CATS TAILS 52

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IN THIS ISSUE….

2 Co-ordinators Mewsings

3 From the Editor

4/5 Treasurers Report

6 Forthcoming Events

7 We Need Your Help!

8/9 Meet our new Publicity Officer

10/11 Cats for Adoption

12 Homing Report

13 Cat Rescue Awards

14 Book Review

15 For Pet Lovers Everywhere

16 Looking After Cats’ Teeth New faces at

17 We Want Your Stories! West Oxon

18 Dear George Cats Protection!

19/20 Ads and Subscription Form

www.westoxfordshire.cats.org.uk

West Oxfordshire Cats Protection Newsletter

Issue 52 ~ SPRING 2010

Issue 52

CO-ORDINATORS MEWSINGS

The year has started well on the homing front but financially, things are not so

good.

The branch has had to consider ways of reducing outgoings and therefore we

won’t be holding a fete this year but we will be looking closely at ways to

fundraise without too much outlay.

We are also very short of helpers so if anyone could help by sitting on a stall or

shaking a tin, making cakes or crafts for our stall or even organising your own

event to raise money (maybe sell cakes or jams or marmalade in aid of Cats

Protection) we would be extremely grateful.

We are also very short of fosterers and, with the kitten season approaching fast,

if anyone feels they would like to be mum or dad to some kittens till they are

rehomed it would help us enormously.

Hopefully if we tighten our belt during this difficult time we will come through

SMILING!

Lou Tyack

Acknowledgements:- Cats Tails is the quarterly Newsletter of the West Oxfordshire Branch of Cats Protection. The Editor would like to express thanks to all those who have contributed in any way to this publication, with special thanks to Celia Haddon, and also to Kopyrite of Chipping Norton for printing services. Views expressed are the contributors’ own and may not reflect the policy of Cats Protection. Issue 52 published by The Proof Fairy, 9 Cromwell Close, Faringdon, Oxon SN7 7BQ. Tel: 01367 888229 Email: [email protected]

Issue 52

FROM THE EDITOR…

It’s been all change here at West Oxon Cats Protection and I’m very pleased

to be taking over the reins of Cats Tails for the very first time!

My name is Alison Neale and by day I masquerade as The Proof Fairy, doing

editing, proofreading and copywriting for small businesses. I live in Faringdon

with my two children and our cat Chester.

I’ve always loved cats but was never allowed one when I was a child; instead

we had an ever-changing mix of goldfish, gerbils, hamsters and budgies. I had

my first cat, Gizmo, in April 1995 and she was soon joined by younger sister

Misty. They were great additions to the family I had with my partner and our

children.

When my relationship broke up and I moved out I was given the choice of

the children or the cats – and I opted for the children. However, we missed

our cats immensely so, in September 2001, we adopted Peaches, a pretty

tortoiseshell, who was a much loved member of our family for 8 years until

she had to be put to sleep when she suffered sudden acute kidney failure.

Again we desperately missed having a feline friend around so two months

later we contacted West Oxon Cats

Protection and gave a home to Chester,

who was a little white boy kitten. We’ve

had Chester for 18 months now and he’s

fitted into our slightly nutty household

very well! He’s given us some scares

already – he went missing for 4 nights

when he was very tiny and, just as we’d

given up all hope of seeing him again, he

walked in, filthy dirty but as if nothing had happened!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this issue of Cats Tails and if you would like to

contribute anything to future issues please do get in touch!

Alison Neale

Issue 52

TREASURER’S REPORT

Our accounts for the period 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2009 are shown

on the next page.

Our expenses for the year were £48,495.99 and our income £37,121.48. We

overspent by £11,374.51 which would have been considerably more had we not

received a generous £10,000 legacy receipt.

We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in 2009 and our special

thanks go to Margaret Rushton of Stow-on-the-Wold who gave us £2,105.00

from her fundraising activities. Well done Margaret!

We are trying to find ways to reduce expenditure this year. We are also

arranging more fundraising events to boost our income. We held a very

successful jumble sale at the beginning of February and raised a total of £618.18.

Please keep up your hard work. We need all the financial support we can get. Ros Haine

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FOUR EASY WAYS YOU CAN HELP US

1. Donate any bric-a-brac, unwanted gifts, new toiletries, new make-up, jewellery, books,

gift boxes, healthy plants, toys, clean clothes etc for our jumble sales. We can often

arrange to collect items from you or you can drop them off with us prior to an event.

