Pet reassurance over swine flu

Pet owners have been reassured that swine flu is not transferable to their pets.

“Some pet owners are understandably concerned about the possible effects of swine flu on dogs and cats, particularly those living near farms and rural areas." said PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Elaine Pendlebury.

“Having discussed the issue with the Pet Health Council we’re pleased to report that at the moment there is no evidence that these pets can be affected by this new virus, so there’s no need for alarm. The virus doesn’t appear to be found in pigs in the UK, so there’s no cause for concern over dogs and cats coming into contact with livestock or eating commercial pet food containing pork.

“However, because the virus could change or spread to animals from an infected person, pet owners should keep themselves updated on the development of this disease.”

The PDSA has detailed plans for dealing with the effects of any disease outbreak, including swine flu, at its UK-wide network of PetAid hospitals and practices.

The charity provides free veterinary care for the pets of people in need. The charity employs over 550 veterinary surgeons and nurses, and cares for more than 350,000 pet patients each year.

There’s nothing quite like the sight of a sleeping cat, enjoying his moment of relaxation after a hard day’s mousing.

Most cats will sleep about 16 hours a day, and some even more than that. Whoever said it's a dog's life, obviously never spent time with a cat!

That’s why Your Cat is running the Sleeping Cat gallery!

Does he sleep on his back? Or is he fond of a hammock, gently swaying in the breeze?

Maybe he likes to drape over your bed sheets for his much needed slumber.

Perhaps he sleeps with an ear to the air, alert for intruders? Or perhaps he hides in the dirty laundry basket?

Wherever he chooses to lay his sleepy little head, we want to know!

We have a selection of brilliant prizes to be given away to entries chosen at random.

Fun cat toys, executive scratching posts, and the cosiest of feline beds – you never know what you could receive!

So what are you waiting for?

Take a look at the sleeping cat gallery! and upload your images, max 500k.

Are we killing our pets with kindness?

Over 25% of pet owners admit to overfeeding during the Christmas break and one in five owners believe their pet takes care of its own exercise. 78% think their animal is the correct weight but in reality, according to Pet Psychologist, Roger Tabor, "most pets are carrying excessive weight and it will affect their health in the long run."

In Edinburgh, 32% of owners give their pets the greatest amount of left overs from the table, with owners in Norwich arguably the keenest to give their pet treats, with just over 37% of cats and dogs receiving them over Christmas and one in ten owners in the UK saving a little of what they are eating for their pets.

61% of pet owners in Glasgow are more likely to buy pet food according to its nutritional content, while 40% of pet owners in Cardiff are more likely to buy pet food according to price.

When it comes to keeping fit, some 30% of pet owners in Plymouth have the most regimented exercise regime for their pets, with 28% of pets in Edinburgh, although getting the most leftovers, are more likely to be given at least two exercise sessions a day.

The national survey, commissioned on behalf of Aldi who produce the Vitacat, Julius and Earl’s ranges for cats and dogs respectively, revealed that 78% of pet owners in the UK believe that their pet is the ideal weight, with just 11% asking their vet directly for advice on the best way to feed their pet. One in ten people, aged between 16-24 believe their pet is overweight, but when questioned, didn’t see this as a problem.

In order to meet the nutritional requirements of today’s less active pets, Aldi offers Julius, Earl’s and Vitacat ranges, which aim to provide cats and dogs with a healthy, balanced diet. The average price for a product also gives pet owners an average 30% saving.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Aldi’s survey revealed that the percentage of people who believe their pet is at their ideal weight increases in direct proportion to the amount of exercise that their owner does, with almost 75% of people who do no exercise believing that their pet is the perfect weight, compared to 86% of owners who exercise 11+ hours per week.

Comments leading Pet Psychologist, Roger Tabor: “Like their owners, cats and dogs have very specific nutritional needs and require on a daily basis the right amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. Depending on their life stage, activity level and health condition, the importance of the combination of these nutrients in their diet changes.

“It's not just humans who are getting fatter, there's an obesity crisis looming for Britain's pets too. With worrying statistics from some of Britain's most respected animal welfare authorities, such as the British Veterinary Association, indicating that our cats and dogs are now among the fattest and laziest pets in Europe, taking the least daily exercise and eating the most.”

Leading animal welfare charity the RSPCA recently launched a campaign entitled ‘Cut Out The Stuffing’ which, using the YouTube hit, ‘Simon’s Cat’ looks at the serious problem of pet obesity, claiming that one in three cats and dogs are overweight, which can lead to health problems in later life including diabetes, arthritis or in worst cases, organ failure.

Almost 20% of owners in Glasgow are planning to put their pets on diets in 2009.
“By encouraging our pets to take more exercise on a daily basis and feeding them a nutritionally balanced diet will help improve their health and long-term well being,” adds Roger Tabor.

