Your Cat December 2022

You’ve all heard of cat cafés but how about a cat bookshop? At the end of September, the Xinhua Bookstore’s pet-themed bookstore opened in Beijing. As you can see in the photo, readers can enjoy a good book in the company of cats! With high perches, steps, beds, hiding spots, toys and more, the store has resources for its resident cats. While book lovers can purchase their favourite reads, as well as lots of pet-themed gifts. Could this be the next cat phenomenon? When it comes to cat cafés and introducing felines to the general public, the welfare of the cats must always be the top priority. In the cat cafés in the UK, many have put measures in place to safeguard feline welfare, such as having a safe space…

I think Christmas is the best time of the year. The spirit of the season is about what is important in life: family, forgiveness, hope, togetherness, and new beginnings. It’s great to think about all the positive things that life could bring us all. In the lead feature this month, we hear incredible stories of people who make their cats a part of their festivities. It’s a lovely reminder of how much cats are a part of our families. Elsewhere in the issue, we approach some of the tough topics too. Christmas can be a time that brings added pressure or a focus on people’s troubles. That’s why I think it is so important to embrace the Christmas spirit of all trying to help each other. Not often has Your…

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has made an urgent plea to the Government calling on it to extend the GB Energy Bill Relief and consider more support for already under pressure veterinary practices to avoid implications for UK food safety and a serious animal welfare crisis. BVA president Malcolm Morley, in a letter to the Chancellor, called for the Government to extend the GB Energy Bill Relief for essential businesses such as veterinary practices beyond March 2023, as well as to consider further support measures for vet practices, such as additional relief on business rates and a VAT reduction. Some pet owners are already starting to feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis with vets reporting increasing cases of animals with issues that could have been avoided as a result…

A report by cat welfare charity Cats Protection has revealed a “worrying uplift” in the number of cats being purchased online. The proportion of cats purchased instead of adopted has increased by 12% in the past five years, according to Cats Protection’s Cats and Their Stats Report 2022. The third report published by Cats Protection — the largest cat survey of its kind — also found the internet is becoming an increasingly popular place to buy cats, with 76% of those surveyed saying they’d bought their cats online in the past 12 months. The report found that Facebook has become significantly more popular as a source for buying a cat, with over 200,000 cats bought via the platform in the past year. Peter Shergold, head of field operations at Cats…

An animal rescue charity celebrated National Black Cat Day, which took place on 27 October, by encouraging would-be cat owners to look beyond appearances and give a black cat a home. Battersea has urged the public to look beyond black cat myths as it revealed more than 40 per cent of its feline admissions had black coats. Traditionally, black cats are believed to bring bad luck and are viewed less favourably than their colourful counterparts. Black cats are also commonly associated with the supernatural, and, in some cultures, a black cat crossing your path is deemed to bring bad luck. On any given day, Battersea cares for approximately 200 cats across its three sites and on foster. On average, it will take 27 days for each of these cats to find…

The BVA has teamed up with online retailers Amazon and eBay to crack down on products for sellers that are advertised for use during illegal procedures that compromise the welfare of dogs and cats. The retailers worked with BVA to remove products being advertised for puppy tail docking and kitten dew claw removal. BVA contacted both retailers after being made aware of products intended for lamb castration, a procedure that is legal in the UK, being for tail docking of puppies by several sellers across both websites. Research also uncovered at least one DIY kit being marketed on eBay UK for the removal of dew claws in kittens. Tail docking of dogs and dew claw removal in kittens are considered to be mutilations in England and Wales under the Animal…