OneGuyFromBarlick

It's sad about Ellie but that is the circle of life and she has reached 17yrs old and you have cared for her very well, I think she is doing really well.
My cat is about 8yrs old and I wouldn't be surprised that she is still alive because she is an in-door cat. I've lost many others due to them getting into trouble in the outside world. Good to hear that the other cats are all settling in together.

The memory of recent sad events are fading a little now, and as it is said, time moves on. It is just a year today since Rosie came to us for help and love, and bringing her baggage with her. As a result we have the four beautiful kittens which she did an excellent job of rearing. They are healthy and strong, very active and lovable.

It is just a year ago this afternoon since Joan sat in the bedroom with Rosie as she gave birth to the four kittens. Poppy was the first at about 1400, Cassie the next at about 1420, then Florence at 1445 and finally Lola at 1515, here are two of them, Poppy and Cassie, the others I will add later:-





Next pic, L-R Florence, Poppy and Lola.

They are so cute.

They are indeed Moh, and thank you. Each has its own characteristics, Poppy is very outgoing, Cassie is friendly and lovable, Florence is very much like her Mum, quiet and laid back, and Lola is upwardly mobile. All are beautiful animals and a reminder that there is more to life than politics, doom and gloom.

They look really well Thomo, very happy cats. Do you ever hear anything of Izzy? I suppose no news is good news.

The Father of our kittens was Spartacus, known to us as Bruno. A few weeks ago he was mortally wounded by a speeding car in front of his owner on Gisburn Rd. The young woman alerted the driver to the cat but was ignored, the car with Polish plates just kept going, hit the cat and continued despite several attempts to get him to stop. Spartacus ran off and was found dead two weeks later by the beck that runs behind here. That now makes three that have died on this road recently. Three times a day we have the problem of high speed traffic when there are shift changes at the abattoir near Gisburn, most are Eastern European or Polish registered. It is just four years since we had one of them in our front garden early in the morning! The old topic Rude Awakening covered this, another topic "Barlick Traffic Madness" tells of this local problem. Spartacus was a much loved animal, despite the problems he caused for us, he last visited us in the afternoon before being killed the next day.

Neighbour Abi snapped two of our cats yesterday...

Well camouflaged!

Just look at their faces, they are both feeling very smug and clever. Something special just for them.

Flower Pot Cats

Here's one of my 'printer' cats, lounging on the printer next to my chair this morning. He, Topsy, is very reserved but likes a good stroke.



And this is my most faithful printer cat, JJ. She loves to help keep the stacks of paper flat by sitting on them and doesn't mind the noise of the machine at all. JJ is very starey but probably the most friendly of our cats to strangers (but that's not saying much).

I suppose this must be the best place to post this science press release...

Some dogs and cats prone to sunburn – How to protect your animal from skin damage
Excessive sunbathing damages the skin. Humans are not the only ones who need to monitor their exposure to UV rays: animals are at risk too. Dogs and cats with white or thin coats are at particular risk, as are animals with very closely shorn fur or with certain pre-existing conditions. Dermatologist Christa Horvath-Ungerböck from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna explains which animals are particularly sensitive, how to prevent sun damage to the skin, and how to treat a sunburned animal. Human or animals skin with little or no pigmentation is very sensitive to the sun in general. Hairless pets or pets with very short or thin fur can also be vulnerable. For dogs and cats this applies in particular to those parts of the skin that are regularly exposed to the sun. These include the ears, the bridge of the nose, the skin around the eyes, and the back. “Some animals particularly enjoy lying on their backs to bask in the sun. This exposes the skin on their bellies, which is often hairless, to the rays of the sun, increasing the risk of sunburn,” reports veterinary dermatologist Christa Horvath-Ungerböck.

Particularly vulnerable pets
House pets with white or short fur are at particular risk of sunburn. The Dogo Argentino breed, white bulldogs, Dalmatians, boxers, whippets, beagles and white or multi-coloured cats with white patches have skin that is very sensitive to light, especially on their heads. In summer animals with shorn fur can also have a problem. The short hair allows UV rays penetrate down to the sensitive skin and cause sunburn. Hairless dogs and cats are naturally more sensitive to the sun, since they lack the natural sun protection fur affords. Here too though, skin pigmentation plays a role, and darker animals are less vulnerable to UV rays. Owners of vulnerable breeds should take particular care to protect their animals from the sun.

Sun protection for animals
“As a rule, animals should have a shady place to lie in. Especially at midday, when the sun is at its strongest and presents the greatest risk, not just for the skin but for the animal overall”, explains dermatologist Horvath-Ungerböck. Particularly sensitive animals require sun protection in the form of a waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or a sunblock containing zinc oxide, for example. For longer hikes through the mountains where the sun’s rays are particularly aggressive, sensitive animals should wear a t-shirt, coat or hat for protection. The skin specialist advises owners not to worry: “Not every white dog or white cat needs sunscreen or clothing to protect it from the sun. If sun damage has already occurred though, or if an animal is highly sensitive, it is up to us to protect it from further damage.”

Treating sunburn in animals
If sunburn is visible as reddened, warm or flaking skin, the animal should be moved to the shade as quickly as possible. Cool compresses and ointments to soothe the skin can help relieve the initial symptoms. If the burn is severe, a veterinarian should be consulted as treatment with a cortisone product may be indicated to prevent inflammation. If the skin changes present as a secondary infection, antibiotics may be indicated. The affected animal will need to be well protected from the sun in future to prevent permanent damage.

