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!

Purr, sir?

What’s in a purr? Well, purring in cats first occurs at around a week of age. It works as a signal to the nursing mother cat that all is well with her babies and that the milk supply is getting through. She, in turn, purrs, letting the kittens know that she is also in a relaxed and co-operative mood. One theory is that purring among adult cats and between adult cats and humans is derived from this primal parent-offspring context.

Contentment is not the only signal for purring, however. Purring can indicate a friendly, social mood and can be used by an injured cat to show the need for friendship. Cats in great pain after an injury can purr very loudly and can’t really be considered to be contented.

Small domestic cats purr with both inward and outward breaths (with their mouths firmly shut), while their large relatives - the lions and tigers - can only produce a friendly 'one-way purr' when greeting friends. Nevertheless, big cats have a feature that compensates for their inability to purr—the almighty roar! (Though there are probably times when domestic cats wish to send a few shivers down the spine of a rival cat or two with this characteristic!)

Oldies..but goodies!

Your Cat has said it before, but we really shouldn't let age be a barrier when choosing a cat, or enjoying the rewards of cat ownership. Older cats are just good at enriching lives as the younger models. Isn't it about time we paused to celebrate all that old aged fellows and ladies have to offer?

There are lots of middle-aged cats, often just beyond the flush of excitable kittenhood, which are being overlooked at rescue centres. I certainly got to see this for myself at first hand when I visited the Old Windsor Branch of the Battersea Cats and Dogs Home last week, where I saw lots of lovable cats ten years and above and older.

If you are honest about what you have to offer in terms of a home, then a good charity will do their best to match the right cat to you.

So why take on a older cat? Well, for starters they make good, longterm pets — advances in veterinary care and medicine mean many older cats now live to their late teens and early-20s in remarkably good health.


There are other reasons too:

1) They have calmer, more settled natures so are likely to be lower maintenance than young cats or kittens.

2) Older cats tend to seek love and attention much more than young cats, making them ideal ‘lap pets.’

3) Owing to their age and habits, older cats are less likely to go out and explore, reducing the possibility of them getting lost, going missing or having road traffic accidents.

4) Older cats that are currently being looked after by Cats Protection and organisations like Battersea tend to have had one or more previous owners, so they are usually domesticated and familiar with routines such as using a litter tray, scratch posts and so on.

Charlie recovers

Web Editor of Your Cat, James Buzzel came home on Sunday September 28th to find a note attached to our front door. “Urgent, please go to number 15…”

James takes up the story:

"Charlie, our one-year-old rescue cat, had been hit by a car. He was bleeding from the mouth and unable to move the bottom half of his body. The driver hadn’t stopped, but Charlie had a habit of sleeping under cars and therefore he/she might not have known what had happened. He had been found at 5.15pm and the emergency vet had already been called. My neighbour had been told to wait an hour and see if we’d be home by then… thankfully we were back by 5.40pm and saw the note.

Charlie was taken to the local veterinary centre, Burghley Vets and placed in an oxygen tank pending his x-rays. We left him at the surgery and had a phone call later that evening from the vet. Charlie had a broken jaw and a broken pelvis but nothing could be done until he came out of shock… we would have to wait for the morning to see if he pulled through.

The next day Charlie was more settled and could be put under general anaesthetic for a more detailed analysis of the damage. Initially the jaw had been of prime concern, but this was wired back together without complication. It was his pelvis that was more damaged than first thought – it was broken in three places and his back legs were basically detached from his spine. The vet also mentioned ‘tail pull’, where she believed the tail might have got caught under the tyre and Charlie had pulled away, yanking his entire body and doing severe damage to his nervous system. The tail had no feeling and Charlie had yet to urinate or pass bowel movements by himself.

I asked right then whether Charlie would make it and whether it was worth going through any major surgery if his nervous system was damaged. He was insured under Virgin for up to £3000 per condition and therefore any operation would have been covered. She advised that we waited 24 hours to give Charlie some time to pass urine by himself.

We actually gave Charlie 48 hours and in that time hope was raised and dashed. He was such an unusual case because he looked so bright and alert, plus was eating well. If he looked in pain or sickly, the choice would have been much easier – even the vets and nurses were puzzled. However, Charlie’s charm won them all over and their policy to give him time paid off… he began urinating in a litter area by himself, even if he was shuffling along the pen to get there!

The x-rays didn’t look good. A pelvis broken in three different places was going to be a hard injury to overcome. Burghley sent the scans to The Grove, a special animal orthopaedic and spinal referral centre in Norfolk. They believed Charlie was operable and therefore I drove him on October 2 to meet orthopaedic surgeon Gordon Brown. He explained that Charlie’s tail would need to be amputated as he had no feeling or movement in it.

Gordon operated on Charlie, inserting a screw into one of the pelvis cracks and leaving the other two to heal naturally. Charlie was monitored for several days and again the issue was whether he could pass bowel movements unaided. Thankfully he did (with laxative) and he would be able to come home the following Wednesday.