2. Volunteer to be a tin shaker – even an hour is a great help! Call Gill Broome on 01793

420819.

3. Shop online at www.buy.at/westoxoncats . Any items or services bought online

through our shop will mean a donation to the Branch at no extra cost to you. If you

already shop online through Amazon, Play.com or other online stores, link through our

shop and West Oxfordshire Cats Protection will receive a donation for every purchase

you make.

4. Save your used postage stamps! Please try to keep 2-3 cm of envelope around the

stamps when you remove them from the envelope. Collect a bundle and then either

pass them to one of our representatives at an event or send them to the Branch Co-

ordinator.

THANK YOU!

Issue 52

INCOME & EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR 2009 Cash Book Balance 31.12.08 31689.42 Add Income: Donations – Homing 5125.00 Donations – Other 3892.73 Sponsors 845.00 Subscriptions 302.00 Fetes and Sales 7161.64 Raffles and Competitions 50.00 Black Cats and Tin Shakes 1082.85 Goods Sold 1373.80 Phone & Vet Contributions 0.00 Gift Aid 719.51 Current A/C Interest 7.88 CPL Legacies 10000.00 CPL Other 48.16 CPL Annual Grant 6000.00 Holding Fund Interest 512.91

37121.48 37121.48

Deduct Expenses: Food 1764.47 Litter 4507.31 Consumables 419.56 Maintenance & Repairs 686.15 Electricity 170.00 Vets Neutering 4689.56 Vets MVS 4683.54 Vets Other 20681.89 Advertising 3361.76 Van Expenses 1034.78 Mileage 907.34 Equipment 754.39 Stationery 522.38 Postage 461.46 Phone 1442.17 Hall Hire etc 1013.50 Garage Rent 713.72 Goods for Sale – NCC 191.84 Goods for Sale – Other 490.17

(48495.99) (48495.99)

Cash Book Balance 31.12.09 20314.91

Issue 52

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

APRIL

10th Witney Corn Exchange

2pm – 4pm

Jumble Sale

25th Bloxham Recreation Ground

St George’s Fair

Gift & CP Goods Stall

MAY

3rd Carterton, Alvescot Rd Recreation

Ground/Community Hall

May Day Fair


8th Bloxham, Old Bridge Road

Bloxham May Festival


8th & 9th Witney Rugby Ground

HJ Agility Show


15th Chipping Norton

Shopping Centre (Co-op)

Tin Shake


JUNE

19th Witney, Blake School

Summer Fete 9am-5pm


19th Woodstock Carnival Gift & CP Goods Stall

26th &

27th

Bloxham

Banbury Steam Rally from 10am


OCTOBER

23rd Witney Tin Shake

MORE DETAILS ON ALL THESE EVENTS ON THE WEBSITE: www.westoxfordshire.cats.org.uk

Issue 52

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

At West Oxfordshire Cats Protection we warmly welcome volunteers from all walks of

life and we are in search of more star helpers.

Volunteering is the most worthwhile thing you can ever do. It gives a real sense of

achievement, allows the development of new skills and the social possibilities are

endless!

Much of our branch work is carried out by volunteers, many of whom have full time

jobs. There are various opportunities available at our branch, from hands on work

with the cats as a fosterer or feline chauffeur, to fundraising.

FIELDWORK – Fostering, Feral Trapping, Feline Chauffeur

These roles involve the real hands on stuff, as you work on a daily basis with the cats in

our care. You could be trapping ferals for neutering, driving cats to the vets, home

visiting prospective adopters or fostering cats until they find new homes. You can’t get

much closer to the heart and soul of Cats Protection.

FUNDRAISING – Fundraiser, Helpline Operator

Without regular events, sales and original fundraising ideas, we could not continue our

work, caring for cats and kittens. Answering calls from the public about feline welfare,

lost cats and adoption is a central part of our branch’s frontline work. These roles are

absolutely vital, can be a lot of fun and are great for your CV or just for a little

personal satisfaction!

WE URGENTLY NEED MORE FOSTERERS

Are you a caring, committed, people person? Can you foster felines on a short-term

basis, either in cat pens in your garden or a designated spare room in your house?

Would you be willing for people to visit you to rehome a cat?

