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THE WINNERS CATS REPORT 2022 CAT WELL-BEING OF THE YOUR STUDY CAT PRODUCT AWARDS 2023 THE STATE OF THE NATION’S CATS THE IMPORTANCE OF TERRITORY      R02 JA NUARY 2023 £4.99 PRODUCT AWARDS 2023 THE MEANING W O HA F T AR M E OU E R O CAT W S TRYING TO SAY?

This festive season, take a moment to celebrate those pets who are no longer with us, but brought endless joy to our lives. At Battersea we know how unique every animal is and understand just how hard the loss of a beloved pet can be. Remember those pets who have given us special memories, this Christmas and every day, by donating to help the dogs and cats at Battersea still waiting to make someone’s Christmas extra special. DONATE IN MEMORY Find out how you can support Battersea while remembering your beloved pet: Telephone (Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm): 0300 323 1216 Visit: battersea.org.uk/inmemory REMEMBER HOW THEY MADE CHRISTMAS EXTRA SPECIAL? Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is a charity registered in England and Wales (206394).

PIC OF THE MONTH 3 www.yourcat.co.uk Here a priest is blessing a cat in a long-standing tradition. Each year, hundreds of people bring their pets to San Anton church in Madrid to have their animals blessed during the feast of San Antón, the patron saint of animals, which is celebrated in January. Saint Anthony was said to have lived in solitude with animals as companions and instinctively had animals around him. The pet blessing tradition dates back to medieval times and its objective was to collectively take care of the animals that lived in the streets of Madrid.This picture was taken from last year’s celebration when people were wearing face masks to protect each other. If you look out in the news, you may see images of pet blessings from the 2023 festival. Image courtesy of Alamy Stock Photos.

CONTENTS JANUARY 2023 Welcome As I write this,2023 is not too far away. Heading into a new year is always a time for reflecting,to make it easier to look and move forward. With the surge in pet ownership due to covid and now a cost-of-living crisis,it is a challenging time for cats and owners.At Your Cat, we are trying to do everything we can to help.We’re providing hundreds of pages of expert advice on our website, we’ve launched Your Cat Good Causes which is pledging a percentage of subscription fees to feline projects in the UK,and we’re hopefully delivering content which you really enjoy and find value for money. As editor,my biggest hope is that you value being part of the Your Cat community.There are millions of cat owners in the country,but our readers are those who truly love and are totally committed to their feline companions.We would love to grow the community in 2023 as this will mean that there are more people dedicated to cats and we can put more money towards Your Cat Good Causes. One member benefit we’ve developed for this issue is our giveaways. Entering online is exclusively for members.You will need your subscriber number to log in and then you can choose which competitions to enter.Those people who have bought the magazine off the shelf — we very much appreciate it and would love it if you would consider becoming a member — you can still enter the competitions in the issue you have bought by using the postal form.This just means that our competitions are exclusively for those people who support us and people can’t just grab a code and enter online.It is really important to look after our members. Here’s to better times in 2023 for all of us and our cats. Happy new year Mike REGULARS 6What’s new pussycat? Feline news and your views. 14Your Cat Good Causes How you’re helping TNR schemes. 35Your Cat Giveaways Your chance to win prizes! 52Rescue community We tell the stories of independent rescue centres. 54The Prize Winner Every cat has its day in this short story from Tony Domaille. 56Pawtraits A beautiful gallery of your pet pictures. 58Your Cat Puzzles A mental workout with a range of puzzles. COLUMNS 20Confessions of a cat-sitter Ned, one of the cats on Chris’ rounds, seems to be living the dream. 46Peter Neville column We delve into Peter’s casebook of a cat who suffers from separation anxiety. 50GCCF Diary How breed clubs help with rescue. 61Diary of a cat-mad vet nurse Lucy tells of the incredible rescue of a cat at her vet practice. Your Cat January 2023 4

We cannot be held responsible for the return of photos so please keep copies. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission of the publisher.Your Cat is a registered trademark.Terms & conditions,plus competition rules, can be found on our website. Speak to your newsagent to reserve your copy of Your Cat every month. DON’T FORGET! You can pick up your favourite mag from most grocery stores, including Tesco and Sainsbury’s,WHSmith, independent newsagents, or from our online shop: www.yourcat.co.uk/store February issue,out 12th January. Recycle your mag! If you subscribe, the bag you received your mag in is made from potato starch and will biodegrade.The magazine is fully recyclable and responsibly sourced. GET IN TOUCH! Write to us: Your Cat Magazine, Warners Group Publications, The Maltings,West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH. Email us: [email protected] Subscription queries: 01778 395176 Share with us: Search for @YourCatMagazine on Facebook,Twitter, Instagram,and Pinterest. Editorial queries: 01778 395070 Advertising queries: 01778 395064 [email protected] THE TEAM Editor: Michael Hallam Design & production Designer: Chris Smith Production manager: Nigel Fish Production assistant: Natalie Reynolds Colour repro: Graham Warren Digital/websites Web editor: Laura Wright Marketing Marketing executive: Ellis O’Connell Advertising Commercial manager: Andrea Walters Account manager: Kay Cotterill Publisher Warners Group Publications Plc Publisher: James Buzzel Images: *pictures courtesy of Alamy Stock Photo. More details at www.alamy.com The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. While every care is taken to ensure that the content of the magazine is accurate, neither the editor nor publisher assumes responsibility for any omissions or errors. We do not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage, however caused, resulting from the recommendation or the use of advice/material featured in this publication. The editor reserves the right to edit copy. While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. No warranty is implied in respect of any product mentioned herewith. Prizes, gifts or give-aways offered in competitions might be substituted with ones of similar value. Unless otherwise stated, all competitions, free samplings, discounts and offers are only available to readers in the United Kingdom. Full terms and conditions are available on our website at www.warnersgroup.co.uk/competition-terms/ No part of the magazine may be reproduced in any form in whole or in part, without the prior permission of Warners Group Publications (Warners). WARNERS    
MAGAZINE & BROCHURE PRINTER This publication is printed by Warners Midlands PLC Telephone: 01778 391000 CAT CARE 10The meaning of meow What are our cats trying to say? 18Your Cat Product Awards 2023 You’ve voted for your favourite feline products. 22GCCF Breeder Scheme It’s a new era for the scheme. 25Cats and their Stats A look into the state of cat ownership in the UK. 30Cat well-being study The importance of territory to our cats. 38Cat Care Expert advice to help you care for your feline. 42The feline virus Vet Penny Clarke explains about FIP in cats. 4810 years of the Cat Friendly Clinic programme How the programme has made vet visits easier. CATS IN CULTURE 28Real life The couple who had their cat as part of their wedding day. 62Your Cat Tourist Guide We head to a statue in tribute to feline folklore. 5 www.yourcat.co.uk

WELFARE What ’ s new PUSSYCAT? News >RXU (DW ! News from the feline world, plus your stories and views! Battersea urges Government to prioritise animal welfare as legislation stalls one year on Your Cat January 2023 6 MORE INFO... To find out more about the Kept Animals Bill, visit the Battersea website www.battersea.org.uk/about-us/news/year-waiting-puppy-smuggling-crackdown Battersea,along with other UK animal welfare organisations,and a cross-party group of MPs has teamed up to renew their pleas to Government as more than a year has passed since the Kept Animals Bill was debated in parliament.The bill proposes significant action to address some of the most pressing animal welfare issues of our time, including puppy smuggling and ear cropping of dogs overseas. Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova has sent an open letter, signed by 19 cross-party MPs, calling on the Government to push the bill over the line.The action is being supported by nine leading animal welfare organisations. The group joined together on 9 November — one year since the bill was last discussed — to bring the attention of the Prime Minister and his new Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey, back to the stalling legislation. Michael Webb, head of policy and public affairs at Battersea, says:“It is deeply concerning that the Government has continued to fail to commit to a clear timetable to ensure the progress of this bill.Time is running out and the harm to animals that this legislation could help counter is still going on. “While we appreciate their in-tray is piled high with a number of pressing issues to address, we would urge the new ministerial team to remember that animal welfare still needs their attention. “The Government rightly started to drive the bill forward last year in its action plan and we are delighted so many MPs agree with us that it needs to be passed as a matter of priority.” Battersea helps thousands of dogs and cats each year, some of which, it says, may not have needed the charity’s care had this legislation already passed in to law.

HEALTH HEALTH Cat saved after being shot in the head Vets and NHS collaborate to educate pet owners on AMR Throughout November,pet owners were encouraged to return any out-of-date antibiotics they had at home, which were prescribed to their pets, to their vet practice as part of an antibiotic amnesty, coordinated by vets and the NHS. The campaign — led by a collaboration of UK veterinary organisations,practices, and charities — was the first of its kind and aimed to educate pet owners about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as raise awareness of the importance of the safe and responsible disposal of these important medicines. Antibiotics are essential to treat many conditions in both people and animals. But they must be used carefully, to ensure they remain effective for when patients, human or animal, really need them. Fergus Allerton, from Linnaeus-owned Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service in Solihull, who helped coordinate the amnesty and said it was delighted to launch the campaign, says:“The veterinary profession is committed to not only the responsible use of antibiotics to help treat pets when appropriate, but also to the safe disposal of these important medicines. “AMR is a worldwide health threat.Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria develop resistance to the effects of antibiotic treatments, making treatment for people and animals less effective. “Antibiotics can offer life-saving treatment for serious conditions in humans,animals,and pets, which is why, in all situations, antibiotics need to be used and disposed of carefully.” He continues:“It is important that owners don’t use leftover antibiotics for their pets as this could risk side effects,delay an accurate diagnosis,and contribute to antimicrobial resistance. “It is also vital that antibiotics are disposed of safely. Inappropriate disposal of unused antibiotics could contribute to antimicrobial resistance and pollute the environment and have a negative impact on water quality and wildlife.” The veterinary antibiotic amnesty was delivered in collaboration with NHS Midlands. Last year, the NHS in the Midlands launched a regional antibiotic amnesty, with participating pharmacies encouraged to discuss appropriate antibiotic disposal with patients and collect leftover antibiotics.This resulted in almost 8,000 amnesty-related conversations with patients and nearly 500 packs of antibiotics returned for safe disposal. A cat’s life has been saved by a veterinary team after suffering a gunshot injury to the back of his head. Two-year-old domestic shorthair Marco was found collapsed and unresponsive on his owner’s driveway with a gun pellet wound to his head. His owner rushed him to her local vet’s where he was hospitalised for pain relief,antibiotics,and supportive care. Once stabilised,he was referred to the neurology and neurosurgery service at Davies Veterinary Specialists (Davies) in Hertfordshire for further assessment and treatment. Davies neurologist/neurosurgeon Victoria Argent says:“We performed a CT scan to help identify the location of the pellet more precisely before we operated.” Victoria,together with Davies neurosurgeon Alex Forward and the full support of the highly skilled anaesthesia team,carried out a craniectomy to remove the pellet from Marco’s skull. Marco recovered very well from surgery and was discharged five days later.His oesophageal feeding tube was removed at the end of the following week once he had finished his medication. Victoria says:“Marco was a perfect patient and recovered remarkably well,much to our delight.It’s not every day you have the challenge of removing a pellet from such a precarious place.” 7 www.yourcat.co.uk Left: The pellet. Right: Two-year-old Marco suffered a gun pellet wound to the back of his head.

What ’ s new PUSSYCAT? WELFARE HEALTH Celebrities back Cats Protection’s winter campaign Cats Protection issues cat flu warning Celebrities have backed Cats Protection’s ‘Feels Like Home’campaign by donating T-shirts to create DIY cat beds to help cats keep warm this winter. Pop duo Max and Harvey,TV presenter Holly Willoughby,Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden, comedian Jo Brand,pop band McFly,and more have all got behind the campaign and donated T-shirts. Holly, who donated a boho-style top, says:“We all know cats need a cosy hiding spot, so I love how easy it is to make one for them out of items we all have at home.” The celebrity cat beds will be featured on the charity’s social media channels with followers getting the chance to win a celebrity T-shirt for their own cat bed DIY endeavours. The remaining T-shirts will be used to create cat beds in some of Cats Protection adoption centres across the UK. Your Cat January 2023 8 MORE INFO... For more information on Cats Protection’s Feels like Home campaign, visit www.cats.org.uk/feels-likehome To watch a video on how to create your own feline DIY projects, visit www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fE5ytFDg_wo Cats Protection is urging cat owners to get their cats vaccinated after a pair of young kittens in its care almost lost their eyes after contracting cat flu. Four-month-old kittens Cherrim and Hattrem came into Cats Protection’s Cornwall Adoption Centre.As a result of cat flu,their eyes were so badly inflamed that it was feared they’d have to have them removed and Cherrim had to be operated on for entropion — where the eyelids turn inwards forcing the eyelashes to push permanently against the eyeball. Manager of the centre Samantha Lawton says:“We’re not sure many people realise that cats can catch flu and that it can be life-threatening.Hattrem and Cherrim were lucky we got to them in time and their sight was saved.” Cats Protection is keen to communicate that the easiest way to stop a cat from getting severe cat flu is by getting them vaccinated.The charity says it won’t prevent them from catching it,but it will help prevent them from getting severe symptoms. To raise awareness,the charity has posted a video on TikTok and Instagram outlining the dangers, and what can be done about it. Sarah Elliott,the charity’s central veterinary officer, says:“Although blind or one-eyed cats can live a normal life,they won’t have depth perception so won’t be able to judge distances or heights well. “Like humans,cats most likely to be worse affected are the very young, very old,or those with a damaged immune system.” She continues:“Although the symptoms might be similar, humans can’t catch cat flu,but it’s highly contagious between cats. So,if you have more than one cat,it’s really important to keep them all vaccinated and if one of your cats gets flu,make sure you wash the bedding and bowls they use thoroughly to help reduce the chances of spreading the flu between the cats.” MORE INFO... More information about cat flu can be found on Cats Protection’s website, visit www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health/cat-flu To see the informative videos, search @cats_protection on TikTok or @catsprotection on Instagram. According to Cats Protection, the signs of cat flu are very similar to a cold or flu in humans and it advises contacting a vet if a cat displays any of the following symptoms: O Sneezing O Runny nose and eyes O Dribbling O Loss of appetite O Fever O Mouth ulcers O Sleeping more than usual O Coughing O Sore eyes and eye ulcers CAT FLU SYMPTOMS Left: Cherrim before. Right: Cherrim after.

