I have often wondered whether I could put my cats on the treadmill to lose a few pounds. Now a company has designed a pet treadmill aimed at cats and dogs. It is currently still only a prototype but looked quite interesting. It was built because the creator had an overweight cat that was unable to lose weight by changing the diet alone. One thing is not clear, how do you motivate your cat to exercise, perhaps a strategically placed out of reach biscuit?

I have read a few articles about cat cafes, places that offer tea and coffee and the chance to stroke the resident cats. They have proven to be quite popular in Japan and now it appears are coming to London. The UK’s first cat cafe is due to open in London within the next few months after members of the public donated over £100,000 to make it happen. Entrepreneur Lauren Peters hopes to open the cafe in the Old Street area of London and have the cafe open by May. She has already found 10 cats to work in the cafe from the Mayhew Animal Home in Kensal Green. Lauren believes the cafe will prove popular in London as many city dwellers are unable to have pets of their own. It will be interesting to see how it goes.

It’s always interesting when a new cat moves into the area. One of the first things they do is explore all the surrounding territory and work out how far they can go and what other cats are about. Our cats have coped quite well with two moving in just next door and now seem to have a tentative agreement as to which parts of the garden they use at any given time. This large white cat pictured right appeared out of nowhere the other day and breaking all the rules decided he wanted to stroll right down the middle of our garden. Our smaller white cat Ollie and his brother Oscar took offence to this and have made their feelings clear on the subject. No doubt the cat will be back and there will be many more battles before this territory war is resolved. It is interesting watching it all take place.

If you want to make the kitty in your life happy then this cat friendly home might be for you. It features cat friendly features in every room including a litter tray in the bathroom, elevated walkways and cat tunnels. I can see how some of the features would be attractive to my cats. The design has been completed by a Japanese company who studied the interaction between cats and people before making it. In addition to the added cat features the home has cat proof surfaces which are scratch resistant and an outdoor caged area so the cats can get some air without escaping.

This is another article that highlights that the importance of microchipping your pets. Miko the cat was recently reunited with his owner after being missing for 10 years. He was last seen in 2002 when she moved house from Hutton to Brentwood and Miko ran off into fields. His owner had given up hope of finding him again but recently got a call after he was taken into a vets surgery. Miko was traced back to her by his microchip and is now back home. Where he has been for last the 10 years is a mystery but he appears well. I guess one thing to remember is to always update the details held for your pets microchips when you move house, just in case they turn up years later.

We have had a few inches of snow in the past few days and although it’s nothing compared to the snow we experienced a few years back, at 30 weeks pregnant it’s enough to limit me going out. The garden looks quite attractive and the cats have been enjoying the weather and pouncing in the snow. Unfortunately I have been feeling too ill the past few days to build a snowman but am hoping to get to it before the snow melts.

A kitten had a lucky escape after swallowing a TV aerial. Pictured is an x-ray of the unlucky cat before the surgery to remove the 15cm aerial. He is now back to his usual playful self.

As any cat owner knows, cats cannot be trusted. It would come as no surprise then to find a cat detained for smuggling. This cat was caught smuggling various tools into a prison to help inmates escape. The cat had several saws and drills tapped to its body. Convicts had trained him to deliver mobile phones and tools to the prison in north eastern Brazil. The cat, however, was not crafty enough and attracted the attention of guards due to its frequent visits to and from the prison.

Luckily our cats don’t have a taste for the Christmas decorations but it seems some people are not so lucky. This article caught my eye about a cat that swallowed a strand of tinsel. The cat needed emergency surgery to remove the tinsel from his throat and intestines and appears to be recovering well. I guess the message is clear, however, pets and Christmas decorations don’t always mix.

Cats are not known for being the friendliest creatures but it seems some breeds are more friendly than others. If you are choosing a cat for its temperament the Sphynx comes out as the friendliest. The study recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour ranked 129 cats from different breeds according to their nature. Pure bred cats ranked better with the Sphynx coming out top followed by Maine Coons and Persians. The domestic moggy scored the lowest out of the breeds.

I’m unconvinced the results are down to the breed of cats. Personally all of my cats have been domestic moggies and whilst some of them are not the friendliest creatures in the world, others are much more amicable. I think cats like people all have their own individual personalities, just as there are arseholes in the human world, so there are in the cat world. My cat Ollie is a perfect example of this whereas you couldn’t have a more loveable cat than my other cat Willow.

I have seen quite a few articles about cat cafes being set up. I believe the first one I read some months ago was about one in Japan but it appears Russia is now offering the same with one opening in St Petersburg. The concept is the same with customers being able to enjoy a hot drink whilst petting the resident cats. Having several cats myself I can’t quite see the attraction, one thing is for sure health and safety rules would never allow this concept in the UK.