Certain pre-existing conditions can increase skin sensitivity
Some illnesses and genetic defects that result in a thin coat can make the skin more sensitive to sunburn. Any longer-term stimulus that results in a loss of fur is a possible factor. These can include parasitic infections, chronic skin conditions, or congenital hairlessness. In some cases, exposure to the sun can worsen an existing condition. Animals with autoimmune skin diseases must be carefully protected from the sun, for example. And areas of the skin that were covered by fur but are suddenly exposed due to hair loss, such as scar tissue after an operation or injury, should be carefully observed and shielded as needed.

Damage caused by sun exposure
In animals, sunburn results in an acute inflammation of the skin that can cause itching or even pain, depending on the individual animal. Frequent sunburns can lead to pre-cancerous conditions or even actual skin tumours. “We sometimes see squamous cell carcinoma on the heads of white, outdoor cats as the result of chronic sun exposure. The affected areas of the skin then need to be surgically removed,” Horvath-Ungerböck explains.
Source: http://www.vetmeduni.ac.at/en/infoservi ... o-sunburn/

Pigs are very susceptible to sunburn, that's one of the reasons why they roll in mud. Factor 100 protection?

Today, our oldest and smallest cat, the last of the original cats, Evie, is 15 years old and currently fast asleep on the settee. Rosie, the mother of the kittens will be off to the vets in an hour, we noticed this morning that she was carrying her right front paw, a quick look revealed that she has a claw that has grown into the adjacent pad, this is the second time this year, one can only imagine the pain, I will be asking what we can do to prevent a repeat.

One of my jobs in Northfield was clipping the claws of indoor cats. A hazardous procedure!

Tizer wrote:I suppose this must be the best place to post this science press release...

Some dogs and cats prone to sunburn – How to protect your animal from skin damage
Particularly vulnerable pets
House pets with white or short fur are at particular risk of sunburn. The Dogo Argentino breed, white bulldogs, Dalmatians, boxers, whippets, beagles and white or multi-coloured cats with white patches have skin that is very sensitive to light, especially on their heads. In summer animals with shorn fur can also have a problem. The short hair allows UV rays penetrate down to the sensitive skin and cause sunburn. Hairless dogs and cats are naturally more sensitive to the sun, since they lack the natural sun protection fur affords. Here too though, skin pigmentation plays a role, and darker animals are less vulnerable to UV rays. Owners of vulnerable breeds should take particular care to protect their animals from the sun.

The White and Black cat liked ( for various reasons she is not allowed out now- much to the furnishings detriment), resting in the sun - though generally preferred under dappled shade if possible, still does on the window sill (i think glass cuts down some UV), the black bits heated up quite nicely , the white cooler and I think may reflect some light wavelengths anyway. The tips of ears and noses can get problems for potential sunburn.

I was listening to one of our vets (our wonderful Dr. Harry) talking the other day about animals lying in front of open fires and heaters. He said that animals often get their fur scorched, they don't realise that their fur is heating up too much because their bodies still feel cool. (Another thing to watch out for. )

Cathy, my old cattle dog Fly would do that. When we had a good fire going we used to have to roll him away from it! He seemed to go into almost a coma when he heated up.

At one point a while ago I had to buy 2 free-standing heaters. The first one had the heat coming out of it from the front, the second from the top. Our cat used to happily settle herself in front of the first one. When my daughter moved house I gave it to her. The cat stayed with me and couldn't get used to the second heater, even now years later she still walks around the back of it looking for where the heat comes from.

We have had to stop our long haired cat from draping herself over the top of the heated fish tank. She had started to have small fits which seemed to happen while she was on it or soon after. She has been fine (so far) since we blocked her access to it.

That's interesting Wendy, maybe your cat is breathing in chemicals that are causing her small fits.

There are no chemicals in the fish's water Cathy, it's untreated spring water which they seem to thrive in.
Do you remember that Feeby was shot at a few years ago, blinded in one eye and peppered with lead pellets ? There were some in the area of her head and I wonder if the lead warming up has an effect.

That's a distinct possibility Wendy. Lead poisoning is very slow and has wide ranging effects.

When it comes to helping with animals. or their owners when there is distress, you cannot pick and choose. We have always been lucky inasmuch as that there have been very few bad endings, homeless or unwanted cats to new owners, lost cats found and re-united with their owners, none have gone to shelters and as yet none put down. All eight of our cats are here as a result of hard work and diligence, all now are either rescued or here as a result of rescue, they are loved and cared for, well fed and happy, there have been no escape attempts. However no matter how careful you are, how fastidious the hygiene and security, there is always the possibility of something unforeseen. About five months ago we had a call from a family member on Ethel Street, he had found a cat in great distress on his doorstep, he took it in and rang us. The local Vets were called and the wife took a transporter to Ethel Street, and with cat inside then to the Vets. The cat had multiple problems, and the worst of all was fleas. The cat was treated and its owner found, the family members house was fumigated as was our transporter, the wife changed her clothes and had a bath, but this was not to be the end of it. Two weeks later we found fleas and mites on one of ours. The first treatment, a spray for fleas and mites removed the latter and the house was sprayed, another two weeks and all had fleas. Another treatment of all brought the cost to £60. Since then it has been a constant battle of combing and treatment and slowly the number of parasites decreased, then last weekend something else appeared, a tapeworm segment, tapeworms can develop from the cats ingesting flea eggs whilst grooming. After a discussion with the Vets yesterday, I have just collected a complete treatment package to be implemented over the next two months, and the total bill has just topped over £200.