Archive for November, 2009

Although a balanced diet is the most important thing to bear in mind when it comes to cat food is, it is also beneficial to know which type of cat food is best for your cat – dry or canned. Although there is no hard and fast rule regarding types of cat food, here are the latest findings:

Up until recently, it was thought that cats were best off eating dry food for the sake of their teeth (the kibble pieces were thought to help combat tartar and plaque). Moreover, the 80-85% water content of canned food means dry food has a lot more high-quality nutrition by weight. However, recent research funded by pet insurance companies and the RSPCA suggests the nutritional content of canned food is actually far more similar to the typical diet of a cat in the wild than dry food!

It is thought that the typical diet of a cat in the wild contains very little carbohydrate at all, being around 45% fat and 45% protein. Where dry food needs carbohydrates to hold the kibble pieces together, canned food has much lower levels of carbohydrate (around 10%) and is hence much more representative of their natural diet. When it comes to keeping weight down, many findings indicate that a more ‘natural’ diet helps keep cats trim and healthy.

A shocking attach on a Tabby cat in Norfolk left the animals in such a bad state that vets had to remove an eye and a leg, after what Ben Kirby of the RSPCA called a “Sickening incident”.

The five-year-old cat was shot by an air gun multiple times at close range, leaving it blind in one eye and with a fractured shoulder.  More pellets peppered the cat’s face and mouth, meaning the attack was probably a prolonged assault.  Police and the RSPCA are not alone in being shocked, sickened and thoroughly confused by the attack; it’s thoroughly baffling how anybody could bring themselves to do such a thing to a helpless animal.  Since the owner of the cat is unknown, the price of the surgery cannot be claimed on pet insurance; instead, the people who found the cat have launched a fund to raise money to pay for the treatment – the RSPCA have contributed £200.

Cats falling from trees, getting into fights and even being hit by cars is part and parcel of what we accept as the risks of modern life.  However, nobody could plan for their pet to be the victim of such a cruel attack – this event will serve to remind everybody to keep a close eye on their pet to make sure it is properly protected.

Socrates, a cat from Newcastle, was 124% overweight when he was put on a 100-day fitness and diet programme by vet charity PDSA. At 10.1kg, Socrates was over double the weight he should ideally be, which is never healthy for any living thing!

He is now halfway through the 100-day challenge and has lost a massive 0.65kg! Bill Duncan, his owner, is thrilled and hopes his pet will be down to 8.8kg by the New Year; “His coat has brightened up and he is much silkier to the touch. He has also started to groom himself more and has loads more energy” the proud owner declared. There won’t be a New Year blowout for Socrates though, as Bill plans for his cat to trim down to an impressive 4.5kg over the next year and a half; “at the end of it, I will have a healthier and happier cat”. Bill might be pleased to know that his pet insurance premium will probably also drop radically when his cat reaches a sensible size!

The diet and fitness programme for Socrates has been tailored by Newcastle PDSA PetAid hospital, who report that he “the change in him, even at this halfway stage, is fantastic”. Hopefully this story will serve as a reminder of our responsibly to keep our cats trim and healthy over this season of gluttony!

An incredible Tom cat who survived an epic voyage to the UK from Egypt is now said to be recovering his strength in Colchester. The River Colne might not quite be the Nile, but after a voyage like that I expect the newly-named Pharaoh has had quite enough of water to last him a lifetime!

Having been checked for rabies, Pharaoh is now staying in quarantine before being re-homed. I would like to think, however, that finding a home for a cat with such a life story, especially in the Christmas season, won’t be too hard! What’s more, Jean Parish from Pan Air Services quarantine cattery said of Pharaoh that, “he must have had a very loving home because of the way he is with people… When you get cats out of containers quite often they’re wild, feral cats that lived on the docks”. Perhaps this very story will move somebody to give a home to this brave cat this Christmas. Of course, if you are interested do remember that a cat is for life; think about it before you take one on and make sure you can afford the time, food and pet insurance to give any cat the best possible life.

We all love bonfire night and fireworks, but it is very important at this time of year that we all make sure our pets are not badly scared by the loud noises.  It’s best that you’re home to comfort your pet when fireworks are going off but, if that isn’t possible, it’s highly advisable to lock your cat away in a dark room when firework displays are going on nearby.  Putting some music on can also really help reduce the impact the sudden bangs can have on their nerves as well. 

It is also not recommended to let your cat roam around outside during the evening for the next couple of weeks, as fireworks, cats and children are not known to mix particularly well.  What’s more, the fires and fireworks that will be spread all over the country for the next few weeks can severely stress your cat out and cause all manner of related health problems.  It is worth mentioning that bonfires are not necessarily covered under the same pet insurance quotes as ‘fires’.

11-year old Oscar Bowring from London has declared himself and his cats responsible for Jenson Button’s Formula One championship win in Brazil! According to the young man, he named his two kittens Jenson and Button in honour of the driver during the F1 off-season last year and he’s sure the cats helped in the victory.

“Jenson and Button sleep with me” Oscar went on to tell Geoff Cowart from H&F News, “sometimes they stop the cars on my Scalextric set”. I, for one, didn’t even know they still made Scalextric racing sets and I’m not sure whether pet insurance companies cover cat crashes of such a miniscule proportion!

Either way, I feel we should keep this fun little claim away from Jenson, who recently told The Times’ Matthew Syed, “It’s all about winning, all about me…nobody can take it away from me… I always knew I had it in me to win, which makes it very tough to read so often about my supposed defects and flaws”. Clearly nobody has told Mr. Button that he owes it all to his two furry lucky charms!