Q RECORD British cat crowned world’s oldest feline Flossie has become the oldest cat in the world at almost 27 years of age.Born in 1995,the feline has been officially awarded the title by Guinness World Records. Flossie came to international attention when she was handed in to a Cats Protection centre in Kent. The staff were taken back by her age which would make her around the equivalent of 120 years old in human years.They matched Flossie with Vicki Green who lives in London — and is younger than Flossie! “I knew from the start that Flossie was a special cat, but I didn’t imagine I’d share my home with a world record holder,”said owner Vicki.“She’s so affectionate and playful,especially sweet when you remember how old she is.I’m immensely proud that Cats Protection matched me with such an amazing cat.” Flossie has had several owners during her life and was originally born in Merseyside. While Flossie is the oldest living cat, she still has some way to go to beat the record for the oldest cat ever.That title belongs to Creme Puff who lived until she was 38 years old! News&views! >RXU While we don’t have our Cat Chat pages, we are still sharing your stories in our news pages! ,*9 .3 94:(- Big up black cats! RIP @bagheerabaggypants I have just received the December issue of Your Cat through the post and I wanted to say something about rescues and Battersea Championing National Black cat Day. I know a lady who lives in Dagenham, Sharron Taylor, who also runs her own rescue cat charity from home,that adopted a beautiful black cat that had been abandoned by her neighbour while moving house and left the cat behind to fend for itself several years ago.The black cat, Olly, is now one of the household and quickly settled in with the others in the same home. I wanted to say how important it is to judge cats by their temperament not by colour. Black cats don’t choose their colour. Olly is a friendly confident boy. It is folly to make judgements with so much false social media.This is Olly just to offer some understanding into his loving,trusting nature, relaxing on the storage shed in the back garden. Teresa Lloyd 9 www.yourcat.co.uk TO FIND OUT MORE… You can find out about many more incredible feline records by visiting the Guinness World Records website: www.guinnessworldrecords.com We are so sad to hear about the passing of Bagheera, who was featured as the Instagram Cat back in our December 2018 issue.When he appeared in our magazine four years ago, his Instagram account @bagheerabaggypants had just over 14,000 followers, compared to his now 26,000 plus dedicated fans! Baggy was a loving, mischievous, beautiful black cat, and will be missed by many, especially his owner Chloe. Rest in peace over the Rainbow Bridge. Right: Olly.

MEOW Above: Cat vocalisations are often aimed at their humans. Yvonne Martin is a freelance journalist who specialises in health and well-being features. She is a lifelong cat-lover and lives with a shorthair tabby called Rita who has her own instagram account @ritascatworld 9KH PHDQLQJ RI PHRZ$ From purring to meowing… what are they trying to say? Your Cat January 2023 10 S ome cats have a lot to say for themselves, whether it’s a cheery chirrup after they burst through the cat flap or a more insistent meow when they want to be fed. It’s tempting to imagine that the various sounds our cats make are something akin to language and who among us has not tried to meow back at our pet in an attempt at conversation? But in fact, cats don’t audibly converse with each other and wouldn’t meow much at all if they weren’t living with us humans.Among undomesticated cats, it would largely be confined to the kitten stage. “Meowing is generally reserved for babies and mums,” says Linda Ryan, who is a certificated clinical animal behaviourist and registered veterinary nurse (inspiringpets.com).“So, we will see babies be very vocal and babies and mums use vocalisations between each other. But adult cats generally don’t use a lot of vocalisations between each other. “One of the exceptions to that is a polite greeting. So, you might see them come towards each other, tail up, and they might do a little, what we call a trill or a chirrup,and then they go off and do their own thing, but we don’t see a lot of meowing in those contexts. “The contexts where we do see a lot of meowing with cats between each other as grownups is mating or fighting, or fear and distress, when they are trying to repel a perceived threat. But outside of that, they’re not very vocally chatty among themselves,” says Linda. That’s not to say cats don’t communicate with each other, but what communication there is does not tend to be audible and much of it will be undetectable to us humans, such as pheromone chemical communication. “They communicate a lot by scent, but vocalisations really come into their own when we’re talking about those relationships that they have with people,”

Below: Meowing is used between mums and kittens. 11 www.yourcat.co.uk ʼn9KHUH DUH QRW FRPPRQ W\SHV RI PHRZVŊ says Dr Sarah Ellis, head of cat advocacy at International Cat Care (icatcare.org).And the sounds they make communicate something specific each time. “They may communicate their emotional state, that they’re fearful, or they’re desiring something.They may also communicate an intention, like a behavioural intention, such as I’m going to approach you. They may also communicate their internal state so for example, they’re hungry or they need to go outside.” Cats that are reproductively active and seeking a mate also meow and are transmitting a lot of information when they do that.“Other cats will be able to tell their identity from that meow, but it will also be linked to how reproductively active and potentially successful they will be,” says Sarah. (439*=9 .8 0*> Although each sound has a specific meaning in the moment for that individual cat, there are not common types of meows that all cats make in the same situation. Sarah explained that even among people who love and know their cats very well, it’s nigh on impossible to know what their sounds mean if there is no context. So even if in everyday interactions you can translate your cat’s meow, if you heard a recording of it without knowing the circumstances, it would be hard to understand what it meant.Though there is research to show that people are quite good at gauging broadly whether the sounds are coming from a positive or a negative emotion. “The reason why we do find that so difficult is not that we’re not attached to our cats, or we don’t know our cats, it’s because they’re not the same for each cat,and they’re not the same even within a cat at different time periods because, we’re shaping them, they’re changing all the time,” said Sarah. So why do they meow when they are living with us, when they wouldn’t do it in the wild? The clue may be in that mum and kitten meowing that happens in all cats, as we cat owners have taken on that care-giving role that was once done by the mother cat. “We think that some of the mum/baby kind of behaviour that we see with mums and kittens is what has been somewhat translated to the human/cat relationship — it’s care seeking and care giving,” says Linda. “With humans, we think it may be a similar thing and that cats have learned to rely on us to a point.And we can give them things that they need and there’s a bond there.And so, it may be about that care seeking.” But as with many aspects of cat behaviour, there’s a certain amount of training going on (and we won’t look too closely at who is training who!) as the cat meows and we give them what they want, whether that is food,a treat, or attention and then they continue to use that meow as a signal for what they want. “So,a cat might ask us for something that they need because they’ve developed a relationship with us and that’s the care seeking bit, but then we reinforce it,and so we’re training it and so we end up with these really specific vocabularies in human/animal relationships. “These little care-seeking, caregiving, reinforced vocalisations, can become a cycle that perpetuate each other,and they

Q Your Cat January 2023 12 Why do cats make a chitter sound when they see a bird they can’t get at? Often you will hear a cat make a stuttering series of throaty noises if they see a bird,perhaps on the other side of a window. “Nobody really knows what that is,but we think it’s related to frustration or intention,” says Linda.“If you see your little cat sitting on the window, watching the bird feeder,could it be that they’re frustrated that they can see it,but they can’t get it? It’s possible, so we often see that when they’re frustrated.But some people say it’s intention.They’re not telling the bird and they’re not telling any compadres because they don’t have hunting friends,but they’re saying‘I’m coming to get you’and it’s almost like an unconscious instinctive or emotional noise.” What does purring mean? In most cases,purring does seem to indicate contentment, especially that steady,lowfrequency purr.“That’s ‘I’m happy, I’m sitting on your knee,do more, I love this.’That’s genuinely a contented sound,” says Linda. But sadly,a purr can also happen when the situation is quite the reverse, when the cat is in extreme distress.“I’ve very often seen a cat who is very ill, or a cat in the intensive care unit that is dying or in extreme pain,and they will often be purring,and we think that is an attempt to comfort themselves. There’s also a theory that purring creates ultrasonic waves at a wavelength that heals.” are relationship specific, which is really cool in my opinion.” So, if you think you know what a particular meow from your own puss means in the right context, you’re probably right.And they have quite possibly developed that sound just for you. Interestingly, research has found not all cats in the same household will use the same vocalisations in the same circumstances — they are all individuals after all. “While they don’t have what humans have in terms of language — for example, we have a vocabulary and we can arrange that vocabulary in all different orders to make different meanings — we can very often look at their body language and the context, in conjunction with the noise that they’re making and say that means you want some loving, or that means you want food or that means you want the door open,” says Linda. “I don’t think they’re thinking ‘I will make this noise and this means she will feed me’, but it’s a learned interaction,and often it’s emotional rather than deliberate.” They’re not always trying to get you to do something or give them something though. They do like to give us a greeting sometimes. Our cat Rita often does a chirrup followed by a longer meow when she comes indoors. It’s as if she is saying ‘I’m here! Where is everyone?’ “It’s a positive greeting,” says Linda.“It’s like ‘hi everyone!’ It’s a sort of little social announcement. Not all the vocalisations are about ‘I want, or I need something.’” ʼn.WŇ V HPRWLRQDO UDWKHU WKDQ GHOLEHUDWHŊ Above left: Purring is a sound that often indicates contentment. Above right: Chirping at birds is not uncommon. MEOW

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Trap Neuter Return: Helping to reduce the overpopulation of cats Your Cat Good Causes has provided vital equipment to independent rescues to help bring feral populations under control. Below: Trapped in Rotherham but his condition was too severe to be saved. The vet made the humane decision to put him to sleep. Your Cat January 2023 14 Y our Cat Good Causes has donated MDC EeziCatch Cat Traps and carriers to independent cat rescues throughout the UK to help assist them with their essential Trap Neuter Return (TNR) programmes.We spoke to two of those rescues to find out more about their amazing work and how our donation is valuable to them. INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT Female cats over the age of four months can get pregnant.This is one of the reasons why feral cat populations can explode in numbers in such a short time.With an estimated 250,000 stray cats living in cities across the UK, independent cat rescues are reaching breaking point with all of the time,hard work,and effort their volunteers are putting into their Trap Neuter Return (TNR) programmes to bring feral populations under control. We spoke to Katie Gates at Cat-Ching,an independent cat rescue based in Sheffield, about the stray cat problem they are facing: “The overpopulation of cats in Sheffield and the surrounding areas is out of control.They pop up in the strangest of places; industrial sites,behind fish and chip shops,or even on people’s rooves. “Currently,we cover Sheffield; we used to cover all of South Yorkshire but had to restrict this as we wanted to focus on the cats closer to home and make the most of our limited resources, including volunteer time, to ensure we are having maximum impact.” When asked about a memorable trapping experience, Katie looked back on a particular story from 2021.“Last year,we were trapping in Doncaster on a site where they created renewable energy from animal waste, such as bones,and,as you can imagine,the smell still haunts us.They contacted us asking for help when their feral cat problem got out of hand.Trapping and euthanasia was being considered as due to them being in the food industry they needed to remove the cats for health and safety purposes. “We travelled an hour and a half round trip for a period of six months, six days a week at first.All while working our own full-time jobs. Needless to say,this was exhausting.Ultimately,this was the final straw in our decision to regretfully no longer cover Doncaster. “From this site,we relocated over 30 cats and found them wonderful rural homes.Trapping requires specialised equipment, financial support,and a huge effort. Cat-Ching and its incredible donors funded this operation with the implicated company contributing nothing. But we persevered to protect these cats from being euthanised.” Katie continued:“The donation Your Cat Good Causes has given us is incredibly generous.

