Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SCO37711 (Scotland)

CATS AND CAKES

Please come and see our cats in care and have a browse at our various stalls

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Branch Contacts

Branch website:

www.scunthorpe.cats.org.uk

Branch phone: 01652 651001 Mon-Fri 7pm-9pm. In case of emergency please contact your local vet. Membership Secretary: for membership enquiries, newsletter subscriptions and newsletter articles Wykeham House, Cadney Road, Brigg, North Lincolnshire, DN20 9HW. Branch Treasurer: for donations, in memoriam donations, funds raised. Please make cheques payable to Scunthorpe & District Cats Protection 94 Station Rd, Gunness, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 8TH.

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SUNDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER - Cats Protection Open Day, A ppleby Lane, Broughton

FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER - Brigg Christmas Fair

SATURDAY 30TH NOVEMBER - Barton Christmas Fair

single and double cat pens all heated 4.50 per night meals the same as at home pet plan insurance animal first aid trained staff all our pussycat guests are cared for individually and all their needs met. able to accommodate long term stays medical need covered several cats from the same family and kittens and elderly cats.

Opening Times (NB. Wednesdays and Bank holidays we close at noon.)

November 1st - March 31st 9.00am-12.00pm and 2.00pm- 4.30pm

April 1st-October 31st 9.00am-12.00pm and 2.00pm-6.00pm

Burton kennels are situated in the village of Burton-on-Stather , which is approx. 4 miles from Scunthorpe on the B1430 and approx. 3 miles from Winterton on the B1430. The kennels can be found by leaving the main road at The Sheffield Arms and following the signs for The Wharf. The entrance is on the right and limited parking is available at the end of the drive. For more information:-

68 Stather Road, Burton-upon-Stather, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire Tel: 01724 720238 Webmaster: Webvale

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If humans play with a young kitten us-ing their hands and/or feet instead of toys, the kitten is liable to learn that rough play with people is okay. In most cases, its possible to teach your kitten or young adult cat that rough play isnt acceptable behaviour. Redirect your kittens aggressive be-haviour onto acceptable objects like toys. Drag a toy along the floor to en-courage your kitten to pounce on it, or throw a toy away from your kitten to give her even more exercise chasing the toy down. Some kittens will even bring the toy back to be thrown again!

Another good toy is one that your kitten can wrestle with, like a soft stuffed toy thats about the size of your kitten, so she can grab it with both front feet, bite it, and kick it with her back feet. This is one of the ways kittens play with each other, especially when theyre young. Its also one of the ways they try to play with human feet and hands, so its im-portant to provide this type of alterna-tive play target. Encourage play with a wrestling toy by rubbing it against your kittens belly when she wants to play roughly - be sure to get your hand out of the way as soon as she accepts the toy.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MICROCHIPPING YOUR PET

Once again we are at the time of year when our beloved feline friends want to spend more and more time outside the comfort of our homes and may roam around for hours and even perhaps days without returning home. This is the time that we need to ensure that we have our pets microchipped for our peace of mind in case they get themselves lost and cannot find their way home. Identichips are small microchips approximately the size of a grain of rice that can be placed under the skin between the shoulders. Each identichip has a unique number that is stored on a national database. Once your pet is identichipped, your contact details are logged to that unique number. If a pet is lost or stolen, this unique number will identify the pet and its owner quickly and easily, enabling them to be re-united. If you move house it is important to contact the national database so that the information stored there is up to date. Identichips can be placed at any time, often at vaccination or at neutering. It is a straightforward procedure that does not require any sedation or anaesthetic. Once placed, the identichip remains under the skin and cannot migrate elsewhere in the body. Every pet that travels abroad will have an identichip as they are a fundamental requirement for the Pet Travel Scheme. The following UK Databases are used for logging the details of the chips. Anibase Contains details of pets with various typ es of microchip and is the main database of choice for leading brands of microchips. Their chip numbers begin with the numbers 985.986.968.953.966.939.978.900 Petlog Contains details of pets with various type s of microchip. Their chip numbers begin with the numbers 952.981.967.958.956.961.900.934.941.978 Avid Contains details of pets with Petrac microch ips. Their chip numbers begin with the numbers 977.978.960, also ten digit alpha numerical.