Four-week-old Twiglet was found abandoned in a cardboard box and has been adopted by News Editor John-Joe Vollans.

Twiglet was found, along with her brother, dumped in a cardboard box in an alleyway in Stamford, Lincolnshire, the town where our offices are based.

John Joe takes up the story:

"I first heard about her sad tale when my girlfriend’s sister, who works at the local Burghley vets clinic, told me they had been given two kittens.

Despite being only a few weeks old when they were found, both Twiglet and her brother were in good health, apart from being cold. So the vets took them in to look after them until they could be rehomed.

I had been thinking about getting a pet, since moving house recently, but I hadn’t planned on getting a kitten so soon! Once I saw Twiglet though, the decision was made on the spot - we would take her.

She has only been with us for a few days, but she has already made a massive impression. Running around our kitchen floor chasing bits of fluff, or our feet has become her favourite passtime.

She has amazing balance and co-ordination for such a small kitten, and with the help of a special kitten growth diet from the vets, she is growing quickly.

‘Twiggy’ is both affectionate and playful in equal measures and never stops making us smile!"

The wonderful Korat

Your Cat's Angela Lowe recently sang the praises of the elegant Korat in August's Breed Profile.

"A particular feature of the breed is the size and prominence of the eyes, which are so large and bright they almost look as though they are lit from within." she writes.

"With his heart-shaped head, the Korat’s appeal does not stop there. The eyebrow ridges form the upper curves of the heart and the sides of the face curve gently down to the chin to complete the heart shape."

The attraction of the Korat, is not only down to its distinctive eyes. As Jen Lacey of the Korat Cat Association says: “They are always into what you are doing, whether it’s visiting the bathroom or sweeping the floor! If you’re doing it, it must be interesting!"

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW
ABOUT THE KORAT
1 The Korat is one of only three true blue breeds in the world.

2 The Korat is unexpectedly heavy when picked up.

3 In their native country, Korats were given in pairs as a wedding gift to bless a couple with fertility.

4 Korats were honoured in rainmaking ceremonies during the dry season to tempt the rain to fall.

5 Legend has it that male Korats were taken into battle, hissing and growling fiercely on the shoulders of warriors fighting against enemies of their land.

Do you have any experience of owning or living with the beautiful Korat? Do let us know on the Your Cat forums!

Cats and milk

Giving your cat milk can cause upset tummies, cramps and even severe diarrhoea.

Diarrhoea can also be fatal to kittens because it dehydrates their little bodies very quickly.

Cats and kittens do not need to drink milk and can actual live their entire lives without having one lap of milk. Water is all they will ever need. If you do wish to give them milk then you can buy lactose-free milk (lactose is the sugar found in milk) from your pet food store, vets or supermarket, but it’s not essential. Indeed, some cats, especially Siamese, will not drink milk at all.

Most cats are lactose intolerant because they lack the enzyme lactase, which aids in digesting lactose.

As undigested lactose passes through the cat's digestive system it draws water from the intestines. Lactose cannot pass easily through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, so it remains in the intestines.

Next, gut bacteria invade and fermentation sets in causing large amounts of gas to form. The result is pain and diarrhoea for your kitten.

Very young kittens produce the enzyme lactase when suckling from their mother but the ability to produce the enzyme diminishes after weaning.

Soft tissues such as meats and offal are very low in calcium and if they are fed as the sole food source, calcium deficiency will occur.

You might think that milk is the only source of calcium and the answer to this problem, but good proprietary diets will contain adequate supplies of the major and trace minerals, which includes calcium.

A cat's sense of hearing is remarkably superior to that of humans. It ranges from 45 to 64,000hz, compared to 64-23,000hz in humans.

This means that cats can hear sounds we can't hear on both ends of the spectrum, particularly the higher end.

Cats' ears are uniquely designed to draw sound into the ear canal, which enables them to hear sounds like a mouse rustling in the brush 30 feet away. By the same token, their ears are more sensitive to higher amplitude of sound.

Like a sophisticated satellite dish turning to pick up a signal, the cat's external ear, or pinna, rotates up to 180 degrees to locate and identify even the faintest of squeaks, peeps or rustling noises. They also can detect the tiniest variances in sound, distinguishing differences of as little as one-tenth of a tone, which helps them identify the type and size of the prey emitting the noise. Mice have no chance against this formidable hunting weapon!

This heightened sense of hearing is especially important in wildcats, which depend on hunting for survival. It also enables wild and domestic feline mothers to hear faint squeals of distress from their cubs or kittens when they stray too far away.

A cat up to three feet away from the origin of a sound can pinpoint its location to within a few inches in a mere six one-hundredths of a second. Cats also can hear sounds at great distances — four or five times farther away than humans. Unless we are talking about men who hear the sound of washing up and run away to their shed!