Your Cat August 2022

I want to open this month by saying a huge congratulations to Claire Bessant as she retires as CEO of International Cat Care. For over 28 years Claire has led the charity which has had a huge impact on feline welfare and healthcare. From developing the International Society of Feline Medicine which provides veterinary resources worldwide, to educating the public and creating programmes such as the Cat Friendly Clinic scheme, iCatCare has helped millions of cats. During her tenure, the charity has changed so much to continue to have a greater impact on cats. In this issue, it is a pleasure to feature an exclusive interview with Claire about her career in which she shares her thoughts and memories from nearly three decades. Give it a read on page 22…

A third of pet owners wouldn’t know their pet was suffering with eye disease, a study has found. For the study — from eyesight experts All About Vision in collaboration with a leading medical reviewer specialist in veterinary medicine Matthew Belden — 1,000 UK pet owners were surveyed in a bid to raise awareness about eye disease in pets and how important it is to look after their eyes. The study revealed 32% of pet owners wouldn’t know if their furry friends were suffering from eye disease and one in three (33%) don’t know the impact if these diseases are left untreated. It was also found that 80% of pet owners said that better education is needed on how to look after their pets’ eyes correctly, as nearly half (40%)…

• See your vet annually — conjunctivitis is the most common eye problem in pets. Most eye issues can be detected during a good physical exam, so yearly vet check-ups are very important. That’s also an excellent time to ask any questions you may have about your pet’s eyes. • Know what’s normal — pets’ eyes work the same way humans’ eyes do and are just as sensitive and delicate. In normal eyes, the cornea is crystal clear, the sclera (the white part of the eye) is bright white and the conjunctiva is healthy pink. • Keep your pet’s eyes clean — pets can usually clean their eyes with their own tears. It’s not unusual for pets to have a bit of dried discharge on the inside corner of the…

A group of cat lovers in Berkshire believe pets are being targeted by thieves amidst a crisis in growing numbers of missing pets in 2022. Theft can be hard to determine when a pet goes missing, especially when no final outcome or home repatriation is achieved. Sadly, this is a crisis that is on the increase, yet pet owners can be left suffering and bereaved without any formal support or acknowledgement from the authorities. One particularly sad case is of Thea Mutch, 73, of Woodley, who has rescued and nurtured stray cats, injured pets, and wildlife for over 40 years. In the late 1970’s, she was part of the pioneering local group Petwatch which established the first lost and found register for missing pets. Thea was often to be found…

After ten years of unforgettable memories with her beloved cat Misty, keen runner Laura Wren has run a remarkable 230km — a total distance equivalent to five and a half marathons — in celebration of Misty’s life. When Misty passed away in 2020, Laura found it hard to be at home with nothing to focus on. When she saw that she could honour Misty’s legacy on Pet Remembrance Day through Battersea’s Pet Tribute Funds, she began exploring her options for fundraising and decided to take part in several running challenges to celebrate Misty and keep her memory alive while fundraising for the dogs and cats at animal welfare charity, Battersea in her memory. Laura ran 100km in a single week during lockdown in 2020, which marked the start of her fundraising…

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home has welcomed the Government’s announcement to help renters to be allowed to own a pet. Proposals contained in a new white paper titled ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ outline legislative commitment “to ensure landlords do not unreasonably withhold consent when a tenant requests to have a pet in their home, with the tenant able to challenge a decision.” The UK Government has already published model tenancy agreements (MTAs) that encourage allowing pets to be the default position in England’s rented sector, unless landlords have a justifiable reason for not allowing them to do so. However, the latest change would put the plans into law. Battersea has long campaigned for more people to have the opportunity to enjoy the many physical, mental, and social benefits of…