11
Feb
This article first appeared on iCatCare here.
Teeth-chattering is usually heard when there’s a bird outside the window which a cat is watching but can’t get to. It may then run up to the window or sit and make this strange tooth-chattering noise, which may be frustration or excitement or both.
Do your cats chatter? Send us your photos and stories via info@katzenworld.co.uk
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27
Oct
It’s reported that black cats in homing/rescue centres take longer than cats of other colours to find homes, but there have been some reassuring findings that this is changing.
In celebration of black cats, we’re countering some of the negative superstitions associated with them by looking at some of the positive beliefs associated with these amazing animals.
Whether black cats are considered to be lucky or not varies and is attached to superstitions based in specific cultures.
The great respect for cats that the ancient Egyptians had is famous, and so is the image of Bastet, the Goddess portrayed as a black cat or cat-headed woman. Bastet was originally depicted as a lioness, and it is thought that the change to Bastet as a domestic cat coincided with the domestication of cats in Egypt.
Black cats are also sometimes unfairly accused of not being photogenic, but as you can see from some of the entries we had in our recent photo competition, this is not the case!
An entry to our 2020 photo competition
Jess submitted by Claire Padraza
If you’re thinking of getting a black cat (or any other colour), iCatCare can give you the information you need from before you bring them home, right the way through all of their life stages. A good place to start is our kitten checklist which goes through all the considerations you need to think about before getting a kitten, you can download this here.
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04
Mar
This article first appeared on iCatCare here.
iCatCare’s Feline Wellbeing Panel is an international community of motivated cat professionals. Members come from a range of disciplines with backgrounds from academic and professional qualifications to extensive practical experience. Chaired by Dr Sarah Ellis, the panel is dedicated to helping International Cat Care improve the mental wellbeing of cats.
Remote consultations
With many countries in lockdown due to COVID-19, businesses have had to find new ways of working in order to continue reaching clients. For many of us, video calls have now become an integral part of work, and behaviourists are no different, using video consultations to see their feline patients.
As well as allowing professionals to continue working to help cats, a major benefit of remote consultations has been reducing additional stress by removing the need for cats to leave their territory and travel or be in close proximity to unfamiliar people. It allows behaviourists to see the cat’s behaviour in their normal environment without the distress that an unfamiliar figure can sometimes cause.
Some panel members also reported that this new method of consultation has made behavioural advice accessible to a greater number of people. Not only is it convenient, appointments aren’t limited by location, so cat owners who live a long way from a behaviourist can easily get advice.
It’s not just the method of consultation that’s changed, some professionals have seen a change in the issues that owners are seeking help for. An increase in kitten aggression towards humans and other cats has been reported. This is likely due to the increase in the number of kittens that have been adopted but might also be caused by the working from home practises that we’ll look at in the next section.
Working from home
With work practises changing, more people have been working from home, spending far longer with their cats than they usually would. Some panel members were concerned that this has led to cats receiving excessive attention, with their usual solitary time now gone. Many cats who may have been used to having free reign of the household during the day may now be forced to share their space with someone for long periods and may receive more attention than they’re comfortable with, as people use their cats to fill up their day.
This means that some kittens and adolescents are being over-stimulated and over-handled, with few outlets for natural behaviour or time to rest.
On the flip side, increased time at home has allowed owners to notice previously unobserved issues for individual cats and unknown problems in relationships in multi-cat households.
Fostering/adoption
Being at home for longer and potentially isolated from friends and family, more people now have the time and desire to adopt a pet. This has led to an increase in the number of cats being fostered, with owners also being more receptive to homing centre staff recommendations due to their inability to meet the cats prior to adoption in many cases . Rather than simply choosing the cat that appeals to them physically, owners have taken staff advice on which animal would best suit their lifestyle.
COVID-19 has also changed how homing centres operate, with fewer staff on site on a daily basis to interact with the cats. One member reported that some rescue centres were concerned that kittens were more skittish than pre-pandemic, as they haven’t received socialisation from as many people as they usually would. This highlights the importance of kittens being fostered with their mothers in home environments for the optimal socialisation process.
Another consequence of the large increase in cats arriving into new homes has been an increased demand for services that tackle behavioural issues that have developed after introducing cats to the household, this might also be influenced by the adoption of a higher number of under-socialised kittens.
Separation anxiety
When offices begin to reopen and people make the shift away from working from home all the time, some panel members raised concerns that the cats and kittens that have become accustomed to having their owner at home will suffer from separation anxiety when they’re no longer there throughout the day. Of course, this relies on the cat having a close bond and emotional reliance on their owner. This may be something we are more likely to see in our dogs than cats.
Some believed that anxiety may also be on the rise with owners, or at least increased interest in their cats whereabouts, and as a result there will probably be an increased demand for technology that allows owners to monitor their pets at home during the day through video monitors and GPS collars.
