Innehållsförteckning för July 2023 från Your Cat

Loving cats is far more than just owning a kitty. Millions of people own a cat but they don’t have any interest in anything feline outside of their own pet. That’s not the case for genuine cat lovers who adore their feline companions and also have a wider admiration for the species and everything that is magical about it. These are people who read this magazine! That’s why so many of you with resonate with our lead feature this month on page eight. When you go on holiday and see street cats wandering around, it’s inevitable you have sympathy and want to help them. When you’re a cat lover, you can’t avoid wanting to help kitties. In the lead feature, we find out how tourists can best help those cats…

The Government has laid down legislation that will completely ban the use of electric shock collars on dogs and cats in England, set to take effect from 1 February next year. The new legislation — The Animal Welfare (Electronic Collars) Regulations, which have now been laid before both houses of Parliament — will make it an offence punishable by fines to attach or cause the attachment of an electronic collar to a cat or dog. The new regulations have been widely welcomed by animal welfare organisations and charities, including Cats Protection. However, they also urge the Government to go further and ban sales of all types of collars and aversive training devices.…

In 2021, an outbreak of a rare disease was killing cats and causing fear among all owners. Pancytopenia sees cats have very low levels of white and red blood cells which can lead to anaemia and serious infections. The prognosis for cats diagnosed with the disease was bleak. Worst of all, no one knew what was causing the outbreak in cats. Two years on and a recent investigation found that contaminated food was likely to have caused the outbreak. Over 350 cats are known to have died with a mortality rate of over 63 per cent. Here, we speak to an owner about what it was like having a cat who got pancytopenia — and thankfully beat it. SIRI’S STRUGGLES Sirius Black, affectionately known as Siri, owned by Jennifer Shields,…

“They still retain that natural motivation to hunt…” This year, International Cat Day is on August 8, 2023. Run by leading feline charity International Cat Care, the theme for the special day is about getting owners to play with their cats for five minutes a day. Our kitties benefit in so many ways from play, improving their physical and mental well-being. Here, Dr Sarah Ellis, Head of Cat Mental Wellbeing and Behaviour at International Cat Care, takes us through why play is so important and asks readers to take part in a short survey about how they currently play with their cats… WHY IS PLAYING WITH MY CAT SO IMPORTANT? Watching our cats leap through the air and chase their favourite toys definitely gives us the feel-good factor. But did…

Got a question? The Your Cat experts are here to help with all your feline dilemmas! Send your question to our experts by email (catcare@yourcat.co.uk). KITTENS Kitten with the zoomies! Q I have bought a kitten who gets the zoomies and go whizzing about frantically! How can I get him to calm down? A There are rational explanations for your kitten’s seemingly crazy moments. Chances are, your kitten has a build-up of energy and needs to release it. Some cats spend a lot of time indoors and therefore have a restricted ability to express their natural feline behaviours. They might not be getting enough opportunity to run and chase prey, something cats are hardwired to do. These rather amusing demonstrations are often a very clever strategy that cats employ to…

A scientific paper has found dying animals’ end-of-life experiences (ELEs) often resemble that of humans. The report, published in the 'Journal of Scientific Exploration', presented 43 case studies, many of them showing “striking similarities” to remarkable behaviour reported by dying people. The paper’s abstract says: “This similarity between animal and human ELEs might be a sign of a common physiology underpinning such experiences and could also increase the recognition that animals share an inner life similar to that of humans during all phases of life.” MORE INFO… To read the report, visit www.sheldrake.org/files/pdfs/papers/Experiences-of-Dying-Animals_Parallels-With-End-of-Life-Experiences-in-Humans.pdf…

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“They have been put straight to good use…” Your Cat Good Causes has donated 20 brand-new cat carriers to The Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home to give the cats in their care a safe hiding place and allow safe and secure transportation. The Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home (CDCH) is committed to providing a safe place for abandoned, neglected, and abused animals in the Cotswolds. The charity has been providing care and support to vulnerable animals in their community for over 80 years. They work across Gloucestershire and support over 1,000 animals each year living in the community. The majority of the animals that arrive in the care of CDCH are either public sign over (around 55%) or signed into their care via the RSPCA (around 45%). They are currently…

“I regularly watch bemused people staring at the sign and mouthing 'who?'” As a writer of cat books, I sometimes attend book signings. You’d think I’d quite like this, as it’s my own books I’m signing, but it’s not nearly as good as it sounds. The thing is, my book signings are not what you’d probably imagine when you think ‘book signing.’ Imagine a Bill Bryson signing, with Bill sitting in a bookstore, his table piled high with books, press photographers busily clicking away, and a queue extending into the next street. Have you pictured that in your mind? Well, my signings are nothing like that. The only similarity is the table. There’s usually a sign saying: ‘CHRIS PASCOE WILL BE SIGNING COPIES OF HIS NEW BOOK!’ but there’s no…