By Chris Longcake

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Earlier this year we had a call from the vets about a cat that the bailiffs had brought in, he was trying to get back into a house that had been repossessed. When we collected him he had been shaved because his coat was matted and had fleas, and he was very thin and blind. He was put into our pen and because it was on one level we thought it better for him. He had the choice of three beds but liked the igloo type one because he could get to the back and keep warm. Over time he began to put on weight and his fur was growing back, he loved his food and would head butt you out of the way to get to it. He was a great character and was exceptionally clean when using his litter tray, in fact he was not a lot of trouble at all. My Husband became a firm friend to him and George loved it when he brought treats down to him. When he went to the vets he knew Chris the receptionists voice and would start purring so she came and said hello to him.

He was a people person and loved everyone coming down to see him especially on the Open Day. We had expected him to remain with us for a long time but a lady came to see him and like us all fell in love with him. This came as a surprise to us all at CP but it sounded like a perfect home for him with no other pets or children. The day George left us was both a sad one but also a happy one. He looked beautiful he had a long haired fur coat and had put on weight. We still miss him but will never for-get the raggy thin blind ginger cat that came in to us

Jenny Williams, Welfare Officer and Fosterer This little ginger and white boy has landed on all four paws with his new owners, Mr and Mrs Mabbott. He was one of 5 kittens found by the roadside at only about 5-6 weeks old. There were 3 ginger and white boys and 2 girls. The 3 boys were named Robin, Maurice and Barry and this is Barry, now called Milton in his new home cuddled up with his new best friend! All the kittens (apart from Marniesee page 9) have found lovely new homes.

This is Bayley who came into care a few years ago as a small kitten and

was just a little bundle of fluff. He has grown into such a handsome boy and his new owners, Clive and Wendy Coffey call him the Boss!

The cats that got the cream These two gorgeous boys went all the way to Devon where they are spoilt rotten by Alison and Neil Stamp. The boys are not related but get on famously along with their big sister, Amber the Alsation!

Angie Roberts, Kitten Fosterer

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BONFIRE NIGHT SAFETY

Cats Protection is urging members of the public to spare a thought for their feline friends during the impending firework season.

"Before you grab your sparklers and join in the fun, please remember that this time of enjoyment for humans is a time of terror for animals. Cats are frightened of loud noises, and, if they are out and about during the revelry, they can also be at risk from ill treatment," said Rhona Apps, Cats Protections Chief Veterinary Officer.

In order to keep your feline safe and happy this bonfire night, Cats Protection advises cat owners to take the following precautions:

Keep your cat in after dark and provide him or her with a litter tray if s/he is used to having garden ac-cess.

Try to reduce outside noise by keeping windows shut and curtains drawn. Playing soothing music or having the TV on may also help.

In order to feel secure, cats need to be settled in cosy, familiar territory such as a comfy bed or favour-ite chair.

Cats that are known to be skittish, sensitive or new to a home, will be particularly vulnerable to firework noise and could panic and run away. Make sure doors and windows are securely fastened.

Other general precautions to ensure animal safety on bonfire night include:

Buy hand-held cascading fireworks rather than the noise-making varieties.

Keep fireworks and bonfires as far away from homes as possible, to minimise any adverse effects on animals indoors. This does not mean, however, that other wild animals will not be affected.

Check bonfires before lighting them to ensure that no small animals are sleeping inside.

Cats Protection Shelters and Branches still see too many incidences of needlessly traumatised and injured cats as a result of bonfire night and are keen to end this unnecessary suffering.

"Just like humans, cats can react in a number of different ways when frightened. Now that fireworks celebra-tions go on for so long, owners need to be very aware that, due to the stress of such events, their pets be-haviour can change," said Rhona. Typical reactions that a stressed cat might display include excessive grooming, house soiling, or, becoming less willing to interact with their owners.

During the lead-up to bonfire night, Cats Protections national telephone Helpline can provide general advice concerning keeping felines safe and happy during this time. The Helpline is open from 9 am to 4.30pm, Mon-day - Friday. Tel: 01403 221919.

