Last year Mr J and I went along to the pet fair, and found it to be rather enjoyable. It is on again this year and the Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s annual Pet Fair promises to be the biggest one yet.

This year’s pet fair includes:
- a ‘Best Pet’ competition with prizes in each of the three categories: ‘cutest pet’, ‘pet most like it’s owner’ and ‘best pet trick’ judged by celebrity guest Bondi Vet’s Dr Chris Brown.
- ‘My Cat Goes to University’ Cat Show
- NSW Police Dog Unit demonstrations
- Free pet health checks
- La Perouse snake man
- Wildlife and exotic pet displays
- Pet counselling advice
- Kids petting zoo

The Pet Fair is held in conjunction with the University of Sydney’s ‘2010 Open Day’, an information day for prospective students.

The 2010 Pet Fair is proudly supporting the Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s new 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency veterinary service, SAVES.

What: University of Sydney’s Pet Fair
When: Saturday 28th August 2010
Where: Sydney University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 65 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown, NSW, 2006.
Time: 10am – 4pm
Cost: Free

savvycat x

How awesome is this? Nazzaning, a beautiful 6-year-old Turkish Van, was recommended for hydrotherapy after she was injured in June and was suffering from partial paralysis in her paw.

At first she reacted in a usual cat-to-water way, but seems to have relaxed after a few sessions.

Nazzaning’s treatments consist of 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill immersed in 4 to 5 inches of water, with a therapist helping to keep her upright and ensure proper foot placement.

“Her muscles needed to learn how to move the correct way again, and because she’s partially buoyant in water, if she makes a mistake it’s much less severe than if she’s walking on dry land,” Cooper explained.

After the treadmill, Nazzaning swims in a 4 1/2-foot pool while being supported by a therapist, to help strengthen her limbs and provide all-over exercise.

Nazzaning goes to therapy three times a week, in addition to at-home massages, and stretches several times a day.

via MSNBC.

cross posted from Jarod and Liz
Macarons may have taken over from cupcakes as the latest popular dessert, but cupcakes still win hands down in the easiness game. While you can get super creative with macarons, I’d argue it’d be wayyy more difficult than baking and decorating a cupcake.

So it’s a good thing that the RSPCA are holding another Cupcake Day on August 16 this year to raise money so they can continue to look after animals in need.

Seeing as I had a bit of time today, I thought I’d do some decorating of my own. You may remember that I went to a cupcake decorating class earlier in the year, so prepare to be blown away by my talent.

Are you ready? Here it is…

It’s a cat cupcake! I know, I know, it looks exactly like a cat, right?

Now, if in your head you’re thinking ‘I can do that/better than that’ then you’re probably well suited to sign up and raise some money. They also have a Most Creative Cupcake Cook competition – I suggest looking through the entries and being inspired.

Can’t bake or decorate? Why not donate to one of the participants?

While I haven’t started a team yet, rest assured I won’t let my cupcake decorating talent go to waste. Even if Mr. J might be the only person kind enough to give me money for them.

savvycat x

P.S. New Zealand folks, your date to remember is August 30! More information is available over at the SPCA Cupcake Day website :)

I remember reading about this a little while ago. This article was published in SMH Online today:

Gina Guirguis never liked cats before she was given Bella, a fluffy black Himalayan Mountain cat, for her birthday five years ago.

“I think a lot of people don’t like cats until they have one,” said Ms Guirguis, who is now smitten.

But there could be a more sinister reason some people are attracted to the purring feline: a parasite in cats that could alter a person’s personality if they catch it.

According to infectious disease expert Kevin Lafferty, the parasite Toxoplasma gondii could make infected women kinder and infected men less intelligent.

Scientists first discovered that toxoplasma could alter behaviour in rodents, Dr Lafferty said.

Once an animal becomes infected, the parasite makes its way to the brain where it provokes the immune system, causing a series of chemical events that alter the level of dopamine in the brain.

Studies showed that rats infected with the parasite were more active and less fearful of cats.

Although this behaviour sounds strangely suicidal, Dr Lafferty said it was fuelled by the parasite’s need to survive.

While the parasite can live outside the body of a cat, it can mate and reproduce only inside the intestines of felines.

So by altering a rat’s behaviour, the parasite was trying to increase the chances it would be eaten by a cat so it could complete its life cycle, said Dr Lafferty, who works at the US Geological Survey.

Dr Lafferty believes when the parasite infects a human it uses the same tricks – including altering the levels of dopamine in the brain: “We know that changes in dopamine can have pretty significant effects on the behaviour of humans and other vertebrates.”

Parasitologist Dr Nicky Boulter, who studied Toxoplasma gondii for five years, said although it was clear that infected rats were drawn to cats, the science hadn’t proven this was why some humans were attracted to them.

But she said research over the past decade had shown the influence the parasite could have on human behaviour.

When women infected with the parasite were given an IQ test, researchers found they were smarter and more conforming than non-infected females. The same tests revealed that infected men were less intelligent and prone to novelty-seeking behaviour.

But these personality changes were often fairly subtle, said Dr Boulter, who works for a private genetics company.

When humans become infected with the parasite they often experience flu-like symptoms. Dr Lafferty said if the condition was not treated, the parasite could remain in the body for life.

The most common source of the parasite was eating undercooked meat, followed by exposure to contaminated soil and cats, he said.

The number of people infected with the parasite, which prefers humid, low-altitude regions, varies from country to country.