When I first saw him, it was a little shocking to see the fur on his back removed and stained blue! Gordon explained it was the antiseptic solution pre-operation and would disappear within a few weeks. Charlie was now hobbling, but shuffling one of his legs along the floor. He had feeling in this leg, but it was not functioning right… only time will tell if this leg heals correctly, but given that Charlie has responded so well to his treatment so far, I have every hope it will!

So, now with a total vet bill of £2600, Charlie’s treatment still continues. It reassures the message that pet insurance is so important, as without it Charlie would not be here. We’ve had to pay the bills upfront but have the claim forms to send off to the insurers."

Charlie's recuperation continues live on site and you can see his recovery on the home page of Yourcat.co.uk. There have been lots of visitors and well-wishers dropping by, so don't be surprised if you see a hand or three stretching across on camera to give the little fellow a gentle stroke.

The cat in the middle - pets and divorce

With increasing numbers of cat owners are faced with custody battles over their pet, after relationships break up.

The difficulties of fighting over a cat can be traumatic indeed. Legal experst such as Peter Morris, a lawyer at law firm Irwin Mitchell advises that a firm agreement should be written up beforehand to plan what will happen if the worst scenario occurs.

If the worst happens and a case does go to court, he recommends staying rational and coming to a compromise. "Pets can be a source of comfort to children whose parenst are splitting, so it's important not to seperate them.

Lawyer Peter Morris says people can behave irrationally when upset and this can lead to bad decisions. He recommends the following five tips for couples to keep in mind when it comes to avoiding and resolving pet squabbles:

1When buying your pet try to agree who will keep it should the relationship break
down. Speak with a solicitor about drawing up a prenuptial or other written agreement.

2If separation becomes inevitable and there are no written agreements, try to stay rational. If possible come to a
sensible agreement in relation to ownership of property and belongings, including pets, without resorting to
the courts.

3 Look back and remember who the pets were originally for and whether one of you was their main carer. This can help determine who the pets belong to in the case of a break up.

4 Paws for thought — taking a pet custody battle to court would be very costly. Resorting to law can also be time-consuming and could increase bad feeling and emotional turmoil at an already difficult time.

5 Where there is more than one pet involved, splitting them up can affect the animals adversely. So, if you cannot
agree about one of you having ownership rights over all the creatures, consider joint custody or arrangements for contact in the future.

Have you had experience of deciding who should take your pet? Let us know on our forum .

Are you an Eco-owner?

It's not too difficult to be an environmentally friendly cat owner. We've found five tips that will help you and your cat to be eco-warriors together!

1) GO ORGANIC

Organic cat food is free from artificial colourings and flavourings. The meat it contains will have been produced in an environment where no fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides have been used.

Why not try:
OrganiPets (www.organipets.co.uk),
Pero Organic (www.pero-petfood.
co.uk) or Netherlands-based Yarrah
Organic Petfood (www.yarrah.com)

They all produce organic cat food. Almo Nature’s Bio Pâté (www.almonature.co.uk) is also 100 per cent organic.

Look for food produced in this country so you can help reduce the food miles.

2) RECYCLE PACKAGING

Tins, dry cat food packets and some tray food packaging may be placed in your council’s recycling bin.

3) BIODEGRADABLE LITTER
There is a good choice of environmentally friendly cat litters. Look out for products
made from recycled materials (newspaper for example) or from bi-products. You’ll find them in pet shops, selected supermarkets and in online stores.

The following are all biodegradable: Almo Nature Clean&Green (www.almonature.co.uk) is a plant-based litter which can be used as compost in the garden or disposed of with organic waste

Cat’s Best ÖkoPlus is a clumping wood-based organic eco-litter.
Cat’s Best Nature Gold is a clumping litter made of plant fibres.
Friendship Estates Ltd’s Friendly Natural cat litter (www.friendshipestates.co.uk) is made from British straw.

Smart Cat Paper Litter (www.smart-cat.co.uk) and Bio-Catolet (www.midas-products.co.uk)
granules are made from recycled newspaper.


4 TRAY MATTERS

Van Ness litter tray liners are made of 80 per cent recycled plastic. They’re available from www.pets2home.co.uk and other online retailers.

The Catit Cat Pan Liner is biodegradable (from www.petplanet.co.uk, and other online retailers), or you could line your tray with a BioBag (or put the used litter in one before disposal). BioBags are biodegradable and compostable. For details go to www.biobags.co.uk Alternatively, you could just line the tray with newspaper!

5) PLAYTIME!
Many toys and accessories are made of plastic, which does not degrade easily. Try making some of your own beds and toys. Toilet/kitchen rolls and cardboard boxes can both be given a new lease of life when you turn them into a feline plaything. You could make your cat a rug or blanket from recycled polyester or organic cotton.

Keep an eye on www.yourcat.co.uk for a video from myself featuring a range of ideas for making fun and innovative toys for your cat.