Above left: The traps are vital to TNR work. Above right: Elvis checking out the trap. 15 www.yourcat.co.uk “Thank you so much to Your Cat Good Causes.” Equipment is quite regularly damaged or not returned when borrowed and it’s very expensive to replace.We had to do a mass order last year due to this which sent us into negative funds.Thankfully,our supporters stepped up to get us back into the clear.Having more traps means we are equipped to save more cats!” LINCS ARK We also dropped off MDC EeziCatch Cat Traps and carriers to Lincs Ark,a small charity operating in the South Lincolnshire area,who are entirely self-funded. Rachael Clare was kind enough to show us round the functional catteries in her garden which are in constant use,homing just some of the cats and kittens they have rescued. One of the traps Your Cat Good Causes donated was put to use right away,as it went out to a lady who had previously adopted three feral cats from Lincs Ark and had a stray turn up eating their food. She wanted to trap the cat to check for a microchip. Rachael said:“We received a telephone call from a couple who previously adopted a couple of feral cats from us,with a report that they were being bullied by a stray,unneutered tom cat who they named Elvis.Tom cats have a very hard life trying to get regular food and shelter,often seen as bullies,as in this case,but really,they are fighting for survival. “Lincs Ark gave information on how a cat’s character changes once he’s been neutered and asked the couple to actively feed him, so he wasn’t stealing their own cat’s food and set up a routine.Their own cats seemed to accept this and allowed Elvis to bed in with them,all being a bit wary still.” Rachael explained that the couple had spoken to their neighbours to see if anyone knew who he belonged to,but no owner came forward.They then decided that they would like to adopt him after neutering. “We organised a trap to go to them and insisted that it was checked regularly.As Elvis was nervous, we suggested for it to not be set for a start to let him realise the food was inside.Then when he was comfortable eating in the trap, slowly moving his bowl towards the pressure plate at the back each night.Then to set the trap the night before the vet appointment,which was made by us, for neutering and chipping.” The next morning, Elvis had set off the pressure plate and was successfully caught.He was taken into the house in a quiet room,covered over,and left to settle. Rachael continued:“Unfortunately,the vets rang with upsetting news that Elvis was poorly and had advanced liver failure.This was devastating news and not what we had expected to hear.To save him further suffering the decision was made to let him go and not be in any pain anymore.We tried our best but in this case it’s out of our hands,but at least he got help and didn’t suffer on his own at the end.” All too often strays and ferals don’t get the care that they need. Rachael said:“Had he survived,he would have had a lovely home.Traps and crush cages are an essential tool for capturing strays, ferals,and kittens,and then transporting them to the vet’s.These can be costly but are so important in this line of work. Thank you so much to Your Cat Good Causes for this donation to help us with our trapping.” MORE INFORMATION… To find out more about these two hard working independent cat rescues,make a generous donation,or find out how to become a fosterer, simply visit their websites and social media pages. Cat-Ching: www.cat-ching.com; www.facebook.com/catchingsheffield/ Lincs Ark: www.lincsark.co.uk; www.facebook.com/lincs.ark

Your Cat January 2023 16 updates Q YOUR CAT GOOD CAUSES SEES GARFY STATUE FUNDRAISER HIT TARGET In our November issue, we announced the launch of our Good Causes project with a £1,500 donation to help create a statue of Garfy — aka Mr Sainsbury — a cat who captured the hearts of the people in Ely, Cambridgeshire. Their fundraising has now reached the initial target of £6,500,after we donated another £300 to the Go Fund Me page. David Willers, Garfy’s owner, said:“I can’t thank Your Cat enough.They have done so much for Garfield’s Go Fund Me page, for his statue. Not only did they make a donation of £1,500,they ran the story in their magazine and donated another £300 for us to reach our target of £6,500! We want to thank everyone who has donated for making this happen — we’re so overwhelmed and our plan is to have the statue done by next summer or sooner.” O To read more about Garfy, visit www.garfy.uk KNITTED BLANKET DONATION We’d like to say a big thank you to reader Margaret Cameron who kindly sent Your Cat Good Causes a bundle of knitted blankets.These have now been sent out to Cat Haven Wisbech, who were delighted to receive the donation. Tracy Reeve at Cat Haven Wisbech said:“We have over 60 permanent residents that are old,blind, disabled, FIV positive,and semi-feral.They will love the blankets — thank you deeply. Please pass on our deep thanks to Margaret,we are very grateful.” O If you’re crafty and would like to help keep cats snug during the bracing weather, we would gratefully receive knitted blankets and distribute them to rescues who really need them! Send them to:Your Cat Good Causes,Warners Group Publications,West Street,Bourne, Lincs,PE10 9PH. Is this cat a stray? Katie Gates at Cat-Ching, Sheffield,gives her advice on what to do if you think you’ve seen a stray cat. FRIENDLY 1Take a photo of the cat and post it on local lost and found groups.You need to ask the community if they own the cat or know of the owners. The post needs to be live for at least a week. 2Take the cat to a vet to have a free microchip check. If chipped,the vet will be able to contact the owners from the information registered on there. This is why it’s so important to keep that up to date. 3Apply a paper collar with a mobile number and a message asking for the owner to contact you as you believe the cat to be homeless. 4Door knock the area the cat was found in and post flyers as a last attempt to find an owner before contacting rescues. FERAL 1Take a photo of the cat and post it on local lost and found groups.You need to ask the community if they own the cat or know of the owners. The post needs to be live for at least a week. 2Contact rescues to see if they can trap the cat to be relocated or rehomed. HOW DOES A CAT TRAP WORK? The MDC EeziCatch Cat Trap is a high-quality, self-activating trap, which closes automatically when a cat enters and stands on the treadle plate.The treadle plate is linked to a release pin allowing the trap-door and locking bar to drop into place to secure the cat for temporary confinement.To set the trap, simply raise the outward opening front door above the trip bar. As the cat steps on the mesh treadle plate, the door is locked using a simple sliding ring mechanism to make catching the cat a gentle stress-free operation.The back door slips up perfectly to transfer the cat into a carrier. TRAPPING TIPS Practice using the trap (and transfer technique) until you are familiar with it.Traps should be located where the cats are normally fed.Work with local cat feeders and recruit them as helpers.Bait the unset trap and allow the cat(s) to eat from the trap for several days. Set traps should be monitored and checked every two hours. Such checks avoid having the cat being held captive too long and also provides an opportunity to ensure that the trap has not been accidentally sprung or interfered with. Right top: The Garfy statue is on the way! Right below: Margaret sent an incredible donation.

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H T ere h are e the bes w t felin i e n prod n ucts e on t r he s mark a et as r v e oted … by you! PRODUCT AWARDS 2023 BEST SPECIALIST DIET — BEAPHAR KIDNEY DIET Beaphar Kidney diet is a delicious, complete pet food designed to support cats with renal conditions. Available in salmon,duck,and chicken flavour,it is a pate-style pet food that has been scientifically balanced to combine specific levels of high-quality protein with low-level phosphorus to prevent the increase of waste products in the blood,helping to support renal function. Beaphar Kidney Diet contains Vitamins D and E,taurine,biotin,and zinc to provide your cat with all of the essential vitamins and minerals to support optimum health. Suitable for cats with temporary renal insufficiency and chronic renal conditions. O www.beaphar.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Arden Grange Sensitive Grain Free Ocean White Fish and Potato (www.ardengrange.com); and Carnilove Duck and Turkey Large Breed (www.carnilove.co.uk) BEST DRY FOOD — WEBBOX COMPLETE ADULT DRY CAT FOOD The innovative recipes of high quality protein,natural antioxidants,and nutritional cereals contains everything your cat needs to maintain a healthy lifestyle.Added beneficial ingredients help to alleviate known problems in feline health. O www.webbox.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Arden Grange Grain Free Fresh Chicken & Potato (www.ardengrange.com); and Burgess Cat Chicken with Duck (www.burgesspetcare.com) BEST WET FOOD — HILIFE IT’S ONLY NATURAL If cats could choose,they would choose ‘It’s only natural’.Grain free recipes with no artificial colours, flavours,or preservatives,available in a complete range boasting a wide variety of dishes that are perfectly balanced to support your cats’daily requirements. Keeping your feline friend healthy and happy from kitten to mature cat,HiLife is dedicated to offering them a meal as natural and nutritious as we would expect for ourselves.As if that wasn’t enough,HiLife also offers a complimentary range for when you want to treat them to that extra special something;Tuna Loin with Shrimp anyone? O hilifepet.co.uk/collections/hilife-its-only-natural-cat-food HIGHLY COMMENDED: Webbox Naturals Cat Mousse (www.webbox.co.uk); and Catit Dinners (www.catit.co.uk) BEST TREAT — CATIT CREAMY These hydrating cat treats come in four delicious flavours:Chicken,Chicken & Lamb, Salmon and Prawns,and Tuna.Containing fresh all-natural ingredients,it’s high in protein and rich in amino acids.Perfect as a topper or as a treat itself,Catit Creamy turns one of their snacks into love! Hand-fed treats can help strengthen the bond with your cat. O catit.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Webbox Cat Tasty Sticks (www.webbox. co.uk); and Pet Munchies Freeze-Dried Gourmet Cat Treats (pet-munchies.com) BEST HEALTH PRODUCT — FELIWAY OPTIMUM Backed by over 25 years of science and recommended by vets, FELIWAY Optimum is the number one clinically proven cat behavioural product. Cats naturally produce pheromones, some of these are invisible calming messages.The FELIWAY Optimum diffuser contains the most advanced Feline Pheromone Complex to help your cats feel comfortable and secure at home.It helps solve all common signs of stress,including scratching,urine spraying, conflict,and hiding. Many cats are benefitting from FELIWAY Optimum,93% of cat parents have observed enhanced serenity within one month of use and say their cat is happier than ever before! O www.feliway.com/uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Webbox Cat Grass (www.webbox.co.uk); and Beaphar Hairball Paste (www.beaphar.co.uk) BEST CAT TOY — FREAK MEOWT CATNIP TOYS Freak MEOWt launched in 2015.It is based in a tiny hamlet in the heart of West Wales and their cat toys are designed,made,packaged,and dispatched from their cottage. They specialise in catnip and valerian root cat toys and believe cats deserve the very best so they only use the finest materials and premium Canadian catnip (catnip is the main ingredient in all their toys).They said:“Freak MEOWt toys are designed primarily with cats in mind — we understand how cats interact with their toys so you should find the purrfect catnip toy to suit your cat’s needs in our collection.We also want our products to look good in your home.” O www.freakmeowt.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Catit Groovy Fish (catit.co.uk); and Webbox Cat Interchangeable Laser Toy (webbox.co.uk) 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 L urs, e range boasting a wide variety of an B M Fre tin toy Your Cat January 2023 18