All food and litter will be provided, and any necessary veterinary expenses will be met

by our branch. For a longer term commitment you could always consider having a pen

in your garden. Installation costs and electrical requirements will be met by our branch.

MORE FUNDRAISERS NEEDED

Are you motivated, enjoy organising events and full of original and interesting

fundraising ideas? Our branch is self-sufficient and we rely solely on fundraising to help

the cats in our care. We have a fundraising committee and we would like more

fundraisers to join us, in order for us to raise more funds to support our branch’s vital

work with cats in the area.

IF YOU ARE TEMPTED TO JOIN US, PLEASE CONTACT OUR BRANCH COORDINATOR ON 01993 831350 or email [email protected]

We will be delighted to hear from you and thank you for your interest in Cats Protection.

Issue 52

MEET OUR NEW PUBLICITY OFFICER AND HER CAT CLAN!

My name is Nikki Pollak and I have now taken over the role of our Branch Publicity

Officer from Vicki Green. Vicki is still on the committee, but wanted to relinquish the

role so she can concentrate on moving home. I give my thanks to Vicki for a very

efficient hand over and on behalf of the Branch, warm appreciation for her

commitment and work over the past few years.

I have been volunteering with WOCP since 2007 and I really enjoy working with the

others involved in our Branch. When Vicki mentioned she wanted to give up her role

as Publicity Officer at the last jumble sale, I jumped at the opportunity, because I enjoy

talking to people and my work experience has given me the skills necessary to get our

Branch known in the local community. I am looking forward to developing contacts

and getting the media interested in the work we do, as well as writing interesting press

releases and articles for Cats Tails. I am also taking on responsibility for our website,

which will now be hosted by Cats Protection and this will be updated shortly. Please

visit the new website regularly for branch news, event information and to view our

cats for adoption. The new website address is www.westoxfordshire.cats.org.uk,

however the former website address will automatically forward to the new one. My

contact details are [email protected] or my mobile number is 07813

701338.

My love of cats has been with me since a very young age and was probably founded

through my Grandma, who adored our feline friends. I have 3 cats living with me and

the third member of my clan joined us at the beginning of February.

Meg and Molly were rehomed by me from WOCP back in September 2007. They are

mother and daughter respectively, but with only approximately 9 months between

them. Poor Meg had conceived two litters and was very emaciated when she was

taken into the care of WOCP. Her only surviving offspring was Molly, who was a very

timid and nervous kitten and she was actually larger than her Mum! They were in the

care of WOCP for quite a while; probably because they were such a jumpy pair and

they needed to be rehomed together.

Molly Sept 07 Meg Sept 07

Issue 52

After tragically losing my elderly cat in a car accident early in September 2007, I

decided I wanted to get another cat immediately, as I couldn’t stand the void of not

having a feline companion. When I met Meg and Molly they were so frightened of

human contact, they ran away and hid in the corner of their pen. After I stayed in their

pen for a while, talking to them, Meg came and rubbed herself against my legs and

Molly let me stroke her. For me that was it, I knew I had found two lost souls, in

desperate need of a quiet home and lots of love and affection. They are now such

loyal and loving cats, each with their own personalities and truly enjoying their lives.

Elsie is my latest addition and she is 10 months old now. Born and fostered at WOCP,

she had a lucky start to life; her mother was caught by one of our volunteers the day

before she gave birth to a litter of 9 cats. Elsie was the only female in the litter and

came to be fostered by Ros Haines, our Treasurer, along with her tabby brothers.

After all her brothers were adopted, Elsie became very vocal, crying for attention, and

Ros did a sterling job caring for her, until a new owner took her on.

I suddenly decided at the beginning of February this year that I needed another feline

in my brood and I wanted to give another unwanted cat a good life. Meg and Molly

are very settled here, plus I have plenty of space and love for a growing feline clan! I

went to see Elsie after the jumble sale on 6 February and was immediately drawn to

her. She let me stroke her and pick her up straight away. I decided then and there that

this little kitty would fit very well with my other two cats.

Within two weeks both Meg and Molly had settled to her presence in their house.

Introducing a new cat or kitten to your existing cat(s) can be quite traumatic, but I’m

pleased to say with patience and gradual contact, all three are tolerating each other. I

wouldn’t say that Meg and Molly are best of friends with Elsie just yet, but they can all

bear being near each other and share affection from me!

