Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2022 i Your Cat

Welcome Who doesn’t like to win something? In this issue, we’ve relaunched Your Cat Giveaways — and it’s better than ever! We’ve got lots more prizes up for grabs and as magazine readers there are competitions exclusively for you. Turn to page 26 to see the vast selection of top quality products we’re giving away and how you can easily enter — fingers crossed you’re one of the lucky winners this month! The lead feature this month is about spring cleaning. The season is a fabulous time of year about starting afresh and many of us begin with this at home. Giving the place a clean can lift our mood and give us renewed vigour for other parts of our lives. However, when doing your big clean, don’t forget your…

HEALTH iCatCare throws support behind BVA’s parasiticides position International Cat Care (iCatCare) has voiced its support of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (BSAVA) policy position on the responsible use of pesticides for cats and dogs amid concerns raised about the risk of contamination of waterways by parasiticides commonly used to treat companion animals. In 2021, the BVA, BSAVA and British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS) released a joint position on the use of certain parasiticides in the face of rising concerns about their environmental impact, as well as worries concerning growing resistance to certain products. iCatCare has now shown its support to the organisations’ position saying the impact parasiticides could have on wildlife and ecosystems cannot be dismissed. Nathalie Dowgray, head of the charity, says: “While…

NEW CAT PRODUCTS ● The first ‘ambient’ liquid bone broth to hit the shelves in the UK and Ireland has launched. Carton packed from fresh, Karnlea Beef Bone Broth is slow cooked to extract high levels of protein, collagen, and minerals ideal for boosting and maintaining pet health. It can be used as a supplement, treat, or topper to support skin, coat, and joint health for dogs and cats. Made from 100 per cent natural ingredients, the delicious broth maintains high nutrient levels which can be lost in concentrated or powdered bone broth or collagen supplements. It can be served as a liquid, straight from the carton, chilled for use as a jelly topper, frozen into treats or convenient portions, or used in home cooking and bakes. Bone broth has…

Case study Burmese Lester from Frating in Essex joined the RVC’s feline diabetes trial in November 2021 after presenting to his primary care veterinary practice in October 2021 with increased thirst and urination, and hindlimb weakness. He was diagnosed with diabetes, started twice-daily insulin, and was promptly referred to the RVC’s trial. Lester was able to stop insulin treatment only one week after joining the trial and has been in diabetic remission since. Despite the breed being predisposed to diabetes, Lester is the first Burmese to take part since the team started prospective feline diabetes trials approximately 10 years ago. Lester’s owner Rachel Fortescue says: “Enrolling him on the RVC diabetic remission trial was the best thing I could have possibly done. “Having the RVC holding my hand through this journey has…

THERAPY CAT SERIES Bringing joy to children Therapy cats help young people overcome challenges and bring smiles to their faces in some of the most difficult times. Kathryn Hearn is a journalist for ‘The Guardian’ whose career has included working at Newsround, as an RSPCA press officer, and a pet agony aunt. She grew up with cats and shares her home with Maine Coon Kylo, and rescue cats, Tabby and Rey. They say never work with children or animals but some very special Pets As Therapy cats love working with children — and bringing real joy. Here we speak to two PAT cat owners about how their pets make a real difference. “Leo really enjoys his work with children” It was while watching a documentary on therapy dogs that Ellie…

NEW LEASE OF LIFE — THANKS TO A FELLOW READER Iread in the November issue’s Cat Care section about one of your reader’s experience with the cats with colitis. Our Norwegian was diagnosed with IBS before we got her so we kind of knew what we were getting into, but it was still not fun watching this sweet natured and loving little girl struggling to eat (and keep down) diet after diet as we tried to find something her innards could tolerate. Then I read about your reader’s experience with Bio-Kult and her cats’ colitis. A rapid order to Boots later and the difference is quite awesome. She is brighter, bouncier, and has a real twinkle in her eyes. Even better, there is now just a little bit of padding…

REAL LIFE ‘My cat loves skiing — and it’s made him an Instagram star!’ Many cats hate the cold and wet and stay inside when the snow starts to fall, but not this Canadian cat whose skiing exploits have made him a hit on social media! A lthough some cat breeds are well-equipped to deal with the snow due to their supposedly thick, waterproof coats — such as Norwegian Forest Cats — the average domestic longhair doesn’t have this luxury and will avoid snow at all costs. So, when Gary the rescue cat, who lives with his owner James Eastham in Alberta, Canada, started dropping hints that he wanted to go out exploring, his adventurous owners were happy to oblige him! STEP BY STEP Gary had made an immediate impression…

