The Scratching Post

SABCCI ewsletter - Autumn 2011www.sabcci.com

The Scratching Post

www.sabcci.com

Contents - Autumn 2011

Content

Page

Editorial

3

Cat Cafes

4

The Pedigree

5

Halloween & Black Cats

5

Supreme Show Report

6/7

Eye Problems in Cats

7

Humour Time

8

Cats in The News

9

The Catwalk

10/11

The Quiz

12

Visual Signalling Repertoire In Cats

13

The Woman With 700 Cats

14

Purr Points

14

Kits Corner

15

The Final Miaow

16

SABCCI Committee
Chairman –Tony Forshaw
Vice Chairman – Karen Sluiters
Treasurer –Alison Kinsella
Secretary –Gloria Hehir
Ronnie Brooks, Elizabeth Flood, Alice Forshaw, Hugh Gibney,
Aedamair Kiely, Sue Middleton, Membership Secretary - Betty Dobbs

Derivations of Phrases - ‘Raining Cats & Dogs’
According to Norse mythology the cat was closely associated with weather; in fact witches
were believed to disguise themselves as cats when they rode on storm clouds. Dogs too had
connections with clouds through their status as attendants of Odin, the god of storms. Together
they represented torrential rain and fierce wind that characterized the weather when it ‘rained
Lock, Stock and Barrel familiar sayings and their meanings.
cats and dogs’.
2Editorial
Welcome to the Autumn 2011 issue of The Scratching Post.
Breffni House Pets in Dundrum once again has given us sponsorship so many thanks to them.
So if you’re ready, sit back, have a Cava and ENJOY!

Karen and Gloria ^..^

Do you have any photos or articles for the newsletter?
Please send them to karen@sabcci.com or gloria@sabcci.com

SABCCI Championship Cat Show
23rd of October
Knocklyon Community Centre, Idrone Road (behind Superquinn)
Knocklyon Dublin 16
Open to the Public 12:30 - 5:00
Best in Show Judging 4:15 onwards
See You There!

The Scratching Post Going On 10 Years Old
The Scratching Post will be celebrating 10 years in 2012! The first issue was published in the autumn of 2002 under
the name ‘SABCCI Newsletter’. A competition was run to name the newsletter. The winner was –Melanie Cameron
giving us the current name ‘The Scratching Post’.
We would like the 10th to be special. If you have any suggestions, articles you liked over the years or articles to sendus, let us know.

2006
2002

2011

SABCCI Committee Member’s Cats in Photo Competition
Sophie and Coco (enlarged pictures on left) were enteredinto a pet competition in the Irish Daily Star by theirproud owner Elizabeth Flood.
This was text-in competition where there were over 3,000
pets entered - cats, dogs, horses, birds, frogs, mice and thelist goes on and on.
Sophie nor Coco won but it was good to see them entered.
3What are Cat Cafes?
A Cat Café is a coffee shop where we can mingle freely in a relaxed, homely
atmosphere with cats who are living in the same space. In some cases the eating
and drinking area is transparently partitioned. The first properly regulated cat
café opened in Taiwan in 1998, and they are now popular in Japan. The welfareof the cats is a top priority, and they are gradually introduced from a young age,while monitoring temperamental suitability.
Proper medical care, with periodic checkups is provided, and for recuperative
treatment, they will be taken home by the owner or a staff member. When withdrawn for aging or other reasons, a suitable new home will be found, often witha staff member, or a cat may sometimes be passed on to a trusted regular customer by request. When staff pick up a stray, they may take on its care, based ona contract of responsibility. Some cafes offer ancillary services, such as managing cat adoption (some run by animal hospitals) or animal-assisted therapy andpet counseling.
A Cat Café provides an ambience where the cats are superstars. They are referred to as
the “cat staff”, who, with the “human staff” make up the café’s full staff. There arenicknames and catchphrases associated with each cat. Illustrated information on thedaily lives of cats, or news of birthday parties, special
events, etc., can be found on home pages, blogs andvideo sites.
Although some have only crossbreds or only purebreds, most have a mixture of types. Most are affiliated to animal welfare NPOs, etc., and carry out adoption and animal welfare work.
A fairly standard customer charge is 1000 yen (about
9 Euro) for 1 hour. The drink charge is usually sepaReina in “Nyanny” Cat Café,rate. About half provide soft drinks only, but some
Kobe, Japan,
also supply cake or cookies, light meals, or alcohol.
Some permit customers to bring their own food anddrink (NO cat feeding). The scale ranges from small (5 or 6 cats) to large (20-30).
Opening hours of 10 AM to 11 PM are usual.
Cats have nocturnal leanings, and tend to be livelier at later hours. First-time customers must receive an explanation of the system from the staff, and obey the various regulations which aremostly aimed at protecting the welfare of the cats, e.g., holding in the arms may be forbidden, or allowed only
Reina Itowith cats who don’t mind it, in which case you should call a staff member first.
For a fuller version of this article, see www.sabcci.com

