Innehållsförteckning för December 2022 från Your Cat

Social media chat We celebrated World Mental Health Day on our social channels. Cats are so good for our mental health and we asked our fans to post their pictures of them chilling with their cats… Your letters… Letter from Debra Hayes: “Just got my November issue and wow, love the new look! My favourite part, as a senior with older eyes, is the layout and font are so much easier to read. I love the fresh, crisp look of the new format. I was finding the print on some articles with a coloured background with smaller font, especially if it was white, was hard to read so I would skip those articles. “I love that you aren’t raising the subscription fee. As a Canadian, it’s a wee bit of an expense…

We know how therapeutic a cat’s purr can be and how the simple act of just stroking a cat can make many individuals feel instantly calmer, less anxious, and more positive. But what does this mean for those who can’t physically have a pet in their home? Thankfully, there is an alternative for people who would benefit from the companionship of a furry friend. JOY FOR ALL Companion Pet cats — sold by American company Ageless Innovation — which look, feel, and sound like real cats are an innovative electronic alternative. They respond to being stroked, hugged, and motion, but they don’t require any special care or feeding. For those who can’t have a real cat, the Companion Pet cat brings real joy, comfort, and friendship — all positive steps…

In a new series, we are helping you assess the well-being of your cats. Each issue will focus on a different aspect of cat care and feature a practical way for you to analyse your own cat’s situation. The second part of the series looks at how cats enjoy interactions with humans. Interactions advice We humans are a sociable species and for us being touched and touching others is not only enjoyable, but it is vital for our emotional and physical health. And it’s not surprising therefore that our instinctive need to touch and be touched extends to the pets in our home. Research has shown that stroking our pets can help reduce stress and improve our mood, but is it as good for them as it is for us?…

Create your own puzzle feeder With the cost of living crisis forcing many of us to tighten our belts, this DIY puzzle feeder is a great way to make your cat’s mealtimes more exciting, without costing you anything. Making him work for his food is great for physical and mental stimulation, and makes him use his natural instincts which he’ll find satisfying. YOU WILL NEED: ● A sturdy cardboard box ● Various-sized cardboard rolls (we used toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, and poster tubes) ● Non-toxic PVA glue or sticky tape ● Scissors METHOD 1 Firstly, measure the height of the tubes against the box. With a ruler, mark a line around the box to cut along (no more than 10cm tall), then trim to size and ensure all jagged edges…

So, to Dennis. He was castrated at the usual age of five months and hadn’t started competing, fighting, or spraying at the time, to the owner’s knowledge. But he was already monopolising the use of his outdoor territory and starting to chase other cats. Now two and half years later, he was a Genghis Khan of the neighbourhood with every cat in fear of him. The chances of changing his attitudes were almost zero. After all, he could hardly be castrated twice, even if testosterone were having any effect on him. There were only two solutions: a) keep Dennis completely indoors at all times so that all other cats living in his patch could slowly learn that it was safe to move around freely or b) to have all the cat…

Mouse wins an Ancol Premo XL Activity Centre, while the others receive an assortment of cat toys, including a Jittery Mouse, courtesy of Ancol Pet Products. For more information, call 01922 402428. (UK only) 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 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…

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…

Christmas is a special time, with friends and families getting together to celebrate. Most people like to include their cats in what they’re doing over the holidays, but for some people their cats are right at the centre of Christmas… A PLACE AT THE TABLE There’s nothing like Christmas dinner, where all the family get around the table, pull crackers, and then tuck into turkey and all the trimmings. And for one family there’s a very pet-icular guest who likes nothing better than sitting at his own place: Ozzy the cat. As well as getting his own delicious dinner at the table, the handsome British Shorthair is given his own presents to unwrap and has a special cat-friendly Christmas cracker! “He’s a very spoiled cat all year round,” said owner…

IF YOU LOVE CATS, YOU’LL KNOW CATS BRING SO MUCH JOY TO OUR LIVES, AND YOUR CAT MAGAZINE IS A CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS CAT, EVERY MONTH! ● Build your knowledge of all aspects of cat care with help from our expert writers including behaviourists, vets, groomers, and scientists. ● Find the answers to your feline problems to improve life at home with your cat. ● Indulge in real life stories about cats that are inspiring, heart-warming, and uplifting — you won’t find these tales anywhere else! ● Explore news ways to enjoy your hobby of cats, from training and showing your pet, to discovering cat collectable and visiting feline tourist spots. ● Be part of a community that truly understands why sharing your life with cats is so special!…

In our ‘Cat Health Problems’ series, we’re explaining feline conditions so you have the understanding and knowledge to make the most informed decisions for your pet. This issue, we explore another vital organ and how it can be affected by disease… WHY IS THE LIVER IMPORTANT? The liver is a powerhouse of an organ that carries out many vital functions within the body. It sits within your cat’s abdomen just behind the diaphragm (thin muscle layer separating the chest from the abdomen). Some of the liver’s important tasks include: ● breaking down and using protein. ● producing and storing bile (to help digest fat). ● making hormones. ● filtering waste products from the blood. ● producing immune factors (to fight disease). ● removing bacteria from the gut. ● making and…

