OUR CATS readers’ cats wanted!
Do you have a plump cat that you want to slim-down for the Supreme? Well here is a good chance to do something about it. The PDSA are looking for eight pets across the UK to take on the challenge of PDSA Fit Camp.
The eight lucky pets chosen will follow a 100-day diet and exercise programme that will be regularly monitored by their local PDSA PetAid hospital. At the end of the programme, the pet with the greatest proportional weight loss who has best adhered to their new exercise regime will be crowned PDSA Fit Camp Champ - winning the owner and their pet a weekend away at Knoll House Hotel at Studland Bay in Dorset.
Please see the full story inside this issue and act promptly, as the closing date for entries is 31 August 2005. Wouldn’t it be great if one of our readers’ cats gets chosen to take part in this excellent initiative? Front Page Coverage guaranteed - if your cat is selected!
There is someone at the door!
Do you ever just get home from work, settle down to your evening meal or start to watch TV…and the doorbell rings? “Oh not another guy selling double glazing!”…
Imagine if you opened the door to the chap in the photo above, taken in Florida! It was not a ‘set-up’! It was so scary that I thought I should share it with you! I sincerely hope that the residents of this street keep their cats indoors or provide their cats with extra strength wire meshing on their cathouses!
FAB Conference
The FAB warmly welcome readers of OUR CATS to their forthcoming conference, ‘Cats and Cancer’. Full details and booking form can be found in this issue.
FAB explain that, “Cancer is the major cause of death in geriatric cats and is a health concern for many pet owners. Up to a third of all tumours in cats are lymphoma, and studies suggest around 80 per cent of all feline tumours are malignant. The care of the cancer patient must therefore also be considered a major part of any progressive veterinary practice. At our Conference this year we are looking at different aspects of the disease, from diagnosis to nursing and home care, from behaviour to advanced treatments – a comprehensive guide to cats and cancer.
As usual there is something for everyone and we look forward to talking to that unique audience of vets, breeders, nurses, those involved in rescue and catteries, and of course owners. Book your place now – a form is enclosed with this issue. Our thanks to Royal Canin for sponsoring our Conference”.
Photographers at shows
OUR CATS has a band of unpaid photographers who very kindly attend cat shows, take photographs and send them here for inclusion in a show feature. Their ‘brief’ is to take a limited number of photographs of their choice.
Those photographs are then sent to OUR CATS and we, in turn, use as many as we have space for. If your cat does especially well at a show and you wish to guarantee his/her photograph appearing in OUR CATS, then you are welcome to submit your own photograph for use in a ‘SHOW BRAG’ announcement. Such an announcement can be included in the same issue as the show feature, if you wish. Please contact anne@ourcats.co.uk for details or call 0870 731 6506.
If your cat is chosen by one of our photographers at a show and the photograph is published, you may purchase a copy, from the photographer.
Fantastic prizes
Our new Wordsearch competitions will be appearing in regular forthcoming issues. The prizes, courtesy of ROYAL CANIN, are all very ‘user friendly’ – that is, for feline consumption! See page 10 of this issue for the second puzzle. I hope you enjoy the puzzles and wish you good luck in being drawn as a winner!
North West Cat Club helps local charities
The North West Cat Club believes that ‘Charity begins at home’ and they have recently come to the aid of Moggies Cat rescue, in Darwen and several other local charities.
The club raises funds at their show (the next on 24 September) and throughout the year. The club decided to give food and litter, rather than cash to the beneficiaries. The delivery of these gifts has been possible, thanks to the generosity of North West Discount Pet Foods. Steve, their Managing Director not only agreed to deliver the goods but increased the value of the club’s cheques.
Cyprus Calling
Our new regular contributor, Janine Paule, is a welcome addition to OUR CATS. Her stories are entertaining and Top Tips most useful. The photo above is of Cutey, Tinka and Snuggy,
captioned: “We can see it but how do we get out there?” You can read about these three in this issue of OUR CATS.
Points to purrfection!
This was our Front Cover story and headline on 25 February 2005. It was great news for everyone as the very popular Top Exhibit and Top Breeder competitions provide fun and incentive.
Any ‘points system’ is bound to cause some criticism because however it is set up; there can be room for improvement. I have acknowledged these ‘flaws’ in our present system twice in past issues of OUR CATS and have explained that this year, we will have to accept the rules and points as they stand but I have invited and welcome readers’ suggestions for next year’s competition.
For example, awarding bonus points for BOB, was intended to help untitled cats that are entered in the Open classes. It does however, penalise the ‘good sports’ who only enter ‘for BOB only’.
Awarding points for 1st-4th placings in Breeders classes was intended to help to accrue points but as at many shows cats are only placed 1st-3rd. These flaws are unfortunate and I am sorry that they have caused some readers disappointment and frustration. However, every reader has been rewarded for entering by being given a 2kg food voucher and the prizes for winners in general have increased dramatically from previous years.
So, the way forward is coming!
In the next issue of OUR CATS there will be a form for your suggestions for the start of the new competition, when the current one closes at the end of September. We now have the new Imperial Grand classes to enter, shall we have points for that? Points for Open, Grand or Imperial? Reserves too? What about the Breeders classes? Please get ready to have your say!
Farewell to LB
Just as we were going to press, our Chief reporter, Nick Mays heard that Nicola Eaton’s cat LB, had sadly died. Nick told me, “LB was a ‘sort of’ rescue. He turned up as a stray on Nicola doorstep one day, aged about six months and decided he liked it there and that he’d stay. He soon settled in, put on weight and became a very handsome chap.
Nicola decided to enter him as a Non-Ped at a show and he took to it like a duck to water. In fact, he didn’t just enjoy being shown, he revelled in it, often standing up on the judging table to kiss the judge, or climbing onto the judge’s or steward’s shoulders!
LB’s other party piece was to walk around on the floor between the show pens once judging was finished and say hello to everyone. In fact, he did all of this at the West Riding Pet Cat Club show in July. Sadly, this was to be his last show.
Nicola says that LB looked at bit off colour on Sunday, 14 August, and had no appetite. When he visited the vet early the following week, the vet diagnosed a possible chest infection. LB passed away suddenly the following day, Wednesday, 16 August, aged just nine years. Needless to say, Nicola and her partner Eifon are devastated at his loss, as are so many of LB’s friends and fans on he show circuit. He was a great character at every show he went to and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.”
OUR CATS offer sincere condolences to Nicola and Eifon.
