"The Poetic Mews: Cats and Their Poets" by Elizabeth Wager (Proceeds to support International Cat Care (iCatCare) Guest Post

A brand-new poetry book 'The Poetic Mews: Cats and Their Poets' written by Elizabeth Wager, is being sold in support of the charity International Cat Care (iCatCare). 

Courtesy of iCatCare

Perfect for the literary cat lover, this beautifully illustrated poetry book, is a wonderful collection of poems which tell the story of some of history's literary giants through their cats, written in their own singular literary style. The resulting collection of 20 beautiful and highly entertaining poems, takes the reader on a historical romp from Beowulf to Dylan Thomas via the likes of Shakespeare and Milton. 

The book's author, Elizabeth Wager, is definitely not your usual kind of feline poet! She is a science writer with her own publications consultancy and has a self-confessed obsession with the English Language. And while cat poetry as a genre can occasionally lean towards sentimentality, Elizabeth's work stands out as stylish and witty, infused with both historical scholarship and a breathtaking mastery of poetry.  

Elizabeth-Wager at launch
Photo Courtesy of iCatCare

As you'd expect, Elizabeth is a serious cat fan. Her love for cats is not only evident from her poems, but she has also very generously decided to donate the proceeds from the sale of the new collection to International Cat Care, a charity that supports owned and unowned cats worldwide.

Elizabeth said: “I’m thrilled to be publishing this book in aid of iCatCare. I’ve been writing these poems for many years and sort of wondered if they might be publishable but, until now, always dismissed the idea. But seeing them in print is really exciting, especially with Gloria Cavicchioli’s lovely illustrations. And knowing the money will go to such a good cause makes the feeling even sweeter.”

On Thursday 18^th October, Elizabeth joined International Cat Care and poetry fans at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium in Shoreditch to launch the book. There was also a launch at The Dukes Wine Bar in Elizabeth's home town of Prince's Risborough.

The book is available for £9.50 (UK price), from the International Cat Care online shop: https://icatcare.org/shop/publications/the-poetic-mews

 FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: We are trying to get iCatCare to send US  a copy to review...stay tuned!

The Complete Cat: a unique and exciting exhibition of feline art (Guest Post)

This winter, a unique and exciting exhibition of feline art will be held in the vibrant and artistic town of Frome in Somerset. 'The Complete Cat' brings together 26 top artists from the Society of Feline Artists (SOFA) and will feature over 120 artworks including paintings, drawings and 3-dimensional pieces. All artworks are for sale and a quarter of the proceeds will be donated to feline charity International Cat Care.

Courtesy of International Cat Care

The free exhibition is running from Saturday 24^th November to Saturday 8^th December (excluding Mondays), and is being held at Rook Lane Gallery in Frome. There will also be a launch party on Friday 23^rd November and a drawing workshop focusing on cats’ eyes on Saturday 24^th November.

Rook Lane Gallery Courtesy of International Cat Care

 Rook Lane Gallery is a beautiful art space within a restored 18^th century chapel, in the heart of Frome. The Somerset town is a charming and vibrant place to visit, packed with historic buildings, beautiful independent shops and creative people. It is the perfect destination for the discerning art enthusiast looking for something just a little bit different, and with a host of Christmas events and markets also taking place in Frome at this time of year, it makes it the ideal place to visit. At just over two hours from London and 14 miles from Bath, it is also extremely well-placed and easily accessible.

International Cat Care and the Society of Feline Artists, who are jointly running the exhibition, are looking to create something truly unique which celebrates all aspects of the feline form. What makes this a must-see exhibition is the exceptional quality and diversity of the art to be displayed. With a whole range of artistic styles and media, the art on offer will leave all preconceptions of the traditional cat exhibition far behind, instead offering a unique, quirky and memorable art experience.

