebook.

Cat Village S A E-mail: info@catvillage.org.za We are registered as a non-profit organization – NPO 033-895 http://www.catvillage.org.za/ 55

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Adoptions

Frosty & Stormy were rescued about 1 year ago with their siblings and mom. Mom & siblings found homes, but somehow Frosty & Stormy have not found that perfect home yet. They are just over 1 year young. They have to stay together and they are indoor kitties. Vaccinated and Sterilised. Contact Chantal: 076 194 0173 chantal@rushmer.co.za Jeffreys Bay - Port Elizabeth area

Bottle babies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Rescued from a feral colony at a mall at 1 day old. Ready for adoption around end-April. Will be vaccinated & sterilised Contact Chantal: 076 194 0173 chantal@rushmer.co.za Jeffreys Bay - Port Elizabeth area Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Cat Care Care Port Port Elizabeth Elizabeth Cat Please adopt us. Adoption fee of R450 pays for sterilisation.

Cat Care is recognised as a non profit organisation. NPO 025-224. E-mail: catcarepe@gmail.com Emergency no. 081 270 2387 STANDARD BANK, RINK STREET, Acc No.083989625, Branch code 05041700 www.catcare.netfirms.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cat-Care-Port-Elizabeth/114657711889623 57

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Breeders and Pet Services Directory

Online Cat Community

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Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

ADVERTISE HERE Advertise your cattery or pet services with Kittycat Magazine

Email: Kittycat.advertising@gmail.com

Kittycat Magazine’s Advertising Policy Adverts are only accepted from Catteries that are registered with SACC, CFSA or CASA. Kittycat accepts advertisements for the sale of products, services and cats/kittens in good faith. Kittycat assumes all distributors provide high quality products and healthy animals. Kittycat cannot be responsible for advertiser’s claims, distributors’ actions, inferior merchandise or the animals health. Buyers are advised to do any necessary research before making a purchase.

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Kittycat reserves the right to refuse any advertising submitted, or to cancel any advertising accepted upon refund of payments made. The Editor reserves the right to make stylistic changes.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

American Curl

Chinchillas

Kealee Cattery Siamese, Oriental and American Curl Registration Body: CASA Lianne Muller 0824907678 mullerle@eskom.co.za

Cherie-Finesse Alida Delport Cape Town +27 21 919 7593 +27 83 628 2479 cheriefinesse@gmail.com www.cherie-finesse.co.za

American Shorthair Vande Bald’s American Shorthair Suzette van den Berg Kimberley + 27 53 833 7236 + 27 83 294 6433 suzette@vandebald.co.za www.vandebald.co.za

Balinese LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Birman Turiska Birmans Mariska van Loggerenberg Ballito +27 83 651 5227 +27 83 651 5227 info@birmancats.co.za www.turkishvan.co.za

Burmese Mapantsula Denis Jansen Cape Town + 27 82 3742 719 zanddam@gmail.com Supayas Cattery Denise Rhodes CFSA Registered 082 785 5816 011 310 2727

Burmilla Cherie-Finesse Alida Delport Cape Town +27 21 919 7593 +27 83 628 2479 cheriefinesse@gmail.com www.cherie-finesse.co.za

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Chindy’s Cattery Cindi Edmunds +27 82 378 5893 cins4chins@yahoo.com www.chindys.co.za Zelda’s Cattery Zelda Jacobs +27 83 550 1656 + 27 11 814 6825 chinchillaszj@gmail.com

Cornish Rex LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Exotic Carmandale Persians & Exotics Shaun Armand & Antoni Nortman Johannesburg +27 82 719 0110 (Shaun) or +27 82 742 9366 (Antoni) carmandale@gmail.com www.carmandalepersians.net

La Perm LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Maine Coon Emalini Cattery Vera Clarke Radiokop +27 11 475 5541 +27 82 650 2302 vnclarke@emalini.com www.emalini.com GeeDee Cattery Athylle Caw Sunninghill Athylle@mweb.co.za

Shangri-la Maine Coons Vivian Wright Johannesburg shangrilacats@gmail.com www.shangrilacats.com

Manx LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Munchkin LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Norwegian Forest Cat GeeDee Cattery Athylle Caw Sunninghill Athylle@mweb.co.za

