Hybrid Cats - petrol & electric????

I get asked a lot about hybrid cats, in particular, Bengals and so I thought I would note down some food for thought for anyone considering taking on a Bengal.

Firstly, what are hybrid cat breeds? Well, basically they are domestic cats which have been bred with wild cats.  Examples of this include Bengals (Asian Leopard X), Savannahs (Serval X) and Scottish Wild Cats Xs.

Sometimes these cats are much larger than average domestic cats and may behave differently, including being more territorial and aggressive.  This can depend on the amount of genetic material coming from the non-domestic species.

Taking on a hybrid rescue cat, or indeed, buying a hybrid kitten should not be undertaken lightly and we would recommend that you take time to learn and understand the specialist care and attention your new pet will need.  For instance, a Bengal cat may not tolerate being locked indoors, they can be very noisy and generally they like to climb (anything!).  When bored, Bengals can become intolerant and aggressive and when feeling territorial they are likely to spray.  It isn’t all bad though, when trained, handled and managed properly they are funny, interesting cats but let me be clear, they are a lot of work.

At Cats Protection Camberley, we do see a few Bengal cats each year that need rehoming and we are always very careful to ensure the adopter understands how time-consuming Bengals are…. There are many Bengal specialists around the country who are inundated with cats being surrendered due to behavioural problems which is a sad reflection on the breed.  Behavioural problems can be managed with specialist help but it will require patience and perseverance.

I guess the message here is yes, they are super-cute and they really do look like little leopards  - but that’s exactly what they are - and you need to think about that before taking one on.

Contact Cats Protection Camberley and District if you have any questions

 

Is Joseph Undateable? Of course not!

I'd like you all to meet the gorgeous Joseph!

Despite being a wonderful little man, Joseph is being overlooked by adopters and I think the reason is two-fold;

1.  He is a black cat, and they are always harder to rehome
2.  He is around 10 years old and older cats are always harder to rehome

So why am I writing about Joseph?  Well because he is an adorable boy who has been through a tough time and is now looking to spend his life is a comfortable, secure and safe home, and he really deserves it!

Joseph was brought into us, just after Christmas as he had been living rough for many months.  Someone had been kindly feeding him scraps which had kept him going but it was clear to us that he needed some TLC.

Joseph has settled really well into his foster home and is proving to be a very sociable man indeed!  He is always jumping on a lap to get some fuss and attention, and sometimes he prefers to sit with someone, but not on them - well that is a cats perogative, surely!

I'm not going to start ranting about why black cats should not be overlooked (because I get sad, and cross) but I would like to just quickly talk about why you should consider older cats when you're thinking about adopting;

1. The personality of an older cat is already known - making it easier to match you with the right pusscat
2. Older cats are generally less demanding and need less supervision
3. Older cats will be calmer than a youngster
4. If you already have an older cat, introducing another older cat to the household can be less stressful than introducing a kitten
5.  Mature mogs are so grateful to have found a loving home - they will repay you with love ten-fold
6.  Cats regularly live into their late teens these days so most seniors have many years of life left in them

So if you are thinking about adopting, consider making an appointment with us to meet Joseph and if you have the time, please share this post and lets see if we can match this lovely boy with the loving owner he derserves.

To find out more check out our website or contact us on camberleycats2000@yahoo.com

Valentines Day - Kitty Style

The love of my life is my cat - yes it is true so don't snigger!  This time of year, when I am thinking about Valentines Day, MellyBoy is in my thoughts.

So with that in mind, I have hunted down some fabulous cat-related Valentines Day cards - I hope you like them!

So in Number one spot, and my favourite is this gorgeous card by katndrewcards, available from Etsy - View on Etsy

This one comes in as a close second, again from Etsy and made by PrintsofHeart -View on Etsy

How about this one, for your better half, from the cat? (Inside reads "Blah Blah Blah Feed Me") - View on Zazzle

Or, if you are a romantic, how about this from one of my favourite sites - Doodle Cats.  I love the fact there is a singular or multiple cat option - brilliant! - View on DoodleCats

Good old Moonpig has a a fab one too and who doesn't love a personalised card? - View on Moonpig

I had to include this one... if you are not the cat crazy person in your relationship (you probably wouldn't be reading this blog!!) how about this one from Not on The High Street - View on Not on the High Street

Lastly, what do you do if you want to buy a card to send from the cat to someone?  Well Not on the High Street have a solution!  View on Not on the High Street

I literally could go on for hours but my Cats Protection duties are calling so from me and my "furry life partner", MellyBoy, and I, we wish you a very Happy Valentines Day xoxoxoxo

Catty Crafts (not Crafty Cats)

A few of our volunteers and supporters have been knitting cat toys for us to sell at fetes and fairs which is a great way for us to raise money.

Most of the patterns are very easy and quick to sew and use up very little yarn so they can be made up of wool left over from other projects – cats really are not too fussy about the colour of their toys anyway!  Really, the only cost is stuffing and cat-nip, both of which can be ordered online pretty cheaply.

As well as a cat fanatic, I am a keen crafter but knitting is one craft I have struggled to learn so decided to try and find a little knitting project to get me in to the swing of it…. That was about a year ago and still, all I can make is a cat-nip whale!  Anyway, it is a very relaxing way to spend an evening, and my cat, Melly Boy, loves it as he likes to play with the yarn as it un-ravels, he is also partial to a sniff or two of the catnip which tends to flick all over the place….everyone is a winner!

I have become a bit of a well-known cat-nip dealer and lots of my friends and colleagues put in orders now to feed their cats habits!

There are loads of patterns out there for knitted cat toys but this is the one I use as it is the most simple I can find - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/whale-cat-toy-pattern

Whale Toy Pattern from Ravelry

Another one, I would like to try, when I brush up on my skills a bit is this gorgeous City Mouse from the very talented MarthaStewart.  It doesn’t look too difficult, although I am guessing it will be a bit on the tricky side for me.

Martha Stewarts City Mouse Toy

There are loads of other cat related crafts, some of which are really simple and would be great fun to do with the kids, such as the tissue box and toilet tissue roll feeding game.  Just stick some toilet tissue rolls into a box and pop some of your cats favourite treats in there.  Your cat will love this game as it brings out their instinct to hunt for food.  It would be a great plaything to leave out for your cat while you are at work to keep him/her out of trouble!

Picture from Pinterest

Or, if you are a bit green-fingered, how about growing some catnip (otherwise known as cat mint) or cat grass from seed?  Cat nip is a great plant and your cat should love rubbing around the leaves and stem to get themselves a little “high”.  Cat grass is exactly what the name suggests, a grass!  Many cats enjoy eating this grass and many say that it aids digestion.  Seeds for both of these plants can be found in most garden centres.  Melly is addicted to his Cat Mint plant and cannot resist a little chew and a roll in it every time he goes into the garden.

The Delights of Cat Nip!

 You can find more ideas for gifts for your cat (home-made and shop bought) on our Pinterest page

More information about Cats Protection Camberley & District can be found on our website - http://www.camberley.cats.org.uk/camberleyhttp://www.camberley.cats.org.uk/camberley