New greetings cards
The PDSA have launched a collection of new cards (by Webb Ivory), available exclusively at ASDA. The range features quirky photographs of animals, and includes ‘friendship’, ‘moving house’ and ‘sympathy for the loss of a pet’. There is also a card to welcome a new pet to the family.
The cards are blank inside for a personalised message and cost £1.97, for each one sold, 10p will go towards the charity’s PetAid services, which provide free veterinary treatment for the sick and injured pets of owners in need.
Supreme Show 2005
Last year, several disappointed exhibitors found their entries returned as the show had closed by the time their entries reached the GCCF office. Make sure you do not miss out this year and post your entries off in good time! Entries close on 14 September 2005 (RECEIPT IN GCCF OFFICE) and there can be no exceptions - late entries will NOT be accepted.
This year there is lots to look forward to, including the new BEST OF BREED commemorative Specials from ROYAL CANIN, prizes for Decorated Pen Winners, a HILLS Goodie Bag for all exhibitors and commemorative specials to BEST OF VARIETY winners!
Kitten Enquiry Scams
About a year ago I mentioned that I had been ‘swept along’ by a bogus Email enquiry about my kittens. This is how it works - you are offered a very large cheque (in advance) to bank - you take out the cost of the kitten and forward the buyer the balance. Of course what happens is that their cheque bounces and you are left considerably poorer! These enquiries often begin with what looks like a genuine enquiry but the tell- tale signs of scam-mongering are that those requesting information ask such things as ‘tell me the condition’ or ‘what is your best price?’
Last week, another reader was similarly taken-in – this is what she said, “I have had an email stating that they (the prospective buyer) definitely want a kitten. They will pay £650 and want to send me a bankers draft for £3250, for me to cash and take £650 for myself, and then to send the balance to the shipper so that the kitten and OTHER CATS that he has bought for his wife can be picked up. He also mentions that they have a big space in a COMPOUND for the kitten.” Luckily our reader ‘smelt a rat’, ignored the email and has since heard nothing more. I assured her that these scams are frequent and the best advice is to delete them.
Our very best wishes
Two friendly faces are about to disappear from the show circuit as Alan & Janet Robinson are hanging up Alan’s camera and setting off on a new adventure! Alan Robinson’s cat photographs have, over the past 13 years or so, been treasured and appreciated by many folk in the Cat Fancy. Sadly for us, those super photo opportunities at the shows will cease on 17 September.
Alan, a qualified chef, is to return to his first love of cooking. Together with Janet, he has been given the opportunity to work in the catering business once more and the offer he has had, for his expertise, is simply to good to miss.
However, Alan promises that he will still be able to make some home visiting photographic engagements in the future, to fit around his new schedule.
OUR CATS Wish Alan and Janet all the very best and lots of truly ‘happy days’.
Royal Canin
The new Royal Canin “word search” prize puzzles are proving to be very popular with our readers. For the puzzle buffs out there, the solution to the Baby Cat puzzle was the word SUBSITUTE.
RSPCA curiosity killed cat
Thanks to Heather Briggs for sending in the following RSPCA story, with a happy ending…
Going up was easy - but six-month-old Marmalade (pictured above) the kitten found climbing down much more of a problem. Balanced precariously on an electricity cable for about 24 hours, one false move and marmalade would have either fallen 25ft or been electrocuted. And there were times when the young cat came very close to doing both.
Luckily, engineers from Western Power rescued the ginger and white kitten from the pole in Woodland Close, St Austell on Monday 22 August 2005 after being called by the RSPCA. But before he was brought down from his dangerous perch, the kitten was caught on camera by RSPCA Animal Collection Officer (ACO) Felicity Cross, who was first on the scene.
She said, “Having responded to the call and then phoning the engineers, I realised there was nothing I could do until they arrived. So I decided to take a picture of Marmalade to show them exactly where he was sitting and how close to the lines he was to help with the rescue. He was balancing on just a single wire and if any part of his body had touched another wire he would have been electrocuted and killed.
It is not known how or why Marmalade came to be at the top of the pole, but Felicity has her own theories, “It is possible the young cat was frightened up the pole by a dog or another animal but it was probably just a case of curiosity - and we all know that saying about what it can do - and this instance very nearly did - to the cat.”
Marmalade survived his ordeal totally unscathed thanks to engineers from Western Power and he has now been reunited with his owner Sonia Baker and her three children, none the worse for his adventure.
Sonia said: “It was a very worrying time for me and the children when Marmalade got stuck at the top of the pole and we are very grateful to everyone concerned for rescuing him and bringing him home safe and sound. The children were so happy to get him back, he was showered with hugs and kisses and he spent the first night after his ordeal sleeping on their beds.”
OUR CATS on the Road
OUR CATS are out and about this weekend. Vince Hogan our MD, will be at Wyvern Cat Club Show as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary Show. This is a great opportunity to take out or renew your subscription. Goody Bags on offer! Our Chief Reporter, Nick Mays can be found at Northern Counties Cat Club Show this weekend, too.
OUR CATS will also be at the North West Cat Club Show on 24 September and at Yorkshire County Cat Club on 22 October.
Looking forward to seeing you at the shows!
“Sire-puss’s” place of interest?
OUR CATS heard that the Signwriter (see above) went to the Cyprus Wine Museum recently for a wine tasting. Unfortunately he had one or two (bottles) too many and then suffered a touch of dyslexia! Either that or may be it really is a “museum of whining cats”! Learn about the cats in Cyprus in the news index
Lost BSH Cat – STOP PRESS
Just as we were going to press – literally, the following classified advertisement came in, obviously this is urgent, so I include it here:
Lost in Trafford Area, British Black Shorthair, neutered male cat. Very friendly temperament. Lastseen mid August. Reward offered. Please call 0161 7472594 with any information. Much missed family pet.
Corrections Corner
In Mrs Walkden’s Lakeland report (OC 12th August), AC SIAMESE Champion female, should have read GCC ROBBS CH RIVANESS RAMANDRA, and not as printed.
The photograph of Mr & Mrs Burley’s Burmese, featured in The Burmese Cat Club Show Feature (OUR CATS 26th August) was of Champion Rumba Charmeuse Supernova (Novi), owned by Mr. & Mrs. J. Burley, bred by
Mrs. Helen Marriott-Power” - not Grand Champion Charmeuse Millennium Cream (Milly) as captioned – it is believed that Milly may have been have been on the litter tray, en-suite inside the Lunar Lander, “Eagle”!
The owner of EALBHAR HEPHAESTUS, a Birman, included in the Humberside Cat Show (OUR CATS, 12th August) is MRS JANICE HEMMING - not Janine Harvey as printed.
Mrs Joyce Higgin’s report (OUR CATS, 25th August) on the Special Limit Neuter class, at the Maine Coon Cat Club show, should have read Stroem’s Hartscoon Coonel Jackoniel, and not as published.