Having a kitten in the house once again has brought some entertainment to dull winter

days and even my other two have started to play catch the green fluffy mouse with

Elsie!

If you would like any information or advice about rehoming a cat or kitten, please do

not hesitate to contact our Branch helpline on 01993 831350. Nikki Pollak

Elsie Feb 10 Meg & Molly Dec 09

Issue 52

CATS FOR ADOPTION

We have a number of cats who need to find new homes with people who will

care for them and give them lots of love and attention.

As well as the cats shown here, we also have a number of kittens who are ready

to go to new homes.

If you would like more information on any of the cats listed, or would like to

hear about some of our other cats who are looking for new homes, please

contact our Homing Officer on 01993 831350. MINI and TILLY are one year old sisters who have been in our care since they were kittens. Mini (below left) is a long

haired calico tortoiseshell. She is friendly and likes a cuddle

and fuss made of her. Tilly (below right) is also a long

haired tortie, brown in colour; she is quite nervous and

prefers to stay with her sister. The girls must be homed

together. They’ve been vaccinated, neutered and given a

clean bill of health by the vet.

Also available:

ALFIE is a black and white semi-feral cat, about 16 months old. He is very lively and friendly but can scratch and gets

overexcited, so he needs an experienced owner.

SHELLY is a lovely lively brown tortoiseshell, around 1-2 years old. She loves attention!

THINGY is an old lady, about 16 years old. She’s a very friendly quiet black cat and would make a good lapcat.

BILLY is a brown tabby kitten, 6-7 months old. He loves playing with balls and is very lively and friendly!

SUKI is a pretty tortie, 7 months old. She was taken in as a stray and is very friendly. She would love to find a loving

new owner.

FRED (above) is a very

handsome boy looking for a

new home! He is a 6 year

old ginger neutered male.

He has a wonderful loving

nature and loves to cuddle.

He enjoys being brushed,

loves to be played with and

is a little vocal at times. Fred

had a urinary problem,

which is now all sorted out,

but he does need to be on a

special urinary diet. He has

had a vet check and has

received his first lot of

vaccinations; he is also micro

chipped. Fred seems to be

okay with dogs and other

tolerant cats. He is a lovely

chap who wants lots of

loving!

Issue 52

CATS FOR ADOPTION

NANCY and NEVILLE are brother and sister and are 5 month old tabbies. They are both feral cats and although

they like being picked up and handled, they would

probably suit living on a farm or being with owners who

were used to feral cats.

BIG WILLIE is a short haired neutered male cat around 4 years old. He has been vaccinated and he is in good health. He loves

human company and he is very fit and active. Big Willie would

be happy being somewhere with outdoor space and in a

household with no children.

For more information on any of these cats please call the Homing Officer on 01993 831350

COULD YOU BE A FOSTERER?

Do you love getting ‘hands-on’ with cats? Are you caring, but not overly sentimental, with a

good working knowledge of cat welfare? Are you not afraid to get your hands dirty, happy to

deal with the public, to maintain national standards, and do you understand that cats in care

can need attention outside of normal hours?

Yes? Then maybe you could help as a Fosterer! This very rewarding role isn’t just about stroking

cats, its about looking after them night and day, and includes showing cats to the public, talking

to potential owners about cat welfare, keeping up to date records, and transporting cats to the

vet as and when required. Fostering is normally done in a purpose built cat cabin (which will be

provided) in your own garden, though spare rooms can be adapted for indoor fostering.

For more information please contact us on 01993 831350

Issue 52

HOMING REPORT

All has recently gone a bit quiet with a lot of our enquiries being people wanting

kittens. The kitten season starts around April time and we have several people

on our waiting list already.

However so far this year we have homed 32 cats and kittens and made lots of

home visits. At present we have 7 cats in CP care ready for homing.

As always we are grateful to our fosterers and home visitors for the hard work

they put in which has resulted in a quick turn around of cats coming in and

being rehomed.

We still have cats in our care and are expecting kittens at any time, so it

is imperative that we home our existing cats to free up pens.

Sam Bate

There is no snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast.

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A home is where the cat fur sticks to everything but the cat.

DO YOU BUY OR SELL ON EBAY?

YOU CAN NOW CHOOSE WEST OXFORDSHIRE CATS PROTECTION

AS A CHARITY TO SUPPORT FROM THE LISTINGS.

