National Black Cat Day - Beauty is more than fur deep

Well it's come round again! National Black Cat day on 27th October aims to raise awareness of the high proportion of black and black-and-white cats that are often overlooked in rescue centres. 

International Cat Care's campaign picture

 According to Cats Protection statistics black and black-and-white cats take, on average, 22% longer to find a home than cats of other colours.  This is not good news when we consider that black and black-and-white cats made up 45% of the total cats coming into CP care in 2015. We see this disppointing fact playing out in our own branch...

For example, beautiful black and white sisters Sian and Ceri have been ready and waiting for their new home since July this year. They have received very little interest and are living out their kittenhood in a foster pen, which is not a very exciting experience.  They have watched a number of others be adopted before them, being overlooked in favour of bolder and more colourful kittens. If you are interested in adopting one or both of this sweet young pair please call us on 0345 647 2185 and leave your details.

 

Molly is a very friendly young cat with a lovely personality and beautiful markings. She was found with three fresh new kittens in a pub in Rhyl.  Her kittens have now all been homed and Molly is ready to meet her new family.  She is socialised with young children but we are unsure about dogs.  To adopt this delightful little lady please call 0345 647 2185 and leave your details.  











Tweet #BlackCatDay to raise awareness and dispel the myths surrounding black cats and prove that monochrome moggies make just as good pets (or often even better) than those of other colours. 

 

Summer Update

Goldie's 8 little terrors

Our fosterers are very busy with kittens at the moment, with Mary our coordinator having 13 kittens in her care right now!  As cute as little kittens are they do create a lot of work for both the fosterers and the mother cats.  Most of our pregnant/mother cats come to us as strays and are often still kittens themselves, being able to come into heat from just 4 months of age.  If the kittens are not handled and cared for by 10-12 weeks old they will become feral and will have to live as outdoor "wild" cats.  Neutering both male and female cats as early as possible is the only way to combat the problem of stray unneutered cats and unwanted litters. 


Six months was often the preferred age for neutering but now more and more vets are neutering both females and males from four months of age or even earlier in some cases.  Cats Protection hold an Early Neutering Register, which is now called the Kitten Neutering Database.  Veterinary practices can sign up to this database and state the age limits they are willing to neuter at.  

Cats Protection and the RSPCA Cymru have teamed up to offer a Wales-wide neutering scheme, which allows eligible people to have their cat neutered and microchipped for just £5.  To find out if you are eligible and which local vets are taking part you can either call the national Cats Protection helpline 03000 12 12 12 (option 2) or check the details and map on our Colwyn and District website.  

Our kittens will be available for adoption once they have started their vaccinations.  Our adoption fee is £50 per cat or kitten and this includes initial vaccinations, vet health check, flea and worm treatments, neutering, 4-5 weeks free insurance and a microchip.

June is National Microchipping Month, which aims to raise awareness of how important the practice is - only less than a third of all pet cats are microchipped!  As I mentioned above, so many cats come to us as strays and it would be so easy to reunite them with their owners by a scan of their microchip.  Implantation is a quick and simple procedure and is the only permanent method of identification for your cat.  There are always stories popping up of cats being reunited after varying periods of time, the latest cat being Cully, owned by The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins, returning to her owner 3 years after going missing and having lived as a stray cat - read the full story here.  There are other stories featured on the national Cats Protection Facebook page, such as Rebecca being reunited with her cat Chloe after 6 years apart - read their story here.  

May was such a hot month!  We all know how cats like to keep warm but there's warm and there's heatstroke...  Cats Protection produced the following two features to advise on keeping cats cool so please take a look, just in case we get another burst of summer before the winter!

And lastly, please have a read of our summer newsletter featured on our website for news about our new volunteers and our outdoor cats working at Bodnant Gardens.

Thanks for reading!

No Fleas Please

petplace.com

Fleas are the most common type of ectoparasite (parasite that lives on the body) that cats carry.  The cat flea, or Ctenocephalides felis, is in fact often the flea found on dogs too.  

I personally discuss fleas and the importance of treatment in both my role as Welfare Officer for Cats Protection and my role as a veterinary nursing assistant and SQP, which means I am a Suitably Qualified Person registered with AMTRA (Animal Medicines Training Regulatory Authority) trained to advise on parasite treatments.

Why is it important to treat fleas?