With a couple of weeks to go before Guy Fawkes night it seems some people just can’t wait to let off their fireworks. The result is one very traumatised cat. Poor Oscar hates even the slightest bang so with the fireworks set to continue for a couple of weeks either side of the big night, it seems he will be mainly living under the sofa.

It seems all is not well at Downing Street with the cats from number 10 and number 11 being far from good friends. Whilst Downing Street have played down the disagreement, it seems the cats are not getting along.

A previous story detailed how the Chancellors cat, Freya had been drafted in to take Larry’s place as chief mouse catcher. Freya it seems won this particular fight and is perhaps asserting her place as top cat in the area.

That’s according to this article which claims 13 cats and one dog in the US are believed to caught to virus from their owners in 2011 and 2012. Although the chances of passing it on are slim researchers have said greater awareness is needed of the phenomenon which is known as revere zoonosis. Whilst many people are aware that strains of flue can move from animal populations to people it appears there is less awareness that humans can also pass H1N1 flu to other animals.

Having suffered from swine flu last year I was surprised to find our that there was a risk of me passing onto my animals. None the less I took all the necessary precautions to cut down the risk of passing it on, such as washing my hands and generally sterilising all door knobs and similar surfaces in the house. Another time I will also make sure I keep my cats at a safe distance.

I am always interested to see news about big cat sightings in the UK. The last was the Essex lion which eventually appeared to be simply a domestic cat. The latest sighting is in Bedford where two witnesses believe they have seen a lion. A helicopter with a thermal imaging camera, firearms officers and zoo workers with tranquilisers carried out a search for the lion but once again no lion was found. Police have said there is no on-going incident involving a lion. I wonder whether it was simply another oversized pussy cat.

I am always interested to see these articles about very overweight pets/ I have a fat kitty but these poor animals do make him look rather small. It would seem this cat is one of the lucky ones having shedding the pounds at an animal fit club. The cat called Fifi Bottomley  lost 22% of her body weight to become a cat half her size, pictured right. How people let their animals get to this size is unclear but like people fat animals need a good diet and plenty of exercise and perhaps a little less kitty treats.

Larry the cat (left), who was previously the chief mouser at Downing Street could soon be seeking new employment after being replaced in the post. It seems Larry was simply not doing the job properly, with the last straw being when the Prime Minister spotted a mouse making it’s way across the floor whilst Larry slept.

Larry will be replaced by Chancellor George Osborne's cat, Freya (pictured right) who will now patrol numbers 10, 11 and 12. The new arrangement has been described as a job share although it seems more like a reshuffle. Something tells me Larry has been fed a little too many kitty treats and lost his hunting edge.

A real life cat burglar has gained a bit of a reputation in Luton. Denis the cat likes nothing better than to take objects home and has now amassed a haul of over 100 items. Among the items he has stolen are clothes, paintbrushes, a Barbie doll and a bath towel. I can only imagine how embarrassed his owner is. Luckily my cats don’t tend to steal things although I did once have one come carrying a whole pork chop.

That’s the warning from the conservationists who say the species is at greater risk than initially thought. A team put together by the Scottish Wildcat Association (SWA) have been reviewing more than 2,000 camera sightings, eyewitness reports and road kills. Based on this they have concluded that the numbers of pure bred cats left in the wild have fallen to as little as 35 individuals. Other research had estimated there were 150 breeding pairs left but it seems they are far less than previously thought.

The main threat to the species comes from interbreeding with domestic cats which creates a hybrid species. A number of measures have been proposed to try and save the cats, including the trapping of cats to allow blood samples to be taken to better understand the state of the population and relocating pure wildcats to areas where there is less risks.

Some stories are cute but fairly pointless. This is one of these about a cat that decided to have her kittens in a nesting box in a tree. The box was originally provided for owls to nest in but the cats decided it looked like a safe place to live. The kittens pictured here looking very cute appear to be right at home sitting in the tree.

This story caught my eye about a lion on the loose in Essex. This lion was apparently spotted by campers near Clacton. They called the police and a massive search including helicopters, armed police and zoo staff looked for the animal.

No large cat was found and many are now sceptical as to whether there was a lion on the loose in first place. Some people believe that the lion was in fact this ginger cat, called Teddy Bear which often hunts in the area. Others still believe that the lion is still on the loose.

Our cat Olliver is a problem cat when it comes to any medical treatment. He is a rescue cat, and although he now tolerates us to a certain extent I’m not sure he will ever really like us. Ollie likes all affection and contact to be on his terms, which is fine but does pose a problem when it comes to wounds.