WHEN YOU SELL, WE CAN BE FOUND BY SEARCHING BY COUNTY (OXFORDSHIRE) OR

‘ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMAL CHARITY’,

WHEN ASKED IF YOU’D LIKE TO SUPPORT A CHARITY.

WHEN YOU BUY YOU CAN AGREE TO SUPPORT OUR CHARITY.

Issue 52

ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR RESCUE CAT AWARDS

We are delighted to announce the launch of Rescue Cat Awards 2010 and we’d

like to ask for your help!

The awards are designed to celebrate real life stories of survival, bravery and

heroism in the cat world. These awards are a great way to promote the benefits

of adopting a cat from charities such as ourselves, Cats Protection.

Do you know of a cat that would be a deserving winner of an award? Entries

are open until 27th May and the awards are open to any living cat rescued as a

stray by its current owner or adopted from an animal welfare organisation.

Ways in which you can enter the awards are:

• Visiting Cats Protection’s website at www.cats.org.uk/get-

involved/rescuecatawards and completing the online form

• Calling the Cats Protection National Helpline on 03000 12 12 12 or

emailing [email protected] to request an entry form

This is the fifth time that Cats Protection has held the Rescue Cat Awards and

there are four categories to enter:

• Hero Cat – Cats that save the day!

• Ultimate Survivor – Tales of feline survival against the odds.

• Best Friends – Where a best feline friend has radically improved the

quality of human life.

• Most incredible story – Belief-defying true stories from the cat world.

A special Lifetime Achievement award will also be presented by sponsor Purina PetCare to an older cat chosen from all entries that has shown remarkable

support or friendship to its owner over the years.

Owners of shortlisted cats will be invited to attend a daytime awards ceremony

at the New London Theatre in the West End on Wednesday 4th August 2010.

The Rescue Cat Awards 2008 was supported by a host of celebrities including

Brian Blessed, Prunella Scales, Tim Vincent, Sally Gunnell, David Barby and Alan

Dedicoat and we hope that year’s awards will attract similar support.

Issue 52

MY FAVOURITE CAT NOVEL: A REVIEW BY NIKKI POLLAK

I started reading Blitzcat on my way back home from New

Zealand in January and I was so compelled by the story, I had

completed the book in less than the 27 hours it took me to fly

from Auckland to Heathrow!

Blitzcat is set in World War II and is the tale of a black cat’s

remarkable story of how she led the way to safety, out of the

blazing hell of blitzed Coventry. She became a lucky token to

some, with people touching her for good fortune; others

feared her as an omen of disaster. But wherever she went, she

changed lives… From her beginning to her end, the Blitzcat

never waivered once.

“She made her way down the cliff, and on to the beach. At

the edge of the waves, she stopped, shaking her wet paws. She

knew that somewhere ahead was her person, but far, far

away. She miaowed plaintively; stood staring at the moving

blur of uncrossable sea.”

I was fascinated by the story’s usage of psi-trailing, which is a cat’s ability to find its way to its

owners over several hundred miles, travelling through unfamiliar territory to a destination

previously unknown to it. The author’s note in the book mentions the research of Dr Joseph

Rhine of Duke University, who named this type of behaviour. My curiosity in this type of

homing journey prompted me to do an internet search on this Doctor. I found an article on

www.catsinternational.org, called “Incredible journeys by incredible cats”.

This article states that researchers have authenticated cases by incontestable distinguishing

marks, physical abnormalities, specific previous injuries or specific behaviour patterns that

would rule out it simply being a case of mistaken identity.

These cases include Beau Cat, who was a pet in Louisiana. He was reported missing while the

family were house hunting in Texas. The father remained in Texas and the rest of the family

went home, but there was no sign of Beau. After five months, when the family were settled in

Texas, the cat appeared in the schoolyard where the mother was a teacher and her son was a

pupil. Another case includes a cat that was left behind in California and appeared 14 months

later in Oklahoma. And one more case reports a cat journeying 2300 miles over five months,

from New York to California, to join its owner.

American cats are not the only ones taking these extraordinary treks; one report entails a

French cat leaving home to find its owner, a young man who had left for military service.

The cat travelled 75 miles through the Vosges Mountains, before he reached his owner's

barracks 11 days later.

