Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Your Cat

If you want to read an uplifting story about what our feline friends can teach us about life, then consider picking up ‘The Nine Lives of Summer.’ Told from the perspective of the lead cat character Summer, it’s a story of how war rips the kitty from her 10-year-old owner Sami and a journey across the globe, through different feline lives, to try to be reunited with her best friend. It delves into different cultures, adventures, and experiences that are all connected through the thread that life is better when it brings people we love together. Heartbreaking in places, it takes the reader through a range of emotions but it is ultimately life affirming. Cats lovers are sure to enjoy this story which is all about our feline friends —…

“I had a huge epiphany and said ‘I’m going to do it!’” Those who want to find a partner, or make a new friend, who loves cats as much as they do, might have a hard time finding fellow ‘cat people’ on the various dating and friendship apps out there. But now, a brand-new app from a self-confessed “mad cat lady” might just make it easier to find a partner who is just as cat loving as themselves! For Madeleine Murray, from Paisley in Renfrewshire, her whole life has revolved around cats since she was just a child: “When I was a wee girl, I used to push my cat Suzie around in a pram; I’ve always loved cats,” she said. “I’ve always been drawn to them and growing up,…

Recently scouring the internet for all things cat, as I often do, I found an old news story under the huge banner headline: “ZOMBIE CAT RETURNS FROM THE GRAVE.” As a cat-sitter with an overactive imagination, this was not the type of headline I wanted to be reading. Also, although having suffered a long history of bites and gauges at the paws of our feline friends, I hadn’t yet contemplated the possibility of one of my furry charges trying to eat my brain. This was bad news indeed. However, it seems that the cat in question, a Florida-based black and white named Bart, probably wasn’t dead when he turned up on his owner’s doorstep and meowed to be let in. That’s not the sort of thing dead things do. The…

BEHAVIOUR They struggle when we go away! Q When we go on holiday, we ask a friend to pop in to care for our cats. It’s financially better and means the cats can stay in their own house. However, sometimes we come back to inappropriate toileting and sick on the floors. How can we help our cats cope while we’re away? A Cats are bonded to their territory so it would seem sensible to leave them in their own home when you are away. However, studies show that cats are easily stressed by small changes in routine, such as a variation in feeding time. So, even when left in their own home, cats can become stressed by the absence of their owner and the predictable events that happen each day.…

In tandem with this month’s Lesson Learned and the unusual case of Fergus on page 28, it seemed an appropriate time to explore the whole messy business of treating house training problems in cats. But perhaps we should pause a moment and think how a cat comes to be house trained and why they should ever become so in the first place. KEEP THE BED CLEAN The fundamental aim of house training is for a cat to perceive the entire house as an extension of its natural sleeping area or den which, like many mammals, it is programmed very early not to use as a toilet. The maternal nest is initially an area that for the first couple of weeks of life, kittens are actually physically unable to eliminate in…

SEE YOUR CAT HERE! Email a clear (non-blurry) image of usable size (around 300dpi and 1MB) to pawtraits@yourcat.co.uk Please include your full name, address, and phone number, as well as your cat’s name. www.facebook.com/yourcatmagazine @yourcatmagazine pawtraits@yourcat.co.uk…

I love a feel-good feature. The incredible impact pets have on our lives is often repeated in these pages, but it never fails to ring true with me or make me smile. This month’s lead feature is such a brilliant example of that. The Cinnamon Trust does fantastic work helping older people stay with their pets. Our senior years are a time when loneliness can hit harder and the companionship of our cats can be more valuable than ever. However, many people still put their pets first when they reach old age. They choose not to have a pet because they are worried they can’t care for them or what will happen to their cat if they pass away before them. An incredible charity, The Cinnamon Trust is changing all…

We all know how much better life is with a cat, or two. Plenty of studies have been done on the benefits of pet ownership for people of all ages, from small children to pensioners. “We are always looking for new volunteers…” For older people especially, having a pet can make a huge difference to their quality of life. Love, companionship, a reason to get up in the morning, a talking point when you have visitors… there are so many reasons pets are beneficial. However, as people get older, much-loved pets can also be a source of worry. There can’t be many of us who haven’t wondered what would happen to puss if Granny, or Mum, or even one of us, was ill and in hospital for a long time,…

One of the most attractive things about being a feline behaviourist is that every case involves some interesting detective work as to how the problems that are vexing cats’ owners, and often the cats themselves, have arisen. Most cases are multifactorial, of course, and interviewing the owners about the history and nature of their problem and observing the cats in their own environments is the best way to get to the bottom of things. And it’s the bottom of things, if you’ll excuse the pun, that forms the basis of this month’s Lesson Learned. Missing the target It wasn’t an unusual case that I was called to by a lady living in a London apartment with her indoor cat Fergus, a sleek, affectionate four-year-old neutered male ginger and white chap.…

