Pets

lifestyle Pets

by OLIVIA BRIDGEN

What your cat really thinks about you

New research shows that despite humans having lived with cats for 9,500 years, us Brits are still completely confused by them. Lily’s Kitchen partnered with cat behaviourist, Rosie Bescoby, to reveal tips on cat’s body language: 1. Making you open the door to let them in (when

there’s a cat flap): They know what you can do to make their lives easier and are hoping you will help them. 2. Sleeping on anything you’re reading: Cats will

do almost anything to get attention, and this is just one of many clever ways they’ve learnt to do so. 3. Swiping inanimate objects off the side: This

is inherent predatory behaviour and if they get a reaction from their owner, well, then their work is done.

Neuter your Cat for £5

Do you live in our Bromley area (BR1 - 4 or SE20, SE23 & SE26) and would like some help to get your cat neutered? We are offering you the chance to have your cat neutered for just £5.

For more information please contact Bromley Cats Protection on :

07776667852

www.cats.org.uk/bromley/ contact-us

Email: neutering@bromley. cats.org.uk

Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) SC037711 (Scotland) NEU_2343 4. Drinking water from a glass: Cats can be fussy

when it comes to water and prefer for it to not be next to their food bowl, so will often choose a glass instead.

5. Pretending they want a tummy rub, then

clawing you: Your cat wants to play rather than have a tummy rub. 6. Squeezing into tiny spaces: They feel safe and

sound in hidey holes and want to get away from people for a while. 7. Getting up high: It’s another security reason – they will feel safe when they can survey their kingdom from up high.

8. Tail twitching while you are interacting with

them: Your cat politely telling you to back off. 9. Staring: Fixed eye contact is threatening in cat body language. The cat is in full predatory mode and could pounce at any time. 10. Meowing: Cats generally don’t meow at each other; it’s reserved for communication with humans. They usually do this when they want some attention – or food! 11. Purring – A sign of a happy and contented cat but sometimes occurs when they’re in pain to soothe themselves. 12. Kneading – A sign of feeling safe and relaxed.

Lily’s Kitchen

Did you know…

there are 10.7 million cats in the UK

Vegan diets ‘healthiest for dogs’

A study by PLOS ONE compared the health outcomes of dogs on a conventional diet compared to those on raw meat diets and those on vegan pet food. It found that dogs fed conventional diets appeared to fare worse than those on either raw meat diets or vegan pet food. The study, which involved over 2,500 dogs, looked at general indicators of ill health including unusual numbers of veterinary visits, medication use, guardian opinion and assessment of health status.

This is Zip. He's a lovely, rehomed cat with a big personality and a very loud voice! He has rather embarrassingly become infamous in the neighbourhood, for slinking into people's houses and helping himself to their dinners! He then manages to charm them into forgiveness with his affectionate manner! Catherine Bird

Conker is a rescued bearded dragon living with Reptile Events Reptile Rescue. She's 11 years old and very sociable. She came to the rescue when her owner went back into nursing early in the pandemic and found himself working 18-hour shifts, so he wasn't able to look after her. Jane Darnbrough This is my Bella who was rescued from a puppy farm. I got her at six months and sadly she had to have heart surgery, but she’s doing great now. Pauline Gilbert

This is our (almost) one-year-old cat, Ember. She's the most affectionate cat ever. She's so beautiful with the most striking amber eyes. Her favourite thing to do is try to catch flies, bees and wasps. We also have a lopeared bunny called Splodge who is very daft and once had his hutch left open all day and didn’t even realise! Davina Burnett Meet Merlin and Jasper! They are seal point and blue point Siamese cats and are approximately a year old. Jazmin Saville

Here’s Dolly, a Romanian rescue. She has had both eyes removed because of sarcoma cancer, but is taking it all in her stride. Shelley Godenho

This is Meg and Difor. They love all the streams in the borough and have thrown themselves in most of them! Tina Bynoe This is our sweet boy Spencer. He’s such an angel. Jenny Nash

Meet Rio. He is a Tabby X Bengal and is such an affectionate little guy. He loves giving kisses and always wants to snuggle up. He also has a wild side (must be the Bengal in him) and loves jumping onto the top of doors and whizzing around the house at top speed. We have recently had a new baby and Rio is so loving and gentle towards him. He has such a unique and intriguing personality for a cat, he has helped complete our family. Andrea Michele Bywater Bill and Ted are brothers who were feral for the first 16 weeks of their life. When they were rescued they were nervous and shy, but 18 months later they are relaxed and confident. They fight like cat and dog one minute and love each other the next. Bill is playful and a bit of a bruiser, while Ted just loves to snuggle. Mischelle Clark