SOFA has a well-established history of successful art exhibitions. Founded in 1994, with the specific aim to promote the work of the best cat artists, the society has held an annual exhibition of cat paintings in London for many years, featuring over 100 artists, some of whom exhibit internationally and show more than 300 paintings in a range of media, making it the largest exhibition of cat art in the country.

International Cat Care, which has partnered with SOFA to organise the exhibition, is one of the world's most respected feline charities and works for owned and unowned cats globally. It is also the charity's 60^th anniversary and the SOFA artists have generously committed 25% of the takings to the charity.

Full details of the exhibition can be found at: https://icatcare.org/the-complete-cat

International Cat Care and the International Society of Feline Medicine launch CatCareforLife #WorldVeterinaryDay

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: Today is World Veterinary Day, today, "the global veterinary community will come together to celebrate. Created by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Veterinary Association (WVA), World Veterinary Day is meant to raise public awareness about the important roles veterinarians undertake."

We love our Vet, ("Dr.Smiley") and are grateful for him and the entire staff at DePorre Veterinary Hospital. (Cody is particularly happy that they are designated as a "Cat Friendly Practice" and they are AAHA accredited. A MUST for us!)

"Don't tell "Dr.Smiley" that I am secretly LOVING THIS!!!"

Today, in honor of this special day, we are sharing a post from our friends at International Cat Care, which introduces their new program: CatCareforLife.

International Cat Care and its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), were delighted to launch a new program at BSAVA Congress. Entitled CatCareforLife, it is a blueprint for how a clinic and owner can work together to keep cats healthy and encourage veterinary visits. The program is provided in partnership with IDEXX and Royal Canin, global leaders in veterinary diagnostics and cat nutrition.

Regular life-long preventive healthcare should be the goal for every veterinary patient. A combination of primary prevention (eg, vaccination), secondary prevention (early detection of disease) and tertiary prevention (reducing impact of disease) measures are important in a comprehensive healthcare program, although secondary and tertiary measures become more critical as the cat ages and as diseases become more prevalent. 

The program is aimed at both veterinary clinics and cat owners and will be promoted to both, encouraging owners to understand the life stages of their cat and its equivalent human age, and offers best practice guides for recommended health checks. The information is set out simply for owners and it is explained that it is based on independent published studies and data and developed by expert feline veterinarians and others working with International Cat Care/ISFM. It allows the practice to refer to reliable, trustworthy and independent information.

Clearly with a substantially lower number of veterinary visits than dogs, cats represent a considerable opportunity to a veterinary practice, as well as presenting a significant unmet health need. Experience with the Cat Friendly Clinic program has demonstrated that increased knowledge and understanding of cats pays real dividends in the clinic.  

International Cat Care and ISFM provide veterinary clinics with a freely available practical guide to the CatCareforLife program, including posters, charts, clinical sheets, owner resources and checklists and veterinary protocols, all on the dedicated website www.catcare4life.org.

International Cat Care, in partnership with Ceva, has developed a set of handling videos for both vets and nurses, and for owners. The videos, (there are 29 in all and a couple are seen above and below in this blog post).  detail best practice handling techniques and approaches, and are designed to reduce stress for cats and improve safety in vet clinics, and also to help build a bond between owners and cats at home. 

For owners, there are 13 videos covering two different areas, interacting with cats and handling cats. Particular attention is paid to getting cats used to going in the cat carrier and travelling – cats can be helped to understand that entering and spending time in their cat carrier is a positive experience. A number of the videos cover helping owners to get their cats accustomed to having ears, eyes, mouth, paws/claws and coat checked to improve handing at home, but also in the veterinary clinic. Of course, these are not just for owners, as the information is useful for the veterinary team to know in order to help owners prepare for veterinary visits as well as care at home. 

  For the veterinary team, there are 16 videos covering many aspects of handling cats in the clinic, from assessing the cat while in the carrier to handling for blood sampling, intravenous catheter placement and administering oral, aural and ocular products. Tips on towel wrapping to assist handling in a comfortable way for the cat are also covered.

How will you be celebrating World Veterinary Day?

