Welcome to October's edition of the Happy Cat Ezine Autumn is upon us and the nights are getting colder and arriving sooner and the cats are re- discovering just how comfy and warm laps are. This means my cat fur allergy is in full swing and the tissue box is always at hand. But I do love a cat on my lap. Hope you are all well and that you will enjoy this months newsletter P. S Don't forget that our CAT HEALTH GUIDE EBOOK has been revamped and is available to download from the site. The price is only $6.99 and this also includes a free copy of the "Homemade cat food recipe ebook" .     Remember if you have a cat story to tell us or a favorite feline poem to share it with us here. hope you are all well and i hope to see you soon on Our-happy-cat.com. See you next month Best Wishes Kate   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1. New Cat Gallery Photos This Month 2. Competition 3. Byron and Shelley's Latest Diary Entry 4. Cat Poem - O.J The Rescued Cat - A Poem 5.. Article - Children and Cats –Getting The Right Balance ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.New Cat Gallery Pages Lots more of your beautiful cats have been submitted to our cat photo gallery to see more visit the cat gallery . Enjoy. Don't forget to submit your cat to the cat gallery so that others can enjoy your cat as well. Click on their pictures to find out more about them. Buster Max Ashia Raydar Chee Choo and Zooma Brandi   ----------------------------------------- 2. Competition Number Oct 33 Here is October's Caption Competition. All you have to do is write a caption for this picture. . Simply send us your caption to go with this picture. Click here to submit Caption The deadline for this competition is October 27th. The best caption will be chosen and the winners name and caption will be posted on the www.our-happy-cat.com competition page. This month the prize is a copy of the Book "Quotable Cats" A beautiful photographic book with quotes about cats. GOOD Luck         -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Byron and Shelley's Latest Diary Entry September has proven to be a month of vet visits for our two boys. First it was their yearly vaccination boosters, then poor Byron got badly bitten on the tail and finally Shelley seems to have something stuck up his nose. Thank goodness for cat insurance. Byron's tail looked so bad we actually thought he had broken it. it was dragging it along the floor and it looked slightly twisted too and we though, oh no this is going to mean amputation. thankfully it was a rather nasty bit right near the base of his tail. he needed pain killers and antibiotics. Shelley bless him has been sneezing and coughing and even vomiting a little. The vet cant see what the problem is and so we are waiting and seeing what happens. we are hoping that it is something organic that will eventually dissolve, if not it will be operation time I fear. luckily it doesn't seem to be bothering him too much at the moment so fingers crossed. I'm hope October is going to be better. I will be adding regular updates about them on the web site so keep an eye on your RSS feeds for those. Here is their page -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Cat Stories and Poems we like to encourage our visitors to the site to share their cat story or poetry with us here. we certainly enjoy reading your tales of rescue, joy and sadness too. So if you have a story or poem to tell us please let us know HERE This month we were sent a Poem from by Mary (North Carolina, USA). O.J The Rescued Cat - A Poem O.J The Cat (8/22/09) He wandered into my backyard In need of a rescue friend I don't know where he came from Or where this boy had been. He is sleek and trim in body His color, a beautiful Buff. He was thin and very hungry His appearance was somewhat rough. I named this handsome boy O.J No need to ask me why That's just the name that came to me the first time that he walked by. I offered him food right from my hand He turned and ran away But then he came back seeking more. He was there most every day. I made sure that he had ample food that he could rely upon I wanted so bad to pet his head But his trust I had not won. The day's passed by one by one He came to eat each day I spoke to him so softly it is the rescue way. And then one day he came to eat I handed him his plate He carefully strolled up to my feet He was hungry and could not wait. He then allowed me to pat his head as he gobbled down his feed. I knew this was a gentle cat so hungry, alone, and in need. The weeks have passed one by one and like a faithful friend He still came by both day and night His trust was on the mend. He came into my enclosed porch He let me stroke his fur He finally trusted me at last I prayed this would occur. My plan was then to gain his trust and get him to the vet. Then bring him inside to live with me but it has not happened yet. He hasn't been here for over a week I'm worried, and feeling blue. I want so much to rescue him It is the right thing to do. And so O.J, this is for you Close by or from afar I love you still and miss you so No matter where you are. Just know that I am waiting here To see you once again I have your food and plenty of love I am a faithful friend. So please come back and show your face Please hurry without delay Im thinking of you and missing you Your in my thoughts each day. When you see fit to make your way back I'll be here standing by to make your rescue plan complete I