Patience Please!
Just a polite reminder to say that you may have to wait until early January, for replies to your Emails etc. OUR CATS will be closed after 23rd December until 3rd January. I will not be back in the office until 5th January. Everyone at OUR CATS and OUR DOGS has worked extra hard and to very early deadlines, to ensure you get your regular copies of both publications.
Join in – It’s Puzzle Time!
The solution to Oral Sensitive and Exigent Wordsearch was TEXTURE. Our wonderful ‘puzzle master’, Lizzie has prepared some great fun for you in this issue, in the guise of puzzles and jokes! Enjoy!
Please remember to keep sending in your contributions for the Cheshire Cat Page and Lynda Ward’s Rhyme & Reason column.
Writing from the heart - PKD
In this issue we have two wonderful articles about PKD in Persians. I salute their authors, Marianne Brett and Rita Quick, for their complete and utter honesty in sharing their experiences with you. Both breeders have written from the heart and I hope their words will inspire everyone, especially other Persian breeders.
Gail Harley has written another very interesting article about Persians (the Odd Eyed) which is included in this issue. It should be of great interest to Persian breeders and to everyone interested in genetics. Please respond to Gail’s plea and share your thoughts with her and our readers.
Gail tells me that kittens are expected in January! Please contact Gail for details.
Chinese fur trade – petition to stop trade!
Bianca Maclachlan sent the following message to readers (following the article by Nick Mays in the last issue of OUR CATS) “I’ve created a petition to stop Chinese dog and cat fur farm’s. I’m aiming for 100,000 signatures and it would be really great if you could help out. I’m trying to promote my petition to people all over the world. I really want to succeed. Please sign my petition (see address below) and spread the word around. For people that really care about dogs and cats it would be amazing if we could accomplish this goal.”
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/272813494
Punishment to fit the crime!
A story, published in The Times last week, was sent in by a reader…
An Ohio woman, who abandoned 35 kittens in a forest, was sentenced by Judge Mike Cicconetti to spend a night in the wood herself. In the event, it was so cold that she spent just three hours in the open before being taken back to her prison cell, but Judge Mike Cicconetti had made his point.
He wanted the 26-year-old Ohio housewife to feel the same pain as the animals she dumped, many of which later died. “You don’t to that. You don’t leave these poor little animals out and, yes, I wanted to set an example for her future conduct or anybody else who was contemplating doing such a thing”, the plain speaking 54-year-old judge said.
Judge Cicconetti’s unusual ruling was just the latest example of his unique brand of “creative justice” which has won him national acclaim. He was elected unopposed to serve another six years on the bench in Lake County, Ohio, last month, and this year won the presidency of the American Judges Association!
Imperial Classes - Editor’s Forum
I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the forum about showing ‘Grands’ in the Imperial classes. I hope to publish the results in the next issue and a selection of your letters on this subject.
Everyone at OUR CATS wishes you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2006!
Cut Out & Keep - Tips For December 2006!!!
Wrapping Presents (With a Cat)
1. Clear large space on table for wrapping present.
2. Go to wardrobe and collect bag in which present is contained, and close door.
3. Open door and remove cat from wardrobe.
4. Go to cupboard and retrieve rolls of wrapping paper.
5. Go back and remove cat from cupboard.
6. Go to drawer and collect transparent sticky tape, ribbons, scissors, labels, etc.
7. Lay out present and wrapping materials on table, to enable wrapping strategy to be formed.
8. Go back to drawer to get string, remove cat that has been in the drawer since last visit, and collect string.
9. Remove present from bag.
10. Remove cat from bag.
11. Open box to check present, remove cat from box, replace present.
12. Lay out paper to enable cutting to size.
13. Cut the paper to size, trying to keep the cutting line straight.
14. Throw away first sheet because cat tried to chase the scissors and tore paper.
15. Cut second sheet of paper to size by putting cat in the bag the present came out of.
16. Place present on cut-to-size paper.
17. Lift up edges of paper to seal in present, wonder why edges now don’t reach, and find cat between present and paper. Remove cat and retry.
18. Place object on paper, to hold in place, while cutting transparent sticky tape.
19. Spend next 20 minutes carefully trying to remove transparent sticky tape from cat with pair of nail scissors.
20. Seal paper down with transparent sticky tape, making corners as neat as possible.
21. Look for roll of ribbon; chase cat down hall and retrieve ribbon.
22. Try to wrap present with ribbon in a two-directional turn.
23. Re-roll up ribbon and remove paper that is now torn, due to cat’s enthusiasm in chasing ribbon end.
24. Repeat steps 12-22 until down to last sheet of paper.
25. Decide to skip steps 12-16 in order to save time and reduce risk of losing last sheet of paper. Retrieve old cardboard box that you know is right size for sheet of paper.
26. Put present in box, and tie down with string.
27. Remove string, open box and remove cat.
28. Put all packing materials in bag with present and head for lockable room.
29. Once inside room, lock door and start to re-lay out packing materials.
30. Remove cat from box, unlock door, put cat outside door, close door and re-lock.
31. Lay out last sheet of paper. (Admittedly this is difficult in the small area of the toilet, but try your best!)
32. Seal box, wrap with paper and start repairs by very carefully sealing down tears with transparent sticky tape. Now tie up with ribbon and decorate with bows to hide worst affected areas.
33. Label, then sit back and admire your handiwork, congratulating yourself on making good of a bad job.
34. Unlock door, and go to kitchen to make drink and feed cat.
35. Spend next 15 minutes looking for cat, before coming to obvious conclusion.
36. Unwrap present, untie box and remove cat.
37. Retrieve all discarded sheets of wrapping paper, feed cat and retire to lockable room for last attempt, making certain you are alone and the door is locked.
38. At time of handing over present, smile sweetly at receiver’s face, as they try and hide their contempt at being handed such a badly wrapped present.
39. Swear to yourself that next year, you will get the store to wrap the darn thing for you.
