From the President. Cat Association of Tasmania Inc. September 2013 Newsletter. Website:

Transcription

1 Cat Association of Tasmania Inc September 2013 Newsletter Website: President: Greg Little Ph: Vice President: Sue Barr Ph: Secretary: Lesley Morgan Ph: Macquarie St, HOBART 7000 Treasurer: Moira Watson Ph: Registrar: Carlyne Hills Ph: P.O. Box 93, Claremont 7011 Elected members: Lesley Morgan Ph: Gillian Little Ph: Wendy Nelson Ph Fiona Ransley Ph: John Routledge Ph: Club Delegates: DCC: TBA CFCT: Moira Watson Ph: TSFF: Contact TSFF Secretary Ph: LABCC: Alicia Perrett Ph: Judges Assn delegate Sue Barr: Ph Judges: S Barr (Int AB) H Farmer (Int AB) G Little (Int AB) L Morgan (Int AB) R RobertsThomson (Int AB) From the President Due to several resignations and a bit of a shuffle this newsletter brings to the committee several new elected members which resulted from the casual vacancy election papers which were sent out to all members earlier in the year. We welcome Fiona Ransley and Wendy Nelson who were newly elected and Gillian Little stood for election moving from the Derwent Cat Club s representative to an elected position. This leaves open a position for a DCC member to volunteer for the available DCC s reps position; takers anyone? An article in the Mercury a couple of weeks ago announced that the government is about to review the Cat Management Act. CAT has also been advised by the government department with responsibility for the Act, DPIPWE, of the review of the Act and has promised to involve stakeholders such as CAT. The Department is asking for any feedback and suggestions for changes to the legislation. If any member has any suggestions or other comments, please contact the Secretary or a committee member and give us your thoughts, ideas, suggestions. This is extremely important because this legislation directly affects you. You just have to listen how legislation affects cat owners in other States to get an idea of what can happen, including registration with Councils. I know first-hand that local Councils generally do not support cat registration, however unless we speak up registration may very well be inflicted on us. Judges/Stewards Courses Many years ago, due to a shortage of people, both trained and untrained, CAT clubs started having owner handler shows. CAT is the only Council in Australia that has owner handler shows and while this has become the norm it is not ideal. Stewarding is a means for people to be trained in cat handling which can lead to someone becoming interested in judging. 1

2 We now have a number of people who have expressed interest in training as stewards. This is great as it gets people involved in their hobby and it particularly good news because several of the trainees are new or relatively new to the cat fancy. CAT has also commenced an all shorthair (Group 2 and 3) judge s course with one candidate putting their hand up for this long and challenging course. With the stewards course and judge s course happening all the trainees need to gain as much experience as possible in handling the cats. Therefore, until these courses are finished, possibly 12 months for the stewards course and 3 years for the judge s course, where the trainees are available owners will not be able to handle their own cats. Your indulgence and co-operation is much appreciated. I am very hopeful that we can again have enough trained stewards to run shows without owners handling their own cats. VALE It was with great sadness that I have just been informed of the death of one our members, Helen Jones. Helen rejoined CAT a couple of years ago and enjoyed success with a Persian kitten which was Supreme Exhibit at the 2012 CAT Supreme Show. I saw Helen earlier this year and she told me that she had bone cancer and that she wasn t really expecting positive news. She also told me that she had just turned 50. She was much too young to die from such a horrible disease. I always found Helen to be very pleasant person and she will be missed at shows. C.A.T. Show Dates for 2013 There is only one show left for your cat to be able to get more vital Cat of the Year Points. The LABCC Show is on 17 November and the schedule is now on the website Cat of the Year Lunch The Cat of the Year lunch is on again at the Shipwright s Arms Hotel in historic Battery Point on Sunday 15 December Come along to help 2 celebrate all the winners and also for some comradeship away from the competitive atmosphere of a show. Details are on the website or contact a committee member. Preferably though, let the Secretary know before 6 th December so that we can let the hotel know numbers. How it all began My entry into the world of C.A.T Inc by Wendy Nelson. In 2011 my husband and I returned from a six month hiking holiday in USA, having bought a house in Tasmania just three months previous to this. With no family and friends in Tasmania, it was time to buy some four legged friends and start our new life in Tasmania. Our first addition was two very energetic Beagle Puppies. This was an education in itself as we had always owned Great Danes and had decided that those cute little Airport Dogs would be a lovely breed to have. First discovery was that they are hunting dogs now why didn t we know that? and we live on 8.5acres of bushland/forestry. Lots of chasing puppies who were chasing possums and wallabies made us realise that we should do a bit of investigation before getting a cat. In the past we had always been the owners of moggies, usually someone else s cast off s or strays. I started researching on the internet and came across a Burmese page. Instant love, this sounded like the cat for us, playful, loving, people orientated, etc. A research of breeders found one in Longford, Tasmania that had just had a litter. So phone calls were exchanged and our beautiful Rupert, a Lilac Burmese, came to live with us. When I collected him the breeder talked to me about cat shows, and being lonely and with no new hobbies I decided to take my pet quality Rupert to CAT show at the Hobart Show Grounds Several conversations with the breeder elicited the information that I would need curtains. Curtains????? What did my cat need curtains