Having to find a new home for your much-loved cat is a heartbreaking decision to have to make. There are often very good reasons why a cat might have to be rehomed and sometimes it is truly the only option — so how can you do it in the kindest possible way for both the cat and your family? Speaking to animal welfare charities, two keys messages were thinking carefully and thinking ahead. “Thinking carefully” means considering whether there’s any other option before giving your cat up. “Thinking ahead” means considering in plenty of time whether a house move or a new baby in the family will really mean that you can’t keep your cat. “We aim to help everyone to keep their cat…” Sarah Elliott, Central Veterinary Officer at…

Greater Manchester OUTPOURING OF HONESTY Janette Barton and Samantha Cartwright set up Cats Guidance Rescue, a not-for-profit registered charity based in Wigan. When I interviewed them earlier in the year, they were both upbeat, full of ideas, and incredibly positive about the future of the charity, yet six months later the mood has dramatically changed into that of worry and guilt. They currently have 67 cats in their care, including 28 kittens, and are supported by 15 foster carers. Usually, they are always rehomed in pairs but due to the cost-of-living crisis many people are unable to afford to take two kittens on, so providing there is another friendly cat living in the household, they will rehome a single kitten, unless of course those kittens have very strong bonds. Janette…

“The cat is depicted sitting on top of Johnson’s dictionary” To be buried in Westminster Abbey, you have to have lived an extraordinary life, and often done something to benefit the rest of society. Dr Samuel Johnson is the perfect example of that. One of the most influential writers of the 18th century, Johnson was lauded for his works as a poet, essayist, and literary critic. His most famous achievement though was creating ‘A Dictionary of the English Language’ which appeared in 1755, after nine years of work, and had a profound effect on the English language. It was the leading dictionary until the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary 150 years later. Dr Johnson was a remarkable man and a huge cat lover, in a time when cats were…

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…

Your Cat Good Causes has provided vital support to a brand-new independent cat rescue in Shetland, by donating funds for their rehoming license. Shetland is the most northerly part of the UK, situated 133 miles north of John o’ Groats. There are several inhabited islands and plenty of uninhabited ones, with many unowned or feral cats who breed and struggle to survive in the harsh conditions. When Carol Riche, chairman of the new Shetland Cat Rescue, left her role at a previous organisation, her friends encouraged her to set up her own charity, as she already showed so much desire to help those felines in need. After a lot of thought and research, she knew it was the right thing to do. Carol said: “I realised that there was nobody…

The flight. The hotel. The 50th floor. Corner suites. Sony. Interviews with the press. The film premiere. Adoring fans. Stunning views. Kobi beef. The fish market. Sashimi. The sweltering heat. The love of Tokyo. And the love of Bob. Our last few days were going to be hard because I knew we were going home. Yes, I was looking forward to it, but at the same time, I’d fallen in love with this city. It had been a hell of a ride. Who could ever say that their cat had taken them halfway across the world? To one of the most exotic, beautiful, and futuristic cities, where the love of cats was part of their everyday culture, from Hello Kitty to cat cafes and the Tokyo TV mascot, whom I…

Last month, I wrote here about the over-warm, mainly unwanted feline welcome my wife’s friend Julie received when she came to stay at ours for a few days. Well, surprisingly, the rest of that weekend didn’t go too badly. The cats mainly behaved, with the exception of one rather unsavoury furball incident, and Julie decided to come back for another weekend break soon afterwards, this time for an ‘early Christmas.’ The plan was that we’d do the whole Christmas thing in advance; presents, crackers, the works, mainly because Julie was returning to the safety of her native Australia a week before Christmas. Of course, Australia wouldn’t normally be described as safe in any wildlife comparisons, what with being home to most of the world’s deadliest creatures — crocs, great white…

FINDING A FRIEND “We thought we had prepared Simba as well as we could for having a new baby in the house,” says Tina. “We let him sniff the cot and pram and the rest of the baby stuff and made sure that all his own things like food dishes and litter tray were where they had always been. “When I brought Lily home, he was fine. He sniffed around her a bit but didn’t seem too put out, especially as we still made a fuss of him! It was only when she started to crawl and then walk that we realised Simba wasn’t happy. He kept hiding away and wasn’t as careful with the litter tray as he had been. “We didn’t know what to do, but then a…

The Christmas period is a wondrous time full of presents, food, and family. It is a time to spend with your loved ones, enjoying the time off, and eating more than your stomach can take, but it is also a time for reflection. For some, Christmas is a stressful and sad time. Those working in the veterinary industry are working long hours to ensure pets can go back to their owners in time for Christmas. The veterinary industry is under heavy strain at this moment, from staff leaving the profession due to burnout, the increase of pet ownership over lockdown, and the increase of living costs — a perfect storm. Many owners complain about the increased prices of veterinary fees and blame the frontline staff for this and believe veterinary…