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 Q 9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 BEST GROOMING PRODUCT — FURMINATOR FURminator is a unique total grooming system that ensures cat owners have a quick and easy to follow grooming regime to use in the comfort of their own homes.The award winning FURminator Undercoat deShedding Tool can reduce shedding by up to 90% (when used for 10 — 20 minutes per week) and has been developed by professional groomers. FURminator said:“We are pleased to have won the Your Cat Product Award again!” O www.furminator.net HIGHLY COMMENDED: Catit Long/Short Hair Grooming Sets (www.catit.co.uk); and Anicura Cat Shampoo (anicura.co.uk) BEST FLEA PRODUCT FOR PET — FRONTLINE PLUS FRONTLINE said:“At FRONTLINE,we’re dedicated to providing protective healthcare treatments that enhance the lives and well-being of pets.We believe that happy,healthy pets enrich all our lives.And we’re here to help pets stay that way with our range of flea and tick products.We’re constantly building on our heritage and scientific legacy as a health company so that nothing comes between the great times you and your four-legged friends share together.We’re incredibly proud that FRONTLINE PLUS® has been recognised as ‘Best Flea Product’by the people that are the most important to us,the UK’s pet owners. Thank you!” O www.uk.frontline.com HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bob Martin Clear Plus Spot-on (www. bobmartin.co.uk); and Itch Flea (www.itchpet.com) BEST FLEA PRODUCT (FOR THE HOME) — INDOREX DEFENCE Indorex® Defence is the UK’s number one household flea spray and has been awarded the ‘Best Flea Product (for the home)’by Your Cat Magazine 11 years in a row.Indorex® Defence is used to help prevent and treat household flea infestations.The unique formulation kills adult fleas on contact for up to two months and continues to protect your home from fleas and house dust mites for a full year! O virbac.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Frontline Homegard (www. uk.frontline.com); and Bob Martin Clear Plus Home Flea Fogger (www.bobmartin.co.uk). BEST WORMING PRODUCT — DRONSPOT Drontal are thrilled that Dronspot Spot-On Wormer has won Best Worming Product again in 2023.They continue to strive to deliver the best worming product to defeat worms every month of the year.Dronspot is the only spot-on wormer that kills every type of intestinal worm commonly found in UK cats. A spokesperson said:“We are delighted that Dronspot is more popular than ever with even more owners discovering our worming products.Thank you all for voting!” O www.drontal.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bob Martin Clear Wormer Spot-On (www.bobmartin.co.uk); and Beaphar WORMclear Spot-On for Cats (www.beaphar.co,uk). BEST INSURANCE — PETPLAN Petplan is the UK’s number one pet insurance provider and have been helping keep the nation’s pets healthy for over 40 years. Their knowledge of pet health allows them to design their policies to cover as many conditions as possible which is why they are able to pay 97% of all the claims they receive.Both their 12 month and Covered For Life policies are packed with benefits to give your cat access to the best care after an illness or injury. O www.petplan.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: MiPet Cover Pet Insurance (www. mipetcover.co.uk); and The Insurance Emporium (www.theinsuranceemporium.co.uk) BEST TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT — CATIT PIXI SMART FOUNTAIN This drinking fountain helps your cat get the hydration they need. The UV-C sterilisation neutralises 99% of bacteria and viruses, while the triple action filter softens water and removes debris.It is ideal for picky drinkers and the water pump is silent.It even has a nightlight.The free mobile app allows you to control the fountain on the go. O catit.co.uk/shop/catit-pixi-smart-fountain HIGHLY COMMENDED: SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect (www.surepetcare.com/en-gb); and Catit Pixi Smart Feeder (www.catit.co.uk) BEST CAT LITTER — SANICAT Sanicat Clumping is a natural mineral litter that is easy to use and locks in smells using Oxygen Odour Control.Naturally clumping,it absorbs liquids and forms solid clumps that are easily removed from the litter tray.De-dusted to minimise dust and packed in FSC recyclable bags, this litter is great for your cat and kind to the planet. O www.sanicat.com HIGHLY COMMENDED: Felight Antibacterial NonClumping Cat Litter (www.bobmartin.co.uk); and Catit Go Natural Pea Husk Litter (catit.co.uk) BEST ONLINE PET RETAILER — ZOOPLUS Zooplus said:“Everyone at Zooplus is delighted that customers continue to put their trust in us.As times get tougher,we understand that finding the best deals on the products you need for your beloved cats is more important than ever and are proud to be recognised for our commitment to providing outstanding service.” O www.zooplus.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Petshop (www.petshop.co.uk); and Petplanet (www.petplanet.co.uk) PRODUCT YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT — WEBBOX LICK-E-LIX Webbox Lick-e-Lix is beloved by cats across the UK and who can blame them when they come in such a delicious array of flavours? Thanks to the handy packaging,your fur baby can lap Lick-e-Lix up straight from the packet and they go nuts for the smooth yoghurt-like texture! O www.webbox.co.uk HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pet Munchies Freeze-Dried Gourmet Cat Treats (pet-munchies.com) and PetSafe Drinkwell Butterfly Pet Fountain (intl.petsafe.net/en-gb). 19 www.yourcat.co.uk

Confessions of a cat-sitter While I’m slaving long hours, sitting on sofas, stroking cats,and watching TV, I often dream of one day winning the lottery and being able to leave all this hardship behind me.Actually, not exactly behind me. I’ll still do exactly the same things but with two major differences: 1) nobody will need to pay me to do it and 2) I’ll live somewhere with enough room for a great big shed in which to do more lounging and TV watching — the man dream. New Year, new wealth, new shed. I’ll also have a multitude of shed wall microchip cat-flaps so all favoured local cats can join me,but not that maniac ginger tom from down the road who sprays my clothes while I’m sleeping. He’s definitely not welcome in my fantasy. But while for now I can only hope for sheds and urine free clothing,a cat on my rounds, named Ned, is already living the man dream. By the simple virtue of spending almost all day every day in a huge cardboard box, Ned is living his life pottering around in a shed,or a cardboard structure that Ned,one of the cats on Chris’rounds, seems to be living the dream… “Ned was sitting on the toilet reading the newspaper” closely resembles one,anyway. Ned fully immerses himself in this wonderful lifestyle (he often fully immerses himself in his water bowl too,but that’s just weird), eating, snoozing, sleeping,and watching the world go by,or, in his case, mainly just watching legs go by. But even I was surprised the other day to arrive at Ned’s house and spot the pointy-eared lounger taking the man dream to a whole new level. Ned was sitting on the toilet reading the newspaper.Well, I say reading it,but let’s remember this is a cat we’re talking about here,and not the brightest feline-in-the-firmament at that. Ned was sitting on the toilet eating the newspaper.A slight usage error on his part, I know,but he’d still achieved the benchmark, sitting on his litter tray, eating the surrounding newspaper floor covering. Valhalla. The toilet in question,by the way, is an elaborate corner unit litter tray that his owner thought would enhance his quality of life, he having always been an al fresco toilet goer,and it may well have done so during its first three months in situ, if only Ned had in any way understood what it was. He’d sit munching his Dreamies, staring in total bewilderment as his cohabitant cat,the pristine Cilla, would stroll into the tray, carry out her ablutions, flush,and spring away (OK, I admit there’s no flush).You could almost see Ned’s mind whirring as he continued to stare at the tray long after Cilla had vacated it.Then, just when you thought he might possibly have cracked it, he’d nip outside and soil next door’s vegetable patch. Brilliant. But not today.Today, Ned was using that toilet, only a few feet from the Ned-Shed and all was right with his world. Actually, not wanting to burst bubbles here,but lately the image of Ned living the man dream has slightly fallen apart because his ‘wife’ Cilla has taken to insisting she spend time in his shed with him.That’s Hades, not Valhalla. CAT-SITTER DIARY 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. Column Your Cat January 2023 20

Would you like a lovely house and your own business? Catkins is a beautifully presented, four bedroom, detached house in an elevated position with stunning views overlooking Hughenden Valley. The property sits in extensive grounds and the sale includes a thriving cattery business (licenced for 47 cats). This is an ideal opportunity for an entrepreneur to live in a beautiful house, run their own business and have no need to travel to work. 120 High Street, Prestwood, Buckinghamshire, HP16 9HD 01494 868 000 | [email protected] www.wyeres.co.uk/properties-for-sale/property/11463555-cryers-hill-road-cryers-hill Catkins, Cryers Hill, Buckinghamshire - £1.45M Freehold FOR SALE Stunning country views | Business premises | Four double bedrooms | Kitchen/diner | Three bathrooms | Sitting room | Study | Detached garage | Office | Front and rear gardens

GCCFBreeder Scheme A new era for the breeder scheme is set to begin, which will provide kitten buyers with even more confidence when purchasing a pedigree cat. Above: Premises will be inspected under the new scheme. BUILDING A BREEDER SCHEME That’s the background it grew from and it was led initially from the bottom up, not something that was imposed top down. However, the key words were: well intentioned, aspirational,amateur, and lacking financial support, whereas the KC’s scheme was driven by professional expertise with dedicated paid staff centrally based, aiming for and then acquiring full accreditation with UKAS. It had a very slow take off and it was realised from early on that the feedback from buyers wasn’t taking off as expected. However, this wasn’t so important initially with the members mostly in the genuinely aspirational group and not aiming to use it as a stepping stone to profit by. The possibility of accreditation was considered in 2017 when quite a lot of time was spent on ascertaining what was involved with Ian Wronksley from UKAS. He was inspiring in Council, but sadly with about £15 – £20,000 needed for start-up, and £10,000 annually to maintain the scheme, it wasn’t something that could be afforded. At that time, the Scheme was bringing in about £2,500 a year and membership was roughly as it was four years earlier when it began; some joined, others left. Since then, numbers have steadily increased (the income last year was just over £4,500) but with growth has come problems and demands. Many now believe that those joining are seeing it not as a commitment to a Code of Ethics, but as a way to make their name stand out from the crowd when selling kittens. Who are the GCCF? Rosemary Fisher entered the cat fancy in 1974 when she purchased her first pedigree cat — a Chinchilla called Brylou Moonstone. She breeds Persians and Exotics, and judges in several sections. She is currently a GCCF Board member and also serves on the genetics committee. Do you remember Panorama’s ‘Pedigree Dogs Exposed?’It was about 15 years ago but had an impact that has continued ever since.The concern at the time for GCCF was that pedigree cats didn’t travel the same route which was that pedigree breeding could lead to health issues, and this resulted in the GCCF Breeding Policy,Variant Policy, and Outcrossing Policy being written to avoid heading towards genetic bottle necks in the future. Three reports into dog breeding followed the programme,two done very quickly after the event because of the public outcry, the third that was thoroughly researched to draw conclusions and recommendations was by Sir Patrick Bateson (whose daughter was breeding Egyptian Maus at the time) and included his belief that “the challenge of identifying high welfare status breeders reliably could be addressed through the application of a rigorous,robustly policed and well-respected quality assurance scheme.”This led to improvements in the Kennel Club’s (KC) Assured Breeder Scheme which had already made a start.The GCCF wanted to do something similar and a first draft was put together, which is close to how the scheme is currently and it was approved through the GCCF Board and then Council. Your Cat January 2023 22

Above: Kitten buyers will have even more confidence when buying from an assured breeder. Find out more about the Breeder Scheme by visiting www. gccfcats.org/ breeding-cats/ the-experiencedbreeder/breederscheme/ ).) >4: 034<$ Q 23 www.yourcat.co.uk EXISTING PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED AT A MEETING IN 2019 WERE: O Entry is too easy,no real effort or demonstration of knowledge and/or experience is required. O The Code of Ethics is abstract — there are no practical measurable standards set. O It requires objective premises inspection and monitoring. O If feedback from new kitten owners is to continue to play a part,it needs to be more assiduously obtained, collated,assessed,and used for breeder support. That’s the journey from then to now.When the Covid pandemic and lockdown hit us all in 2020, something unusual happened. The demand for pets grew at an alarming rate and breeders found themselves inundated with requests for kittens,and prices charged for some kittens also grew alarmingly,as demand outstripped supply. It also had the very unfortunate effect of encouraging the exploitation of pet breeding by those hoping to cash in, often inexperienced and without the necessary time and suitable environment in which to ensure queens could give birth safely and kittens raised and socialised correctly. It became clear that the GCCF Breeder Scheme needed to be revised and strengthened in order to give more assurance to new kitten purchasers. .2574;.3, 9-* 8(-*2* At the beginning of 2021, there were just over 250 members on the Scheme. It should be said here that not all GCCF breeders signed up to using the original scheme; this does not mean that they are not excellent or reputable breeders. In April 2021, a small review group was set up to look at the Scheme in depth and how it could be improved and strengthened, and the views of the wider Cat Fancy were surveyed to gain insight into how breeders felt about the original scheme. Following the feedback, the review group decided to seek guidance from the Kennel Club (KC) on how it set up their scheme. We realised that we couldn’t go from zero to 60 all at once and neither did the KC, their scheme has evolved over time.A meeting was set up with Bill Lambert, Head of Health and Welfare at the KC, following which they kindly provided us with copies of their Assured Breeder Scheme paperwork to give us an insight into their scheme. The review group, which included the GCCF’s Veterinary Officer, Dr Susan Moreland, has since re-written the guidance for the new scheme, for both members and assessors, as the scheme will include inspection of breeders’ premises. Some aspects of the original scheme are kept, of course, including provision of correct paperwork to new kitten owners, immunisation, details of diet, worming regime, copies of any health testing undertaken for the parents of the kitten,and correct breeding records. It is accepted that facilities available will vary widely depending on the number of cats kept, but the scheme lays down minimum requirements which must be met, such as size of cattery and runs, lighting and heating,and suitable requirements for queens and kittens.A pilot scheme has been running during the second half of 2022 with some current members being assessed to ensure that all aspects of the scheme will work. The new Breeder Scheme will be launched on January 1, 2023 and it will, of course, take a while for all of the current members to be assessed.An assessment will be undertaken every three years and so the lead in time will be over three years, with every member fully assessed by the beginning of 2026. ʼn9KH QHZ 'UHHGHU 8FKHPH ZLOO EH ODXQFKHG RQ /DQXDU\ Ŋ

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CATS PROTECTION REPORT Cats and their Stats Each year Cats Protection conducts a huge survey of UK owners to gauge the state of the nation’s felines. Here we look at the headline findings of this year’s report. Cats Protection runs the Cats and their Stats report annually. ).) >4: 034<$ 25 www.yourcat.co.uk T he Cats and their Stats report is an excellent look at how we’re doing with cat ownership in this country. It allows the identification of trends,themes,or issues that can help inform how we care for our cats. Over 10,000 owners took part in the survey with the data referring to the period of between March 2021 and March 2022. Here are headline findings: CAT POPULATION O There are around 11 million owned cats in the UK, an increase of around 200,000 since 2021. O Half (50%, 5.5 million) of owned cats are female and half (50%, 5.5 million) are male. HOUSEHOLDS O Just over one in four UK households (26%) own a cat. O Each cat-owning household has an average of 1.5 cats. O 65% have one cat. O 35% own two cats or more. O According to owners, 63% of cats are moggies, 26% are pedigrees, and 6% are crossbreeds. Owners did not know the breed for the remaining 5%.This is a shift from 65% moggies and 23% pedigrees in 2021. GIVING UP CATS O 8% of current cat owners had a cat in the last 12 months that they no longer own. O 12% of current non-owners had a cat in the last 12 months that they no longer own.