Oriental Copper Creek Cattery Registered with CFSA Lynette Grassman 082 329 3147 lgrassman@plastop.co.za Delilla Siamese & Orientals Karen Labuschagne Pretoria +27 82 824 2132 karen@delilla.co.za karenl@fidelity,co.za www.delillacattery.weebly.com Kealee Cattery Siamese, Oriental and American Curl Registration Body: CASA Lianne Muller 0824907678 mullerle@eskom.co.za LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Persian Carmandale Persians & Exotics Shaun Armand & Antoni Nortman Roodepoort 27 82 719 0110 (Shaun) or 27 82 742 9366 (Antoni) carmandale@gmail.com www.carmandalepersians.net Caziggi Persians Linet Coetzer +27 83 725 5347 27 57 352 5339 linet@polka.co.za www.caziggi.co.za RoyalPaws Annatjie Middelburg +27 1324 53547 +27 82 299 4243 dhconsul@mweb.co.za www.royalpaws.co.za Ryns Persians Maryna +27 83 307 9930 rynspersian@telkomsa.net www.persiancatparadise.co.za

Scottish Fold LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Siamese Copper Creek Cattery Registered with CFSA Lynette Grassman 082 329 3147 lgrassman@plastop.co.za Delilla Siamese & Orientals Karen Labuschagne Faerie Glen +27 82 824 2132 karen@delilla.co.za karenl@fidelity,co.za www.delillacattery.weebly.com Kealee Cattery Siamese, Oriental and American Curl Registration Body: CASA Lianne Muller 0824907678 mullerle@eskom.co.za

Kittycat 2 March/April 2014 Kittycat Issue Issue 1 January/February 2014

62 60

LesBeauxChats Thea Lamprecht Cape Town +27 21 9769965 +27 82 393 0198 thealamprech@mweb.co.za www.lesbeauchats.com

Breed Groups Breeders of Rex and Sphynx Landie Copperthwaite (Secretary) 0826991077 landiecop@gmail.com

Siberian

British Shorthair Group

ArtĂŠKatz Siberians Cherylee Krantz Lonehill +27 11 465-3446 +27 11 467-7157 +27 82 569 5737 cherylee@artekatz.com www.artekatz.com

Natal Siamese/Oriental Club

Julie Banham (021) 790 1525 bayfield@iafrica.com

Carol Wood (Secretary) 031-9031026 silversheen@mweb.co.za

Sphynx

S.A. Abyssinian & Somali Association (SAASA)

Spandau Wilma Hyman Pretoria East Sphynx, Bambino Registered with SACC, CFSA, CASAWCF +27 83 649 6851 wilmahyman@telkomsa.net

Maine Coon Interest Group (MCIG)

Turkish Van Turiska Turkish Vans Mariska van Loggerenberg Ballito +27 83 651 5227 +27 83 651 5227 mariska@turkishvan.co.za www.turkishvan.co.za

Adrienne Swart (Secretary) 0824055437 aswart@acucap.co.za

Hanneke Bestbier (Sercretary) 0724557610 Hanneke.Bestbier@sasol.com Siamese Breeders Group of S.A. (SBG) Charlotte van der Riet (Secretary) Cell: 0833840285 Email: charlottevdriet@gmail.com http://siamesebreedersgroup.weebly.com Russian Cat Interest Group of South Africa (RCIG) Solveig Klahr (Secretary) 0832722443 Solveig.klahr@gmail.com Sphynx Alliance (SA) Annemarie Redelinghuys (Secretary) 0837307666 Annemarie@cassell.co.za

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Cat Clubs

Affiliated to SACC

Affiliated to CFSA

All Breeds Cat Club (ABCC) Cape Town Colin Bubb 082 374 6827

National Cat Society (NCS)

Cat Fancierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Gauteng Stephen White 071 352 4717

Feline Fan Club of SA (FFC)

Eastern Cape Cat Club (ECCC) Port Elizabeth Rita Wiseman 083 267 4827

Kwa Zulu Natal Cat Club (KZNCC)

Northern Cape/Free State (NCFS) Kimberley Carol Kotze 082 719 1465

Cleopatra Cat Club (CCC)

Persian Cat Society (PCS) KZN Jane Goble 082 784 3126 Rand Cat Club (RCC) Gauteng Karen Pepler 082 577 2097 The Big Cat Club (TBCC) Cape Town Kim Cutter 021 461 9505

Sandy Fitzpatrick (Secretary) mwpaws@mweb.co.za

Zayne Sullivan (Secretary) felinefanclub@gmail.com

Rachel Niemandt (Secretary) kzncatclub@gmail.com

Rialene van Reenen (Secretary) cleopatracatclub@gmail.com

Independent Cat Clubs African Independent Cat Association (AICA) Cat Lovers Association of S.A. (CLASA) Chats du Cap Cat Club (CdC-I) The Nelson Mandela Bay Cat Club (NMBCC)

Transvaal Cat Society (TCS) Gauteng Gail Nel 082 446 8189

The Oriental, Siamese & Related Breeds Group (OSRBG)

Western Province Cat Club Cape Town Jane Slabbert

SAC@TS Breeders Group

The South African Cat Club (S.A.C.C.)