Kittenhood: capture a kitten on camera for International Cat Care (iCatCare) photo competition

If there’s one thing the internet loves, it is kittens and this year feline charity International Cat Care (iCatCare) is searching for photos of kittens for its annual photography competition.

With the brand-new theme of ‘Kittenhood’ the charity is inviting both amateur and professional photographers from across the globe to enter images of adorable newborns and curious kittens (up to six months of age) – whether they’re snoozing, playing, or just looking irresistibly cute.

©iCatCare_Shaun Foster-Henson (1)

Now in its sixth year, the competition has collectively attracted over 12,000 entries from all over the world. Eve Davies, who has run the competition for the last three years, said: ‘Over 2000 images were sent into last year’s Street Cats competition and the resulting calendar sold out! We’re hoping that this year’s competition will be more popular and successful than ever to help us celebrate our 60^th anniversary and to raise vital funds for our work.’

Twelve winning images will be selected by the iCatCare judges to feature in the charity’s 2019 calendar (and other materials) which will be sold to raise funds for the charity’s welfare work, with one of these being crowned the overall winner and gracing the front cover. All twelve winners will each receive a certificate, copies of the calendar and a selection of iCatCare merchandise. The overall winner will also receive £500 in prize money.

Cody as a kitten!!!

another "oldie" of Cody as a Kitten

To find out more and to enter, visit: www.icatcare.org/photography-competition. The competition is currently open and has attracted 1,500 entries already. The competition will close on 1 May 2018, and winners will be announced on iCatCare’s social media accounts shortly after.

About International Cat Care (iCatCare)
International Cat Care is a charity dedicated to improving the health and welfare of cats worldwide.

The International Cat Care vision: all cats, owned and unowned, are treated with care, compassion and understanding.

The International Cat Care mission: to engage, educate and empower people throughout the world to improve the health and welfare of cats by sharing advice, training and passion.

For more information, please visit http://www.icatcare.org or https://www.facebook.com/icatcare

Charity launches International Declaration of Responsibilities to Cats (Guest Post)

Life is tough for many cats all over the world. Those that are un-owned can struggle to survive on the streets, and may face inhumane methods of population control. For pet cats, welfare issues arise when people do not understand or fulfill their needs, or when veterinary care is not as good as it could be. Human desire to create certain looks for cats through breeding has resulted in cats suffering with serious health problems. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which cat welfare needs to be improved.

A number of different entities are responsible for feline welfare, ranging from individual owners caring for their pets, to central governments setting welfare legislation. Although it is important for everyone to play their own part in helping cats, it is also essential that these different bodies work together, if cat welfare is to be improved.

That’s why International Cat Care (iCatCare) has developed the "International Declaration of Responsibilities to Cats." This document defines best practice for all those responsible for feline welfare, and provides a clear framework for a collaborative and coordinated approach to the protection and improvement of cat welfare.

International Cat Care is encouraging everyone to sign the Declaration. The gathering of signatures will achieve three goals:

1)   Those signing will be acknowledging that they have read the document and agree that we need a collaborative way forward to help the global cat population.

2)   The gathering of signatures will act as a petition, helping iCatCare to show the world how many people care about cats and want their welfare to be improved.

3)   Supporting the Declaration will enable organisations to use the document to help convince other parties to work together or develop new laws or responsibilities which can help deliver better cat welfare.  

Once individuals have signed the Declaration, they can declare their support for improving feline welfare by sharing a photo on social media with one of the charity’s downloadable signs, using the hashtag #catdeclaration.

If you believe that the quality of life of every single cat matters, whether it lives in our home or on the streets, please sign the Declaration. To read and sign the document, and to download iCatCare’s Declaration signs, go to: www.icatcare.org/declaration.

About International Cat Care (iCatCare)
International Cat Care is a charity dedicated to improving the health and welfare of cats worldwide.

The International Cat Care vision: all cats, owned and unowned, are treated with care, compassion and understanding.