Your Cat January 2023 26 CATS PROTECTION REPORT CAT OWNERS O A higher proportion of younger people seem to be owning cats.The proportion of 18 — 24-year-olds that own a cat has increased significantly (32%, up from 25% in 2021). O UK cat owners are less likely to be over the age of 65 (11%), compared to all UK households (20%). O 44% of cat owners are male and 56% of cat owners are female. NEUTERING, BREEDING,AND MICROCHIPPING O 85% of cats (9.3 million) are neutered, 12% of cats (1.3 million) are not neutered. The remaining 3% of owners don’t know if their cat is neutered. O 39% of female cats remain unneutered by the time they reach a year old.Cats Protection recommends that cats should be neutered from four months of age, which is when they reach puberty and are capable of reproducing. O 37% of litters born in the last 12 months were as a result of an accidental mating. O An estimated 7.8 million cats are microchipped (71%),2.8 million (26%) are not microchipped,and 4% of owners do not know if their cat is microchipped. O 92% of cat owners that have microchipped their cat say that their contact details are up to date. THE CAT MARKET O Owned cats tend to be bought (29%), adopted from a UK rehoming charity (24%),or have been taken on from a neighbour,family member,or friend (17%) O For cats acquired in the last 12 months, 38% were bought and 19% were adopted from UK rehoming charities. O An estimated 82,000 cats have been brought into the UK from overseas in the last 12 months (either through adoption from an overseas charity or from a specialist breeder overseas). This represents 5% of all cats acquired in the last 12 months. O Overall,61% of cats that were purchased were found online,up from 58% in 2021. O Almost a quarter (24%) of all cats that were purchased,at any time,were found on Facebook,up from 16% in 2021. O 38% of cats bought in the last 12 months that were purchased were found on Facebook. COST-OF-LIVING CONCERNS O 30% of all cat owners expressed significant concerns over being able to afford bills and other living costs over the next 12 months due to price increases. O 5% of owners say that they have had to reduce spend on cat necessities such as cat food and litter to save money in the last 12 months. O 4% of owners have used a food bank or charity to help them feed their cat in the last 12 months.Up from 3% in 2021. O For almost a quarter (24%) of cat owners,cost was the biggest barrier to making vet visits as often as they would like. O 13% of cat owners worry that they wouldn’t be able to afford a large vet bill right now (10% in 2021). O 3% of all cat owners have considered giving up their cat — that’s equivalent to over 300,000 households.

Q 27 www.yourcat.co.uk In summary… Cats Protection say:“This year, we’ve seen a continuation of many of the trends that were seen during the height of the pandemic, with more people estimated now than ever to be enjoying the benefits of cat ownership, with the majority of cat owners appearing to be motivated to provide the best life they can for their much-loved pet. “While it is fantastic that more people than ever are enjoying the many benefits of cat ownership,an increase in the overall number of cats does present some challenges.An increased demand for veterinary services puts pressure on veterinary practices,at a time when many may not yet have recovered from pandemic staffing losses. “Many of the owners surveyed have started to feel the pinch of the rising cost of living, with substantial numbers reporting concerns around the affordability of veterinary care.As the cost-of-living crisis looks set to continue, the sector must do all it can to support the pet-owner relationship through this difficult and demanding time. Understanding the specific pinch points for cat owners helps better direct support interventions. “Cats Protection will continue to review ways in which the charity can help support cat ownership wherever this can be achieved,and to ensure as many owned cats as possible experience good welfare.” FIND OUT MORE… For the full Cats and their Stats report, visit www.cats.org.uk/about-cp/cats-report-2022 THE ROLE THAT CATS PLAY IN OUR LIVES O For the third consecutive year, companionship,reducing loneliness, and reducing stress were collectively the top reasons for owning a cat (51%) O 21% of cat owners say that the main reason that they have a cat in their life is to help them feel less stressed. O 92% of owners consider their cat part of the family. O 87% of owners spend time stroking their cat or sitting together every day. O 88% of cat owners regularly talk to their cat. O 67% of cat owners say their cat gives them something to get up for in the morning.Up from 62% in 2021. O 63% of cat owners put their cat’s needs above their own.Up from 58% in 2021. HEALTH O Over three quarters of owners (76%) say that their cat has no diagnosed health conditions at all.21% say their cat has at least one diagnosed health condition. O Approximately 1.2 million cats remain unregistered with a vet. O 60% of cats go to the vet for a routine visit every year,but around 3.9 million cats only go as and when their owner feels they need to (36%),or never go to the vet (4%). O 37% of cat owners have experienced trouble accessing their vet in the last 12 months.This rises to 58% of those who have acquired a cat in the last 12 months. O 46% of all owners have insured their cat, up from 43% in 2021. O Up to around 3.2 million cats are not fully protected against diseases that are preventable with vaccination. O Less than two thirds of owners are regularly protecting their cats against parasites such as fleas (60%) and worms (59%).This is lower than last year (63% for fleas and 61% for worms).

REAL LIFE Top: Stealing the limelight! Above left: The happy trio! Above right: The happy couple on their wedding day. You can follow Royston’s antics via his Instagram account at www. instagram.com/ ragdollroy/ ).) >4: 034< S hivam Patel and Ashmi Hindocha first met when they were both studying at Bristol University 12 years ago.They got together two years later and celebrated their tenth anniversary in August.When they decided to start living together, there was no question that they would bring home a pet as they were both big animal lovers. Shivam said:“Neither of us were allowed to have pets when we were younger and when we moved in together,we both wanted to fill that void that a pet left because we love all animals.” The couple started looking around at options and at first considered a rabbit,but,as Shivam explained:“Nothing we saw had an affinity with us,then we considered a dog but we thought that would be a lot more maintenance.” +.99.3, 7.,-9 .3 As the couple are both dentists, they realised they needed a pet that would fit in better with their lifestyles.And then one of Shivam’s dental nurses said that she had a kitten who was part of a litter and wondered if they would be interested. Shivam said:“I sent a picture of him to Ashmi and we both fell in love with him straight away.”And that is how Royston the Ragdoll kitten came to live with the couple January 2020,but very shortly afterwards,the COVID-19 pandemic hit and they agreed that they wouldn’t do any proper wedding planning until things calmed down a bit.They started wedding planning in earnest in 2021 and had a traditional Hindu ceremony inTenerife in July,which of course meant that they couldn’t have Roy with them. Shivam said:“We had our legal ceremony here in the UK so we choseThe Old MaryleboneTown ʼn<H ZDQWHG KLP WR EH SDUW RI RXU ZHGGLQJ GD\ Ŋ in 2019. They named him after the area of Hertfordshire where they live and now,he is called Roy for short. “He fitted in straight away and he was a very good boy right from the beginning.He knew how to use his litter tray and we even let him outside for a bit.He’s not very good at jumping but he is good at climbing,but we know that he won’t try and escape,and we do trust him.” The couple got engaged in Your Cat January 2023 28 When a Hertfordshire couple chose to get married, they decided a close member of family would be their ring bearer — their cat Royston!

Top: Pictured on their wedding day: Ashmi’s dad Ashwin Hindocha, Shivam Patel,Ashmi Hindocha and Shivam’s mum, Palvi Patel. Right: The guard of honour for the trio. You can find the post featuring Ashmi,Shivam and Roy at www. instagram.com/p/ Cg_wIaQMpQO/ MORE INFO: Q Hall as it’s one of the best venues that you can get and it was lovely.” AWEDDING LIKE NO OTHER The couple wrote an impassioned email to theTown Hall committee asking for permission for Roy to join them on their wedding day, which at first was denied.But then after assurances that Roy would be well behaved and that he has his own little backpack to sit in and would not cause any trouble,they relented. Roy was transported to the ceremony with much pomp and ceremony,in a little clear backpack on wheels so he could be kept safe and secure at the key moments but also free to watch his human parents get married — and he was soon surrounded by staff members wanting to take his photo. Naturally on your wedding day, the focus is supposed to be on the bride and groom but the couple didn’t mind that cheeky Roy was stealing focus from the happy couple as theTown Hall staff and crew were all desperate to see the furriest member of the wedding party. Shivam said:“We were so pleased to be able to have him as part of a special day and he was such a good boy.We gave him a little ring bearer costume with the rings attached and he played his part very well.Although he was a bit cheeky as he kept trying to hide in the fireplaces and we were worried that he’d go in and get stuck!” This was a first for Marylebone Town Hall,as they have had dogs accompanying their owners’ weddings,but never a cat before. Westminster Registration Services Sessional Registrar Alison Cathcart explained that The Old Marylebone Town Hall is a dog friendly venue, which in itself is rather unusual for registry office type venues as many official buildings don’t allow dogs apart from assistance dogs,but a cat was a novel request. She said:“When we were approached with a request for a cat to be part of a ceremony,we couldn’t resist.Obviously with a cat, they are rather more wilful than dogs so we had to ensure that Royston was looked after and held in a cat carrier for most of the time. “However,he was allowed to roam a bit during the ceremony and at one point had to be refrained from climbing up the chimney in the room!” Alison said that Roy was “hugely popular”with the staff,partly due to his nifty cat carrier and of course because he is so gorgeous. “Shivam and Ashmi’s wedding,and their fluffy ring-bearer,proved to be such a hit with everyone there. When we posted about them on our Instagram account,the post soon became one of the most popular posts on the account.” 29 www.yourcat.co.uk “We gave him a little ring bearer costume ”

The cat well-being study Is your cat comfortable in his territory? Here’s what to look for... SPONSORED BY TERRITORY In this 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 third part of the series looks at how cats value their territory. immediately be turned upside down.If the newcomer happens to be of the highly territorial kind,he’ll find himself having to compete for everything that’s important to him.He might find his access to the litter tray deliberately blocked by his nemesis who has taken up residence on the stairs,the cat and human furniture now have an unwanted smell,and he has been usurped from his cosy spot on the master bed. What’s more,he’s forced to eat right next to his rival and drink from the same water bowl. He may have his hiding places invaded and always be on high alert,anticipating the worst.And all the behaviours he would have performed to make himself feel Your Cat January 2023 30 F or cats,territory is everything.As far as they are concerned, it’s the most fundamental reason for their existence.Unlike dogs for whom their caregivers are the be all and end all, most cats (and I hate to disappoint you) are more attached to their territory than they are to their owners. From around the age of 18 months cats start becoming territorial,and if you have ever had kittens that have suddenly fallen out after sharing a blissfully harmonious kittenhood, this is usually the reason why. This sense of territory governs how they behave from here on in.Their lives will be spent defending what they have established as theirs, while trying to avoid contact with others of their species that they view as competition.Very occasionally, it will be necessary to fight for what is theirs. All this covert warfare is going on right underneath your nose. Research has determined that a cat’s world is divided into three areas: their core area,their territory,and their home range. CORE AREA The‘core area’ is the place where a cat feels safest and most relaxed. For an owned cat, this is usually your home. If he is an only cat,he will, from a feline perspective,be in control over this area and the resources within it. Everyday he’ll spend time rubbing against household items and scratching surfaces to secrete fatty deposits from glands around his body,thereby making himself feel good about the fact that the only feline smell in his core area is his own. So, imagine how he might feel if one day he encounters a new feline housemate.Unless you’re very lucky and both cats decide to form a bond,his world will 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 can find out more from her website: www.honeysuckle cattoys.co.uk Right: The self groomer will encourage your cat to spread their scent. Below: A pet camera can be perfect for getting a look at how your cat is in their indoor territory.

nice and secure in his home,he’ll now perform feverishly in an effort to make his physical and olfactory presence felt. If these don’t work, he may start spreading his scent in a less acceptable way.Urine spraying is a coping strategy used by cats that no longer feel in control over their core area. If there are multiple cats in a home,they will try to establish rules around how they carve up the shared space,either geographically or timewise. Where certain cats don’t get on, they might spend the majority of their time trying to avoid crossing each other’s path,especially in spaces such as on landings, stairs, corridors,and hallways. I have always found these areas to be hotspots for cat confrontations. It’s therefore vitally important to maximise all of the space in the house.The more space the cats have, including vertical space, the more opportunity they have to expand their territory and create distance between them THEIR TERRITORY While being very important to your cat,the borders of your garden do not represent the boundary of his territory.There are many different factors that determine how big a cat’s territory is.These include the sex of your cat,his level of confidence,how many other cats there are in the area,and the time of year. Of course,each cat in the neighbourhood will have his own territory and the more territories there are,the more likely it is that they are going to overlap with each other, like a venn diagram. When your cat has established a territory,he will do his best to defend it while actively avoiding other cats doing the same thing. Right: Give your cat his own furniture and he’ll feel more comfortable in his home. 31 www.yourcat.co.uk This is how your cat feels every time he steps foot outside the door,and this is why you’ll usually see your cat traversing your garden using the boundaries as camouflage,rather than strutting down the middle of it for all to see. He’ll usually follow the same route each time, stopping occasionally to spray on the same bushes and trees. Urine spraying is one of the most complex of cat behaviours,but research leads us to believe that it is a remote way for one cat to tell another that he has been in that area.The sprayed urine contains chemical messages which give information as to the identity of the sprayer.This strategy is used by cats to help prevent them from accidently bumping into each other. If another cat does sneak on to your cat’s hallowed turf,the strategies are usually initially passive.Why risk getting injured in a fight,when you can simply sit for hours near the interloper,avoiding eye-contact,while hoping that your mere presence will be enough to reinforce the fact that he shouldn’t be there and send him slinking off? As a last resort, confrontations might escalate to actual fighting. HOME RANGE The third area,the home range, which includes your cat’s territory, is the total area over which he roams.Again,the size of this area depends on the cat,the environment,and the number of other cats around.These days you can buy GPS trackers for cats which tell you how far and where they’ve been.You might be surprised at the results! While territory plays an incredibly important role in the life of our family felines,not every cat is Attila the Hun wanting to expand his territory by invading that of others and wreaking havoc on any other cat that dares enter his. Every cat is an individual with different levels of territoriality and much of this complex behaviour goes unseen by us. While there is no doubt some cats will get on with fellow felines and may even benefit from their company, it is often the case that cats would prefer to have sole control of their territory. So, if you would like to acquire another cat,this is actually a very big decision and it’s important that you ask yourself if your home and neighbourhood are appropriate spaces for more than one cat and ultimately whether it is in the best interests of the cat you already love and cherish. “This sense of territory governs how they behave...”

