The Mewspapers - MAY 2018

W W . T H E F L U F F L I S T . C O M . A U / B
W
O G S / M E W S P A P E R S
L
T H E M E W S P A P E R S P A G E 1
M A Y 2 0 1 8 E D I T I O N
T H E M E W S P A P E R S
L A T E S T M E W S F R O M A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
"O Canada, o Canada, from far
and wide we stand on guard for"
all the cats we owe to thee !
S A T U R D A Y 2 6 T H M A Y 2 0 1 8
THE CAT PARADE OF YPRES
A LONG (CHANGED) TRADITION
If you're in Canada, you cannot miss the The Edmonton
International Cat Festival, the only festival of its kind in
Canada, that brings cat lovers together to celebrate the
beloved domestic feline and crazy cat culture, all while
raising money and awareness for important cat rescue
organisations. Over the past 3 festivals, the event has raised
no less than 60,000 CAD for cats in need.
Famous cats such as Instagram's world most followed cat
Nala (@nala_cat) will be attending, as well as the Edmontonborn
model and actor Travis DesLaurier (@travbeachboy) -
the only man who can motivate all cat loving women to work
out. Visitors get to meet and greet their idols and there will
even be a live Q&A.
C A T CELEBS, COMPETITIONS AND ACTIVITIES
With a cat themed Escape Room, Mr and Mrs Purrfect photo
competition, a video competition, cat shows, a cat- themed
board game room, Kitty TV, kitten activities (yeeeeeees!),
the now become classic cat on mat yoga sessions and so
much
more, you'll not only enjoy being surrounded by other cat
lovers but will leave with the heart warming knowledge that
the fees from your entry ticket and any merchandise bought
on the day will all be donated for a good cause. Do we need
to say more?
Linda Hoang is the Founder of the cat fest, and is pawent to
cats Loki and Thor, and her other fur children, a beagle
named Olive and Husky-cross Artie.
T H E LADY BEHIND IT ALL
Do you want to attend? RSVP on their Facebook page and
follow to stay updated on event changes.
THE CAT PARADE OF YPRES
A LONG (CHANGED) TRADITION
The Kattenstoet of Ypres, literally translated Cats Parade, is
a triennial celebration that thankfully has changed quite a
bit since its beginnings back in the Flemish Middle Ages. The
"celebration" didn't honour cats at all, but was instead had
the sole purpose to get rid of the city's abundance of cats -
cats who had been intentionally kept to keep vermin at bay
in the warehouses - while providing typically gruesome
entertainment. Because in those times, anything gore was
entertaining.
And so it was that on "Cat Wednesday", the city would throw
live cats from the of the Cloth Hall! Let us reassure you that
this practice has since long died out, or rather, has been
replaced by stuffed toys. A procession takes place and
activities are organised all weekend around the place of cats
in history and the origins of the parade. People dress up as

T H E M E W S P A P E R S P A G E 2
essential animal reservoirs for the ticks.
@ P A P I _ L E C H A T
PLAYTIME: ADAPT IT
Ticks seek moist environments and can
be found on wild grasses and low
vegetation in both urban and rural
areas. Adult ticks climb to the tip of
vegetation along trails, waiting for a
host. Nymphs are found in low, wet
vegetation and on logs.
W H A T TO AVOID
Who can resist a game with their cat?
Most cat pawents will know their fur
children well enough to tell when it's for
playtime, and have figured out each
cat's playtime preferences.
TO THEIR PERSONALITY
B E A R S STILL AT RISK
cats, witches and mice, and the end of
the festival is marked with a mock witch
burning, another common practice
of the time and closely associated to the
sad beliefs around cats and black magic.
We talked to one our IG fans
@papi_lechat whose pawent attended
the 45th anniversary of the celebration
as we know it today, coming on the
blog. Thank you Papi!