3 for????? The breeder organised with Fiona Ransley to loan me some curtains, and a phone call to her further informed me that I would need a small container with kitty litter. We arrived at the Show grounds at 7.30am after a 5.30am departure from our Tasman Peninsula home, and we were greeted at the door by Lesley Morgan, who explained the Vetting In process and took us to our cage. Ahaha, now I see why our cat needs Curtains. That first show had me hooked, people were lovely, warm and friendly. Listening to the judge s talk about the attributes of all the different breeds was fascinating. Rupert won a best of breed took me a few shows to realise that he was the ONLY one of his breed in that class, haha. And we were very proud, and I was more than keen to do it again. We had already placed an order for a Brown Burmese to go with our lovely Lilac boy. After leaving that first show we also wanted an Abyssinian, a Selkirk Rex and a Maine Coon. Would I end up being a crazy cat lady??? Several shows later we retired Rupert from the scene, our lovely gentle boy at home became a hissing, spitting, roaring machine in the show ring. Our gorgeous Winston, brown Burmese, was doing well and was a little less grumpy on the table. We now have two Maine Coon Kittens that have joined our family, and show days are quite a performance. Bathing, grooming, packing up curtains (I do not enjoy making those dreaded curtains), kitty litter, water, sustenance for ourselves, etc. And then the day of catching up with friends and their furry ones, ooing and ahhing over new kittens and biting the lip to prevent myself ordering yet more cats as I fall in love with all of them. Only having had Moggies in my life before, the venture into registered purebred cats has opened many new doors for me. Our first acquisitions, the Burmese neutered males the Burmy boys as they are affectionately called, was a love affair from the first meeting of the eyes. These gentle, sleek fellows just have to give the look to have you waiting on their every command. And their commands are easily interpreted sit down, I need a knee to curl up on move away from the computer, it is my turn to tap on the keyboard servant, lift up the doona, it is cold on top of the bed lay still, you are disturbing my rest scratch a little higher, ah yes, that s right, NO I didn t tell you to stop scratching now As you can see all the Burmy boys commands are about their comfort and their need to be stroked, petted and caressed at all possible times. In return, they come running to the door whenever they hear my car pull up, greet me with cries of joy, and help me unpack the shopping. I could not have asked for more affectionate and delightful cats if I had tried. They are also deceiving - the saying Brick wrapped in a silk glove is so true. Their fur is like the smoothest most expensive silk you can imagine, it is so incredibly soft under your fingertips, and takes minimal care and grooming. A quick onceover with an exfoliating mitt, and a polish with a silk scarf and they are ready to go. Only thing to watch is their tendency for dander, but a bit of fish oil each month seems to keep that in control. The one thing I have discovered that they don t like is being on their own! They are people cats, they need to be wherever you are, including sitting patiently in the bathroom whilst you relieve yourself. My Maine Coons what can I say..they have wrapped themselves around the heart strings with their mischievous natures, their quirky personalities, and their having everything on their terms. Grooming of these gentle giants is an art we are still trying to master, or more to the point, the bathing of them. Bath time is not an enjoyable experience, usually I end up wet, wet, wet and often with a few scratches, and they end up wet but victorious at having won the battle yet again. Grooming, however, is a fun filled game as they do crocodile rolls wanting to make sure I get every bit of them. If I am trying to fluff the tail, they are 3

