cat-breeds news

A man from North Dakota, US, has put himself in danger to save the lives of three kittens from a hornet’s nest.

Jim Johnson was out working when he heard a crying sound coming from the window well of a garage. Looking inside, he found the three kittens covered in swarming attacking hornets. Without even thinking about it, he reached in and grabbed the kittens and pulled them to safety.

The kittens had hornets crawling all over them, and some were even embedded in their bodies. The kittens were immediately taken to a vet, where they were treated and given antibiotics. Jim was also stung over 20 times and even bitten by one of the kittens in the attempt to rescue the kittens.

One of the kittens has unfortunately passed away, but the other two are doing extremely well, growing stronger and stronger with bottle feeds. Lumps can still be felt in their bodies from all the stings.

Jim said: ‘They are a living thing you know, and it’s unfortunate that their mother had to leave them, somebody has to take care of them, and you know they obviously couldn’t get out of the situation.’

‘They are so young they won’t even remember it. They are good kittens, they deserve to live.’ Jim is giving the kittens away to good homes when they are strong enough and old enough to be let go.

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

Diesel the kitten was found underneath the driver’s cab of a train after travelling to and from London Marylebone and Kidderminster in the West Midlands at least 5 times, covering 900 miles at speeds of over 100mph.

The kitten was discovered after drivers heard a meowing noise coming from underneath the driver’s cab door. He was found perched in a gear box close to the wheels when the train stopped in Wembley.

A vet checked over four-week old Diesel and gave him a clean bill of health, and 19-year-old Jodi Fox couldn’t resist adopting him and taking him home after falling in love with him.

‘When I got to work in the morning, I was asked whether I wanted a cat. I thought it was a joke but then I looked inside the box and I fell in love with him straight away – he just looked so cute’, she said.

‘He’s quite timid; he’s ok on your lap but once you let him go he runs behind the cabinet. I think he likes small enclosed spaces. I thought Diesel was quite a relevant name.’

The kitten was thought to have leaped onto the train at the Banbury station in Oxfordshire, when he was seen dashing underneath the train by a driver. The driver looked for the kitten but was nowhere to be seen, so the driver carried on.

Railway spokeswoman Emma Gascoigne said: ‘This has never happened before. It managed to stay there for 900 miles and not fall off – it is absolutely amazing.’

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

Spike the cat, who lives in and around Writtle College in Lordship Road and is known by staff and students alike, went missing last year and managed to survive on his own.

Staff & students were overjoyed and breathed a sigh of relief when Spike was found in a Veterinary clinic in Kent, the next county along, when he was scanned for a microchip. It showed where his home was – the college – and was returned safe and sound.

Spike is eight years old, and is known as the ‘college cat’. It was assumed, after he went missing at an equine event last year, that he had jumped into a horse trailer.

Grace Parker, a former student and now lecturer at the college, said: ‘After a few weeks we feared the worst. After that amount of time you don’t expect a cat to be found, but we were ecstatic. Everyone was talking about it and coming to see him. He’s put weight on and looks really good – he’s very independent and could look after himself.

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

The Kirkwood family were stunned when they searched an animal rescue site to find a new pet, only to discover their cat Sar Chi who went missing six years ago.

Sar Chi disappeared from the Kirkwood family home in Wallingford in 2005. The family put posters up in their neighbourhood but sadly Sar Chi never returned.

Two weeks ago the family decided to adopt a cat from the nearby Blue Cross rescue centre. Whilst looking at the cats online they came across a cat named ‘Mr Darcy’ who looked identical to Sar Chi.

Mr Kirkwood dug out some pictures of Sar Chi and took them to the rescue centre to compare the pictures with the cat on the website which confirmed that it was their missing cat.

The family promptly adopted him and took him home. Mr Kirkwood said ‘It was incredible to find him after so long.’

The Blue Cross centre manager Julie Stone said ‘His markings were virtually identical apart from some ageing. This has been a wonderful ending for Sar chi and the Kirkwood family and we are so pleased we are able to reunite them.’

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

Jolie the cat was rescued by the RSPCA last month from the side of a road. After getting her health levels back to normal, they returned her to where she was found – as it was clear that Jolie had recently given birth to a litter of kittens.

As soon as Jolie was released, she meowed constantly to the inspector until he followed her. At first, inspector Jon Knight thought she was meowing in distress for her lost kittens, but it turned out that she wanted him to follow her.

Inspector Knight followed Jolie to a nearby barn, which took him directly to her kittens inside the barn.

‘When she started to get really vocal at first I thought she was calling to the kittens, but then it became clear that she was actually calling to me. I began to follow her and she took me through the rear garden, across a ploughed field and into a farm yard,’ explained Inspector Knight.

‘All the time she was calling me and waiting for me to follow. She then took me into an old farm machinery barn and led me to behind a stack of old wood and there were her four kittens.’

The kittens were delighted to be reunited with their mum, and all four are doing very well at the Block Fen RSPCA centre.

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

A pair of two-week old kittens have been adopted by Jaeda the Macaque monkey. She took them under her wing when the kittens were small enough to fit through the bars of her cage, and she grabbed one of them.

From then on, the two kittens Lily and Nilly are now smothered with cuddles and affection by Jaeda. She carries them round, kisses them on the head and grooms them – just as they were her own babies.

Owner Connie Tibbs, who owns the pet shop, said: ‘It’s the equivalent of a little girl with a doll.’ Connie also added that Jaeda was the only Macaque to take a shine to the kittens.

Mrs Tibbs owns five monkeys, and is often seen around her hometown of Pekin in Illinois, USA, carrying around her five friends. She said: ‘I was surprised at how she (Jaeda) took to the kittens and how attached she became to them. They don’t cry when she handles them, they seem calm and relaxed and she’s very gentle with them like she’s trying to nurture them. Everyone thinks it’s adorable.’

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

After Tom the ginger tabby cat developed arthritis, he started to struggle doing many things, one being his ability to climb the 8ft garden fence.

When owners Adrienne Ellery and Gareth Bowen from Fulham, London, discovered his condition, they were worried about his painful joint condition, and watched as Tom struggled to jump over the fence.

Retired fire-fighter Gareth, 54, decided to create a spiral staircase going up the 8ft fence, using bits of timber to allow Tom to get to the top of the fence.

Gareth said: ‘I was watching Tom and it was sad to see him struggle with the fence. Some days he could do it but when he came down he was faced with an 8ft jump and he would land with such a thud that I knew it wasn’t good for his joints, particularly with the arthritis. I had some wood left over from building a fence so I started on a staircase.’

Gareth added: ‘I knew tom was an intelligent cat and would figure out how to use it. Adrienne thought I was mad but I thought I’d give it a go anyway. Adrienne tempted him by putting some food on each step and then Tom couldn’t wait to run up the stairs – it was as if he had used it all his life.’

It’s great because it means he’s not stuck in the house and can be sociable with the other local cats.

Adrienne said: ‘Gareth’s done an amazing job. It’s made all the difference to the cat. It means he can get around the neighbourhood and as he’s getting older it’s important for his quality of life.’

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered breeder then make sure you register your kitten for its 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collection. Visit www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.