The 50 Most Popular Cat ames - according to one source
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Tiger
Kitty
SmokeyTigger
Shadow
Baby
Max
Angel
Princess
Oreo

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Bella
Gizmo
Sassy
Midnight
Patches
Buddy
Simba
Lucy
Lucky
Boots

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.

Precious
Chloe
Jack
Daisy
Missy
PepperFluffyCharlie
Molly
Sammy

4

31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

CallieSophieKiki
Cleo
GarfieldCali
Pumpkin
Toby
Oliver
Misty

41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Lily
Sam
Sasha
Felix
Oscar
GracieHarleyBaily
MiloBanditThe Pedigree - The Somali
The Somali cat was introduced into the UK by aconsortium of Abyssinian breeders Sally Watson &Barbara Ridout in 1980. A few more were imported
by Drs Peter & Margaret and the Somali Cat Club
was founded in 1981.
The Somali, a Semi Longhair cat, is, as they say, thecat with the smiling face. They have a ticked coatpattern which should be three bands of ticking andcome in various colours, Usual, Sorrel, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Fawn, Red, Cream & Tortie, they also
have the same colours in silver as well.
The coat is easy to maintain with weekly grooming
which the Somali cat loves and will stand and purr during the grooming session. When in full coat they lookstunning with their full ruff.
The Somali is a medium sized cat of foreign type. It has a muscular body with a full brush tail and slender legs ending in neat oval
paws. The head is a moderate wedge with large expressive eyes.
They have well defined facial markings with dark eye rims surrounded by lighter spectacles around the eyes.
The Somali Cat Club holds their own show and it is lovely to see
all these Somali cats in the same place. Also there is a Somali
Breed Advisory Committee with there own website.
They are very attractive cats with a very loving nature. Being very
affectionate they do love human company.
George Gow.

Halloween & The Legend of The Black Cat
Like tea and biscuits or fish and chips, Black cats and Halloween have gone together for centuries. Some say
black cats are bad luck, others say they're good luck and sources to explain the reasons for this seem scarce but
there are a few anecdotes and superstitions, that seem to be connected.
Cats have been kept on ships as pest control since the dawn ofocean faring. It was believed that if they crossed a sailor's path at
the pier, it meant a bad voyage and if they went overboard duringa voyage, it meant storms and bad luck.
King Charles I had a black cat and was apparently arrested on the
day it died. Whether said cat had recently crossed the king's path,is unknown, but it is said that the cat had recently walked under aladder.
Urban legend would have you believe that all cats but, especially
black ones are in danger of being the victims of satanic or ritualistic practices at Halloween, although searching
the internet seems to only reveal anecdotal evidence. There certainly doesn't seem to be any connection between
the festival and the black cat in any of the documentation detailing the beliefs or practices of any of the worlds
major spiritual movements (including the so called 'darker' ones)
The first association between black cats and the darker side of life seems to be from a church edict dating back to
the middle ages, which suggests that black cats are the 'friends of the devil'. The idea has persisted right throughthe Middle Ages, past the witch trials and on to the present day.
Article edited from the original. This article was first published in The Purr Company's regular Mews-letter, visit us for more cat stories and articles, agallery of our visitors cats, cat videos and our online shop. copyright The Purr Company