SPONSORED BY Your Cat January 2023 32 Test your knowledge TERRITORY Here we have 10 graphics showing cats performing various territorial behaviours. Can you determine what they mean? 1 4 2 5 3 6

Q “For cats,territory is everything. ” Find the full range of Catit products at catit.co.uk +.3) 4:9 247* 33 www.yourcat.co.uk NEXT MONTH... We are back with another well-being study. Answers — what does this behaviour mean? O Image 1:Your cat is depositing scent to make himself feel more secure in his environment O Image 2: The onset of territorial behaviour O Image 3: Territorial cats will actively prevent others from accessing certain areas of your home. O Image 4: A cat that is unable to cope with the pressures of other cats in the home O Image 5: The sprayer does this to inform other cats that they have been at that location. O Image 6: The cat is on high alert for the presence of another cat. O Image 7: This is a passive territorial confrontation strategy used by cats in an attempt to force one or other to flee. O Image 8: Cats that want to avoid the presence of another cat in the home will create separate indoor territories. O Image 9: Cats will walk along the borders of the garden as they usually provide a camouflaged position from which they can defend their territory from other cats. O Image 10: Cats that are very territorial will often drive out less confident cats from the home. 7 8 9 10 8

FREEBIES Purrfect prizes for you and your cat! Are you signed up to our newsletter? Get weekly competition reminders,plus plenty of cat features and advice! Sign up for FREE here: www.yourcat. co.uk/enewsletter If you are struggling to log into your account on our website,please call our friendly subscriptions team on 01778 395176 — they will be able to assist you further. 945 9.5 945 9.5 exclusive members’ GIVEAWAYS 35 www.yourcat.co.uk 1 - WRENDALE ‘GLAMOUR PUSS’ CAT SCARF Be warm and stylish on your walks with this charming scarf from Wrendale Designs,complete with a beautifully illustrated cat by award-winning artist Hannah Dale. The scarf is set against a pink background,with a contrasting grey on the interior,and both ends feature frayed edges in the same grey.The overall colour pallet is calm and gentle,making it an ideal addition to any outfit. O We have one scarf to give away. NEW YEAR, NEW START ALL COMPETITIONS ARE OPEN FROM 8TH DECEMBER 2022 – 11TH JANUARY 2023. We want to reward your loyalty to us,therefore ALL of the competitions you see across these giveaways pages are now entirely exclusive to you,our Your Cat members. To be able to enter these giveaways online, simply visit our website (www.yourcat.co.uk/ competitions),log into your account,and answer the simple question. All of these competitions will now also remain open for the whole month online (as well as via the printed form),giving you plenty of time to make your entries! Please note,if you have purchased this copy of Your Cat Magazine from a retail store, you will need to enter the giveaways via the printed form. Or you can easily become a Your Cat member today to enter online,and enjoy great benefits all year round. The competitions are now all magazine only, so we need to explain this clearly in this issue: 1

FREEBIES Your Cat January 2023 36 r Cat January 2023 36 You 2 3 4 2 - KIM HASKINS BLACK CAT REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE The Kim Haskins Black Cat Stainless Steel Hot & Cold Thermal Insulated Drinks Bottle is fun for all the family at home, work, or on holiday. The reusable bottle is great for the environment and life on the go. Printed with a fun design, it is both colourful and practical.The bottle is food safe but cannot be put in the dishwasher or microwave. O We have two Kim Haskins Black Cat Reusable Water Bottles to give away. 3 - ORIJEN ORIGINAL CAT AND NEW ORIJEN GUARDIAN 8 Domestic cats have remained very similar to the North African Wildcat. ORIJEN diets are as close as possible to what the cats’ancestors found and consumed in nature.That is why fresh or raw meat, poultry, fish, and nutrient-rich organs are always the first FIVE ingredients in ORIJEN. O We have one 1.8kg bag of ORIJEN Original Cat and one 1.8kg bag of new ORIJEN Guardian 8 to give away to one lucky feline. O To discover the full range, visit www.orijenpetfoods.co.uk 4 - CUTE STEALING COIN CAT MONEY BOX A cute, funny money box, offering a novel way to save! Just put your coin on the plate and press, and the cute cat will come out of the cardboard box to steal your coins.A funny and creative way to help you collect your spare coins. O We have one stealing coin cat money box to give away.

GIVEAWAYS ENTRY FORM! Tick all our competitions off in one easy form! Send your entries* to: Your Cat Giveaways, Warners Group Publications,West Street,Bourne, Lincs,PE10 9PH. *For every postal entry we receive, we’ll donate a pouch of cat food to a cat rescue centre on your behalf. PLEASE ENTER ME INTO THE FOLLOWING COMPETITIONS: NAME:........................................................................................................................................ ADDRESS:................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................... POSTCODE:................................................... EMAIL:........................................................................................................................................ I give consent to join the Your Cat enewsletter Q TELEPHONE:............................................................................................................................... Q 1 - Wrendale ‘Glamour Puss’ cat scarf Q 2 - Kim Haskins Black Cat Reusable Water Bottle Q 3 - ORIJEN Original Cat and new ORIJEN Guardian 8 Q 4 - Cute stealing coin cat money box Q 5 - Stylish Wrendale cat treat tin 37 www.yourcat.co.uk HOW TO ENTER By being a Your Cat member, you can enter ALL of this month’s giveaways in one easy step. Simply fill out the form and pop in the post,to:Your Cat Giveaways,Warners Group Publications, West Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9PH. You can also enter online at www. yourcat.co.uk/ competitions (you can enter both the printed form and online to double your chances!) 5 - STYLISH WRENDALE CAT TREAT TIN This cat treat tin is a stylish essential for any cat owner and will look beautiful in any kitchen or utility room. Made from sturdy carbon steel, it is durable as well as beautiful with a variety of cat illustrations printed around the surface. The tin measures 17.5cm x 14cm. O We have one Wrendale cat treat tin to give away. Q member, yo enter ALL o month’s giv in one easy Simply fill o form and p post,to:You Giveaways Group Pub West Street Lincolnshire 9PH. You can al online at w yourcat.co competitio can enter b printed form online to d your chanc 5 - STYLISH W This cat trea owner and w utility room. durable as w illustrations The tin me O We have to give awa 5

Got a question? The Your Cat experts are here to help with all your feline dilemmas! Send your question to our experts by email ([email protected]). If you’re looking for a diet that has less environmental impact,consider insect protein diets. 945 9.5 Sponsored by Cat insurance call 03300 243 997 teeth are there to cope with flesh and bones.Given the chance,a cat will hunt and eat small mammals, amphibians,birds,and reptiles,even insects. In fact,all of our pet cat’s biology shows their evolutionary history as a predator.Their retractable claws used to grasp prey,highly tuned sense of smell and hearing to seek out small animals,and excellent night vision adapted for detecting movement. Meat is essential for cats because it contains the nutrients they need to stay healthy.The main ones are taurine,fatty acids,and vitamins A and B12.The consequences of not getting these nutrients from meat can be serious,with cats getting very ill.In 2013,a kitten in Australia was rushed for emergency veterinary care.It was extremely weak and collapsed when it came in.The vet discovered the vegan owners fed their kitten only potatoes,rice,and pasta.After being told to feed their kitten meat,it recovered quickly. QCan I feed my cat a vegan diet? AWhether for ethical,health,or environmental reasons,people are choosing to eat less meat.Demand for vegetarian and vegan food has increased by 350 per cent in the UK over the last 10 years,according to the Vegan Society,and popularity is growing.But,while there are genuine benefits for humans to consume more vegetables and less animal-based products,the same cannot be said for cats.We cannot force a vegan diet on our felines. Cats are obligate carnivores.This means they evolved to eat meat by necessity.You only have to look inside a cat’s mouth to see the evidence that our furry friends are designed to hunt and catch their own prey. Their teeth are perfect for ripping and biting; they don’t have flat molars for chewing,like humans.Their sharp Above: Cats need meat in their diet. VEGAN DIETS Your Cat January 2023 38

Top: A feline intruder can make your cat miserable. Bottom: Indoor cats can get fleas. theinsuranceemporium.co.uk/YC99 O Move food away from the cat flap so cats are not tempted in by the sight of a food bowl. O Be wary of allowing your cat access to your home via an open window as other cats will follow suit. O Upgrade your cat flap — quick and crafty cats have even been known to‘tailgate’ following a cat into his home via an ordinary cat flap.A microchip flap will only let your cat in. Owners who use a secure cat flap have significantly fewer problems with cats entering the home to steal food. Cats are very persistent and can be hard to QWe have a cat that invades our house! What can we do about it? AMany owners have significant problems with other people’s cats.Nearly a decade ago,Your Cat ran a survey and found that a third of owners whose cats have freedom to come and go have issues with their neighbours’ pets,in particular with cat fights, intimidation,and entering their homes. Cats are curious by nature and some extroverts simply enjoy visiting neighbours.A lucky few are welcomed and cause no problem. Others cause a nuisance, stealing food, spray marking,and fighting. Worse,they can intimidate the resident cat making them scared to leave the house and raising their anxiety levels. Prevention is better than cure, so it is a good idea to not interact with cats that come into your garden. Even if they’re friendly,it’s best not to encourage them and certainly do not offer food as otherwise they’ll return and potentially cause problems for your own cat. QDo I need to treat my indoor cat for fleas? AYes! In the UK,fleas can be a year-round problem for both indoor and outdoor cats.We as humans can carry fleas (adults,larvae,and eggs) from the outdoor environment and deposit them within the home environment. For effective control,adult fleas on the cat must be killed and re-infestation from the environment prevented with regular application of veterinary prescription-strength treatments and environmental control (frequent vacuuming and flea sprays). An‘on-off’approach to flea control (treating intermittently) is not recommended as this may Fighting fleas 39 www.yourcat.co.uk provide ideal conditions for the development of flea allergic skin disease in susceptible animals and is an ineffective approach to establishing control over the flea population. discourage once they have started invading.Of course,a further benefit to a good cat flap is that it can be set to limit access at certain times of day,enabling any keen hunters to be kept in when birds are most active in the garden at dawn and dusk. If a cat has already started to invade,it’s definitely worth speaking to the owner of the other cat if you can.You may be able to organise a time share of when your cats are allowed out. You can help build your cat’s confidence by heading outside with them,playing games with them indoors,and ensuring they are comfortable accessing all their indoor resources. Intruder alert!

