Your Cat Magazine Blog

Prizes to be won at Smokey's book signing

Don't miss Smokey, who holds the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr, and Your Cat magazine at Walkers Bookshop, 10 High Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 2AL this Saturday, May 19, from 11am to 2.30pm.

Smokey and his owner Ruth Adams, from Northampton, will be signing copies of book 'Smokey The Very Loud Purring Cat' and anyone who buys a copy of Your Cat magazine during the signing event will be entered into a prize draw.

Prizes to be won include: a bone china personalized cat bowl, £14 from www.astonsoflondon.co.uk or tel. 0207 193 7390.

'Have You Seen My Cat' personalized book, £9.99 from www.gonedigging.co.uk or tel. 0844 669 9500; a selection of cat-themed stationery including a Famous Faces notebook £6.95 and book £8.95 and Lion and Crown cards £6 courtesy of www.tartanandzebra.com or tel. 020 8292 8348; a cute Monty the cat felt toy, £12.00 from www.giftwrappedandgorgeous.co.uk or tel. 01530 440441; a Moggy blue print cushion by Custhoms, £58 from www.moska.co.uk or tel. 01883 500 117; plus cat flannels, rubbers and magnets, from £1 thanks to www.dotcomgiftshop.com or tel. 020 8746 2473. See you there!

Calling all kitten owners

The University of Bristol is appealing for kitten owners to come forward and take part in a study investigating cat health, welfare and behaviour.

The 'Bristol Cats' study was launched by the university in June 2010 and currently has 91,000 kitten owners taking part throughout the UK, but researchers wish to recruit a further 1,000 kitten owners who own a kitten aged between eight and 16 weeks by the end of December 2012.

'Bristol Cats' is led by academics at the University's School of Veterinary Sciences and is being carried out because little is known about the causes of common behaviour patterns and diseases of cats, such as, obesity, diet, lifestyle, aggression towards people, spraying and lower urinary tract problems.

Dr Jane Murray, Cats Protection Lecturer in Feline Epidemiology, said: "We are delighted with the number of people who have registered their kitten with the 'Bristol Cats' study but we need more kittens to take part. By taking part in the study participants will be part of a project that will make a difference to the lives of cats in the future."

As part of the research, kitten owners, who are over 18 years of age, will need to complete four online or postal questionnaires, initially when their kittens are approximately eight to 16 weeks, then again at six, 12, and 18 months of age.

If you are interested in helping with the study, call the 'Bristol Cats' team on 07827 981412 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Win a record book for your cat

This beautiful, interactive journal covers all aspects of your cat's life - from healthcare and diet to training and breeding. There's advice to help you decide if you are truly ready for a cat; advice from when your new arrival first arrives and helpful advice on getting your cat to settle in. The journal also contains 100 gorgeous photographs or cats both at rest and up to mischief; useful pockets to hold certificates, keepsakes, and relevant articles and card inserts to which you can attach your favourite photograph. You'll also find charts, checklists and tables and space for all your notes on contact details so that your journal holds all the important information you'll need to know. (Entries close May 18th 2012)

Terms and Conditions

1. From time to time BPG (Stamford) Ltd will run competitions, free prize draws and promotions on this website. These may be subject to additional terms that will be made available at the time.
2. Promotions are open to UK resident's aged 18 and over.
3. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable and no cash alternatives will be offered.
4. BPG (Stamford) Ltd and the promoter reserve the right to substitute the prize for another prize of equal value.
5. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter the competitions unless otherwise stated on the promotional activity with a specific competition.
6. By entering the prize draw, the entrant agrees to be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material accompanying the promotion.
7. By entering the promotion, the entrant agrees to the terms of the privacy policy. In addition BPG (Stamford) Ltd may pass your personal information to the promoters and their data processors. However, we always demand that those parties adhere to the same security procedures that we follow ourselves.
8. Winners will be notified by email on the day of the draw. Winners have ten (10) business working days to respond in full to the email or another winner will be drawn.
9. By entering the promotion, the winner(s) consent to any publicity generated as a result of the promotion, and use on websites, magazines or mobile services at any time.
10. Prize draws are open to all residents of the UK, except employees of BPG (Stamford) Ltd, the promoter and their immediate families and anyone else connected with the creation and administration of the promotion.
11. The Web Editors' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
12. Only one entry per person. Spammers will be disqualified.
13. BPG (Stamford) Ltd will not accept responsibility for loss through technical fault, incomplete, illegible or other damaged entries. Proof of entry is not automatically proof of receipt.
14. The promotional draws are held by BPG (Stamford) Ltd, Roebuck House, 33 Broad Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1RB or the promoter, as stated.
15. Details of the winner(s) can be obtained by sending a SAE marked Web Editor, BPG (Stamford) Ltd, Roebuck House, 33 Broad Street, Stamford, Links PE9 1RB within 21 days of the closing date of the promotion.
16. Where BPG (Stamford) Ltd runs a competition with a promoter such that the promoter is responsible for the selection and/or the provision of prizes then BPG (Stamford) Ltd shall not be responsible for or have any liability for the provision of such prizes.
17. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Take Me To The Kittens!

Don't miss the last few days of the Take Me To The Kittens! exhibition, which shows a series of photographs of stray cats and kittens in the coastal town of Essaouira, Morocco.