5

The 21st Supreme Cat Show
Crown Plaza Hotel Blanchardstown
The 8th of May 2011

The 21st Supreme Show was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Blanchardstown on the 8th May 2011. Our ‘usual’date is the 3rd Sunday in April but this year this happened to be Easter Sunday; the previous Sunday was Palm
Sunday which was also felt to be inappropriate; the following Sunday was the May Bank Holiday and many council members felt we would not get a good attendance on a Bank holiday. So the choice of dates had to be Sunday
the10th April or the 8th May; I was unable to book a penning firm for April as they were all fully booked with amultitude of Shows in the UK so the 8th May it was. As it happened this was most fortuitous; I had been waiting
for a knee replacement operation and was given a date in March – the change of date meant I was (fairly) mobile
by Show Day although still on crutches.
The new venue was a huge success; a lovely Hall, exhibitors with cats could stay at the hotel, plenty of free parking, easy to find and opposite the largest shopping centre in Ireland! It was however very expensive but – well it
was the 21st!
Our judges were GCCF judges Mrs Fryer , Ms Devereux, Mrs Kaye and Mrs Green, and Mrs Johnson from FIFe.
Sally Hume stepped out of retirement to judge the non peds and do the British BOV; Mrs Jennie Watson from N
Ireland was also due to judge but very sadly lost her mother shortly before the Show; Mrs Johnson also had a traumatic time as her father was admitted to hospital suffering from a heart attack 3 days before the Show, but Sarah –being a Show Manager herself – was prepared to come over Sunday morning and return Sunday evening. We areso very grateful to you Sarah for putting yourself out for us in this worrying time.
We had a good entry of 105 cats, a nice selection of stalls, a handsome raffle, the ever popular Childrens Art competition and a Speakers Corner, where Jim Stephenson, the animal behaviourist, was in excellent form and gave amost interesting talk..
As ‘extras’ for the 21st, we had commemorative ribbons on every pen; we had a special gift for 10 lucky exhibitors – if there was a yellow sticker on the back of the pen number they won a special prize. Not forgetting the very
handsome ballpoint pens generously donated for every exhibitor by Georgina Goodison.
We were very disappointed not to be able to advertise locally but got a good response from the internet adverts(visitors were asked as they came in where they had heard about us and a surprising number heard about us via
facebook!)
At the end of the day an unexpected glitch arose when judge Joyce Green, Carmel Byrne and one of our stewards
Sasha Maxwell, who had left their luggage in the hotel porters room found the lock to the room had jammed andthey were unable to retrieve their luggage. A locksmith had to be called out to force the room open – this took
several hours and although the hotel offered hospitality it meant they were stuck in the hotel and missed connections, particularly poor Carmel and Sasha who had to travel on to Limerick. (Joyce was spending a few days withme, so although annoying it wasn’t so desperate as Carmel)
Any Show stands or falls with the background helpers and there are so many to thank. Firstly Lorna for organising
the raffle (with help from husband Ken), the workers and coming over to my house to help with paperwork androoting around in my attic getting stuff out when my crutches got in the way; Carmel for organising the table, amammoth task at this Show, and her wonderful hardworking band – Sue, Caroline, Elizabeth and Alison – thankyou all. Tony and Alice Forshaw for all their help setting up and Tony’s lovely signs; the ring signs, BIS signs andregrettably the road signs that went missing; Georgina for sorting out the finances as show day treasurer; Karenfor organising the Speakers Corner; Margaret who stewarded then went on to compere the Best in Show; Betty fororganising Vetting In and being available for advice when needed; Gloria who made the Best in Show look soeasy (it isn’t!). Mostly a big thank you to all the exhibitors for bringing your beautiful cats and making it such a
special day.
Ronnie Brooks, Show Manager
Best In Show Winners next page6

Supreme 2011 The Best In Show Winners
Best on-Pedigree - Clodagh Hayde’s OLLIE (SH Ginger male)Best Adult - John Archer’s SUP INT GR CH SHADANZA TANZANITE (Singapura F)Best Kitten - Heather Craig & Alan Bell’s SHEERBLISS CONFETTI (Exotic F)
Best euter - Em Callan & Jackie Russell’s INT GR PR ISHCUS RED DEVIL (Maine Coon)