Cat insurance call 03300 243 997 that the owner of an affected cat will often notice subtle changes in their pet’s behaviour patterns.but often not appreciate the cause. The only way to reliably diagnose arthritis in cats is to radiograph the joints (the elbow and the hip are most commonly affected).This does require an anaesthetic,or at least deep sedation,in order to position the cat correctly to get diagnostic radiographs. It has been suspected for a long time that certain substances in the diet can help to control arthritis in a range of species. For a long time, cod liver oil has been used with varying effects but cats have to be dosed very carefully,or it can have toxic effects. More recently, supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate,that help the cartilage that lines the bone within a joint to heal,have become available for cats.They are safe, and effective in mild cases,but require long-term daily dosing in either capsule or powder form, which many cat owners find challenging.There are other dietary products that have been used to try to control arthritis in cats, such as those containing green-lipped mussel extracts,with varying success. Some cats are genetically more likely to develop arthritis. ).) >4: 034<$ Above: If your cat is struggling to jump or climb, they may be suffering from arthritis. QMy cat is an old boy who has been diagnosed with arthritis.How can I best care for him? AArthritis is an inflammation of the joints caused by the breakdown of the joint’s cartilage,which means that the bones rub against one another resulting in stiffness,pain,and loss of movement.This can spark off changes in the bones themselves, causing bony spurs and thickening. We have traditionally believed that arthritis was uncommon in cats because they do not often show the long-term signs of lameness that other species demonstrate when they are affected.But we now know that arthritis is common in cats — about 20 per cent of the whole population,and a much higher proportion of elderly cats, show signs of arthritis when their joints are radiographed. Affected cats can show a variety of signs, such as hiding away more than normal,crying if picked up,aggression,and running away if handled.But by far the most common signs are an unwillingness to jump,and if they do,a reduction in the height they are prepared to leap.This means Your Cat January 2023 40 Obesity is a major aggravating factor for arthritis.Keeping a cat slim may not stop the problem from developing,but it will lessen its effects.If an obese cat develops clinical signs of arthritis,weight reduction becomes a priority. As arthritis is a very long-term problem,many owners are keen to try complementary treatments for their pets.This is fine providing that a vet has given the all-clear to use them.Acupuncture may well be of value and there are some vets around the country who specialise in offering that type of care to cats, although it does need to be one that is amenable to that sort of handling! There are anti-inflammatory drugs available to control pain from arthritis,but be sure to discuss any drugs with your vets before giving anything to your cat.Your vet will devise a treatment plan. Around the house,ensure your cat’s environment is more suitable. Make his high perches more reachable with ramps or smaller jumps.Help him on to the sofa if he wants to come up. Consider putting all his resources downstairs so he doesn’t have to make a painful climb every time he needs the litter tray.He’ll also appreciate extra warmth so provide extra blankets or even a heat pad. CARING FOR A CAT WITH ARTHRITIS

theinsuranceemporium.co.uk/YC99 MORE ADVICE... Remember,there is a huge range of advice on health,behaviour,general care,and more on the Your Cat website.Visit www.yourcat.co.uk Winter cat care 41 www.yourcat.co.uk Q O KEEP THEM AWAY FROM ANTIFREEZE Ethylene glycol,better known as antifreeze,is deadly to cats.While it is often used in cars to stop things freezing,if even a small amount is ingested by cats,it can be fatal.Worse still,it has a sweet smell that attracts cats to it. So take care to keep it away from your pets,clear up any leakages from your car,and never use it in ponds.If your cat does ingest antifreeze,take them to the vet’s immediately. Symptoms include seizures,breathing difficulties, appearing‘drunk’, vomiting,and lethargy. O PAWS FOR THOUGHT During the colder months,cats can accumulate grit and snow in their paws.You want to avoid cats ingesting the rock salt used to grit roads when they groom or ice compacting in between the toes. Check their paws regularly and to clean them wipe them gently with a damp cloth. Longhaired cats are particularly at risk. O PROVIDE AN OUTSIDE SHELTER Give your cat a cosy hideaway outside so they can enjoy the outdoors but are protected from the elements.This is particularly important if your cat is allowed out and doesn’t have access back inside when you’re not there, such as a cat flap. O OUTDOOR WATER If your cat has an outdoor water source they drink from,check this hasn’t frozen over. O TAP ON THE BONNET Cats will find warm spots to curl up into during the bracing weather, such as in car engines and wheel arches.Avoid any tragedy by tapping your bonnet before you set off to alert any snoozing felines that you’re about to drive away. O OUT THE DARK It is safer to keep your cat in during the night.With the longer hours of darkness,there is an increase in the amount of cats unsuspectingly hit by cars. O SHUTTING SHEDS Sheds and garages are also favourite places for cats to retreat to during the winter weather.Be careful to check before closing any outbuildings that your cat (or anyone else’s!) hasn’t snuck in. O ACHING JOINTS Winter weather can aggravate arthritis in cats.If your cat suffers,provide extra warmth to keep them comfortable.Watch them more closely for any signs they are struggling, such as not being able to climb to reach their favourite places.Heated pet blankets are usually appreciated! O LITTER TRAY AVAILABILITY Ensure your cat has somewhere indoor to toilet.Your pet might not want to venture outside to do their business and would appreciate the indoor option. O PLAYTIME! With spending less time outdoors,ensure your cat has lots of stimulation to keep the indoor environment exciting.You can give food in puzzle feeders,hide treats in toilet roll tubes for them to forage for,and schedule play sessions.Regularly rotate toys to ensure the novelty factor.

The feline virus FIP has long been known as a killer of cats — but now it can be treated.Vet Penny Clarke breaks down the disease. Right: Weight loss is a symptom of FIP.. CAT HEALTH PROBLEMS Penny Clarke, BVetMed MRCVS, graduated in 2003 from the Royal Veterinary College. She is a cat-loving clinician at a busy, small animal hospital in Warwickshire. Penny writes about all things veterinary and also human neurodiversity, particularly autism. Your Cat January 2023 42 F eline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) is a complex viral disease that up until very recently was nearly always fatal in cats.The mere mention of it had vets quaking into their stethoscopes with fear! While it is still challenging to diagnose,there are now treatments available that make it possible for cats to survive and fully recover from an FIP infection. “There are now treatments available that make it possible for cats to survive...”

Above: FCoV is passed on through toilet hygiene. HOW IS FCOV SPREAD? FCoV spreads via the oro-faecal route, which is basically poor toilet hygiene! Cats with FCoV pass virus-laden faeces into the environment for a few weeks to months. Other cats sharing the same toileting area or litter tray then lick the virus from their paws becoming infected themselves. Cats living in close contact with others (in breeding colonies or multi-cat households) are more likely to spread FCoV as they share toilet facilities. Strangely, the virus doesn’t transmit directly from cat-to-cat but survives long enough in faeces to be highly contagious. Cats living alone can still 43 www.yourcat.co.uk develop FIP if they had FCoV during kittenhood.The virus remains dormant for months or years before mutating to cause disease. Stressful events or illnesses affecting the immune system can trigger the virus to ‘wake up’and cause FIP. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF FIP? Most cats develop FIP as a youngster with many cases affecting kittens less than a year old.The symptoms each cat has depends on where in the body the virus is attacking and what kind of defence the immune system launches. Vets have always referred to FIP WHAT CAUSES FIP? FIP is a disease that develops only after cats are infected with feline coronavirus (FCoV).We’re, sadly,all too familiar with the coronavirus group of viruses but FCoV is very different to COVID-19. Most strains of animal coronavirus only affect one species (steering well clear of humans). FCoV is no exception to this and only infects cats. FCoV is actually a very common infection affecting up to 50 per cent of household cats. For cats living in big groups, such as multi-cat households,the infection rate is over 80 per cent. It can be scary finding out that your cat has FCoV but having the virus doesn’t mean they have FIP. In fact, most cats with FCoV never go on to develop fullblown FIP. FCoV usually causes no symptoms at all or just mild diarrhoea that gets better without treatment. THERE ARE TWO MAIN REASONS WHY SOME CATS WITH FCOV DEVELOP FIP AND SOME DON’T: 1 The virus mutates into a harmful form once inside the cat. 2 The cat’s immune system launches a certain kind of defence against the mutated virus resulting in FIP disease. “The virus mutates into a harmful form once inside the cat...”

Below: Stress can trigger FIP. Your Cat January 2023 44 as either ‘wet’ or ‘dry’.These terms are a simplified way of describing how the cat’s immune system is fighting the virus.The ‘wet’ version is when fluid fills the cat’s chest or abdomen. This happens because the virus damages blood vessel walls and they become leaky. Inflammatory fluid within the abdomen is called peritonitis, hence the name of the disease, feline infectious peritonitis. The ‘dry’ form is when inflammation affects the organs without fluid. Granulomas (masses of cells) form within organs causing serious problems.They often affect the eyes and brain but can develop elsewhere too. In reality, cats usually get both wet and dry FIP, either at different times or together.The wide range of often vague symptoms makes diagnosing FIP a challenge. EARLY SYMPTOMS INCLUDE: O Fever that comes and goes. O Lethargy. O Reduced appetite. O Weight loss. O Loss of condition. O Gastrointestinal upsets (usually diarrhoea). AS THE DISEASE PROGRESSES, CATS MAY SHOW MORE SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS INCLUDING: O A bloated abdomen (seen with the ‘wet’ form). O Breathing difficulties, especially if fluid presses on the lungs. O Neurological problems (cats become wobbly or have seizures if the ‘dry’ form affects their brain. This is called neurological FIP). O Eye problems or even blindness (ocular FIP). O Jaundice (a yellowy tinge to gums, skin,and the white parts of the eye). DIAGNOSING FIP There isn’t one specific test for FIP so your vet will need to run a few checks before they can diagnose it.An essential part of any vet’s investigations is to take a history. This involves asking questions about your cat’s lifestyle and general health. For FIP, this is very important as cats who are ‘high risk’ (such as young cats living in large groups) are more likely to develop the disease. BLOOD TESTS These are usually the first diagnostic step and typical changes seen with FIP include: O White blood cell abnormalities. O Changes in globulin (protein) levels. O High liver enzymes (enzymes released into the blood if the liver is diseased or damaged). O High bilirubin (a waste product from the liver that can cause jaundice). Remember healthy cats can have antibodies (disease fighting cells) to FCoV in their blood. Finding them doesn’t mean your cat has (or will get) FIP. FLUID Vets can take samples of fluid from a cat’s chest or abdomen for analysis (the fluid commonly seen with the ‘wet’ form of FIP). They collect the fluid by inserting a small needle into the cat’s body and sucking out the liquid with a syringe.Vets use an ultrasound scanner as it allows them to accurately collect the samples while checking your cat’s major organs at the same time.A laboratory will analyse the fluid and check whether the virus is present by running a PCR test (many of us had PCR tests to diagnose COVID). CAT HEALTH PROBLEMS “There isn’t one specific test for FIP”

Above: A cat with a bloated stomach due to FIP. Q 45 www.yourcat.co.uk PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF FCOV IS DIFFICULT AND OUTBREAKS SOMETIMES OCCUR DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS. SOME MEASURES THAT CAN HELP INCLUDE: O Scrupulous litter tray hygiene — disinfect them at least once a day. O Having ample trays available — one tray per cat plus an extra (if this is too many then at least one tray for every two cats). O Keeping cats in small, stable groups — less than four is ideal. O Avoiding stress where possible — some stress (such as vet visits) is unavoidable but try to reduce unnecessary activities. VACCINATION A vaccine is available (not in the UK) but it’s unsuitable for young kittens.By the time kittens are old enough to have the vaccine,most have been exposed to FCoV anyway. Hopefully,in the future,a more suitable vaccine will be more widely available. ADOPTING A CAT If you’re rehoming a cat or kitten,ask the breeder or rescue centre about the health of their other cats and previous litters.If in doubt,ask your vet for advice before you commit to the adoption. OTHER TESTS Depending on your cat’s symptoms,they may need tests that target specific body parts: O An MRI scan looks for changes within the brain. O An ophthalmic (eye) examination shows abnormalities within the eye (samples of eye fluid can be analysed too). O Biopsies (samples of tissue) from affected organs and lymph nodes (small lumps around the body packed with disease fighting cells). O Cerebrospinal fluid analysis (fluid from around the brain and spinal cord). TREATMENT Up until very recently, the only treatments available for FIP were palliative (made cats comfortable but didn’t cure the disease).Thankfully, new anti-viral medications have changed that and we have a cure! The exact treatment your cat will have very much depends on their individual symptoms and also your budget. It’s always difficult considering finances where poorly animals are concerned but it’s a necessary discussion to have Can you prevent FIP? with your vet. Cheaper, illegal versions of anti-viral drugs have been available to order online for a while but this is a dangerous route to take.These unregulated medications may contain substances that do your cat more harm than good. Most cats begin their treatment of anti-viral medication with daily injections before moving on to daily tablets.They’ll need treatment for around 84 days (it’s a big commitment for you too!) If your cat is very unwell, they can begin their treatment as an inpatient at the vet’s.They may need intravenous fluids and help feeding too. During their treatment, your cat will need regular vet checks and a weekly weigh-in.Your vet will adjust their dose if they gain weight to make sure the medication is still effective. Regular scans and blood tests will show how well your cat is responding to treatment and whether they need any additional help. Most cats (over 85%) go into long-term remission after their treatment ends.These results are truly incredible for what was once a fatal disease!