The International Cat Care mission: to engage, educate and empower people throughout the world to improve the health and welfare of cats by sharing advice, training and passion.

For more information, please visit http://www.icatcare.org or https://www.facebook.com/icatcare

Blazing the trail for cats - International Cat Care turns 60 (A Guest Post)

2018 marks the 60-year anniversary of International Cat Care, previously known as the Feline Advisory Bureau, a charity working towards a vision that all cats, owned and un-owned, are treated with care, compassion and understanding.

International Cat Care now is also known for its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine, its Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, its conferences in Europe and Asia, its Cat Friendly Clinic Program and free nurse membership and Feline Focus magazine. It has veterinary and nurse members in 71 countries around the world and is seeing a rapid growth in interest in feline medicine. But it wasn’t always this way…!

Sixty years ago almost nothing was known about cat diseases, and feline medicine was greatly neglected. Charles Povey, the charity’s first Research fellow has said in an article written for International Cat Care’s 60^th birthday, ‘It is impossible for a veterinary graduate of today to image the ignorance of feline medicine in the veterinary graduate of the early 1960s. Many viral conditions had not even been recognized (eg, feline infectious peritonitis), feline viral rhinotracheitis virus had just been discovered and it would be another decade before the role of caliciviruses in respiratory virus became clearer. The association of virus with feline lymphosarcoma and the understanding of the viral basis of feline leukaemia complex were yet to come. Vaccination for prevention of upper respiratory infection in cats would have been regarded as science fiction, not to mention the prospect of a vaccine for leukemia.’

Things changed because, in 1958, one woman decided that the suffering of cats due to lack of knowledge could no longer be tolerated. Joan Judd, a cat lover and breeder, believed that an organisation should be set up to fund research into feline health, and form a platform for exchange of information and veterinary medical studies. Thus, she founded the Feline Advisory Bureau (FAB), the forerunner of International Cat Care.

Photo Courtesy of International Cat Care
Claire Bessant and Joan Judd

FAB at first consisted only of one or two dedicated volunteers. They were faced with a list of unknowns about cat health that was infinitely long, and an empty money pot, making the task ahead of them dizzyingly vast. And yet they persevered (just how difficult it was is outlined in the longer version of the charity’s history on its website . )Today, the charity’s name reflects its role in feline medicine and feline welfare all over the world, and consists of a professional staff of 22.

International Cat Care’s work has helped to create a different world for cats, where knowledge of health issues has led to vaccines, treatments and a desire to improve the care of cats in ways unrecognizable all those years ago. By providing advice and training on cat health and welfare to vets, nurses, breeders, cat professionals and owners, it is estimated that the charity touches the lives of over 25 million cats worldwide annually. Hopefully Joan Judd would be pleased!

Photo Courtesy of International Cat Care
Helping-cats-for-60-years

Now, the charity wishes to turn additional efforts towards un-owned cats, the welfare of which has not really changed a great deal in those 60 years. International Cat Care has the expertise to help un-owned cats, looking at the underlying causes and collaborating to develop sustainable solutions to overpopulation and abandonment, and has several 60^th anniversary projects with this aim.

The first project is the charity’s new ‘International Declaration of Responsibilities to Cats’. This is an important document defining best practice for governments, local authorities, vets, charities, breeders, cat owners and other individuals working with cats, emphasizing the need for all these groups to work together to improve the welfare of un-owned cats as well as owned. Anyone who cares for cats is asked to sign it online. For more information, see the icatcare declaration.

In February the charity will be launching its new ‘Cat Cocktail Party Packs’ – free packs designed to help cat lovers throw a fun cat-themed cocktail party to raise vital funds for the charity’s 60^th projects. International Cat Care is grateful for every donation, and the more it receives, the more it can continue to help make the world a better place for cats, owned and un-owned alike.

Antifreeze Poisoning And Cats From (iCatCare) Get Your Free Poster!