The Supreme 2011 Best In ShowINT GR PR ISHCUS RED DEVIL
Supreme 2011 Best on-Pedigree
Clodagh Hayde’s OLLIE (SH Ginger male)
Supreme 2012 will be held on the 22nd of April in Ballinteer Community School, Ballinteer Dublin 16.
See www.gccfi.com for details

Eye Problems In Cats
Eye problems are one of the most common reasons dogs and cats visit the vet.
The seriousness of an eye infection in a companion animal can vary. The infection might be harmless and self-limiting, meaning your pet’s body heals itself. Or
it could be traumatic and cause permanent damage up to and including blindness
or the loss of an eye.
Cats don’t have as many eye problems as dogs because many cats live their lives
indoors, dramatically reducing the risk of an eye injury or infection. Outdoor
cats, however, have about the same level of risk as their canine counterparts.
Viral eye infections in cats are typically caused by the feline herpes virus. Once a cat is infected with herpes virus
the infection will be lifelong, with flare-ups often brought on by stress. If your cat is exposed to a herpes virus,
chances are she’ll never completely clear the virus from her body. Because herpes is a stress-induced condition,
cats with a well-functioning immune system can effectively suppress the virus. But if your cats immune system isweakened for any reason, or if your pet endures a stressful situation, a viral outbreak can result.
Keep in mind that your idea of stress and what feels stressful to your cat are very different things. For example,
suppose you have a guest with a small child visiting your home for several days or weeks. If your cat isn’t used toa baby’s cry, just this new, distressing sound in the night over a few nights can be read by your cat’s body as
stress. And that’s all the stress it might take to cause a herpes-positive cat to express the virus, causing redness,
irritation and inflammation in the eyes. It could also lead to a secondary bacterial infection.
Cats can also develop primary bacterial eye infections caused, for example, by chlamydia, as well as fungal infections like streptococcus. With an eye infection that isn’t resolving on its own, it’s important to identify the cause ofso you know how best to treat it. Infections caused by a virus, a bacteria or a fungus are all handled differently.
Symptoms of an eye infection in your cat can be a tricky to detect, because cats are very good at hiding their discomfort, no matter the cause. You may notice your pet slowly blinking her eyes, or holding them closed to lubricate the corneas. You might notice some redness, which can be a sign of a condition known as conjunctivitis.
Sometimes an eye infection will cause a smelly discharge; crusting around the eyes is also common. You mightalso notice your cat pawing at her eyes.
The best way to keep your cat safe from viral, bacterial and fungal infections is to keep her indoors. There is some
exposure indoors, but it’s minimal. You can reduce your pet’s risk of acquiring an eye infection by at least 80 percent by simply keeping her inside.
If you notice a change in your pet’s eyes that doesn’t resolve fairly quickly on its own, make an appointment withyour vet to determine the cause of the problem and the right course of treatment. Dr Becker Mercola.com
7

A Classic that many have sent in and requested -How to Give Cat a Pill…...
1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right fore finger and thumb oneither side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop
pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open andpush pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.
Call spouse in from the garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.
Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into
mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail. Get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.
Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of
drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans and drink one beer to take taste away. Apply band-aid tospouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbour's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door
onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pourshot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress tocheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from the top of the tree across the road. Apologize to neighbour who
crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Using heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed, tie the little *&#%^'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine andbind tightly to leg of dining table. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Holdhead vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches
fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

How To Give A Dog A Pill….

1. Wrap it in cheese.

I

2. Toss it in the air.

nto every life a little cat hair must fallUnknown8Cats In The ews -Can Lucy, 39, Really Be The Oldest Cat In The World?