)()Catnip cushions are filled with organic catnip and wadding for comfort.

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Please make your cheque payable to

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All our products are handmade and have been tried and tested on cats in our care, of which they have given their approval.

Please send your request along with payment to:

Secretary, Cats Protection, Wykeham House, Cadney Road, Brigg, North Lincolnshire, DN20 9HW.

SPACEYS FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS

A percentage of the proceeds of sales will go directly to Scunthorpe & District Branch of Cats Protection

For further enquiries please visit Spaceys Friendship Bracelets on Facebook or contact Spacey on 07977 741950

E-mail: comablack29@aol.com

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Why Do Cats Get Stuck Up Trees? Some of my friends prefer dogs to cats, but then nobodys perfect. Cats dont bark incessantly. You dont find the smeared remains of cat droppings on the pavements or in parks. And while dogs are desper-ate to be human, cats are perfectly happy being cats. Cats have the widest hearing range of nearly any mammal; not only can they hear sound in the ultrasonic range (so called because hu-mans cant hear it), they can also appreciate all the bass any sound system can throw at them. They can swivel their whiskers forwards while hunting to provide a kind of short-range radar. And they can see exceptionally well in the dark thanks to a reflective surface behind the

retina that bounces light back, giving it a second chance to hit a photoreceptor. They see more distinct images per second than we do (so fluorescent light and TVs look flickery to them). Cats even have an extra olfactory to enhance their already superb sense of smell. Dog partisans will appeal to the dogs allegedly superior intelligence though if that were the overriding criterion for choosing a pet, one would expect to see a lot more crows and squids on leads around the town! In fact cats are rather cleverer than commonly assumed as the biologist and animal behaviour expert John Bradshaw shows in his latest book Cat Sense: The Feline Enigma Revealed Bradshaws book mixes pellets of cat lore with accounts of feline evolution, anatomy, genetics, and develop-ment from newborn kitten to adulthood, plus descriptions of cat-psychology experiments, many conducted by himself. Many mother cats try to move their litters at least once before they wean them, but science has yet to find out why. No one knows why cats go crazy for catnip. Kittens, meanwhile, may also use special move-ments of their tails to signal playfulness, but so far, no scientist has been able to decode these The cat is an apparently mysterious beast with a reputation for Zen diffidence; yet as Bradshaw points out they have strong emotions and sometimes may suffer in silence. They are not particularly sociable and cats who are housed with others who were not litter-mates can become chronically stressed. Luckily, then, that cats probably arent aware that they are once again hate figures, the furry target of spittle spraying ecologists who, armed with dodgy statistics, accuse cats of wantonly murdering all the countrys songbirds. Its a bit more complicated than that Bradshaw shows. Rats also kill songbirds and cats keep their numbers down, while the RSPB says that the disappearance of habitat is a far more important factor in the de-cline of songbird populations than the effect of predators. Inveterate cat-haters, those defective humans, probably wont appreciate this book, but anyone else might. It is written in a friendly and engaging way, has helpful tips for cat owners and is packed with excellent cat facts.

Why, you might have wondered, do cats get stuck up trees? Because all their claws face forwards so none can be used as brakes on the descent. We all know how good cats are at twisting their bodies in mid-air to land on their feet, but they have an even more impressive trick; some cats adopt a parachute pose during a long fall with all four legs stuck out at the side before coming back to the landing position at the last moment . This cat-parachute position, Bradshaw calculates limits the falling speed to a maximum of fifty-three miles per hour so enabling some cats to fall from high rise buildings and walk away nonchalantly. Id like to see a dog try that one!

Gill Batt

MILLY

MAISIE

OLLIE

MARNIE

If you feel you can give any one of these cats a ho me please give us a call on 01652 651001

OR VISIT

www.scunthorpe.cats.org.uk

If there are any stories or poems, anything you would like to share with us and would like them printed in our newsletter please write to us at Editor, Cats Protection, Wykeham House, Cadney Road, Brigg,

North Lincolnshire, DN20 9HW.

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