10th Jan is National Divorce Day... Is your cat cheating on you?

Your Pets Daily Editor — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 11:09:05 +0000

It's the start of another New Year; a time for resolutions, health kicks, excitement and optimism for the next 12 months. But for some, it is also the time for a fresh start.

The first working Monday of the year is dubbed 'Divorce Day' by lawyers, with people flocking to seek legal advice about how to end their marriages. The divorce rate in the UK is estimated at 42% according to the Office for National Statistics and Relate, the UK's largest charity of relationship support, also says it receives a record number of calls during the first month of the year from people who are unhappy at home and worried about their spouse cheating.

But it's not just people who can be found straying from home. Cats too can have a wandering eye in pursuit of more tummy rubs and a fancy meal. Often cats are inclined to explore and can go 'missing' for days, leaving owners worried and anxious; only to stroll in a week later with little disregard for the upset they have caused. Cats loyalty can often be swayed with fuss and food, so if you have a moggy that can go missing for days, could your cat be cheating on you?

Eve Davies, Director at ProtectaPet, comments: "Cats love to be outside exploring, which can often mean making new friends along the way! Whilst this is great fun for them, it can be really worrying for an owner who doesn't know where their much-loved pet is. At ProtectaPet we speak to cat owners daily who are looking for a solution to help keep their cats close to home. We have a range of products such as cat fencing and cat enclosures, as well as catios that provide the perfect balance of welfare and enrichment for a wandering cat and peace of mind for their owner."

Are you the other person in a cheating triangle?

Meet Mr Dude. Not his real name but what he has been named by "the other man" in his life who found Mr Dude sitting at his door meowing one day over lockdown. Since then the other man, Jamie from Suffolk, has been visited most weeks by Mr Dude.

"Mr Dude just turned up one day. He is a gorgeous looking cat and really friendly, so naturally, I said hello and gave him some fuss. One day in the Summer, he just wandered into my house from the garden and made himself at home. And since then, he's been a regular visitor. Sometimes he will even stay overnight! I know that clearly, he has an owner, it's obvious he is well looked after. Whilst I feel a bit bad that technically I am "the other man" in Mr Dude's life, I enjoy his company and actually miss him when he must go back to his other home."

Cats Protection offer some great advice if you find yourself in a similar situation to Jamie. This includes:

Avoid feeding it unless it is particularly underweight - this will only encourage the cat to come back, even if it has an owner!

Ask neighbours/ post on local community social media pages to try and track an owner down
Put a paper collar (available from Cats Protection) on the cat with a message to alert the owner

For more information on cat safety and wellbeing, please visit the ProtectaPet website.

Badly injured kitten rescued from Kent garden proves to be a fighter

Your Pets Daily Editor — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 15:55:32 +0000

A badly injured kitten found crying for life after crawling into a Kent garden with horrific wounds has shown himself to be a little fighter, a national cat charity has said.

Bandit, as he has been named by his rescuers, needed urgent medical attention after a couple heard ear-piercing cries coming from their front garden in Bobbing Hill, late one night.

CCTV footage showed the kitten dragging himself into the garden, crying in what must have been dreadful pain with such awful injuries.

What the couple saw was shocking; the tiny mite was in a pitiful state, unable to walk with a severely infected rear end and what appeared to be a broken leg and damaged tail. They immediately called Cats Protection's Swale Branch, who rushed to the scene.

While it is unknown how this kitten came to be in the area, it is clear that the quick response of his finders and the cat carers who responded to the call probably saved his young life.

Cat welfare volunteer Danielle Hoynes was first on the scene. She scooped up the kitten and ferried him to Newnham Court Veterinary Hospital. The vet team removed the maggots from his wounds, which were thoroughly washed and treated. They made the kitten, believed to have been aged around ten weeks old at the time, as comfortable as possible.

Kim Braysher, Welfare Team Leader at Cats Protection's Swale Branch, said: "His strength and personality are incredible. He's so loving and trusting despite what he's been through. He is the most delicious kitten we've ever met.

"We all love Bandit, he's such a spirited boy. He's just the cutest, bravest little kitten. He's been the perfect patient, although he doesn't like wearing his head cone."

Vets have been impressed by Bandit's recovery. His tail has been amputated, his rear leg has been fixed and, although he had an infection after the operation, his wounds are healing.

Treatment has been expensive and is not over yet, so Cats Protection's Swale Branch has launched an appeal for Bandit to recoup some of the £3,000 costs and help them to care for more cats. Donations can be made at: http://www.justgiving.com/summerappeal2021-swalebranch.

Kim said: "Bandit has a long road to travel and he is not yet ready to be homed, but we are hopeful that with good veterinary care he will be set up to lead a full and happy life. Everyone who meets him falls under his spell."

Your Pets Daily - Kitten

10th Jan is National Divorce Day... Is your cat cheating on you?

It's the start of another New Year; a time for resolutions, health kicks, excitement and optimism for the next 12 months. But for some, it is also the time for a fresh start.

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Badly injured kitten rescued from Kent garden proves to be a fighter

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