Don’t leave me alone Anxiety is, in essence, worrying about the prospect of danger in response to any signs that a negative situation is coming. Some cats are simply born worriers rather than warriors, and others that might have become warriors fail to develop as such through a lack of early exposure to the normal goings-on of life when they were young and incapable of being fearful of novelty.Then they can learn, for example, that loud noises, visitors, or being left alone aren’t dangerous and develop a range of calm strategies. Failure to learn appropriate strategies results in an older cat that becomes consistently fearful when confronted by challenges. Fear is a key emotion in all mammals and prompts survival response behaviour, usually known as the ‘fight or flight’ reaction,although there are actually three other Fs: ‘fiddling about’ by negotiating or appeasing in social conflicts,‘freezing’ in the hope of going undetected, and ‘fainting’ or ‘playing possum’ — a rare one not usually deliberately exhibited by cats.When one of these F-strategies saves a cat’s bacon, he experiences a huge emotional shift from fear to relief, and this is the neurophysiological reinforcement that helps him learn which strategy to employ in response to challenges in the future. For example, he might run and hide from thunder but fight other cats that he feels threatened by and is afraid of. He also learns to employ his survival strategies ever faster in response to any signals associated with those threats.The We delve into Peter’s casebook to learn about a cat who suffered from separation anxiety. usual F response in cats is F — Flight and they run away or climb to escape most of life’s challenges if they can. SEPARATION-RELATED PROBLEMS IN CATS But surely cats are far less susceptible to being anxious about being left at home alone than dogs? However, many cats live permanently indoors these days and if they are single cats in the house, may never have the chance to meet another cat.Their restricted lifestyle means they depend almost totally on their owners for every sort of social action.As a result, some can establish huge social dependencies on their owners and so almost inevitably suffer an emotional crisis when separated from them and are left at home alone. Cats may spray urine around the house when left alone, or defecate on their owners’ bed or a favourite armchair,presumably to associate their scent with the reassuring influence of their owners’ odour. Others, such as Sassy,pace around the house as many distressed isolated dogs also do, crying out until their owners come home and relieve their loneliness. On hearing from their neighbours that their cat Sassy was wailing the whole time whenever they went out and left at home alone, her owners set up cameras in different parts of the house to capture her behaviour and the sounds she made when they went out. Sassy became agitated as the family prepared to leave in response to the commonly associated signs of putting on their outdoor shoes and jackets, but was restrained enough to keep watching from the doorway between the hall and kitchen. She was waiting to see if everyone was going to leave or whether one person might just be staying at home. Her agitation increased dramatically as the last 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. “Sassy was wailing the whole time whenever they went out...” Peter Neville column Your Cat January 2023 46

person kitted up and left the house and she knew she was completely alone. She then paced up and down near the exit door and then increased her step and went to other rooms beyond the view of the hallway camera. She appeared upstairs briefly in the master bedroom where she leapt on and off the bed at some speed, and began crying out as she hurried on to the next bedroom. Clearly, she was no longer anxious, that was only when her family was preparing to leave. Now, she was highly distressed and very afraid of being on her own, and she had no idea what to do about it. For the next 15 minutes, she kept up her trotting around the house, crying out, and only pausing briefly at certain locations to call more loudly,and then stop for a moment, appearing to listen for any sounds that might mean that someone had returned. No such luck. She kept up her activity and wailing and got ever more desperate until her owners did finally return.Then she trotted briskly down to meet them with her tail raised. She let out a welcoming chirrup, rubbed briefly around the owner’s legs,and then curled up to recover on her bed in the living room. She was clearly very tired from her experience but seemingly content that her owners were back. HELPING SASSY Treatment of Sassy’s separation fear was not going to be easy.After all, there were many occasions when she had to be left at home alone and it would be very difficult trying to make her less dependent on their presence by, for example, adjusting how long they spent cuddling or playing with her when they were together. Sassy didn’t want much more of that than any other cat; she simply wanted to know that they were there somewhere in the house. Her owners thought she would never cope with being allowed outdoors as she had no road sense Above: Cats can suffer from separation anxiety. To find out more about separation anxiety in cats, visit www. yourcat.co.uk/ cat-advice/ do-cats-getseparationanxiety ).) >4: 034<$ and there were many busy roads nearby, and the old trick of leaving the radio or TV playing made no difference to her.Apart from paying for a cat-sitter to come almost every day at some point to be with her, there was really only one option to try to provide her with reassurance — another cat. It was a long shot because while most pet cats handled as kittens are very happy in the company of people, especially their owners, they are not always happy about the company of their own kind. Cats range from being highly sociable with other cats to hating the sight of any other cat in their territory. The problem is that unless you already know from experience that your cat is of the socially gregarious kind, you never really know what will happen when you introduce another cat. Sassy’s owners picked the least challenging prospect to be her company,an eight-week-old female kitten raised in a very busy household with other adult cats, lots of kids,and a dog,and then introduced her very carefully in an indoor pen to Sassy and watched what happened. Fortunately, Sassy was more curious than alarmed and simply watched the new arrival from a distance before carefully approaching the pen and sniffing cautiously at the occupant.A few repetitions of the introduction around the house and the two cats soon became quite relaxed in each other’s company and, within a week, Niki,as she was called, was released from her pen in Sassy’s presence and the two cats started greeting each other and even rubbing and licking each other.Then, young Niki started chasing and jumping on Sassy and the two fast became great playmates, although Sassy sometimes needed some protection from her incessant demands! But, importantly, the two were now friends. The day came sooner than expected to test the water by leaving them alone together in the house and setting the cameras to record the event.As the owners prepared to leave, Sassy remained where she was resting on the sofa and Niki was fast asleep in her bed.As they left, no-one moved. In fact, no-one moved until they came back when Niki came to meet them while Sassy remained in rest mode. It seemed that just having another warm body in the house was sufficient comfort for Sassy and her fear of being isolated had gone completely thanks to Niki. I felt that this had very much been a lucky case and that introducing another cat to a humandependent one wouldn’t always work. In cases involving a territorial as well as human-dependent cat, one might just introduce a whole raft of different problems. But with this cat it worked and both cats enjoy a much better and more enriched life because of each other,and Sassy is now far less dependent on their owners to maintain her mood state. “Now, she was highly distressed and very afraid” 47 www.yourcat.co.uk Q

CAT FRIENDLY CLINIC ANNIVERSARY International Cat Care’s scheme has been making vet visits easier for cats for over a decade. Here, Ellen Marcinkiewicz tells us what inspired the programme. Celebrating 10 years You can visit icatcare.org to find out more about the charity International Cat Care and the ISFM. DID YOU KNOW? WHY CHOOSE A CAT FRIENDLY CLINIC? The majority of owners feel that their cat experiences stress when visiting the vet,which in turn is extremely stressful for them too. In fact,a recent survey revealed that 40 per cent of cat caregivers in the UK don’t visit the vet for a yearly health check,with stress given as the most common reason for avoiding an appointment.This can have serious consequences for a cat’s health, including missing out on preventative care such as vaccinations and parasite prevention,as well detecting disease earlier when it may be more easily treated. Ollie is a cat who doesn’t enjoy being handled and has never liked to visit the vet’s.However,as he has become older,his vet and owner felt it was important that he attended regular appointments to ensure that he continued to be in good health.At a previous visit, Ollie’s vaccinations had been given,but the vets were unable to examine him thoroughly as he became too stressed. At his first appointment after his clinic became an accredited Cat Friendly Clinic,the vet was able to weigh and visually assess Ollie. Taking a cat friendly approach, they did not push for any further parts of the examination. Over the following 2 — 3 years at each visit, they have been able to do a little more of the required examination. Now Ollie’s blood pressure can be checked at every appointment, his teeth examined,and regular blood tests taken to screen for the Above: The ISFM. health of his organs.This has been Your Cat January 2023 48 Ollie arrives at the vet clinic with his caregiver and the receptionist shows them to a separate cat-only waiting area. It’s quiet and calm, away from any barking dogs.Ten years ago, simple ideas like this to reduce stress for cats were unheard of,but today they’re adopted by vets all over the world. The movement towards a cat friendly veterinary experience has been driven by the charity International Cat Care (iCatCare) and its veterinary division the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM)’s revolutionary Cat Friendly Clinic programme, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. What began with simple ideas to help reduce stress for cats when visiting the vet’s has now become mainstream, with other species, such as dog and rabbit friendly clinics following suit. In 2022,there are now countless veterinary professionals treating their patients in a cat friendly way, something both cats, like Ollie,and their caregivers can celebrate! of the Cat Friendly Clinic programme

Q Above top: Ollie has a blood sample taken using minimal restraint and a food reward at his Cat Friendly Clinic. Image: courtesy of the Feline Healthy Aging Clinic, University of Liverpool. Above bottom: Accredited surgeries can include a cat-only consultation room. 49 www.yourcat.co.uk MORE INFORMATION… To learn more about the programme and to find a Cat Friendly Clinic near you, visit: catfriendlyclinic.org made possible through having a cat friendly environment to work in,taking a cat friendly approach to all interactions with Ollie,and using food rewards to distract him when the examination requires physical contact. ACCREDITATION SCHEME The Cat Friendly Clinic programme was designed with a cat’s unique nature and needs at its core,to reduce stress at every stage of the vet experience.An accredited Cat Friendly Clinic must support cats and their owners,and ensure a high standard of care is provided. THIS INCLUDES: O Involvement of the entire team to make visits to the vet clinic more cat friendly at every step (including travel to and from the clinic). O Staff that have good knowledge and understanding of the unique needs of cats,and can communicate effectively and sensitively with their caregivers. O Practising compassionate, gentle,and careful handling, avoiding heavy manual restraint or scruffing. O Providing high-standard facilities,including a separate cat-only waiting area and specialist veterinary equipment for treating cats. Clinics may receive Bronze, Silver,or Gold level accreditation, depending on size, staffing,and available facilities or equipment. However,all Cat Friendly Clinic staff are committed to providing the same high standard of care. For a full list of criteria, visit: catfriendlyclinic.org WHERE DID THE IDEA BEGIN? During a meeting back in the early 2000s, International Cat Care (then the Feline Advisory Bureau) posed the following question to a group of vets that specialised in feline medicine:What could we do to most improve vet care for cats? Expecting them to focus on a medical condition commonly seen in cats,the team at iCatCare received a unanimous answer that would change everything. Instead,these vets felt that a better understanding of the needs of cats was key to improving their health and welfare. In particular, reducing stress in the veterinary environment and the gentle handling of cats.The knock-on effects would mean improved treatment of the cats under their care,and that caregivers would be more likely to bring their cats to the clinic for regular health checks. And so, 10 bullet points were jotted down which would later become the foundations for the Cat Friendly Clinic programme. In the programme’s early stages, a competition was held in the UK to share practical ideas among Over the last 10 years,over 3,000 Cat Friendly Clinics have been accredited across 47 countries, including the first Cat Friendly Clinics in Russia, Vietnam, South Africa,and The Philippines this year.The vision for iCatCare is that the programme continues to grow exponentially over the next 10 years so that as many cats as possible have access to low-stress veterinary care.This will likely include an increase in specialist feline medicine clinics that only treat cats! To achieve this vision, iCatCare has created new Cat Friendly Principles, Guidelines, and resources to support the entire veterinary team and cat caregivers in their journey to becoming cat friendly which are free to download at icatcare.org.Though cat friendly veterinary care has come a long way, we still have a long way to go.The ultimate aim is to see all veterinary professionals working in a cat friendly manner for the benefit of cats and their caregivers worldwide. The future of Cat Friendly veterinary professionals working with cats. iCatCare developed a small booklet of ideas with a group of feline experts from around the world and invited vets and nurses to send in their best cat friendly tips. Over two years,the winning clinics received certificates and logos that they could proudly display to show caregivers that they were cat friendly.This led to demand from other vet clinics and the creation of the Cat Friendly Clinic accreditation programme as we know it today.

50 Your Cat January 2023 50 Think your cat could benefit from a Cat Friendly Clinic? Check out these accredited practices across the UK. +LQG D (DW +ULHQGO\ (OLQLF QHDU \RX CUMBRIA ASHLEA VETERINARY CENTRE Port Road Business Park Carlisle Cumbria CA2 7AF t: 01228 549177 e: [email protected] www.ashleavets.co.uk www.facebook.com/ashleavets/ OXFORDSHIRE FOCUS REFERRALS An independent ophthalmology referral centre in Banbury. Specialist animal eye care for your cat. t: 01295 238160 e: [email protected] www.focusreferrals.co.uk WILTSHIRE GARDEN VETERINARY GROUP 1 - 3 Bristol Road Chippenham Wiltshire, SN15 1NQ t: 01249 716432 e: [email protected] www.gardenvets.co.uk )        - ¨ Ǖ ň Ǖ ǔ ( ǕǕ ) KENT PORTLAND VETS Sheft’s Croft, Mill Hill, Edenbridge TN8 5DB T: 01732868680 e: [email protected] www.portlandvets.co.uk/edenbridge )       - ¨ DEVON SEYMOUR VETERINARY HOSPITAL Steamer Quay Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5AL e: [email protected] seymourvets GLOUCESTERSHIRE VETS4PETS YATE Inside Pets at Home Riverside Retail Park Yate BS37 4AY T: 01454 272510 e: [email protected] whatsapp: 07897030698 www.vets4pets.com/practices /vets-in-bristol/vets4pets-yate/ DORSET VETSMITHS 14 West Borough Wimborne BH21 1NF t: 01202 119988 www.vetsmiths.co.uk