really want to try. There is an update to this poem I guess patience does pay O.J has been gone for 2 weeks now Seeing him again has made my day His head is scratched in several spots He is looking kind of rough. I see he has been in a fight or two But this boy is very tough. I medicated his bleeding head And treated his infected ears I gave him hugs and kisses too I am so glad he is back here. My O.J friend is a true tom cat He roams for many days But after I get this boy neutered No longer will he stray. I thank the Lord for bringing him back Into my rescued fold. O.J has a forever home with me Until he is very, very old. So when you see a cat in need There is so much that you can do. Be patient and reach out to them They will surely come back to you. ______________________________________________ 5.. Article - Children and Cats –Getting The Right Balance Many parents worry about having a cat in the home with children. They worry not only for the safety of their child but also that of the cat’s. However cats are wonderful companions for children and for many it is the first real friend that they make. Generally speaking the benefits far out weigh any problems and as long as parents oversee the interaction between the two all will be well. One of the first big concerns occurs when bringing home a new baby where there is a resident cat. There are many old wives tails that get banded about amongst new mothers such as the cat smothering new babies in their sleep. This of course is untrue and probably just stems from the fact that a cat will be curious about the new arrival and will try to get into the babies bed for a closer look and smell. This is perfectly natural and will allow the cat to become familiar with the new member of the family. Of course it is common sense that an adult is always present when the cat and baby are together, it may even be advisable to go as far as making sure that doors to the babies room are always kept closed when the baby is alone. It is also important to remember that the arrival of a new baby may also be a difficult time for the cat. Up to now they have been used to being the centre of attention and being regularly played with and petted. However once the new baby arrives they will find themselves relegated to second place and may feel left out and resentful towards the new favourite in the home. One way round this is to prepare the cat in advance and start to gradually bring in new baby things into the house. Allow the cat to smell them and get used to them being around, this will make the process far less stressful and less of a shock to the cat. Once the baby has arrived, make an effort to continue to play with the cat every day, this will avoid any jealousy and will make it easier for the cat to accept the new arrival. The toddler stage is the most challenging time for the cat, child relationship. Toddlers are much more mobile and can often be boisterous in their play. This is the time when cats can get pulled about and may retaliate by scratching or biting. By teaching children from an early age to be gentle whilst playing with the cat, will reduce these confrontations and instil an element of trust between the two. Having said that most cats sense that young children are often unpredictable and a little rough in their play and so try to keep out of the way when toddlers are around. As children get older and more mobile and inquisitive it is best to start to teach them to look after the cats needs like feeding them and brushing them. This will help the child to understand how to behave around the cat and how to interact with them. A good way of doing this is to brush and stroke the child’s hair and arm and then do the same to the cat. Repeat this process over and over and then allow the child to copy your actions on you and then the cat. As soon as a child shows signs tat they want to pick a cat up, make sure they are shown how to hold the cat properly by supporting it under the chest and back legs. A cat whose legs are left to dangle is a cat that does not feel secure and is more likely to become frightened and bite. A very unpleasant experience for both the cat and the child. Some parents have health concerns about having a cat around, especially when there are young children in the house. One of the main concerns is from children coming into contact with cat faeces and being infected with parasites such as roundworm and being exposed to certain bacteria like Toxoplasma. However as long as sensible precautions are taken, like making sure that the litter trays are kept away from babies and toddlers and that areas in the garden where the cat may use as a toilet are not accessible, then there should be no need for concern. A part of being a responsible cat owner is to make sure that cats are properly vaccinated and kept flea free. This not only protects the cat but also anyone else who comes into contact with them. Cats and children make perfect companions for each other and some say that they are a better mix than a dog would be, mainly because cats are much smaller and less likely to push children over. They also have a natural ability to get out of harms way when cornered by an over enthusiastic toddler, rather than retaliating, which dog might do. By getting the balance right between child and cat safety, mutual companionship and respect, children and cats will live together happily for many years and which will develop into a bond that will last a lifetime.