Healthy Heart Tip Reducing salt intake

CONSUMING too much salt may raise your blood pressure, increasing your risk of developing heart diseases.

WE love cats in our house.

We have two of our own and, as fosterers for TVAW, at least one in the cathouse at the end of our garden at any one time.

Our pair of mogs might not enjoy it much, but we even enjoy it when neighbours’ cats stroll across the patio or venture in for a cheeky snaffling of a few unguarded biscuits.

We don’t love the smell of cat wee in our house, though (we’re strange like that).

There was a nice novelty to stumbling across the friendly ginger tom that’s paid us the odd nocturnal visit through our cat flap recently.

It was a novelty that soon wore off, however, when we caught a whiff of his territorial spray, liberally doused all over our kitchen units and curtains.

If only the pungent smell wore off as quickly as the novelty of hosting our spritzing new cat visitor.

We couldn’t get angry at our uninvited guest; he wasn’t being rude. He was just being a bit, well, fruity. It is, after all, the tail end of the cat mating season (pun intended).

And he’s, how do we say this politely? ‘Intact’ at the back.

Left unneutered, male cats will wander far and wide looking for, how do we say this politely…? ‘Love’? There is, though, very little romantic about foregoing the idea of spaying your cat.

Here’s why you should make sure to get your feline friends ‘done’: It cuts down on roaming

There’s nothing wrong with exercise, of course, but wandering too far can be dangerous when you’re a cat. Neutering lessens the desire to walk too far from home, especially in males.

Which then reduces the chances of them getting themselves lost or, worse, run over.

Their health

Neutering makes cats less likely to catch FIV (feline AIDS) or develop other diseases, especially mammary cancer in females. They can also get extremely battered, receiving nasty injuries from fighting.

Neutering lessens the urge to scrap over territory.

That means less chance of fightrelated injuries, which can be painful and get infected - requiring treatment.

Having litter after litter of kittens is also not kind to a female cat - so many complications can occur, with in-breeding causing a whole new set of problems.

At TVAW, we have had kittens born to feral mums with all sorts of terrible deformities and problems.

Out in the wild, they can die a slow and painful death. As can the mum.

Behaviour

Spaying levels out the hormones of your cat, calming them down.

It makes cats much friendlier and altogether more docile and lap-happy at home.

In females (or ‘queens’), it means they won’t come into season, be super vocal and behave somewhat erratically.

In males, it reduces the urge to roam, spray and fight.

Petparade

Unwanted kittens

Unexpected litters often lead to dumped cats which, in turn, create feral colonies where many unmonitored cats can live without medical oversight or assistance.

Unwanted kittens that turn into feral cats are often treated rather unkindly by humans; often being shooed away, kicked, shouted at and having to struggle to find food.

This establishes a fear of people which can lead to trust issues and impact their chances of rehabilitation if taken in. If you saw some of the cats that TVAW have taken in down the years, trust us – you’d have your cat neutered!

If the cost is prohibitive, contact us. TVAW runs a low-cost neutering scheme (Google it for more info, details are on our website).

Are there downsides to neutering your cat? There are a couple of minor things to be aware of. Any procedure that sees anaesthesia administered comes with a very small, but still very real, risk.

Other than that, the only other issue is that neutering has been shown to slow down metabolism, meaning that your cat may gain weight slightly easier. It can be managed with some tweaks to their diet.

Ideally, cats will be neutered at around four- to five-months-old, but if yours is older - that’s fine. But the sooner the better.

The operation is a little more invasive for female cats than it is for males, but both are same-day operations and your cat should feel little to no pain afterwards, the vet will prescribe a short course of painkillers anyway).

So don’t put it off for that reason. It really is better for them in the long run.

We’ll leave you with one final advantage to neutering your cat. If they’re a tom, you can rest easy at night knowing that wherever they are, they’re not round a neighbour’s house making their furnishings smell a little bit like a horrible pub toilet.

n For more, log on to Thames Valley Animal Welfare’s website, www.tvaw. org.uk

Thinking of adopting? Thames Valley Animal Welfare can help

Bob

Age: 5 years (approx)

Sex: Male Microchipped: Yes

Neutered: Yes

Vaccinated: No

Can live with other cats: No

Can live with children: No

Bob is a charming cat, who came to us having been found homeless. After taking sometime to adapt to human company, Bob has found out that humans aren’t all bad and absolutely loves to cuddle and sit next to your side at every moment.

He is an extremely affectionate and loving cat but will take time to adapt to his new home, once he has settled he will be a special companion. Bob will need a home with a garden to explore.

If Bob could be just what you’re looking for please register online or call us on 0118 972 2082.

Samson

Age: 6 months (approx)

Sex: Male

Microchipped: Yes

Neutered: Yes

Vaccinated: Has had first vaccine

Can live with other cats: Yes

Can live with children: Teenagers

Samson is a handsome young cat with a white heart shape on his neck. He is full of joy and loves playing with other cats. If you are looking for a friend for your young cat, he would be ideal.

He is still nervous around people; he is happy to be picked up and cuddled but a little unsure to begin with.

He loves his food but prefers to eat on his own in a quiet place.

If Samson could be just what you’re looking for please register online or call us on 0118 972 2082.

Interested? Contact the homing cats, foster home co-ordinator by calling: 0118 972 2082 sending an email to: tvawcats30@gmail.com | More cats available at: tvaw.org.uk

Salt is a source of sodium, which is an essential part of a healthy diet, but when we consume too much, it can have a negative impact on our cardiovascular system.

Adults shouldn’t consume more than 6g of salt (2.5g of sodium) per day, but most of us consume more than that. Here we outline some ways you can reduce and keep an eye on your intake.

Cook from scratch

Cooking from scratch for most of your meals is the best way to know what your meal contains.

Shop-bought sauces, marinades, soups and ‘ready meals’ are often high in salt. We recommend batch-cooking homemade versions of the sauces and ‘ready meals’ you enjoy on a regular basis and freezing them for convenience later on.

We have a recipe for a Veggie-Packed Tomato Sauce on our website.

Use herbs and spices

Fresh ingredients like lemon, wholegrain mustard, garlic and herbs like ginger, coriander, sage, parsley and basil offer so much flavour to meals when combined well.

Once you start experimenting with herbs and spices to add flavour to your meals, you will naturally find you need to add less salt.

Read food labels n For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch. org.uk/health-tips n Or have a look through our cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heartresearch-uk-cookbook/

When buying convenience foods always check the salt content and choose low-salt options where possible.

Most foods will list the salt content based on 100g, if a food has more than 1.5g of salt or 0.6g of sodium per 100g it is classed as a highsalt food.

If a food item uses the traffic light system these high-salt foods will be marked red, so it makes it easier to avoid them.