To mark National Pet Month and RSPCA Week, the exhibition will be on show until 12 May 2012 at Artlink (87 Princes Avenue, Hull HU5 3QP tel. 01482 345104).

Meet the photographer, Dennis Low, in the July issue of Your Cat, where he'll share some of his stunning images and tell us what inspires his feline photography!

Cat versus fish!

A curious cat eyes up lunch, only to become lunch for an Oscar fish! He won't do that again!

Win a family ticket to see Top Cat!

Win tickets to see an advanced screening of Top Cat: The Movie in 3D. (closing date: May 7th 2012)

Based on the Hanna-Barbera* cartoon TC and his rap-trap feline gang return on June 1, 2012, with ‘the most tip-top’ adventure that’s purrfect for all the family.

They’re back at war with the long arm of the law when the menacing Police Chief Strickland moves to town, ousting the bumbling Officer Dibble.

With their wise-guy lifestyle hanging in the balance, TC and friends are forced to cash in on another of their nine lives to curtail Strickland’s reign of terror and claw their way back to the top!

We have a family pass for four to see Top Cat at the Vue West End in Leicester Square on Sunday May 13 with fun in the foyer from 10am. The film will start at 11am.

(*TOP CAT and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.)

Terms and Conditions

1. From time to time BPG (Stamford) Ltd will run competitions, free prize draws and promotions on this website. These may be subject to additional terms that will be made available at the time.
2. Promotions are open to UK resident's aged 18 and over.
3. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable and no cash alternatives will be offered.
4. BPG (Stamford) Ltd and the promoter reserve the right to substitute the prize for another prize of equal value.
5. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter the competitions unless otherwise stated on the promotional activity with a specific competition.
6. By entering the prize draw, the entrant agrees to be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material accompanying the promotion.
7. By entering the promotion, the entrant agrees to the terms of the privacy policy. In addition BPG (Stamford) Ltd may pass your personal information to the promoters and their data processors. However, we always demand that those parties adhere to the same security procedures that we follow ourselves.
8. Winners will be notified by email on the day of the draw. Winners have ten (10) business working days to respond in full to the email or another winner will be drawn.
9. By entering the promotion, the winner(s) consent to any publicity generated as a result of the promotion, and use on websites, magazines or mobile services at any time.
10. Prize draws are open to all residents of the UK, except employees of BPG (Stamford) Ltd, the promoter and their immediate families and anyone else connected with the creation and administration of the promotion.
11. The Web Editors' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
12. Only one entry per person. Spammers will be disqualified.
13. BPG (Stamford) Ltd will not accept responsibility for loss through technical fault, incomplete, illegible or other damaged entries. Proof of entry is not automatically proof of receipt.
14. The promotional draws are held by BPG (Stamford) Ltd, Roebuck House, 33 Broad Street, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1RB or the promoter, as stated.
15. Details of the winner(s) can be obtained by sending a SAE marked Web Editor, BPG (Stamford) Ltd, Roebuck House, 33 Broad Street, Stamford, Links PE9 1RB within 21 days of the closing date of the promotion.
16. Where BPG (Stamford) Ltd runs a competition with a promoter such that the promoter is responsible for the selection and/or the provision of prizes then BPG (Stamford) Ltd shall not be responsible for or have any liability for the provision of such prizes.
17. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Cats that do dishes!

A cat that helps with the washing up?! Where can I get one?

Recession 'spells trouble' for cat charity

Following news that the UK has slipped back into recession, Cats Protection has issued an urgent appeal as more cats are being given up than ever before.

Figures released by the charity show an ever decreasing number of people coming forward to adopt cats, while the number of people needing to give up a cat or report a stray is on the rise.

This is the worst it has been for the charity since the start of the recession. "I cannot emphasise enough how serious this is," says Peter Hepburn, Cats Protection's chief executive. "The recession has been disastrous for the UK's pets and, following the latest news of the UK entering a double dip recession, sadly the situation for cats shows no signs of improving."

Queries to the charity's national helpline from 2009 to 2011 show:

The number of people wanting to adopt a cat fell by 31 per cent (5,016 to 3,471)

The number of people wanting to give up a cat increased by 14 per cent (8,308 to 9,459)

The number of people reporting stray cats increased by 7 per cent (6,924 to 7,426)

"These figures are just the tip of the iceberg because our 260 volunteer-run branches and 30 adoption centres all receive calls directly, which means the problem is much larger than we can demonstrate here. Our volunteers and staff regularly report that they are asked for help by owners who have to give their cats up for financial reasons, so I understand how tough it is for people at the moment."

These latest figures raise serious concerns for animal welfare and are backed up by a recent University of Bristol study which estimated that 131,070 cats entered the care of UK welfare organisations during 2009, the first full year since the onset of the recession6. Over 40 per cent of these were cared for by Cats Protection.

The charity has over 8,700 volunteers working round the clock to help as many cats as possible but with the number of unwanted cats increasing and the number of people calling to adopt cats dropping, the charity has been left with a backlog of cats in need of homes.

Cats Protection would like to urge people to contact them as soon as they become aware of the need to give up their cat because this will allow their branches and centres to prioritize and help as soon as they are able.

To adopt a cat, please call Cats Protection's helpline on 03000 12 12 12 between 9am - 12.30pm or 2pm - 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

Read more charity news in the latest issue of Your Cat magazine.