Cat care BEHAVIOUR TRICK TRAINING Q How easy is it to teach your cat tricks? How do you do it? Your Cat reader GENERAL CARE HALT HIS HUNTING Q Barney, my rescue cat, keeps bringing in dead or even living mice. He has even brought in a rat. I hate having to deal with the corpses and find the living rodents even worse. How can I stop him hunting? Your Cat reader CELIA SAYS: A Barney, like most cats, is hardwired to hunt and for most hunting cats it is the supreme pleasure of their life. To stop him hunting completely, the only way is to fence in your garden or keep the cat flap permanently closed. If Barney has been used to a cat flap for several years this…

NORTHUMBERLAND Small charity, big impact It was a chance encounter 17 years ago with three poorly eight-week-old kittens who had been dumped in a car park in Blyth, Northumberland, that set Christine Watson on her cat rescue journey. She got them veterinary treatment and since then she has rescued hundreds of cats over the years. Nine years ago, she decided to set up Claw Cat Rescue, a not-for-profit rescue that is based in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland. Christine is supported by seven dedicated and experienced foster carers. Christine says: “I truly believe this is what I am meant to do. I am so proud of everyone who is involved with the rescue. There are some really lovely people out there who support our work and willingly donate towards our veterinary fees.”…

FIRST ISSUE + FREE GIFT Then only £9.99 every three issues! (Anytime cancellation) 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! Treat yourself or buy as a gift for a friend, especially at such a low trial price of just 99p! If you like it, carry on for just £9.99 a quarter – risk free/cancel anytime. PLUS, we’ll send you a Lucky Cat Keyring. IT’S EASY TO BECOME A SUBSCRIBER! www.yourcat.co.uk/99p 01778 395176 & Quote CATS/PRINT T&Cs-This offer is available on direct debit only, go to www.yourcat.co.uk/subscribe to view the full range of credit/debit card offers.…

Bookshop ● Instagram star interview ● Legislation FAMOUS FELINES INSTACATS WORTH MILLIONS REVEALED The world’s richest cat has a net worth of £73.4m, according to new research. Website All About Cats has created the ultimate list of the world’s wealthiest pets, using social data and Instagram earnings to reveal the highest earning and most influential pets. Top cat on the list is Nala, coming second to dog Gunther VI who is worth £366.9m. Nala is Instagram’s most-followed feline with over 4.3m followers. The Siamese-tabby-cross was rescued from a cat shelter by Varisiri “Pookie” Methachittiphan. Other cats on the list include Taylor Swift’s cat Olivia Bensen coming in at number three with a net worth of £71.2m and the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette, who is worth £9.5m and ranked…

What’s new Pussycat? Feline news ● New cat products HEALTH RVC seeks feline diabetes patients for trial following successful first run The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is calling on cat owners to take part in its latest study investigating the effects of supervised caloric restriction in diabetic cats who might benefit from weight loss. The research aims to provide a new and effective form of treatment for diabetic cats, using dietary change to promote diabetic remission. Identifying treatments that can achieve diabetic remission will encourage many owners to pursue treatment and greatly improve the quality of life for diabetic cats. As part of the trial, which started in March 2021, the research team at the RVC Diabetic Remission Clinic will assess the ability of a new feline prescription diabetic food to…

Confessions of a Cat-sitter Age is nothing but a number for one of the cats on Chris' round. However, the kitty seems to be on a time delay — thankfully for the bird population! Chris Pascoe is a cat-sitter and author. He has written five books, including ‘A cat called Birmingham’ and ‘You can take the cat out of Slough’, which are available to buy from Amazon. One of the cats on my cat-sitting rounds, Edward Jones, is getting seriously old. Though he shares his name with the England Rugby coach and actually doesn’t look dissimilar to him, Edward has a passion for hunting birds that I doubt the England manager could match. I hope not anyway. Unlike the England boss, who I’m sure would be a dab hand at downing sparrows…

