cat-breeds news

After Karen and Paul Mehrlich took on Tom the kitten, it was clear to them from the outset that he was a little different to other cats. He had a personality like a dog and rabbit-like fur, and Mr & Mrs Mehrlich knew he was special.

In his 15 years, Tom has moved about with the Mehrlich’s, moving house many times and also living most of his time in a motor home. Tom has been to many places in Europe, including Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, Portugal, Spain, Germany, and to and fro from England, as owner Paul is in the army.

The Mehrlich’s no longer worry about Tom living in their motor home with them, as he has learnt to come and go as he pleases, but still return to the right motor home and right campsite night after night.

The couple, originally from England, try to choose quiet campsites, free from traffic, where Tom can go out and roam through a small opened window.

Mrs Mehrlich said: ‘At night he sits on the window sill and keeps watch. He likes to sit in the storage bin and watch what’s going on, and has a defensive position under the suspension springs where he can taunt local cats.’

The Mehrlich’s occasionally travel without Tom as there are times he cannot be taken along, but they say the van feels ‘less homely’. Tom’s first exploration outside the van was a great success, and he returned safe an hour later after exploring his new surroundings.

The couple have tried to put Tom on a lead, like many other travelling cats are, but he doesn’t like this, and his owners ‘let him free, keep him slightly peckish and wait for him to come back.’ He very much dislikes moving campsite however, after he has settled into his surroundings!

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.

Instead of bringing in the odd mouse or bird as a present for her owners, Bella the tortoiseshell cat brought her owners something a little more unusual.

Bella’s owners Vikki and Wesley Spencer of Taunton, Somerset, were stunned when their furry friend had brought into the house an entire bird’s nest, totally intact, complete with three live chicks.

The caring cat had presumably found the nest on the floor as it had fallen out of a tree, and had brought in the nest with one live goldcrest baby inside, and later retrieved it’s two other live siblings.

Owner Vikki said: ‘The nest just looked like a bit of tumbleweed lying on the floor – we didn’t know what it was. While we were all looking at it Bella had gone out again and she came back with the two other birds in her mouth and just dropped them on the floor.’

The tiny chicks were placed in an airing cupboard to keep warm overnight, and in the morning were taking straight to an RSPCA Centre the next morning. Wildlife experts have said that they have never come across such an incident before.

Unfortunately, two of the birds did not make it, but the other is doing very well. It will remain at the RSPCA, being cared for at the Centre before it is released in the wild when it is old enough.

RSCPA manager Peter Venn said: ‘I’ve not heard of a cat doing anything like this before but that’s not to say it hasn’t happened.’

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.

An elderly couple from Carlisle, Cumbria, have hired out Animal Search UK ‘pet detectives’ to try and find their beloved Siamese cat Cloudy.

15-year-old Cloudy went missing from his home in October last year, and owners Gerald and Lisa Francis have recently paid the pet detective firm £1000 for their help.

Gerald Francis, 83, said: ‘This particular morning I let him out into the garden as usual and expected him to return in five minutes. He must’ve jumped the fence. He wasn’t in a habit of doing that regularly, but when he did he always came back.’

A search was quickly launched after the disappearance of grey and white Cloudy, making posters and talking to neighbours.

Mr Francis said: ‘We publicised it as much as we could, with local people, schools, community centres, pet shops – you name it, we did it. A couple of weeks later I discovered Animal Search UK and they agreed to put Cloudy on their search list. We welcomed anyone who would help.’

‘It’s our savings, but we don’t mind. He means so much to us,’ Mr Francis continued. ‘This particular animal was such a wonderful cat, Siamese are particularly faithful, we had a strong bond with that cat. He meant so much to us, when he went missing it was like losing a family member. We were devastated by it.’

The pet detective agency Animal Search UK is still on the hunt for Cloudy. If you have any information on the wherabouts of Cloudy, or have found a stray pet, contact Animal Search UK.

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered cat breeder then make sure you activate your 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collecting your kitten. You can do this by visiting www.cat-breeds.co.uk or alternatively, call 0800 181886.

When two-year-old Tootsie the cat was knocked down, vets told his owner Sue Wilson that he was unlikely make a full recovery and recommended considering to put him down.

However, Sue and Tootsie were not ready to give up quite yet, and veterinary surgeons suggested taking Tootsie for a paddle to aid recovery for his injuries, as he would be too weak to walk straight away and would need to build up strength.

After shattering his right leg, amongst many other injuries, Tootsie has made a full recovery after taking six weeks of intensive hydrotherapy at a specially designed two-foot deep pool originally for dogs. Tootsie is the first cat to use the pool, and using the pool once a day for more than a month has done wonders for him. He is now able to swim unaided, and is back to normal after his injuries.

Tootsie started off his learning curve by taking just 90 second dips to acclimatise him to the water and to learn to swim whilst wearing a harness so he could be lowered easily in and out of the pool. By the end of his training plan, he was able to swim unaided without a safety harness or rope for 20 minutes a time.

Tootsie has diminished the myth that cats don’t like water, and shows how well hydrotherapy can work, not just for humans, but for animals too.

Owner Sue said: ‘I’m so glad I took the vets advice. Tootsie has got his strength back and is now happy as ever running around outside.’

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered cat breeder then make sure you activate your 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collecting your kitten. You can do this by visiting www.cat-breeds.co.uk or alternatively, call 0800 181886.

The city of Joplin in Missouri, USA, is holding the world’s largest cat show; a registry of pedigree cats hosted by the Cat Fanciers’ Association, this Saturday at the Holiday Inn Convention Centre.

The Association are expecting over 150 cats from all across the country, many that have been nationally ranked by judges in previous shows.

A member of the Association said: ‘We’ll have six separate judging rings. Several of the judges have judged internationally in Asia and Europe. Of the 41 breeds recognised for competition, we should have 30 to 35 breeds present.’

The show has cat enthusiasts from all over the Midwest of the USA driving and flying in for the show, not forgetting all the cat fanciers coming in from all over the country. The last show in Joplin took place in February 2008.

If you have just collected a kitten from a Cat Breeders Association registered cat breeder then make sure you organise your kitten’s 12 weeks FREE insurance within 48 hours of collecting your pet. You can register for this FREE insurance by visiting www.cat-breeds.co.uk or call 0800 181 886.

Paramedics of the East of Emergency Ambulance Service were called out to a family home after a couple begged 999 to ‘revive their five-year-old in cardiac arrest.’ When paramedics arrived at the scene, they found the tearful couple holding their five year old cat, which had suffered a cardiac arrest and later died.

Scrambling to the scene, paramedics feared a young child was close to death, only to arrive gobsmacked when the 999 emergency services had been called out for a cat.

One paramedic said: ‘I’ve gone to some silly calls but nothing like this. I can’t understand why they didn’t try to call a vet. Some people think 999 covers everything.’ He also mentioned: ‘As a paramedic, the 999 situation that raises the adrenaline the most is probably being called to a seriously ill child – it’s human nature.’

The couple, from Hertfordshire, had only been in the country a short time, which is believed to be the reason for their confusion over the call.

The East of England Ambulance Service are urging people to think twice before calling 999.

If you have taken home a kitten from a breeder registered with the Cat Breeders Association you could be eligable to 12weeks free breeders choice insurance. Unfortunately we don’t insure cats of the large variety such as these ligers! But to find out more visit  www.cat-breeds.co.uk.