4 head butting the brush, if I am trying to do their gorgeous ruffs, they are flicking the tail!!!!! They are playful, noisy, jumping and running like a herd of elephants, inquisitive height is no object, if there is a speck on the ceiling they find a way to get up and check it out. Fearless no qualms about swiping the Beagle boys chicken wings from right under their noses, and always on the prowl for a fly, a moth, a lizard, anything that can be caught in two paws. The sight of these pair sitting up on their bottoms and holding something in their two front paws, they look like little squirrels. And manners, well they are kittens so still learning, but don t take your eyes off your plate for a second because a little paw will snaffle your food and vanish with it in a jiffy. We have both lost pieces of fish, chicken, steak, etc and seen a Coonie baby scampering off with it!!!! The little Coonie kitties, as they are affectionately known in our house, have a certain stare, it can go through you, around you or over you, and it usually means, move you are blocking the view! The Maine Coon chirrup is like a bird singing in the bush, and they have several different tones according to what it is they are telling us. The little boy is very laid back and just wants to be admired and fed, the little girl however, she has a character bigger than life. She is a real show pony, an attention grabbing thrill seeker. She is the most mischievous little girl and yet she gets away with all her high jinks with just that sweet little face! Could I choose between my Burmy boys and my Coonie babies. No way. They each bring so much love and joy into our lives, and each has a unique character that is a daily delight. So, my entry into the world of Cat Showing four cats later, butchers bills to light up the eye of any butcher, dry food bills, kitty litter bills, building supply bills (enclosing and cat proofing two verandahs) and endless toy bills, has it been worth it? Absolutely, I love every bit of it and would fill my house with cats if I could. TOXOPLASMOSIS What is Toxoplasmosis. It is an infection caused by a tiny parasite called toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasmosis can infect any warm-blooded animal including goats rabbits guinea pigs, and humans., but cats are the main sauce in most households. Toxoplasmosis is common in people who eat or handle raw or undercooked meat, people in contact with infected soil (e.g.) gardens, children s uncovered sandpits and cat owners who fail to clean litter trays frequently, or do not wash their hands afterwards. Cats are commonly infected when they eat rodents, birds or infected raw meat. Infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage still birth or health problems for the baby. A pregnant woman should consult her doctor immediately if she has any concerns about toxoplasmosis. Rest assured that unless you put unwashed hands in your mouth or eat something when you haven t washed you hands this can cause the problem. Should you therefore re-home your cat? The answer to this is NO but it is advisable to wear gloves while cleaning litter trays and wash your hands thoroughly before and after cleaning the tray or ask someone else to do this job for you. Toxoplasmosis can be prevented by using rubber gloves and washing hands. It is a little known fact that Toxoplasmosis does not become infectious until cat or any of the other animals that can carry this germ is 24 hours old. It is also recommended that rubber gloves be used when gardening in case other cats have used your garden as their litter tray. Wendy Nelson 4

5 BOOK REVIEW Arthur s World of Cats Arthur is a snow white domestic cat rescued from a cat s home as a very sick young adult cat and destined for fame and fortune. When Ann Head needed a poster cat child for a new brand of commercial cat food in UK, Snowy was chosen from Wood Green Animal Sanctuary and nursed back to health by her. He was rechristened Arthur and became famous throughout the UK. He is described he s never had a mean thought in his head and endears himself to everyone. He is calmly quietly confident with people and assorted other animals ; one of his famous cat food commercials shows him sharing his food bowl with a young lion cub. Arthur s World of Cats has lovely photos of different breeds of cats, many which are well known like Abyssinians, Birmans, and Devon Rex, and some not so familiar like Balinese. Some pages are devoted to cross bred cats and also marvellous moggies. I m sure all cat lovers will enjoy this lovely book. Editor s Note Many thanks to Jill Davey for providing material for many of the CAT Inc newsletters, to Wendy Nelson for her article and also to Bev Briers for the cartoons; thanks ladies!! I m sure that many of us can relate to this!! Did you know? 1. Since ancient times, sailors have relied on the ships cat to kill rodents who destroy ropes, woodwork and food supplies aboard ships. 2. Cats who are household pets often try to bury their food, similar to their larger wild cat cousins. This is called caching and ensures the part of the kill not consumed will be there to eat at a later time. 3. It is better to feed your cat 2 to 4 smaller meals a day, rather than one large meal. 4. A kitten s cry, like a human baby s cry, is designed to attract its mother attention. Adult cats do not normally meow to each other but they do meow to their humans. Humans are easily trained to recognise different meows. 5. Cats are fastidious about their appearance and can spend hours grooming themselves. They use their paws like a washcloth which they wet by licking. 5