HEALTH: LYME RISE
WHY AND WHAT TO DO
This month marks the beginning of the
hot season when ticks, carriers of Lyme
disease, proliferate. Authorities acorss
the world including France, Canada and
the USA, have launched awareness
campaigns. The US CDC estimated
cases of tickborne diseases had more
than doubled from 2004 to 2016, from
22,000 to 48,000, of which 82 percent
were Lyme disease, but in reality, due to
underreporting, the actual number of
Lyme disease cases is estimated to be
significantly higher – likely more than
350,000 in 2016.
W H Y THE INCREASE IN CASES
There are several reasons varying on the
regions affected that are associated
with the increase ticks, but they all have
a common consequential denominator:
a result in increase in the an animal
reservoir, essentially small mammal or
rodents, on which ticks feed. These
animals are the original carriers of the
bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The
ticks get infected when they feed on
these mammals, and in turn transmit
the infection to humans.
Increase in climate change, a decrease
in predators such as foxes or wolves, are
all a few causes of the explosion of
Recommendations have been issued for
travellers and hikers especially, such as
avoiding bushland, and wearing insect
repellent. Make sure to tuck long pants
into socks - as ticks climb upwards, this
prevents them from getting under your
trousers. Wear long sleeve tops, and
tuck them in to your trousers. When
you return from a hike, check over
THAT CASES OF TICKBORNE
DISEASES HAD MORE THAN
DOUBLED FROM 2004 TO
2016. LYME DISEASE ACCOUNTED
FOR 82 PERCENT OF TICKBORNE
DISEASES
— U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION
yourself in a mirror and pay close
attention to all the crease areas where
ticks are prone to hide, such as behind
knee and arm joints, armpits and thigh
creases, and under the breasts. Only
remove a tick with a special pick to
remove the head.
Familiarise yourself with the symptoms
which unfortunately many symptoms
can be mistaken at first for a common
cold - headaches, muscle aches, fatigue.
However, he bull's eye-like rash is a
very clear sign of an infection. It's
present in 80-90 percent of cases, but
can manifest itself anywhere between
one day and a month after the bite.
Anyone who suspects to be infected
needs to seek medical assistance for
immediate treatment.
S I G N S TO LOOK FOR
If it moves (and it's not too big to come
and threaten us back), then most cats
will like me just go for it. But did you
know that some of us are ground
hunters and others air hunters? Preys
require cats to make hunting
adjustments based off the intended
target's characteristics. Not only should
you interest yourself in what kind of
toys your cat likes, but also what the
most enticing way to move these toys
during play.
P R E F E R R E D PREY
Hunting is not only a physical activity.
Mentally, being an ambush predator
means the cat has to make quick
decisions to secure a successful hunt, so
don't leave a toy wiggling for too long.
Similarly, you don't want to be making it
constantly move too fast as this
R E-ENACT PREY BEHAVIOUR
prevents your cat fro thinking and
planning. Preys don't go running in to
their predator's faces, usually, so don't
throw toys at your cat. Make them
appear to be hiding or walking away, or
in a corner seemingly oblivious to the
nearby threat.
While some cats love to openly play,
others are more timid. Offering tunnels
or boxes to hide in and ambush from
could encourage your cat if he appears
too shy for play.
If there's one modern toy that YouTube
hasn't tired of sharing with us, it's the
laser. Some professionals however warn
about the negative effects of using a
"prey" that can never be caught.
T H E LASER.... YES OR NO?

T H E M E W S P A P E R S P A G E 3
Increased frustration, confusion, and a
lack of satisfaction incur when playing
with the elusive toy. We will be
discussing toy selection and playtime
guidelines on the blog, and would love
to know what your cats like to play with
so as to recommend ways to improve
your playtime! So answer our survey!