Owners returning to the office might have some positive results, with some cat’s glad to have more space and time to themselves, but how cats are affected by this second shift in work practises is likely to be on an individual basis.
Continued rise of remote consultations
Although behaviourists and other feline professionals will likely find it easier to see their clients in person again, members predicted that remote consultations won’t disappear. Due to their convenience and how they can help avoid stress in cats, they’re set to be a permanent feature of how professionals interact with cats.
Food
A trend that has been growing over recent years is a greater interest by owners in their pet’s food. Different diets, their effect on their cat’s health and the sustainability of how they’re produced are all growing concerns for pet owners, and look as though they will continue into 2021.
More research into the human-cat relationship
2020 has seen the publication of some important research relating to feline communication, it was only a few months ago that the slow blink technique was scientifically investigated for the first time. The human-cat relationship is likely to be a popular research topic next year.
Linked to this is a gradual change in the way we frame the ‘owner’ cat relationship. Cats are increasingly being recognised as a member of the family rather than a ‘pet’, and a larger market for premium products has emerged. The rise in online shopping and people spending more time at home with their cats has also led to a boom in subscription boxes and venture capital business based on feline products, and these business models also look set to grow next year.
Find out more about the Feline Wellbeing Panel here
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26
Feb
Most owners can agree that giving medicine to their cat in the form of a pill is no easy task, but it’s often a necessary part of helping them to recover from an illness or even how we have to administer long-term medication. We understand this, and we want to make sure that the process is as easy as possible both for you and your cat.
We’re currently inviting owners to share their experiences in a survey that will be used to educate veterinary professionals and companies designing medications.
So, if you’re tired of the constant battle that giving pills can be, please consider completing the survey linked below so we can ensure that vets are giving you the best information and manufacturers are mindful of real-life issues when designing medication.
We estimate it will take around 15 minutes to complete, and all data will be anonymised so individual participants will not be identifiable in any published results.
Consider it an investment for the next time you need to give your cat a tablet…
Take the survey
The iCatCare experts have compiled some tips and tricks in this short guide that will help to make the process of giving your cat a tablet as straightforward as possible.
How to give your cat a tablet
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30
Jul
International Cat Day takes place every 8th of August and this year custodianship has been passed to International Cat Care (iCatCare) – a not-for profit organisation which since 1958 has sought to improve the health and wellbeing of cats everywhere, working towards a world where each cat’s life experience is as good as it can be.
Cats are fast becoming the world’s most popular pet. They now outnumber pet dogs in the UK[1], are on track to do so in China[2], and their global population is estimated to be as high as 600 million[3]. Their popularity isn’t just about numbers – they’ve taken over much of the internet and charmed their way into almost every aspect of popular culture.
There’s no denying that cats make us happy – they intrigue and delight, and for International Cat Day we want the feeling to be mutual.
But do we really know what happiness means to a cat?
The secret to a Happy Cat is understanding each cat’s needs, both as an individual and a species. While some are ideally suited to living as pets, half the world’s cat population are not and these 300 million unowned cats lead a range of lifestyles, including those who will never accept human contact, no matter how much love and attention we might give them. And somewhere between the domestic and the feral is the growing phenomenon of the so called ‘Inbetweener’ whose needs are currently the least understood.
International Cat Day celebrates them all and the people who make their lives better.
Charities, specialists, veterinary professionals and volunteers come together on the day to share their knowledge and passion with cat-lovers from all around the world. So why not join them on August 8th and be a part of the #HappyCat movement.
To check out the programme and register for news and updates visit
www.internationalcatday.org
i https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits
ii https://www.chinapetmarket.com/china-pet-population-and-ownership-2019/
iii https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/helping-unowned-cats/
About International Cat Care (iCatCare)
International Cat Care is a charity dedicated to improving the health and welfare of cats worldwide.
The International Cat Care vision: all cats, owned and unowned, are treated with care, compassion and understanding.
The International Cat Care mission: to engage, educate and empower people throughout the world to improve the health and welfare of cats by sharing advice, training and passion.
For more information, please visit http://www.icatcare.org or https://www.facebook.com/icatcare
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29
Jun
With ownership of domestic cats increasing year on year worldwide, public interest in cat welfare has never been greater. In recognition of this, International Cat Care (iCatCare) and its veterinary branch, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) have developed two international initiatives that will further the holistic approach to cat welfare that’s central to the charity’s vision.
For more than 60 years, the charity has addressed both physical health – funding vets to specialize in feline medicine, and mental wellbeing – developing initiatives like Cat Friendly Clinic, that emphasizes the importance of reducing stress. Great progress has been made, but this new international and collaborative approach will allow these two groups of experts to push forward their respective disciplines, and provide the opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing between them.
The ISFM Academy of Feline Practitioners is a body of dedicated veterinarians from all over the world who have further qualifications in feline practice or medicine, or have specialized in disciplines that complement the focus of ISFM.