For many of us the weather is becoming colder and it is a sad fact that, with the arrival of winter comes an increase in the number of cats poisoned by antifreeze.

Most antifreeze solutions (often used in cars in the winter) are based on a product called ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol is very toxic to all animals when ingested, causing rapid and frequently fatal injury to the kidneys.

Cats are particularly susceptible due to their specialized metabolism. Cats only need to drink a teaspoon or less of antifreeze for it to cause serious illness and even death. So a curious lick or two from a small spillage could be enough to cause serious poisoning.

International Cat Care (iCatCare) has produced a free poster warning of the dangers of antifreeze to cats. This can be used to raise awareness of this issue and provides advice on keeping cats safe.

The poster can be downloaded for free here 

It can also be ordered from the iCatCare shop and a hard copy sent to you for a postage fee.

iCatCare’s advice  to avoid accidental poisoning:

• Clean up any spills immediately, no matter how small, and make sure pets cannot access the area until it is clean and safe.
• Never add antifreeze to garden water-features or ponds.
• Always keep antifreeze in clearly labelled, robust, sealed containers, away from pets and their environment.
• Always dispose of antifreeze safely and responsibly. Contact your local authority for advice.

If your pet shows any of the following signs

 take them to a vet immediately:

• Increased urination
• Increased drinking
• Vomiting
• Depression
• Lethargy (being abnormally sleepy)
• Appearing drunk and uncoordinated
• Seizures (fitting)
• Abnormally fast heartbeat
• Very fast, shallow breathing

The sooner veterinary treatment is received, the better their chances of survival. If left untreated pets can suffer, and will die.

Help International Cat Care  raise awareness of this serious risk and keep cats safe this winter.

For More Information click here 

Attention United Kingdom Cats! Cat Naps: Capture Your Sleeping Cat On Camera For Charity Photo Competition!

Logo Courtesy of  http://icatcare.org/

2016 iCatCare Photography Competition

International Cat Care’s annual photography competition is back for its fourth year with a brand new theme – Cat Naps!

 The charity, in association with Your Cat magazine, is searching for beautiful and unique images of cats asleep or resting to feature in its 2017 calendar (and other published materials) that will be sold to raise funds for the charity. Images can be of cats sleeping alone or with other cats or animals, cats asleep in weird and wonderful locations or of cats simply curled up. Basically any image that shows a cat engaging in one of the species’ favourite pastimes – sleeping! Twelve winning images will be selected by the judges from iCatCare and Your Cat magazine. These will feature in the calendar with the overall winner appearing on the cover. Images entered into the competition may also be used in other iCatCare materials and on the charity’s social media. Any image used will always be credited to the photographer. The overall winner will receive £500, plus a year’s subscription to Your Cat magazine. The other competition winners will receive £100 each and all winning photographers will be sent a certificate, three copies of the calendar and a selection of iCatCare merchandise. Winners will also be invited to attend iCatCare’s annual awards event at Kensington Roof Gardens in London. The competition opened on 1 April and will close at on 15 May 2016. Winners will be announced on iCatCare’s social media shortly after. For a chance to win and to find out full terms and conditions, visit: www.icatcare.org/photography-competition. International Cat Care has also included some top tips on how to take the perfect picture of cats from past winners of the competition. -ENDS- 05/04/16

About International Cat Care (iCatCare)

The International Cat Care vision:

All cats, owned and unowned, are treated with care, compassion and understanding.

The International Cat Care mission:

To engage, educate and empower people throughout the world to improve the health and welfare of cats by sharing advice, training and passion.

For more information, please visit http://www.icatcare.org or https://www.facebook.com/icatcare

www.icatcare.org

International Cat Care is a charity with the vision of a world where all cats, owned and unowned, are treated with care, compassion, and understanding. We work closely with the veterinary profession through our veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine. All our work is reliant on donations and legacies.

International Cat Care is a charity and company limited by guarantee registered in England

In full disclosure: We received no compensation for sharing this information.