CAT FLUFF_FACTS:
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT
wikipedia
- Lack of shelter, food, water, human
care and medical treatment
- Flea, tick or parasite infestations
- Untreated open wounds or sores
- Injured animals showing no signs of
medical treatment
- Hair loss, lesions, scabs and other
untreated skin conditions
- Unnecessary tying up for long periods
- Confinement to hot or cold areas such
as cars, garages, basements
- Malnutrition or an emaciated look
- Hostile, aggressive behaviour towards
other animals or people
- Inadequate socialisation
- Unsanitary conditions or an
overcrowded environment
- Animal abandonment
- Acts of physical violence – striking or
kicking
- Maggots or flies that could indicate
disease or infection
- A collar becoming embedded into the
skin
- The death of one or more animals
under suspicious conditions
IF THE VACCINE COULD
PREVENT A FUTURE CANCER
FROM DEVELOPING IN
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR
OTHER VULNERABLE CATS
could mark a new insight into our
feline's health and our own.
- KELLY DIEHL
The cat, Jasper, belonged to Dr Beatty,
professor of feline medicine at Sydney
University, who carried out the
research funded by the US based Morris
Animal Foundation.
Kelly Diehl, senior scientific and
communications adviser at the Morris
Animal Foundation, is excited at the
discovery of a new virus responsible for
the disease, as it's crucial to developing
a vaccine to prevent infection. Knowing
more about a virus in a species is always
relevant to understanding it in other
species, thus, could help us find
answers for mankind.
This month we introduce you to kitty
Fancy, whose unfortunate start in life is
a thing of the past thanks to her
adoption pawent Katie in Perth,
Australia. Less than a year ago, Katie and
the local animal rescue, Perth Rescue
Angels, placed the rescued kitten, found
in a lost pets Facebook ground, up for
adoption after Katie had found her in
bad shape.
She didn't have a birth defect, the vet
concluded, but had tragically undergone
violent abuse to her face, ears and front
limbs and tail, leaving her forever
scarred. In Australia, the RSPCA claimed
in 2017 that nationally, there have been
more than 70,000 animal abuse reports
in the past year. There's also been an
increase in penalties being put down by
the courts which reflect the
community's attitude about animal
cruelty.
A lot of the time the abuse is indirect
however or "unintentional", and stems
from a lack of understanding of animal
needs. And then there's the other side of
the spectrum, with acts of "cruel intent",
such as the duck stabbed in the head
with a knife at an Adelaide Hills park last
month. Know how to identify the type of
act and you'll be better equipped to
report it.
R E C O G N I S E AND REPORT
Pet Secure give the following help to
identify and report cruelty acts:
- Offensive smells from a home or yard,
such as ammonia or faeces
We wish we din't have to think about
these sort of issues, but the truth is we
are far from living on a kind planet
respectful of animals. Fancy today is like
any other cat. Sure, she has the
occasional breathing problem and
maybe sneezes a little more than your
average cat, but she plays, runs around,
teases her adopted siblings and loves to
cuddle. Katie admits that being around
Fancy is humbling, as it reminds her
that life is short and is to be lived at its
fullest every day, with gratitude.
Thanks to Katie Walker and her love for
animals, for providing a loving home for
all her rescued babies with "issues".
A CAT TO SHED LIGHT
ON HEPATITUS B
The discovery in a cat's post-mortem
biopsy reveals the first case of a feline
disease much resembling hepatitis B.
The report was published on Friday and
FEATURE PRODUCT:
NECOICHI HAPPY DINING
Some of us cats are a bit messy at
dinner time... but that's not a problem
when you have a dining tray like this.
Perfectly designed to keep your floor
food and water spill-free, with high
quality porcelain to be both durable and
light for easy clean up and
transportation. Even better, it is
dishwasher and microwave compatible
made to FDA/EC&ECC European
standard, lead and cadmium free. The
matching bowls are a perfect height for
cats too. Find more of their products on
Instagram @necoichi.us.
Well that's it from us! We hope you
enjoyed your April edition! Want to be
featured in our fluff_facts? Get in
touch, and get noticed on our IG
account @theflufflistcats. Want to share
a great product? Email us at
theflufflisthq@gmail.com.
Lots of purrs,