Cats Protection and the Army

We've reported on yourcat.co.uk that a woman has had her application to take on a cat turned down as her husband is in the military. The lady, who was only identified as Paula, said officials from Cats Protection allegedly would not allow her to adopt a feline because her husband is in the army, The Sun reported.

"I was furious at the discrimination," Paula told the newspaper.

"It's a massive problem. The armed forces are second-class citizens."

She told the Sun the charitable group allegedly informed her that service families are not allowed to adopt pets under the group's current policy.

"I told them we lived in barracks and they said they don't let people in the forces adopt animals," the woman alleged.

An anonymous volunteer with the group told the newspaper the policy stemmed from the fact cats have been left behind when families relocate.

A Cats Protection spokesperson responded: “Cats Protection does not discriminate in its homing to military establishments. Each situation is assessed individually and the long term future and suitability of the cat to the environment is looked at closely. We are currently in touch with our volunteers in this story to ascertain the full facts.”

Responses on The Sun forum have surprisingly come out in favour of Cats Protection, with users stating that members of the armed forces are likely to move at short notice, causing unnecessary stress for pets as they have to be rehomed once more.

Are you allergic to cats?

Sadly there's a sizeable part of the UK population with an allergy to cats. According to charity National Allergy UK, one in four people in the UK suffer from some form of an allergy, with pet allergies affecting 10% of the population.

What causes the reaction? Well, it's not actaully down to the cat's fur, but molecules of protein (allergens) which come from microscopic skin cells, shed as dander, the cat's urine and skin glands cause the response.

These particles are easily inhaled and during an allergic response the chemical IgE is released by a person's immune system and this in turn triggers the release of histamine, creating cold-like symptoms.

Obviously if you react badly to pets then it makes it very hard to be a cat owner, and visiting cat owning friends and family can be problematic. We at Your Cat know how frustrating it can be to have friends who can't visit!

Allergy clinic Imutest, however, have come up with a revolutionary way of testing if your allergic reaction is actually caused by cats.

The Imutest Cat Allergy Test Kit is a home test kit which detects high levels of IgE allergy antibodies from a drop of blood taken from a simple finger prick in just 30 minutes; a similar process to a hospital test.

The kit is priced at £19.95 and is available online at www.imutest.com.

Big cats come live

Are you looking forward to this autumn's Big Cat Live? The yearly series once more is set to explore the hidden side of Kenya's Masai Mara Reserve – its wildlife, its secrets and the perils of the dark.

With cutting-edge filming techniques and live communications, Big Cat Live promises to bring all the danger and exhilaration of being out on the African plains 24/7.

Regular presenter Kate Silverton and local Masai guide Jackson Looseyia will be joining Simon King and Jonathan Scott at their camp, in the heart of Africa's most famous reserve.

Camping next to the Mara River, in the middle of lion territory, the team will be encircled by African wildlife. We hope they don't all doze off in the heat and have too many close encounters!

Amazing animals

Elephants, buffalos, crocodiles, zebras and over one million migrating wildebeest will be filmed in a landscape where anything can happen – day or night.

By day, the team will follow the life-and-death fortunes of the lion, cheetah and leopard families.

We're wondering if the lion males will show off being good 'dads' - our own domestic female cats rear their young alone without the protection of males. The lion, by contrast, is a loyal father, though he may be a little rough!

The nightly transmissions, kicking off on October 5 on BBC1, will bring images of the nocturnal life in the reserve, using special remote cameras that can broadcast live in the dark.

Your Cat updates

Have you dropped by our busy forums on yourcat.co.uk recently? There's been plenty of discussion about cats and the credit crunch, what your cat is eating and your favourite breed. The Siamese is getting a lot of attention - are you a fan?

Plus, we are also busy beavering away on new developments and improvements for your site, including a fab new 'Help My Cat' section, extended breed profile information and more videos. We are off this Friday to meet up wiith the folks at The Pawchester, a cattery with Hilton style credentials!

Your Cat magazine

How are you coping with the credit crunch? With vets costs increasing, have you got pet insurance for your cat?

With veterinary charges increasing at a regular rate of knots, it really is an essential these days, especially when the 'credit crunch' is the buzzword of the year.

Modern diagnostic techniques and medications can be pricey and a long-term, chronic illness could leave you with a serious financial headache. Not what's needed at all.

We all hope that pets remain in the best of health throughout their lives - but, sadly, the inevitable does happen and this is where insurance comes in.

Pet insurance covers all sorts of weird and wonderful eventualities; for instance, if your cat is stolen, some providers stump up the cost of advertising and a reward, or even cover the cost of your holiday if you can't go because your pet's poorly. Yet often these are added as hype to sell a policy and rarely claimed.

Spend time choosing the right policy for you. When applying for a policy be sure to disclose all your pet's medical history. This might push up premiums in the short term, but will save money in the long term, as providers won't pay up if they suspect that the problem already existed.....