6 6. If your cat is reluctant to go into a carry box, keep the box in plain sight, and put their favourite toys and their food in there. This will encourage the cat to see the carry box as a safe haven. Never dump the cat out of the box, but gently lift it out or allow the cat to exit in its own time. smell food, detect pheromones, and predict unusual occurrences like earthquakes. Cats may appear to have a 6th sense because of this. Often the cat will open its mouth slightly when it smells as this helps relay the scents it detects to the brain. 7. From ancient Egyptian engravings to 18th century Japanese silk screens, domestic cats have been popular subjects for artists throughout history. Master painters like Picasso, Chagall, and Renoir used cats in some of their greatest works. 8. The great Leonardo da Vinci said The smallest feline is a masterpiece. 9. It s not only house cats that react to cat nip, sometimes called cat mint. Lions and other large cats also react to it. However not all cats are susceptible to it and this is thought to be hereditary. 10. Cats will not eat if they cannot smell their food. 11. Chocolate, poinsettia lilies, aspirin and avocado are just a few things which are toxic to cats. 12. Indoor cats outlive outdoor cats by at least 12 months. 13. Cats which are desexed live longer than entire cats. Cat Quotes A cat can purr its way out of anything (Hazel Nicholson). Some cats are blind, some are deaf but no cat is dumb (Anthony Euwer). A cat is, above all things, a dramatist (Margaret Benson). 14. Adult cats do not usually meow to each other but they do meow to humans and humans are easily trained to respond to this vocalisation. 15. A cat s nose is very sensitive partly because there are many nerve endings which help it 6

7 Cats with White This is a follow on from the Cats with White article from the last newsletter which is a pictorial representation of to how cats with white should be registered. 7