Hypertension in humans is often called ‘the silent killer’ because people rarely show symptoms until it’s too late (sadly, heart attacks and strokes are often the first sign). Cats can also have hypertension but we usually get a little more warning as they most commonly develop it alongside another health problem. Hypertension means high blood pressure and is when blood moves through blood vessels with an increased force. This high-velocity, high pressure movement of blood damages blood vessel walls and the body’s major organs. “Hypertension means high blood pressure” What causes hypertension in cats? There are two main culprits causing hypertension in cats: hyperthyroidism (an over-active thyroid gland) and kidney disease. A certain kind of heart disease (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) can also lead to high blood pressure. Officially, when hypertension in…

GCCF licenses around 140 championship shows every year, run by the member clubs. They range from small specialist breed shows catering for maybe just one breed, to breed section shows that cater for two or more breeds in all patterns and colours, to larger all breed shows and, of course, GCCF’s own show, and the biggest one of the year, the Supreme Show. Arrangements for the next club show begin the moment the last one finishes. Every show has a designated show manager, sometimes also an assistant show manager who assists or is under training to become a fully fledged manager. Show dates are chosen and applied for well in advance. The show year follows the calendar year and applications for show licences must be submitted to the office by…

Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, a state in Malaysia, and is nicknamed the ‘city of cats.’ Cats roam around, there are so many statues and sculptures that have been put up by the cat-obsessed residents of the city, and there is a museum dedicated to felines. It’s a city with cats in the very fabric of its culture — even in its name! IN THE NAME In August 1838, British explorer James Brooke arrived in the city of Kuching and while he was exploring, he asked a guide for the name of the town. The guide thought that he was pointing to the stray cat that was walking by so replied with ‘kucing’ which was Malay for cat. According to urban legend, this miscommunication led to the city…

WELFARE Charity appeals to public after kittens dumped The RSPCA is appealing to the public for information after two kittens with cat flu were found dumped in a box close to a school in Rugby. RSPCA animal rescue officer Jack Curran rushed to the scene to collect the kittens after the charity had been alerted to the kittens’ plight by a concerned member of the public. Jack says: “These kittens, who we believe are around four weeks old, are not very well at all. They have cat flu, which has made them quite poorly. “They were so cold when they were discovered. It’s so sad to think how long they were there for and what would have happened to them if they hadn’t been found. Such young kittens are so…

“Toby learned to trust the fosterer…” Last year, Your Cat Good Causes helped set up Shetland Cat Rescue by paying for their rehoming licence, as to be legally able to rehome and help cats, they needed a licence. This has enabled them to save many kittens from the cold, hard, hungry life of a feral cat. Toby was born into a feral cat colony on Unst, the most northerly island of Shetland. His mother took him to the garden of the colony’s feeder, where his two siblings had already been trapped then tamed and homed. On September 1, Toby was also trapped. He went to his fosterer the next day, where he was put into a large pen in her cat room. The Shetland Cat Rescue fosterer spent as much…

Whether or not to add another cat to your existing cat or dog family is something that requires very careful consideration. The last thing you want is to end up with an unhappy pet and a worried human household. Of course, cats can and do get along with both cat and dog species, but there are a lot of elements that have to be right in order to make the relationships work. INTRODUCING CATS Imagine you’re enjoying a settled home life, when without warning a complete stranger moves in and everything is turned upside down. Your home is no longer your own, you’re resentful, not to mention whether or not you’ll actually get along with the newcomer. This is how your cat is likely to feel when a new cat…

Your Cat is dedicated to ensuring that cats have the best life possible. Our expert education and welfare articles provide tips to help you bond with your cat, whether they’re a stunning pedigree or a beautiful moggy. Support us and gain access to Your Cat Magazine, either to read on your phone, tablet or computer or receive the magazine in print. As a thank you, you’ll receive a complimentary welcome box in the post with a cat pin badge, Wrendale notepad, cat treats and our Good Causes trolley token keyring. THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO JOIN YOUR CAT YOUR CAT PAPERLESS ● Access to the latest issue of Your Cat Magazine on your phone, tablet or computer. ● Access to the full library of books and magazines, including the last…

On these pages, we celebrate people who do incredible things to help rescue cats. This month, we hear the incredible story of two women who foster cats with seriously debilitating conditions, as well as of member of the public whose vigilance helped reunite a cat with her family. Caring for cats with disabilities can be challenging, but for Bev Hibbert, founder of Forgotten Felines Cat Rescue, it is all about giving them the best quality of life they can for however long they live. She affectionately calls them her ‘broken biscuits’ but with love, care, and commitment, they give love the same way as any other cat. Over the last couple of years, the rescue took on two cats, Bunny and Hugo, who were diagnosed with Manx Syndrome, which is…