COMMUNITY CAT HERO AWARD The guardian cat angels of Wigan Setting up your own rescue and helping all types of cat makes Janette and Sam of Cat’s Guidance Rescue worthy winners of our award. “We’ll take in the cats that other rescues won’t” This award acknowledges those cat lovers who have gone above and beyond in their communities to make the lives of their local cats better. After we posted an appeal on social media for our online followers to nominate their community cat heroes, we received more than 1,000 nominations from all across the UK, ranging from dedicated cat rescues to individual cat lovers who just try to make a difference in their communities. This month’s Community Cat Hero Award goes to the two brains behind Cat’s Guidance in Wigan,…

ENTER@WWW.YOURCAT.CO.UK/COMPETITIONS HOW TO ENTER By being a magazine subscriber, you can enter ALL competitions running in the next four weeks in one easy step, including magazine exclusives, enewsletters, and our website! Simply fill the form in overleaf and pop in the post, to: Your Cat Giveaways, Warners Group Publications, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH. You can also enter online, using the entry codes provided, at www.yourcat.co.uk/competitions (you can enter both the printed form and online to double your chances!) — the dates when the entries are live online are printed by each competition. TOP TIP! Are you signed up to our newsletters? Get a weekly competition reminder, plus plenty of cat features and advice! www.yourcat.co.uk/enewsletter…

Cat care GENERAL CARE DO I NEED A BALCONY FENCE? Q I live in a sixth floor flat with a balcony and I am thinking of getting a cat. A friend has told me that cats can survive falls from high buildings so there is no need to fence in the balcony. Is this true? Your Cat reader CELIA SAYS: A You must fence in the balcony with netting or mesh since it is quite common for cats to fall off balconies or topple out of open windows. This usually happens in good weather when they are sunning themselves, fall asleep, and lose balance after a sudden noise or some other alarm. If they fall, even if they survive — and many do not — the vet’s bill is likely…

The Catographer Michael Hallam meets the photographer who has become a global sensation for his feline pictures and videos. Professional cat photographer Nils Jacobi has built up a following of millions for his feline photographs and videos. Known as The Catographer, he has over 149,000 followers on Instagram and 3.8m followers on TikTok on his channels called FurryFritz, named after one of his cats. His stunning photos and funny videos have shown the joy of cats and given an insight into the art of capturing cats. Based in Germany, Nils has recently won pet influencer awards. We caught up with him for a chat to ask him about his success and the secrets of taking brilliant feline images… Q Nils, you’re known by millions worldwide through social media as The…

Pawtraits Take a look at these gorgeous and playful kitties! Pussy Galore wins an Ancol Premo XL Activity Centre, worth £21.90, 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…

Your Cat TOURIST GUIDE The cat islands An assortment of Asian islands inhabited almost entirely by cats? Surely a dream destination for cat lovers! In the Your Cat Tourist Guide, we’re introducing our readers to some cat-inspired tourist hotspots around the UK and beyond. In this issue, we head to the other side of the world to Japan, where there are a number of tiny islands in the Ehime Prefecture of southern Japan known as the cat islands! The most well-known is Aoshima, a tiny fishing island, just one mile long, where there are roughly only 16 elderly human inhabitants on the island — and over 100 cats! The cats were originally brought to the island as pest controllers to keep mice off the fishermen’s boats and the feline population…

WELFARE BLUE CROSS SPEAKS OUT ON ‘DISTRESSING’ KURT ZOUMA VIDEO Animal charity Blue Cross released a statement after shocking footage of West Ham football player Kurt Zouma kicking and slapping his Bengal cat came to light. Chris Burghes, Blue Cross CEO, said: “This video is appalling and very distressing to watch. This kind of cruelty is unacceptable towards any living being and for a child to also witness this is additionally disturbing. There may have been statements afterwards that the two cats are well-loved family pets, but the trauma this individual cat has experienced is very likely to affect their well-being for the future. “The UK Government recently raised the sentencing for animal cruelty to a maximum of a five-year jail term and we fully support prosecution for cases like…

REUNION FUNDS POUR IN FOR TURVY TOPSEY Kind-hearted animal lovers have helped raise funds for Topsey, the missing cat that invaded a football pitch and halted the match, after it was revealed she had been missing for months and was in need of an operation. Torti Topsey went viral in February after invading the Hillsborough football pitch, stopping Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan Athletic players in their tracks as they tried to secure the frightened feline. Once caught, Topsey was taken to Spire Vets in Chesterfield, where her microchip was read and owner, Alison Jubb, called. Alison revealed that Topsey lived 2.5 miles away from the Hillsborough pitch and had not been seen in seven months after escaping from a cattery in June 2021. It was discovered that nine-year-old Topsey was…