Fleas can cause our cats a number of problems including:

• Irritation, or pruritis - intense itching
• Anaemia – as fleas feed on blood a heavy infestation can lead to anaemia, particularly in small kittens
• Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) – where the cat is allergic to the flea saliva and the irritation leads to dermatitis
• Vector-borne disease – the flea acts as a vector to transmit disease such as Mycoplasma (causes anaemia), Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria
• Tapeworm – the flea is the intermediate host for the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum – the flea larvae ingest tapeworm eggs in the environment and the cats consume the infected fleas from the environment or through grooming (the tapeworm itself will be discussed in another post)
• Break of human-pet bond – no-one likes fleas! Fleas can affect an owner's relationship with their cat

Ctenocephalides felis (cat flea) International Cat Care

How do fleas reproduce?
As we all know, fleas reproduce rapidly and once they are seen on the animal they may well be fully established both on the pet and in the environment.  In fact, one female flea can lay 40-50 eggs in one day, leading to the generation of a possible 1,000 fleas in 3 weeks!   In order to treat successfully it is important to appreciate the flea lifecycle:

Seresto.com

Eggs can hatch in 1-6 days into larvae, which can then pupate in as little as 10-20 days in warm humid conditions.  In unfavourable conditions these pupae can last in the environment for one to two years in carpets, soft furnishings and cracks in floorboards until conditions are improved.  However, conditions are often favourable all year round thanks to centrally heated homes.  The adult fleas then hatch out of the pupae when they sense heat and movement by vibrations - the host animal.  

Fleas have many mammalian hosts in addition to cats and dogs, including rabbits, ferrets and wildlife such as hedgehogs and foxes. 

How do you know if your cat has fleas?
Fleas are easily identified by use of a flea comb - these can be obtained from your local vets or pet store.  The comb can catch both adult fleas - which are very small but clearly visible and mobile - and flea dirt.  The dirt will appear black but if applied to damp paper will turn red, as it is the undigested blood excreted by the fleas.  

Other signs can also include excessive grooming or scratching, areas of hair loss and/or skin irritation, black specks of flea dirt in the coat or on the cat's bedding or seeing live fleas on the cat or in the environment. 

How is best to treat the infestation?
Prevention is always better than cure in the case of fleas.  It takes just a few weeks for an infestation to take hold but it can unfortunately take a few months to eliminate.  For treatment to be successful it is essential to target as many stages of the lifecycle as possible:

• Treat ALL ANIMALS in the household including dogs and cats – this will be targeting the adult fleas with an insecticide product to kill them
• Treat the ENVIRONMENT – sprays include an "insect growth regulator" to stop the development of eggs and larvae.  Pupae are indestructible so they must hatch in order to be killed - vacuuming is useful as the vibrations will cause the pupae to emerge into adults to be killed by the insecticide. 
• Treat FREQUENTLY and CORRECTLY - ensure you follow the advice from your vets about the frequency and correct method of application - some veterinary practices offer appointments for nurses to apply the products.  Cats Protection recommends the use of products from reliable sources, not those you can simply pick up off a supermarket shelf. 

Examples of flea treatments

It's time to Snip and Chip

"Where did all these cats come from?"

This week has seen the launch of a widespread neutering campaign organised by Cats Protection, with support from RSPCA Cymru.  The Wales Neuter and Chip Campaign is running to help those receiving low income (including students and pensioners) or benefits ensure their cats are neutered and microchipped.  We receive many phonecalls asking for our help to rehome cats when quite often neutering is the answer to their problems - this scheme should hopefully help people to keep their cats and reduce the number of kittens we see coming into foster care.  And guess what? The scheme offers the operation and microchip combined for just £5!!*

Click to enlarge

There are many benefits to neutering, not only preventing kittens but reducing infectious disease, injuries and unwanted behaviours such as spraying and fighting. 

Find out all the details by reading Cats Protection's Neutering Essential Guide. Neutering is so important Cats Protection even provide translated versions of this advice - see the Welsh version here. 







Microchipping is the best method of identification for your cat.  It is permanent and does not put them at risk of collar related injuries - we have a cat in care at the moment who had unfortunately been suffering for a long time with a collar injury as would not allow himself to be caught for treatment.  Our branch volunteers have finally got their hands on "Houdini" and he has had his wound cleaned.  It will be a long road to recovery but he is now safe and receiving lots of TLC. 

Houdini   -    Houdini's collar injury

The microchip registration is completed for you by the vet and all you have to do is keep hold of the database details and ensure you amend the registration whenever you move house or change any contact details, otherwise it can be impossible to trace you.  Find out all you need to know in the Cats Protection Microchipping leaflet.

Find your nearest vet on the main campaign page - the map will update as more vets sign up to the scheme - or ring the main Neutering helpline. This scheme is organised by the National Cat Centre, not the Colwyn and District Branch, so please refer to the main campaign page or the helpline number. 

*£5 Plus any additional costs stipulated by individual vets.