A family has discovered their cat is the oldest in the world after reaching its 39th birthday. Pet Lucy was born way
back in 1972 when Ted Heath was Prime Minister and petrol was 33p a gallon. Cat experts say she has clocked up theequivalent of 172 human years - and cats live to be about 15 on average which means Lucy has more than doubled herlife expectancy. Lucy is still fit as a fiddle - and catches mice in the garden. Owner Bill Thomas, 63, inherited Lucywhen his wife's Godmother Maria Lewis died in 1999.
Deaf but happy: Lucy, a 39-year-old cat from Llanelli, South
Wales is believed to be the oldest cat in the world after a visiting
aunt remembered her as a kitten in 1972. But it was only when anelderly aunt came to visit that he realised Lucy was a record
breaker. He said: 'My aunt saw the cat and could not believe her
eyes. 'She could remember Lucy scampering around Maria's fish
and chip shop when she was a kitten back in 1972. We knew she
was old - but not that old.'
Town councilor Bill, of Llanelli, South Wales, took Lucy to thevet who was amazed by the cat's long life. Bill said: 'The vet said
she was very old but it was not possible to give us an exact age. 'Lucy has gone deaf but apart from that she is in good
shape and extremely independent. 'She is great with the grandchildren and still likes to patrol the garden every day
looking for mice.'
Until now the world's oldest recorded cat was a pet called Creme Puff from Texas, USA, which lived for 38 years andthree days.
Bill said: 'We have researched Lucy's past and found she was born in Thomas Street, Llanelli in 1972.
He said: 'We have spoken to other people who can verify seeing her in the fish and chip shop in the early seventies.
'She appears to be the genuine article.'
A spokesman for Guinness World Records said there was no entry for the world's oldest cat.

Daily Mail January 2011

'Klepto Cat' To Lead Charity Parade
A Californian cat nicknamed the 'klepto cat' because of its knack for stealing clothes
and household items will lead a pet parade in May.
Dusty, who was filmed last month stealing clothes in San Mateo, is the guest of honour at Redwood City's annual pet parade, a fundraising event for the Peninsula
Humane Society.
Organisers told Foster City Patch that they were "so excited" to secure Dusty's services, dubbing the cat "a celebrity". Dusty's owners Jim Coleman and Jean Chu have also agreed to an auction of
unclaimed items taken by their cat, with all proceeds going to the society. Dusty has taken shoes to stuff bears totowels to bathing suits. At least 600 items haven be hauled over the past 3 years.
Coleman said: "It makes it more special, because that's where we originally got Dusty from." Since footage of Dusty
was first broadcast, Chu and Coleman have appeared on television and radio shows around the world, including The
2011 Kate Goodacre News Subeditor
Late Show with David Letterman.

The Cat That Gives You A Thumbs Up
Meet Jimmy, the cat that just happens to be able to give you
the thumbs up. He’s actually not all that special he is just a
polydactyl (a cat with extra toes) that happened to give thethumbs up on YouTube. ‘He’s probably the laziest cat in theworld but he’s also super clever and has thumbs. And he’s agreat party trick’ says his owner.
Source: metroherald,

9

The Catwalk
Mel -Some weeks ago Mel lost his front
right leg but things looked up forhim when he found a new ownerlast week.
Mel is short for Mellow because
that’s exactly his personality.

R Butler, Dublin

Burbonne -What do you mean,
I’m spoiled?

G Hehir, DublinLouisa -‘Anyone who claims that a cat cannot
give a dirty look either has never kept
a cat or is singularly unobservant’Maurice Burton

S. Mackey, Dublin

10

The Catwalk
Cassie -No, I didn’t takethe comic section.

A. Flanagan, Dublin

Star -

What do you want?
I nearly caught that fly.

K Sluiters, Dublin

Surya & Puck -I really love you,really, really.
You’re my best
Friend.

S. Teti, USA

11

The Quiz - How To Give A Cat A Pill (Part 1)