Members will have the opportunity to discuss publications, investigate cases with colleagues, collaborate on research, talk about developments, and forge meaningful links between vets in different countries. It will be a forward-thinking coalition that will actively seek to advance developments in medicine. Any vet that meets the requirements of the academy can join, and although participation is encouraged, members are free to contribute however much they like.
To complement the veterinary expertise in the Academy of Feline Practitioners, and in keeping with the aims of iCatCare to better understand and promote the mental wellbeing, as well as the physical health, of domestic cats, the charity has developed the iCatCare Feline Wellbeing Panel.
The panel is an international coalition of experts, who come from different professional backgrounds but who all specialize in some form in the mental wellbeing of cats, including both those owned and unowned. Members bring invaluable insight and knowledge with their range of academic qualifications, research and extensive practical experience.
The purpose of the panel is to help those working and caring for cats in all the various settings they encounter them to understand their behavioural, emotional and cognitive capabilities and needs in order to be able to actively promote their mental wellbeing and ultimately protect their welfare. Such settings include people’s homes, in catteries, in veterinary clinics, and in homing centres and on the streets. Through the sharing of initiatives and information in a confidential space, this will be a collaborative effort that will advance the accepted understanding and common practices in a way that would be impossible to do individually.
In enabling these discussions, iCatCare has also created the International Cat Care Community as a platform for the groups to communicate in separate, friendly, safe spaces. This is a forum in development, with capacity for different groups to ask questions and discuss anything related to feline welfare.
Commenting, CEO, Claire Bessant said, ‘By working together, gaining input from great people and enabling all those who work with cats to grow their expertise, iCatCare can deliver on its mission to create a world in which each cat’s life experience will be as good as it can be’.
For weblinks, including how to join the ISFM Academy of Feline Practitioners, see below.
https://icatcare.org/veterinary/isfm/isfm-academy/
https://icatcare.org/about/our-expert-panel/
https://icatcare.org/the-icatcare-feline-wellbeing-panel-your-questions-answered/
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14
Jun
Hi everyone,
As many of you know iCatCare is our charity of choice that we support through our blog and shop.
Before the fire.
Unfortunately earlier this month a fire took place in a building adjoining the Charity’s headquarters in Tisbury. This happened on the early morning of Tuesday 2 June 2020. Thankfully the property and their offices were unoccupied and no one was hurt, however both have suffered considerable damage – the full extent of which is still unknown.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and they’re working closely with the fire service and local agencies. While this is a major disruption, they are fortunate that through their COVID-19 contingency planning they are able to continue operations remotely and deliver online resources to provide as normal a service as possible.
The charity would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service for their swift action in tackling the fire, and to their landlords the Fonthill Estate, as well as their neighbours Messums and The National Trust for their support.
After the fire. 🙁
We look forward to sharing further news when we know more. Let’s all hope that the damage can be fixed as swiftly as possible.
Thanks,
Marc
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08
Jun
‘This photo of my daughter Serena and cat Toffee was taken by Victoria Upton, a family friend and photographer. Serena (middle of three) is now 25 years old so it is an image that we have had for 20 odd years.
Toffee was an adorable, much loved family cat who engaged and interacted with us all. Sadly he was run over a few years later. There was a squashed mouse a few inches from his nose so we all felt that he had died doing something that he loved. We were all able to say goodbye and he was buried in the garden, a story that I have used in bereavement training.
The photo is a happy reminder of the glorious relationship that we all shared and I have used it in our charity presentations for ‘Our Special Friends’ as an image to illustrate the human-animal bond.’
Belinda’s winning image features in the 2020 ‘Cats & People’ charity calendar which is now on sale to raise funds for International Cat Care’s feline welfare work.
To find out more and to order your copy of the calendar visit: icatcare.org/shop
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25
May
‘As I was studying for the ISFM certificate in feline behaviour, I decided to start clicker training with my cats. It turned out that one of my cats, Leif, liked it very much, and was easy to train with. This photo was taken by my boyfriend while Leif and I were practicing a high five. Leif is 6 years old and he was adopted from a cat shelter where I volunteer. He lives with his brother Inga, and a 14 year old moggie Mogens.’
Mette’s winning image features in the 2020 ‘Cats & People’ charity calendar which is now on sale to raise funds for International Cat Care’s feline welfare work.
To find out more and to order your copy of the calendar visit: icatcare.org/shop
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11
May
‘This picture was taken in Denuy, a small village located in the North of Spain. My grandmother, Paquita, is very happy holding our two new family members. They are called China Swan (Calico cat) and Uri (white cat). Uri is currently living with me in the UK, as a white cat in sunny Spain has high risk of squamous cell carcinoma.’
Ana’s winning image features in the 2019 ‘Cats & People’ charity calendar which is now on sale to raise funds for International Cat Care’s feline welfare work.
To find out more and to order your copy of the calendar visit: icatcare.org/shop
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