I am truly amazed at the stamina and motivational drive of these cats during these incredible

journeys. Their love for their “person” must be really overwhelming. If you have any cat psi-

trailing stories, please email them to me at [email protected].

Issue 52

FOR PET LOVERS EVERYWHERE

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.

Dear Dogs and Cats: The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The

other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and

food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that

aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is

not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I

will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can

actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each

other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and

having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximise space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you

there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn

the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through

the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years – canine/feline

attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot

stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don’t.

(2) If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That’s why they call

it “fur”-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short,

hairy, walk on all fours and don’t speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:

Eat less Don’t ask for money all the time

Are easier to train Normally come when called

Never ask to drive the car Don’t hang out with drug-using people

Don’t drink or smoke Don’t want to wear your clothes

Don’t have to buy the latest fashions Don’t need a gazillion pounds for uni

And … If they get pregnant, you can sell their children!

Issue 52

LOOKING AFTER YOUR CAT’S TEETH

HAS MY CAT GOT SOMETHING WRONG WITH ITS TEETH?hhhghghghghghghghghg A cat can't tell you when it has tooth pain. But if a cat is going towards food, looking as if it is

hungry, then taking only a bite or two and retreating, this may be tooth pain. Dribbling,

refusal to eat hard food, bad breath, red inflamed gums, pawing at the mouth, blood in the

mouth and teeth chattering are all other symptoms. Occasionally a cat in severe tooth pain

will sometimes also pull its own fur out. vcvcvcvcvcvvcvcvcvcvcvvcvcvcvcvcvcccccvc

Tooth or mouth problems can be a symptom of serious underlying disease, so it is essential

that you take your cat to the vet. The underlying disease will need to be treated, in order to

cure the mouth or teeth problems. A cat which doesn't eat for 48 hours must always see a vet

fast. Other causes of tooth or mouth pain include skin irritation because the cat has eaten

something like a household cleaning product, foreign bodies stuck in the mouth, broken teeth,

abcesses, gum infection etc. All these need proper inspection, diagnosis and treatment by a vet.

In difficult cases get an expert – see British Veterinary Dental Association www.bvda.co.uk.

HOW CAN I BRUSH MY CAT’S TEETH?cvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvcvvv Older cats will often not tolerate having their teeth brushed, but young cats can learn. Get

some CET Forte toothpaste from your vet or pet shop, and put it on your finger. "Sit with the

cat between your knees facing away from you," says Evelyn Barbour-Hill of the British

Veterinary Dental Association. (www.bvda.co.uk) "Then push your finger under her lips from

the front to the back of her cheek. Maybe she will only allow one side to be done at first, but

don't attempt force or make a struggle. Even this much cleaning helps. When a cat is used to

the finger, you can try a toothbrush, a soft cat one. Daily brushing is valuable, even if it is a bit

haphazard. You don't have to brush up and down, sweep sideways."

The disconcerting thing about brushing a cat’s teeth is that you have to push the brush in so far

back. Get your vet or the veterinary nurse to demonstrate because it is difficult to make

yourself do this.

HOW CAN I KEEP MY CAT’S TEETH CLEAN WITHOUT BRUSHING?cvcvcvcvcvcvcvc Wet tinned food provides nothing crunchy to clean teeth. Some cats are more prone to plaque

than others. The ideal diet for teeth is what a wild cat would eat - mice and birds crunched up

whole. A complete dried food is the next best thing for teeth, though if your cat has any other

medical problems check with your vet first. Make sure water is always available. There is a

special diet - Hills Prescription Diet t/d – for cats prone to dental disease.

Some dental experts suggest raw (never cooked) chicken wing tips as a chew, though there's a

slight risk with any bone. A new product, C.E.T. Chews for Cats, is utterly safe - £5.95 for a

pack of 24, sold only through vets. These are freeze-dried fish or meat, treated with an

"antibacterial enzyme system". They help keep teeth clean, but they don't appeal to all cats,

and they are expensive. Or try the BARF diet (www.holisticvet.co.uk) which consists of raw

meaty bones and fresh fruit and veg. It is essential to read up on this. Don’t start feeding your

animal just raw flesh meat. It must have a mixture of meat, bones, and raw veg. Talk to your

vet before you embark on this, because this diet may not be suitable for cats that are still

growing or cats with other health problems.