We have had many trips to the vets in the past, the majority ending up with a bitten or scratched vet. Where possible, we now try to treat anything minor at home. Ollie has recently picked up some new wounds on top of an old tail injury. This means a daily tail bathe with salt water, something which with Ollie is next to impossible. So far I have managed to clean the wound once by wrapping his head and claws in a blanket. I am hoping we can continue to treat it at home without the more traumatic vet visit, but only time will tell. I just wish it was one of the less difficult cats that kept picking up the wounds.

If you notice a cat stuck in a tree your first response might be to call the fire brigade. The London Fire Brigade, however, has urged people to contact the RSPCA instead after being inundated with calls about distressed pets. Over the last six years they have seen a 60% rise in the number of calls about trapped animals meaning they attend on average one animal incident every 14 hours. With growing financial pressure on the service, however, the fire brigade is asking for people to think twice before making a call and to contact the RSPCA in the first instance. We often have to get the tall ladder out of the garage to rescue one of our more stupid cats, who can climb up trees but is yet to master getting down. I don’t think I would be calling the emergency services for this type of incident, though. In most cases the cat will find a way to get down when they get hungry.

Our cats have been picking up a lot of injuries recently. We had to take Willow to the vet last week for an infected bite mark and it looks as though Ollie (pictured left) might have an abscess on his cheek. What is attacking them is not entirely clear. We believe it is either next door’s cat or one of the foxes that visits the garden.

What is clear is that the behaviour of the cats has changed. The male cats in particular have started sitting together perhaps to show a united front against the enemy. Our previously wimpy cat Oscar (pictured right) surprised everybody by chasing down a large fox yesterday. The cats are certainly getting braver and are taking measures to defend their garden. I just hope it doesn’t lead to yet more vets bills.

The weather has been so wet recently that I feel quite sorry for the cats. They want to be outside but obviously don’t want to be in the rain. They tend to spend most of their time sitting under the table so they can stay dry. It has occurred to me that the solution would be to build a cat kennel so they have a place to get in out of the rain. I think this will be my next little project.

The cats are so funny, they spend most of the time ignoring each other but occasionally they curl up together and actually look as though they like each other. A rare moment when Oscar and Willow decided they wanted to sit together.

Life is never dull with rescue cats, you spend years getting to know them and eventually build up a mutual level of trust. Then for some strange reason they decide they hate you. One of our cats Oliver who has lived with us for nearly 7 years has recently decided he wants to live outside. I could understand it if this had happened when we brought our new baby home from the hospital. Penny has been home for six months now, however, and cats and baby have lived together happily. What has spooked Ollie is unclear but he has now been living in the summer house for two days and refuses to come inside for food. I could be nice and take him out a bowl of food but I am tempted to wait it out and make him come back when he hungry. We may never know what is behind this new behaviour but hopefully Ollie will decide it is safe to live inside again.

This is interesting it’s an experiment which hopes to end the debate on how much wildlife domestic cats kill. As part of the project cats will be fitted with cameras to find out exactly what they catch when they are out and about. Wildlife lovers often blame domestic cats for the decline in birdlife whilst many cat owners argue that the impact of cats is greatly exaggerated. It will be interesting to see the findings of the experiment. I have thriving bird life in my garden despite also having four cats. It is rare for any of my cats to bring home a bird and on most occasions when they have caught one it is generally in poor condition and it is my guess was already sick or injured hence why they were able to catch it. That being said, all of my cats are highly effective mousers and will bring in large numbers of the creatures particularly during the breeding season when there are baby mice available. Quite what this says about their impact on the wildlife is hard to determine without knowing whether they catch other creatures that do not end up in my kitchen.

This is Garfield who has the dubious title of World’s biggest cat. It is not clear how he got so big but the poor thing is clearly very overweight. He was taken into a animal rescue centre when his owner died and will now be following a strict calorie controlled diet. As this is the second supersized cat I have seen in as many weeks, I wonder whether obese animals are becoming much more of a problem, particular in the US where both of these stories originated. It really isn’t kind to let a cat get to these epic proportions. Lets hope Garfield manages to slim down before his obvious health problems cause him any more damage.

This has got be the largest cat I have ever seen. Weighing in at 30lbs Spongebob is as heavy as a four year old child. It is not clear how he got so fat but the animal shelter that is trying to rehome him has put him on a strict diet and exercise regime. Lets hope he can shed some of his extra weight, he looks like a lovely cat.