COMPETITION IS OPEN FROM 8TH JUNE – 12TH JULY 2023. Who can enter? Competitions are now open to everyone! See below how you can enter online or via post. WIN A BOX OF NUTRAFLORA! We are giving five lucky cat owners each a box of Nutraflora for their cat. Nutraflora contains a unique, fast acting formula including a special strain of a natural probiotic bacteria (Enterococcus faecium) together with a prebiotic, natural antioxidants, and Vitamin B12 to help maintain healthy gut function, general well-being, support the immune system, and aid recovery. ● Aids long-term gut health. ● Supports a healthy immune response. ● High strength probiotic to aid recovery. ● Quickly increases the number of friendly bacteria. ● Fast acting. ● Binds toxins and firms stools. ● Boosts appetite and…

“Make sure your cat has places to scratch (that you're happy with!)” “Reuse those old boxes as dens for your cat!” Cat insurance call 03300 243 997 theinsuranceemporium.co.uk/YC99…

In my previous column, we began looking at how to give your cat a health check. We started from the head and now this issue we look at how to check over the rest of the body… ● MOVEMENT AND BEHAVIOUR: All examinations start from a distance without placing your hands on your cat. You know your cat better than anyone so you can watch for any changes in their behaviour. Watch how your cat walks. Getting used to their gait allows you to more easily detect any changes in how they move. This could be caused by trauma, arthritis, or neurological changes. If you notice any changes, it can be really useful to take a video to show your vet. Signs of discomfort can include hesitation or reluctance to jump…

“His statue is a wonderful tribute to a special feline…” Bob was a cat who came into the life of James Bowen and helped him turn around a life of drug addiction and being homeless. The ginger cat turned up at where James was staying and when he helped the poor feline get much needed vet care, the pair became inseparable. SAVING A LIFE Bob would hang out with James as he sold the ‘Big Issue’ and busked on the streets. He would surf on James’s shoulder as he walked through London or rode the tube. Bob gave James renewed hope and purpose in life, and the pair’s incredible bond gained interest from members of the public. They would ask for photos or just stop to chat more now James…

● A cat that had been missing for more than three years has been reunited with her owner. The cat, called Mischief, disappeared from her home in Kent in January 2022. She was discovered sitting on the doorstep of a house near Rochester and taken to a local vet's, where her microchip was scanned and her owner contacted, ITV News reported. Mischief’s owner says: “I have absolutely no idea where she’s been for three years, it’s a complete mystery. She is my baby and I’ve missed her terribly.”…

“Her tiny kitten made her look at life through fresh eyes.” Has your cat changed your life? For some people, pet ownership has brought a switch in lifestyle, for some it’s brought a partner into their life, and for others their cat has saved their life. And for Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, her lockdown kitten helped her to decide whether she could cope with the demands and needs of being a mother when she doubted herself. Her tiny kitten made her look at her life through fresh eyes. “I had low life self-esteem because people born into my generation do not feel as if they have the traditional markings of adulthood,” said Rhiannon, 35, an author and columnist for ‘The Guardian.’ “I don’t own a property, for a long time I…

“A pouncing frenzy of assault can soon develop…” Like sinuous wriggly worms, electric cables are hugely attractive to kittens and young cats, because if they swat at one part, other parts further along move, and a pouncing frenzy of assault can soon develop. And while toy balls and fluffy toys or dangled feathers also arouse the developing inner killer in a young cat, he will come to no harm if he goes all the way and pins his victim sufficiently well to be able to ‘kill’ it with a bite using those specially adapted long canine teeth. But do that with an electric cable and it can prove fatally unsuccessful for the cat, not to mention posing a fire hazard when household appliances connected to the mains get shorted by one…

When you think something is ‘mega,’ do you (like me) instantly go back to 90s’ slang where it meant all things amazing? (Examples include Oasis (not Blur) and the ‘Rachel’ hair-do!) Sadly, in this case, ‘mega’-colon is anything but amazing and actually means a massively enlarged, abnormal section of a cat’s digestive tract. This serious condition usually affects older cats and is complicated to manage and treat. “This serious condition usually affects older cats” Digestive System of the Cat What is the colon? The colon is the end section of gut connecting the small intestines to the anus. Most nutrients are absorbed into the body from food as it travels through the small intestines. The digesta (mushed up food) is left containing very little nutrition as it enters the colon.…

“I am so glad that he chose me!” They say that cats choose their owner and that was certainly what Willow did when ‘he adopted’ me! I first met Willow at the National Animal Sanctuaries Support League (NASSL) where I was a volunteer back in July 2010. Willow had been a stray wandering the streets. He stood out from the other cats due to his size and colour and was bottom of the pecking order due his timid nature. In September 2010, a couple offered him a home. I wanted to do what was best for him so I let him go but within a couple of days, he was returned to the rescue having attacked the new owners. Pauline Wilson, who ran the rescue, could clearly see the bond…