COLUMNIST James Bowen A decade ago was James and Street Cat Bob’s first ever book signing. James reminisces about a time — and a best friend — that changed his life. An interesting bit of trivia for you (and an incredible moment for me!) is that the launch day for my first book was March 15, 2012. The publishers had chosen this date because it was close to Mother’s Day and my book was seen as an ideal gift. Unbeknown to the publishers was that they had chosen my 33rd birthday. The most amazing, surprising, and wonderful gift I have ever had, and probably ever will have, is that Bob gave me the opportunity to live this life and write these books. To learn these lessons along with you still…

Spiralling out of control One of Cat’s Guidance’s more memorable rescues was one in which they were contacted by a supporter who said she knew of a woman living nearby who seemed to be hoarding cats, and several of them looked to be in a bad condition. Their supporter managed to persuade the owner to allow Cat’s Guidance in to help her, but before they were allowed access, they found that she had already managed to sell some of these sick cats on social media, many of whom were the product of inbreeding. “When we got in there, we found more than 14 cats in a terrible condition. They all had diarrhoea, eye infections, were infested with fleas, and weren’t neutered,” Janette said. “We had two three-week-old kittens we called…

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS GENERAL CARE Celia Haddon MA MSc MA is a well-known pet columnist and author of numerous cat books. She is a cat lover and owner, with a cat behaviour qualification and broad experience of feline issues. VETERINARY Aga Zoltowska BVSc MANZCVS (Medicine of Cats) DipCABT MRCVS graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2005 and is passionate about cat welfare. Find out more at www.thecatboxsolutions.com BEHAVIOUR Kim Houston BSc (Hons), Dip (AS) CABC, CCAB is a consultant in feline behaviour. She works with clients throughout the UK, helping to resolve cat behaviour problems. Find out more at www.cat-astrophes.com Clare Hemington DipCAPBT is an accredited feline behaviourist. She has a cat behaviour referrals practice and runs her Honeysuckle Cat Toys business with the help of her Siamese, Billy. You…

POP that pill It is something no owner looks forward to — but here we share advice to make giving your cat a tablet less stressful for you both. Toni Shelbourne A Tellington TTouch practitioner and certified animal behaviourist, Toni Shelbourne has three decades of experience working with companion animals. The author of six books, she lives in Oxfordshire, where she sees clients, runs workshops, and gives talks and webinars. You can visit her website: www.tonishelbourne.co.uk We’ve all laughed at those memes and cartoons about trying to give a cat a pill, but when the time comes that you have to actually do it yourself, they’re suddenly a whole lot less hilarious. WHY DO CATS HATE TAKING TABLETS SO MUCH? Much like us, cats use taste and smell to decide…

COMMON GENET GOING ON SAFARI! It’s the final stop on our safari — here we sneak a peek at the cat-like Common Genet! Peter Neville has spent over 30 years as a professional pet behaviourist, writer, and educator. In 1993, he co-founded COAPE International (coape.org), now a leading online provider of education courses in pet behaviour. Peter is the author of 16 books, including the international best-seller, ‘Do Cats Need Shrinks?’ He now lives in Helsinki, Finland, with his partner Stella, and two cats, Asla and Trista. Andrew Rae has been guiding safaris in both southern and east Africa for the last 28 years. South African by birth, Andrew and his wife, Moira, started their own exclusive safari company, RAE Safaris, in 2014 and have led many uniquely tailored safaris to…

HAMPSHIRE Keeping their promise We are building a section for people passionate about rescue cats Jo Lucas set up Happy Cats Rescue in 2012, a not-for-profit registered charity based in Hampshire. She is passionate about cats and feels that “having a cat is privilege, not a right, and no cat or kitten chooses to end up in rescue, but for those that do, we are their lifeline to finding their forever homes.” There have been many cats who have tugged heavily at the heart strings, such as Biscuit who features multiple times on the Facebook page. Sadly, he is no longer here but he was given love, care, and attention throughout his time at the rescue. “Jade’s story appeared on ‘The Supervet.” Although Jo had her own cats for many…