This article makes for an interesting read, it’s about the dangers of infection from cat bites. We have experienced this first hand a few years back when our cat Lucy bit my husband. At the time we thought we were being a little over cautious in going to the doctor. We were assured, however, that we had done the right thing when the doctor confirmed the hand was infected and gave my husband a tetanus injection and a course of antibiotics. Reading this article it seems we may have caught the problem early before it was able to get any worse. The lady in the article had her wounds washed out under a general anaesthetic and did recover but it’s worth bearing in mind that if your furry friend should bite you it’s best to see the doctor fairly quickly.

Readers may remember we found a stray cat in our kitchen some months ago. Nicknamed Tabby due to her colour we have tried everything to find her a new home. We started by putting fliers in all the letterboxes of surrounding houses as well as on lamp posts in the area. My husband also appeared in the newspaper with the cat and although we did receive several responses unfortunately none of them were Tabby’s owners. We contacted local vets and she didn’t match the descriptions of any of the lost cats on their books. We have also had her scanned for a microchip but unfortunately she doesn’t have one.

After nearly three months of having a fifth cat we have now exhausted all of the options. Having tried to integrate Tabby into the family it is simply not working out. She really is a lovely cat but although she likes us and we like her, our cats hate her. After thinking about it carefully and considering what is best for our current cats we have come to the decision to take Tabby to the local animal shelter. They are dedicated to finding homes for cats like Tabby and will put her into a foster home until they can find somewhere for her. We can’t help feeling bad that we were unable to give her a home but as we have found out, five cats really is one cat too many.

If anyone reading this in the Sevenoaks area would like a cat and would consider Tabby, do drop me an email from the link on my blog and I will forward you the phone number of the cat home.

We all know cats are cute but it seems they are much cuter when you take a piece of bread and put it around their head as pictured. Known as breading it appears it is currently the thing to do. With five cats in the house and a number of different loaves of bread in the kitchen the possibilities here are endless. Now where did those kitties go?

This is interesting its the story of a mummified cat that has recently been found in a property in North Yorkshire. It was found when the owners removed the ceilings from their 18th century property. It is thought the cat has been there for around 100 years and that it was positioned in the roof as a good luck charm to ward off evil spirits.

If this article is to be believed then a large cat could be living in Woodchester. The remains of a deer were recently found that are consistent with a cat kill. It appeared to show teeth and claw impressions and the stomach had been taken out and discarded which can also be consistent with cat kills. This cat pictured could be the cat in question although some people have also spotted a large white cat. It does appear based on the evidence so far that there is a large cat on the loose in the area but it seems further investigation is needed to find out exactly what it is.

The cat we found a few weeks ago is still with us. Having first started off living in one of our outbuildings she has been spending more and more time inside the house, generally sitting on the sofa. We have had two responses to the  piece in the local newspaper. Unfortunately both sets of people came to the conclusion it was not their cat. That leaves us with Tabitha or Tabby as we have nicknamed her, spending Christmas at least with us. How, much longer we will have her is anyone’s guess but as she is such a good natured cat I am reluctant to send her to the cats home and and tempted to keep her until we can locate her real home.

We have since taken the stray cat to the vet and have found firstly that it is a female cat and secondly that she is not micro-chipped. For now she is still living with us but we are keen to find her home.

As a happy 4 cat household the last thing we need is an extra set of paws around the house. We were less than thrilled, then, when this little guy showed up a week ago. He has no collar but does not look like a stray. He is quite friendly and has taken to living in a box in our summer house and popping in to help himself to our cats food. As yet we have been unable to find out who he belongs to but I am sure someone must be missing him. We have contacted the local paper who arrived today to take a picture of him, in order to try and find his owners. If he is still here next week, I will also be taking him the vet to see whether we can scan him for a microchip. If you live in Sevenoaks and know this cat please let me know.

A cat in Italy has become the world’s richest cat after inheriting his owners fortune. When Tommaso’s 94 year old owner died she left him a total of 10 million euros in a hand written will. Although by law the cat can not inherit directly the money is held by a trust that looks after him.

Owning a cat or dog can cost you as much as £17k over it’s lifetime, if this article is to be believed. The cost estimate comes from figures from research by Sainsbury's pet insurance and are based on costs such as food, vet bills and kennels over your pets lifetime. They are based on the fact that most dogs live 13 years and most cats 15 years. I’m not sure I spend that much on my four cats but I will say they are worth it for the pleasure and companionship they bring me.