Reading page 8 may help you with this quiz

1. What might be a common reaction of a cat's experienced human when the vet tells them they need togive the cat a course of pills?
a. A panic attack
b. Asking what kind of pills they were.
c. Calm acceptance.
d. A feeling of relief that no needles are involved.
2 . On arrival home from the vet with the cat, what would the cat's human be well advised to do before anything else?
a. Let the cat out into the garden to calm down after the visit to the vet.
b. Secure the house to prevent the cat from getting out.
c. Wash their hands in mentholated spirits (or anything which smells medicinal).
d. Turn off all the lights and draw the curtains.
3. An inexperienced cat's human who attempts to give the cat its pill without proper preparation will not experience
which of these results?
a. Deep scratches and severe bleeding (of the human, not the cat).
b. A traumatised cat actively considering termination of the human's contract.
c. Shredded curtains, soft furnishings, carpets and/or bedding.
d. Calm, incident-free consumption of the pill, followed by a request for a treat
4. Before preparing their feline for their pill, how should the cat's human prepare himself or herself to serve?
a. Put on thick, strong clothing and leather gloves
b. Have a rough-and-tumble with the dog, so that you smell familiarc. Change clothes to something thin, lightweight and comfortable.
d. Rub your hands and face with fresh catnip leaves.
Answers on Page 15

Better Than Grass Salad1 small carrot peeled and grated
1/4 cup peeled and grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped alfalfa sprouts
1 tsp. finely chopped parsley
1/8 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp dried or fresh catnip
Cat Food Recipe Directions:

•
•
•
•
•
•

Combine veggies in a medium bowl. Add chicken
stock and toss. Sprinkle with catnip and serve at room
temperature. Store left overs in the refrigerator for up
to 3 days.
I-love-Cats.com

How To Annoy Your Human Stare At othing - Find a focal point on the wall (preferably with nothing at all around it)
and stare fixedly. When your human inquires as to what you are looking at, ignore him entirely. When he finally gets up and goes over to investigate, look away and fix your gaze at
another blank spot on an opposite wall. This one is bound to cause a great deal of animateddiscussion on the Cat Forum. Bipeds will never get it, which makes it more fun for us cats.
pawnation.com

Italways gives me a shiver when I see a cat seeing what I can’t see.
Eleanor Farjeon
12Visual Signalling Repertoire In CatsThe signalling behaviours of cats have been determined by their original environment and these behaviours havein general terms been unmodified by domestication, unlike the signalling behaviours of the other popular domesticated species , the dog.
Given that cats come from arid regions with scarce resources unable to provide for dense populations of felines ,much of the communication between cats depends upon messaging systems which can last a long time without
the cat being there or that will not degrade too quickly. Hence many of the communication systems are olfactory:
spraying and middening are obvious ones but so too are the secretions from glands either through scratching or
rubbing or bunting (the rubbing of the top of the head against objects thereby leaving secretions from the glandson the head).
Another communication system is the auditory channel with vocalisations which can carry the message great distances. The aggressive vocalisations of howl , growl ,and yowl vary in terms of pitch and duration from all othervocalisations and are thought to convey the apparent size and health of the and therefore “fierceness” of the emitting cat, so that would be challengers are forewarned and can leave the area.
Visual communication and the use of body postures only really become
effective when in close proximity to another cat and therefore these postures are generally considered to be agonistic signals. Many of the postures are attempts by the signaller to alter its apparent size and thereby
influence the outcome of an encounter. An aggressive cat will raise it
hair and stand fully upright, whereas a cat which wants to avoid confrontation will crouch and flatten its ears. It will also withdraw its head into
its shoulders. The defensive aggressive posture (bottom right) is presented when the aggressor is about to press home an attack (be it anothercat or predator eg dog) . This is usually adopted by the cat on a side on
to the aggressor , again to maximise the apparent size of the emitter.
In the preliminary stages of aggression two cats will avoid looking at one
another directly, but will spend more time monitoring the eachother .Mutual gazing is therefore seen as a threat posture with the loser
Ear postures associated with aggression often being the first to break eye contact and to be then chased away by
and defence. From UK Cat Behavioural the victor.
Working Group. (1955)

