Cat World Blog

One from the cat nerd

Heaven forbid that anyone should call me a cat nerd, but did you know that a cat’s sense of smell is around 14 times better than a human’s. That’s why kitty can always tell when you’ve opened a tin of something good!I love it when Fred pulls a funny grimace when he smells something. That’s his  Jacobson's Organ (oo’err misses).  All cats have them inside the mouth, behind the front teeth. The organ connects with the nasal cavity, so by opening their mouth slightly a cat can allow air to be sucked up into the cavity and kind of smell/tasted. Clever ol’ Fred.

Issue 396 is back from the printers - Hurrah!

Issue 396 is back from the printers - Hurrah! Subscribers your copy is making it's way to you in the post. This issue is brimming with show dates, mews round and breeder profiles. Plus meet BeeCee Jacquie Davies's cat who loves to help her with the gardening. We also discover how the Birmans got their name and take a look at the Victorian family and their love ofcats. Enjoy! 

                                                    

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Great New Look to Catworld Magazine

Just two weeks away from the new makeover for Catworld magazine and Catworld.TV.

We are currently looking for some talented Cat Writers and a fussy, well organised Sub Editor to join our team.

If you think you are the "Cat's Whiskers"  (couldn't resist that one) then call Richard on 07738 059311 or email richard@ashdown.co.uk.

Rain always welcome

Hurrah! Two days of cooler weather and Fred is back indoors a lot more. Last evening he slept on his cushion in the lounge with me and it was lovely just having him around. I bet he'll be in a lot more over the May bank holiday too, because if its a bank holiday then the weather is sure to be bad (no not pessimistic - just experienced!). Soon enough the sun will be out again and he'll be off - treating the place like a hotel. Love him!

A Backpacking Cat?

We've got an amazing story in the July issue about a cat that is backpacking its way around the world! The cat, called Kitty, was a stray and adopted a couple who were travelling America. They fell in love became inseparable. Now Kitty has joined the couple on their travels and even has a website to chart their journey. Read more about them in the July issue.....

  

Another little wee problem

A word on wee this morning. I had an email in from a man who needed to remove a puddle of cats wee from his duvet. Nice! There are lots of great odour removal products on the market, but my advice would be to avoid using anything with ammonia in it. Urine contains ammonia and adding product containing yet more ammonia will only reinforce the smell and encourage kitty back to re-mark in the same place. Baking soda, which is bicarbonate of soda, can be very effective at removing urine from fabrics such as bedding and other washable materials. Add 1 pound of baking soda along with your detergent and wash with cold water. You need to wash carpets, bedding and so on in cold water, rather than hot because hot water will bake and set the odour into the fibres of the material. Baking soda naturally absorbs odours and discourages bacterial growth, so it is certainly worth trying. Good luck!

catnip cometh!

It'll soon be time to get some catnip plants on the go and if you are at all green fingered, I recommend growing your own catnip for kitty.

Catnip, or Nepeta Cataria to give it it's proper name, grows as happily and readily as mint herb (being part of the same family). Fred just loves home-grown catnip. Once the plant is mature and starting to harden off, I usually cut back the growth and leave it somewhere to dry out. He loves the smell of the bruised plant and loves the dried out stuff even more, which is usually so plentiful it keeps him going through the winter. The only word of warning I have is that as a cat's sense of smell is umpti-times greater than ours, all the cats in the neighbourhood will smell your catnip plants and follow the scent to your garden like the Bisto kid! Worth it to treat your cat though!

the trouble with hunters

I'm a bit upset today. We had an incident with Fred last night. Our garden is usually full of birds, despite having the boy around. One of our favourites is a little round robin who is a lot friendlier than is good for him. He will land right by our feet when we are gardening, sit right at the edge of the beech hedge and talk to us and fly in and land right behind Fred the cat - as if we're all friends. I love that robin, but I have always thought he was too friendly and didn't understand the dangers. You know what's coming don't you.

Last evening I looked out of the back window and saw Fred coming out of the beech hedge with something brown and winged in his mouth. I ran out and shouted at him. I dropped his catch and I was horrified to discover that it was the robin. I tried to pick little rollie up and he came to life (birds often go into shock). He fluttered low to the ground and made his way to cover under the beech hedge followed by a very excited Fred. I had to fight to keep Fred away and eventually shut Fred indoors so he couldn't get at him.

Throughout the evening I went out to check on the robin. I let him be because I thought that he might become more stressed if I kept trying to pick him up. The last time I went out to look, he had gone. That is not to assume that he has flown off to safety, he could be anywhere of course - and we don't know what his injuries are. This morning we looked for him but no joy. I'm not sure if Fred understands that we are unhappy with him. We growled and hissed at the time, but there is no point in anything else - animal instincts and all that.

I just hope that we see rollie robin again soon.

Wee Wee trouble

One of our Cat World pals has just emailed in with a tricky little problem. I'm sure she won't mind me saying, particularly if one of you can help with an answer! She has two cats and one of them has just widdled on the duvet. Why? Hmm good question. There are 3 things to check, firstly, that there is no medical problem or condition that is causing it. Secondly, that there is no problem with the litter tray, i.e the cat couldn't get there in time, the litter brand has changed to something the cat doesn't like, there was a big dog sat in front of it! Thirdly - territory. Cats mark their territory in this way when they are feeling threatened, perhaps by another cat in the neighbourhood, changes to their environment, decorators, building work, a new cat on the block and so on. It is a natural action and a sign of stress, but telling a cat off or hitting them will not solve the problem and will only make it worse (friend knows this by the way so don't worry!). The problem is, diagnosing what it is, especially if it involves another feline living in the house - and how to disarm the bomb. Anyone got any experience with this and know how to help?

Whatever next!

Would you believe I have just had an email from someone who has called their cat Beyonce! Well it had to happen. We've had just about every variety of human name bestowed upon our feline friends, from Britney, or Posh and Becks, to the most un-cat-like Dave - the persian. I quite liked that actually. Beyonce would only suit a certain 'look' of cat as a name, something like a Diva feline, a bombay or a Havana, no moggies (sorry moggies - you know I adore you) otherwise we'll end up with cat chavs. Now, who is gonna be the first to call their cat Lady GaGa?