8 2013 C.O.T.Y. LONGHAIR CAT Spellbound Out of the Blue (T) L Gaze Birman Gemstone Precious Sunrise (T) M Rogers Persian Gemstone Precious Sophie (T) M Rogers Persian Ragadale Blue Ash (T) P Burleigh Ragdoll Jaymlynkatz Wilhelmine (NZ) K Walker Norwegian Forest Cat 6 81 Bonniebrae Tearna (T) N & B Briers Birman 7 79 Jaymlynkatz Eostre (NZ) Asgard Cattery Norwegian Forest Cat 8 54 Ngalla Valkyrie (T) Asgard Cattery Norwegian Forest Cat 8 54 Spellbound Shaleigha (T) L Gaze Birman 9 48 Arklan Latara (T) J Gay Birman 2013 C.O.T.Y. LONGHAIR NEUTER Luckycoon The Cadger (Hons) (V) S Barr Maine Coon Ngalla Orcadia (T) G & G Little Norwegian Forest Cat Bonniebrae Shawnee (T) N & B Briers Birman Bonniebrae Red Star (T) A Sherwood Birman Comyn JR Morton (T) J Routledge Persian 6 73 Mayatiki Blue Asharna (T) A Sherwood Birman 7 72 Pawsnmore Storm Chaser (T) D Fry Maine Coon 8 62 Astarial Kuma (V) S Wang Ragdoll 9 55 Ngalla Capulets Silver (T) K & A Walker Norwegian Forest Cat Ngalla Valhalla Rising (T) G & G Little /T Stokoe Norwegian Forest Cat 2013 C.O.T.Y. LONGHAIR KITTEN Dinkidi HR Puff N Stuff (T) G L & C Harper Maine Coon Dinkidi Lady Paisley (T) W Nelson Maine Coon Ngalla Fire & Ice (T) D Fry Norwegian Forest Cat Spellbound Shaleigha (T) L Gaze Birman Dinkidi Sir Basil Nelson (T) W Nelson Maine Coon 6 96 Anzelinka Tatianna (SA) K Blake Siberian 7 90 Kenloch Y I'm a Tiger (Q) H Jones Persian 8 88 Makeitmaines Kiara (T) GL & C Harper Maine Coon 9 63 Bonniebrae Siobhan (T) N & B Briers Birman Gemstone Fancy Treasure (T) M Rogers Exotic 2013 C.O.T.Y. SHORTHAIR CAT Bluebebop Oop Bop Sh Bam (WA) J Davey Russian Amanude Tommy (NZ) S, H & C Mackenzie Sphynx 3 96 Alizmah Black is Back (T) H & C Mahoney Cornish Rex 4 74 Kanchenjunga Koshi-Ku (T) R Roberts Thompson Selkirk Rex Shorthair 5 70 Kanchenjunga Kuzzi Wuzz (T) R Roberts Thomson Selkirk Rex Shorthair 6 62 Purshanty's Tobias Serenade (WA) Adele Walker British Shorthair 6 62 Kanchenjunga Hollysmok (T) R Roberts Thomson Selkirk Rex Longhair 7 47 Purshanty's Tabitha Mia (WA) Adele Walker British Shorthair 8 35 Outtahair Tuppence (NZ) S, H & C Mackenzie Sphynx 9 29 Valentri Cleo Cream Sox (T) L Gibbons British Shorthair 2013 C.O.T.Y. SHORTHAIR NEUTER Jemdon Sir Winston (T) W Nelson Burmese Tiffyan Buckley Jackson (T) A Perrett Oriental Shorthair Calian Angus McIntosh (NSW) M Watson / E Tinkler Siamese Catwalk Faberge (Q) K Blake Bengal 5 91 Calian Isla Clan Chatton (NSW) M Watson / E Tinkler Siamese 6 72 Kandalari Deilia (T) K Blake British Shorthair 7 44 Catwalk Atalanta (NSW) K Blake Bengal 8 23 Osiris (V) Keep Chattering (Q) F Ransley Abyssinian 9 16 Astracan Candy Floss (SA) T Shaw Devon Rex

9 2013 C.O.T.Y. SHORTHAIR KITTEN Alizmah Apache (T) H & C Mahoney Cornish Rex Cindylin Yum Yum (V) D & L Johnson Oriental Shorthair Kanchenjunga Ice Magic (T) R Roberts-Thomson Selkirk Rex Shorthair Kanchenjunga Black Puff (T) R Roberts-Thomson British Shorthair Osiris (V) Fred Astair (Q) F Ransley Abyssinian 6 67 Graystons Pepin (T) Mackenzie Family Siamese 7 64 Jelgava Duchess Olga (T) J Davey Russian 8 63 Kanchenjunga Alaska (T) R Roberts-Thomson British Shorthair 9 43 Britz Polar Star (WA) A Walker British Shorthair Curcloud Barossa Myst (SA) T Shaw Cornish Rex 2013 C.O.T.Y. COMPANION PET Smokey (T) J Routledge Companion Pet Longhair Lucky (Q) K Walker Companion Pet Shorthair 3 90 Zara Dreaming (V) K Cazaly Companion Pet Shorthair 4 61 Mittens B Gibbons Companion Pet Shorthair 5 46 Jake R Roberts Thomson Companion Pet Shorthair 6 35 Oliver R Beech Companion Pet Shorthair 6 35 Leonardo R Beech Companion Pet Shorthair 7 30 Harry (T) K Simpson Companion Pet Shorthair 8 24 Marchello (T) T Shaw Companion Pet Shorthair 8 24 Marley (T) M Hurd Companion Pet Shorthair COTY POINTS CALCULATOR - M.SHERWOOD (Copyright 2007) RESULTS ARE NOT FINAL UNTIL RATIFIED BY C.A.T.