One notable visual signal and one which is not agonistic is the tailheld vertically up. The cat’s tail functions as an organ of balance
but also has glands for secretion. More importantly an erect tail canbe seen over distance, especially in scrubland or desert environments, and is a sign of friendship or at least the intention to interact
amicably. Bouts of mutual rubbing and sniffing are invariably
preceded by an erect tail up position, and cats have been shown toapproach significantly quicker other cats or even silhouettes of catswhen the tail is up. A tail down position can mean the opposite andcause the other cats to keep way or to respond themselves with tailtucked postures.
Obviously the body posturing method of communicating has significant value for cats in terms of immediacy and safety. Body postures can be changed very quickly allowing for misinterpretations of Whole-body postures associated with aggression
previous signals or challenges to be corrected or responded to, and (increasing from left to right) and fear/
the intentions of an approaching cat can be assessed before potensubmission (increasing from top to bottom).
tially fatal encounters occur. Remember that cats are solitary hunt- Redrawn from Leyhausen (1979)
ers and this requires cats to maintain physical security in order tohunt successfully. Any injury or wound infection has the potential to be fatal in terms of inhibiting successful
hunting. Jim Stephens - MSc. CABC(Companion Animal Behaviour Counsellor) www.petsbehave.com or info@ petsbehave.com
Jim will be at the ‘Speakers Corner’ in the SABCCI Show the 26th of October.
He will be available for individual questions between 1:00 and 2:00
At 2:00 he will give a talk on the above article to all attending after which he will take questions

13

The Woman Who Has 700 Cats
Meet the woman with more than 700 cats. Lynea Lattanzio lives
alone with hundreds of felines on her 12 acre spread in Parlier,California where she runs a huge cat sanctuary. Divorcee Lynea
takes in rescue cats from around the world at her 'Cat House'. 'If I
were a cat, this is where I'd be,' she told a US newspaper. We're ano-cage, no-kill adoption sanctuary.'
Lynea said she wasn't allowed cats when she was growing up.
And she didn't have any when she was still married. She began
rescuing the animals after her divorce in 1981 and has saved almost 19,000 felines. But she insists she is not a crazy cat lady. 'I
prefer to say I'm eccentric or masochistic,' she told the New York
Post. 'It's the same thing, only nicer.'
The Cat House on the Kings is California's largest no-cage, no-kill cat sanctuary. Its mission is to place rescued cats andkittens into permanent homes and to prevent pet overpopulation through spaying and neutering.
There are at least 700 cats in her care, she says - aswell as 15 dogs. She survives thanks to donations
and grants. Her story featured on a National Geographic WILD episode, The Lady with 700 Cats,
that aired in the U.S on Saturday night. It was narrated by Glee star Jane Lynch.
'I'm sure there are other places that do what I do. I
just don't know where they are. And obviously
they are few and far between,' Lynea said. She
added: 'What I say is - if they don't have a home, atdailymail August 2011least they have a life.'

Purr Points: The Ticklers - Purr Point C2
In an earlier Scratching Post we pictured the Front and Back Purr Points of your cat. This is a demonstration Point of C2

The Response Rating on the purr register = 4

The subject should be in
the erect position.

Place forefinger in theready position.

The Practitioner
approaches the Subject
from the front andapplication should be
administered in rapid
fur-wise/anti-fur-wise
movements.

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Ticklers is a glorious celebration of pleasure. Repeated
Brings on full throated purring, tail-flicking and furry
vibrating on the part of the Subject.
Know Your Cat’s Purr Points by Margaret Woodhouse

KIT’S KORER

Word Search
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Abyssinian
Balinese
BirmanBurmeseDevon Rex
Korat
OcicatRagdoll

Answers to The Quiz

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SiameseSiberian
Snowshoe
Somali

1–a
2–b
3–d
4–a

The Final Miaow
As you can see we have come to the end of our newsletter and we hope you found it interesting and enjoyable. Many
thanks to everyone who sent us material and photos for the CATWALK. While more stories, photos, etc are coming in,
we can always do with more photographs and stories, so please keep sending us more.
Many thanks to our sponsor Breffni House Pets who will be at the SABCCI Cat Show. Don’t forget to come and pay
his stand a visit.

Remember - The SABCCI Championship Cat Show - 23rd of October
Knocklyon Community Centre, Idrone Road, Knocklyon Dublin 16
Doors open to the public 12:30 to 5:00
See you all at the show! ^..^For All Your Pet eeds
Breffni House Pets

See you on the 23rd of October

Good Luck to All Exhibitors on Show Day

Breffni House Pets
Windy Arbour, Dundrum Dublin 14(01) 2961339
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