Having four cats I have long appreciated the absorbent qualities of cat litter and the fact that it makes the job of cleaning the litter tray that much easier. If this article is correct, however, it could also be used by the police on crime scenes. That’s according to a study by forensic scientists at the Anglia Ruskin University. They have found that cat litter can be used to detect traces of petrol on hard surfaces such as concrete and that it works better than other substances which are currently used. The sodium bentonite which is found in most brands of cat litter retains petrol on the surface. CSI teams usually rely on sniffing for signs of petrol but if they reach the crime scene some time after a fire has actually place, the petrol has often evaporated or soaked into the floor. The residue can, it seems, be drawn out by the use of cat litter. Scientists are now looking at ways to improve cat litter so that it can be used to detect other flammable materials including diesel.

These kitties are the stars of a new book called Fashion cats. The book has been created by Japanese designer Takako Iwasa who came up with the idea after dressing her cats up in various outfits. The cats can be seen wearing costumes from period dress to a Harry Potter Hogwart’s uniform. All I can say is they must be very patient cats mine would take my hand off if I tried to do this to them and quite rightly so, I would deserve it.

If are thinking of getting a cat or kitten you might want to consider getting one from a rescue centre. According to this article animal charities are dealing with an unprecedented amount of cats and kittens needing homes and are struggling to cope with demand. Taking on a rescue cat can be a rewarding experience as we have learnt first hand with our four cats but one thing I will say is that many rescue centres should consider looking at their rehoming rules. When we were looking for a cat as a companion for our cat Willow, we were turned down by one animal home because we lived near a road (who doesn’t), the fact that we already had a perfectly happy cat didn’t appear to change this decision. We later found our cats from Hounslow Animal Welfare Society at the following link who were more than happy for us to rehome two of their cats. Sadly with four cats, our home is now at capacity otherwise I would gladly take on few more furry friends but if you are thinking of getting a cat you might want to check out ever growing list of cute furries who are desperate for a new home.

It can be quite embarrassing to see your cats squeezing through the fence to use the neighbour’s garden as a toilet when you have provided a perfectly good litter tray at home. It seems, however, that there is not much you can do about their behaviour. According to this article cats choose to use the neighbours garden because they are marking the edges of their territory. The behavioural trait was discovered when GPS trackers were fitted to nine cats over a period of eight days. 150 hours of camera footage were caught and 3,000 owners were also surveyed. Town cats have to spend the greater proportion of their day protecting their territory against rivals and half of cats had to deal with other cats entering their homes to steal food. One way to stop your cats using your neighbours garden could be to leave areas of loose soil on the edges of the garden to encourage them to use that instead.

We have just had a new cat move into the neighbourhood which is causing a bit of excitement in our four cats household. The new cat who lives next door has been trying his best to make friends with our cats without success. He has been visiting the garden several times a day and has been popping in to help himself to a snack (pictured left). A few days ago we found him trapped inside the kitchen unable to get out. So far our cats remain unimpressed. They have made it clear that they hate their new neighbour and do not appreciate him visiting. It seems they also take a dim view of sharing their food. We are currently looking into purchasing a new cat flap that works with our cats microchips. Hopefully this will stop the visits inside the house but as for the garden I guess they will just have to learn to get along.

We have been at bit short on cute cat pictures recently, so to restore the balance, here is a pic of Oscar posing nicely for the camera.

If you have always wanted a furry friend but suffer from allergies then there might soon be an answer. According to this article recent research could pave the way for a cat allergy pill to be produced. Researchers at Nottingham University have identified the protein that starts the whole allergy process meaning a drug that targets it could provide widespread relief. As the same protein also causes dust mite allergies and hay fever it could also lead to more effective treatment for these conditions as well.

This cute little guy is one of four pink kittens recently rescued by the Cats Protection League. The kittens were found abandoned at a concrete factory in Redruth in Cornwall. The pink colour is thought to have come from them having been been in contact with the red pigment used in concrete manufacturing. The colour won’t wash out so the kittens are likely to remain pink until it grows out of their fur.

This cat which has been nicknamed Scotty managed to survive a 30 mile journey trapped in a car engine. It is thought the cat crawled into the engine compartment when the car was parked in Carlton in Nottingham. He was later found by the driver of the car when he arrived in Hasland, Chesterfield. The cat suffered some burns to his paws but is otherwise unharmed. Unfortunately it has not yet been possible to find his owners as he was not micro-chipped.

This is a Lily a cat that according to this article can predict epileptic fits. Lily’s owner Nathan suffers from epilepsy but it seems that Lily can predict when the fits are about to occur acting as a kind of furry early warning system. Apparently it is not unheard of for cats to be able to do this. It make me wonder whether I should listen to my cats when they start howling for no reason, perhaps they are trying to tell me something useful after all.