Nominations for Petplan’s annual Animal Charity Awards are now open, so it’s time to show your support for your favourite charity and get them some well-deserved publicity and thanks! Click here for more information.
The UK charity Cats Protection are once again asking for nominations for the National Cat Awards. Nominations need to be in by Friday May 30th, and the following categories are open to all living UK cats:
Winners will be announced on August 7th at London’s Savoy Hotel, with celebrity guests presenting winners with a trophy. Not only that, but you win 3 month’s of cat food from the sponsors, Purina!
We mentioned the Winn Feline Foundation in our recent blog post about stem cell research. This brilliant non-profit organisation provides funding for essential research into cat diseases and behaviour. Without the Winn Feline Foundation, these research projects might not get the go-ahead, and we’d be left still knowing very little about killer diseases such as FIP.
The Winn Feline Foundation also gives student scholarship awards to those who will become the cat-advocates of the future, who are already devoting their lives to the welfare of cats but who need a little support along the way. The Foundation’s funding focus is broad-ranging, but includes research into Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), and breed-associated diseases. We should emphasise that such studies involve cellular research and assessment of cats that already have such diseases, and that funding does not support animal testing.
From its inception in 1968 the Winn Feline Foundation has invested more than $4 million in scientific studies of cat disease and health. If anyone were looking to support a cat charity that has scientific research as its basis and cat health at its core, we cannot think of a more worthy recipient.
Other similar charities that are just as worthy of your support include International Cat Care and in the UK, Cats Protection.
A litter of kittens has caused a stir at the Blue Cross charity in the UK, as they all have a condition called ‘polydactyly’, also known as ‘mitten kittens’, where they have more toes than normal. The cats are nervous as they were a stray during their socialisation period when they were young, so they are looking for extra special, understanding homes. Can you help?
There have been many instances where autistic children have responded in a positive way to animals, and a little while ago we reviewed 3 books about autism and cats. We recently discovered another book about the amazing effect of cat-ownership on a young boy called Fraser Booth. Billy, a stray cat from the charity Cats Protection (UK), transformed Fraser and his family’s life, and this book is the story of how it happened.
Rob Laidlaw has spent his life working with animals and wildlife protection, and has written a number of books on animal issues, aimed at children. A perfect balance between the sometimes tough ‘real-life’ aspects of animals’ lives, and the enjoyable and positive aspects of their lives, whether they be owned, rescued or feral. ‘Cat Champions: Caring for Our Feline Friends’ promises to be as awesome as his previous books – pre-order now to avoid disappointment or delay, this book comes out in March 2014.
While we’re on the subject of cat art, we need to apologise for missing this brilliant story a couple of months ago – this time, the cats themselves are making the art!
Cats at the Cats Protection centre in Belfast have been expressing their artistic skills using an iPad, with the aid of a squeaky mouse that passes across the screen. We particularly love the fact that Brutus the cat’s artwork appeared to have a ‘jungle theme’!! Click here for story.
A great opportunity to enjoy both cats and art, and an excuse to visit LA! This free event runs Jan 25th – Feb 2nd, 12-5pm, at Gallery 101/exhibit on Santa Monica Boulevard. There will be a little over 100 works for sale, and even better, some of the proceeds will be donated to the local stray cat charity! Here’s more information.
If you can’t visit the show yourself, here’s a video with some interviews of the artists, at the show itself! Enjoy folks!
Many vet practices have separate cat wards, but not all provide hospitalised cats with a hiding place in their kennel. Cats have 3 ways of coping with stressful situations – escape, hide, or go ‘up high’. Since a kennel environment prevents escape, emphasis should be placed on providing a hiding place and, if possible, a corner shelf from which to observe their surroundings without fear of approach from behind. Research has shown that providing a ‘Hide and Perch’ box, as opposed to an open cat bed, improves rescue cats’ welfare and reduces their stress levels. They were also more likely to get along well together. The UK’s Cats Protection charity have developed a cat hide to mimic this in the veterinary hospital – www.cats.org.uk/cat-care
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