Celia Haddon www.celiahaddon.com

Issue 52

CATS PROTECTION WANTS YOUR STORIES! Request from Francesca Watson, Publications Officer, Cats Protection HQ

It’s that time again when we’re asking you all for information for News & Views. The copy

deadline for News & Views is 16th April.

News & Views gives volunteers and staff the chance to share news, stories and ideas arising

from their day-to-day work for Cats Protection. It could be a successful neutering campaign or

recruitment drive, details of how you overcame a difficult rehoming situation or even how

you turned a novel fundraising idea into a reality.

So if you've got a good story – don't keep it to yourself! You can never send us too much as

we will always endeavour to fit as much into the publications as we can. We realise many of

you are very busy, so you can just send us the details and images (high resolution digital

images at least 200kb in size) and we will put it all together.

If you have any ideas for features that you think could be included in The Cat magazine, let us

know those too! It’d be great to hear your thoughts.

Whenever you have anything that we can use in any of our publications please send it in

straight away. If it misses the deadline of one we can always put it in the next issue. Any

stories or information you have for us should be emailed to [email protected]

Thanks!

Fran

Request from Tom Briggs, Copywriter, Cats Protection HQ Hi everyone,

We’re about to start work on the next edition of Cat Cabin Newsletter and are on the lookout

for stories that we can use to show Cat Cabin sponsors how their support makes a difference

to cats’ lives.

Have you had a cat in your care recently that has arrived under unusual circumstances or

defied the odds to overcome illness or injury to find a perfect new home? If so, we’d love to

hear from you!

All we need are a few basic details and a good quality digital image of the cat in question – we

can do the rest.

If we receive too many to fill the newsletter, we will use the stories elsewhere – such as in The

Cat magazine or on the Cats Protection website, so nothing will be wasted!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Tom

Issue 52

DEAR GEORGE …

Dear George

What does all that stuff on the cat food label mean? How do we know what is inside the tin, or

the packet?

Hesper

Dear Hesper, nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Reading the label is an art form. Start with the main bit of the label which will say either

"complementary" or "complete." This is very important indeed. Anything labelled

“complementary" is not designed to have all the ingredients you need. It is probably a treat

food. Eat it in that way. "Complete" on the other hand is what is says on the tin - ie if your

human feeds only that you will get all you need.gggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

Next stage is to look at the list of ingredients. If you are thinking of cost (or you have a poor

or a mean human) look for the percentage of water. Dry food looks more expensive but if

you do some complicated maths (which I can't do) then you may discover dry food is no

more expensive than wet food. Dry food is easiest to leave down so you can snack through

the day - the way of feeding that we cats prefer. On the other hand, some of us need wet

food - cats who have a history of cystitis, for instance. The list of ingredients are listed in order

of how much there is in the tin. That may well mean that cereals comes before meat and meat

derivatives. Carbs are cheap even though we do not need carbs. Meat in catfood in the UK

comes from sources fit for human consumption and does not contain horse meat or whale

meat. This might be different elsewhere. Then there are oils and fats, minerals, various sugars.

Sugars, which can be table sugar, fructose or glucose, can be used as a preservative or flavour

enhancer. We cats don't taste sugar so the latter is more likely to be a reason for use in dog

food.

Next comes an analysis of protein, ash, fibre. Ash is particularly disconcerting.What it means is

the amount of ash left if the food was burned. Why it is there, I do not know and would

welcome information on this. It does not mean that the food contains ash. You can get a

download with a bit more information for your human from www.pfma.org.uk

If a pet food is described as "containing" chicken and rabbit, then the minimum amount of

these meats must be 4% of the contents of the tin and this minimum must be stated on the

label. But the actual amount of the chicken and rabbit inside your can might be more than

4%. If it just says "chicken flavour", there may be no chicken at all!

Additives in pet food are the same as those in human food but that's not saying much. There

is a movement to ban E-numbers tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow

(E110), carmoisine (E122), ponceau 4R (E124) and allura red (E129). If these are not good for

humans why should we cats be fed them either? So, on the whole, my advice would be NOT

to let your human buy any cat food which is highly coloured - yellow or red or green. Only a

human would be stupid enough to be attracted by bright colours in food! Poor dears. We

need to keep them under constant surveillance. ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

George

George Online Cat and his secretary, Celia Haddon: george-online.blogspot.com

Issue 52

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Issue 52

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ISSUE 52

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[email protected]

CATS TAILS 52

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