Please Note Kittycat has not inspected any cattery and does not guarantee the health or genetics or pedigree of any kitten purchased from any breeder who advertises in the magazine. We recommend that when you purchase a pedigreed cat you first check that the breeder is registered with SACC, CFSA or CASA and make full enquiries. Please email kittycatsa@gmail.com if you would like to have your cattery added to our Pink Pages.

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Shangri-la Maine Coons

Contact Vivian Wright shangrilacats@gmail.com www.shangrilacats.com

Breeding with honesty and integrity, with good temperaments, healthy, sound type and for the love of our cats. Kittens bred from Healthy Imported lines and personally raised with love; available to selected forever homes from time to time. Please contact: Shaun Armand 082 719 0110 or Antoni Nortman 082 742 9366 Email: carmandale@gmail.com | Website: www.carmandalepersians.net

ELâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Vee Persians and Exotics Lisa Venter 071 602 0515

www.el-vee.com lisa.venter@sasol.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Chindyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boarding and Breeding Cattery

Cindi Edmunds 082 378 5892 Email: cins4chins@yahoo.com SACC Registered Chinchilla kittens occasionally available to approved homes. Boarding facilities available (Benoni)

Royal Paws

Annatjie Neumann +27 13 245 3547 +27 82 299 4243

dhconsul@mweb.co.za www.royalpaws.co.za

GeeDee Cattery Registered Breeder of Norwegian Forest Cats and Maine Coons

Kittens occasionally available to approved homes

Athylle Caw athylle@mweb.co.za

Kittycat Issue 1 January/February 2014

Kittens available to pre-approved homes Selling only as Pets and to Show Homes

Serenity Persians Specializing in Bi-colours and Solids

Lyndie Komossa 081 705 0544 69

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

lyndiekomossa@gmail.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Cat Association of Southern Africa THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVE OF

THE WORLD CAT FEDERATION PROUDLY CELEBRATING OUR 7TH YEAR IN SOUTH AFRICA With more than 45 successful International Shows, members in all 5 Regions, many Grand Intl Champions & SA Supreme Champions, we continue to strive for harmony and enjoyment in the Cat Fancy, while using our energy to follow our passion and promote our beloved pets as an organisation complimentary to and not in competition with the rest of the Cat World, locally and internationally. FOR INFORMATION ON SHOWS, MEMBERSHIP & REGISTRATIONS SEE:

www.casawcf.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

SOUTHERN AFRICA CAT COUNCIL P O Box 28732, Kensington, 2101, Tel: 011 616 7017 Fax: 086 616 8294, sacatreg@iafrica.com, www.isacc.org.za

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Eats, Treats, Wearing and Caring for your Pets. Free nationwide delivery to your door step.

The Valley Shopping Centre, 396 Jan Smuts Avenue, 2196 Craighall Park, Gauteng, South Africa 082 728 5794 / 011 447 0995 info@lepawtique.co.za www.lepawtique.co.za

We are focused on health and disease /parasite control. We promote sterilization. We offer 5 star boarding (all proceeds go to welfare animals) Tel: 011 447 5275 Banking details: FNB Melrose Arch (254405) â&#x20AC;˘ Account no: 62068805418 www.kittyshelter.co.za

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

ADVERTISE HERE Advertise your cattery or pet services with Kittycat Magazine

Email: kittycat.advertising@gmail.com

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

THE NEXT ISSUE ... Would you like YOUR cat featured in Kittycat magazine? Do you have a Happy Ending (Rescue) story to share? How did YOU meet YOUR cat? Do you have any Show news, show brags or cute stories? Would you like to list your Cattery or Pet Services in our Pink Pages? Please send us your LETTERS.

We would love to hear from you.

Come and chat with us in our Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447932208770601/ Email: kittycatsa@gmail.com

Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

Like a graceful vase, a cat, even when motionless, seems to flow. - George F. Will

Kittycat Issue 2 March/April 2014

Photo by Jenni Ferreira | www.jenniferreira.com

Advertise your cattery or your pet services here

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