While more than 60 per cent of women of child-bearing age in Brazil are infected, only 6 per cent of their Norwegian counterparts are infected.

Close to 30 per cent of Australian women of child-bearing age are infected with the parasite.

What a lovely thought. I prefer to think I like them because they’re beautiful, independent creatures.

savvycat x

After reading a review of Pampered Pets Playground on That’s Noice and realising we could actually get Da Bird in Australia, I had to order one.

Da Bird works so well because the toy is attached on it’s own hook, meaning it can twirl around and move like a real bird (or moth, or other winged creature). We got the normal feather attachment, as well as the ‘kitty puff’ and the ‘sparkler’. So far the feathers are her favourite, but the sparkler is not far behind.

I’ll let you decide if Train likes Da Bird based on some photos Mr. J took last night.

I think it’s almost made up for us leaving her with a kitty sitter for a week while we got married :)

savvycat x

RSPCA’s Million Purrs is coming to a close at the end of this month and I thought it would be nice to post an email interview with Wil Anderson (this year’s Million Purrs ambassador). I must admit, I didn’t expect Wil to reply with all his commitments, so it was a nice surprise in my inbox today.

For those of you who’ve never heard of Wil Anderson, he’s one of Australia’s most talented comedians. It seems you either love him, or love to hate him. Either way, he is pretty funny.

Photo from Wil Anderson’s website.

You have three cats at home – what are their names and are there any stories behind them?

The eldest is Tip. He is named that because we got him at a rescue that was at the rubbish tip near Bowrol. We wanted to remind him even though he was having a spoiled city life, he was still from the wrong side of the tracks. You know, like Ryan from The OC.

Then there is Diego, who is a Burmese who walks with a limp although he still can get up some speed when he gets going. Every time you watch him get up it is like the final scene of The Usual Suspects.

And finally Ziggy, who is white and just likes to eat. Everything. Esepcially if it is on our plate. He is the only cat who would go on Masterchef. He would only eat a mouse if he got to marinate, stuff and slow-roast it first.

What made you decide to become the RSPCA Million Purrs ambassador this year?

There are actually demonstrated links between kids who are violent to animals, and adults who are violent to humans.

So the message is if you want to stop your kids from being violent, you should get them a pet and teach them to treat it with respect and kindness. Or as the bumper stickers I am printing will put it: “Get Your Kid A Cat, And They Won’t Be Ivan Milat!”

I am a cat person. I wanted to deal with the whole men and cats issue. For some reason in this country if you are a man and you say “I like cats” what people actually hear is “I have my period, now get me a hot water bottle and a block of chocolate because I want to watch Grey’s Anatomy”.

Put it this way, there is no line in the VB ad that says: “You can get it stroking your cat’s tummy until he goes meow, matter of fact, I’ve got it now!”

Has anyone ever showed concern at the number of cats you own?

Yes, especially when I was a single guy with three cats. Apparently that is officially one cat away from a story on A Current Affair. (You know, the one they wedge in between “When Good Washing Machine Repairmen Go Bad” and their hard-hitting exclusive on how 9 out of 10 people with tastebuds can actually believe that “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” is not butter.)

Are your cats all from shelters? If not, where are they from?

They are all adopted cats. Well I say adopted, I think they realise that we are not their real parents. We are a little worried that if we take in too many more animals the neighbours will think we are building an ark in the backyard

Do your cats feature in many of your comedy routines?

Yes, lots of stories. (And when I am sitting in my office writing jokes they often sit in my lap so I can spin around stroking them and pretend I am a James Bond villain.)

My favourite story is the morning when getting out of bed early I left the light off and stepping out of bed accidentally stepped on the cat’s tail.

Immediately the cat screamed, as did my girlfriend who said: “You would be the worst father in the world… what if that had been our baby?”

I replied without thinking: “No you would be the worst mother in the world… because you left our baby on the floor!”

What do you think is the most important cat-related thing everyone should know?

Dogs are great. But dogs are easy. A cat on the other hand, when you get home from work, will simply look up from their armchair, put down their catnip martini and cigar, and look at you as if to say: “Oh, you’ve been out have you? I didn’t notice… now get me some food!” Put it this way, if a cat loves you, you feel like you have earned that love.

Basically the difference between cats and dogs is that while you own a dog, the cat owns you. If you throw a stick for a dog, the dog will go and fetch the stick, bring it back and be happy for you to throw it again. If you dared throw a stick for a cat, the cat would look at you and think: “Wow, I guess you really didn’t want that stick… now get me some food!”

—

Thanks to Wil for taking the time to respond to my email.

savvycat x

It must be a slow news day when this makes it on to the ABC news website, but I’m never one to complain about a good kitten story.

A four-week-old kitten that spent two hours stuck in a police highway patrol car bumper could well be Sydney’s luckiest cat. The kitten used up one of its nine lives when it leapt into the moving vehicle and got stuck inside the bumper cavity.

Senior Constable Tex Tannous says he was patrolling at Cartwright in Sydney’s south-west on Friday when he narrowly avoided hitting the kitten. He braked sharply and assumed the animal had run off.

Later, as he set up to breath test drivers for Anzac Day long weekend operations, he heard purring coming from the engine. “It’s decided to climb up underneath the car into the engine bay and I couldn’t locate it, so I’m walking around trying to find it, I could hear it but couldn’t find the little sucker,” he said.

He says his colleagues thought it was a practical joke. “One of the other guys from our office come past and I yelled out to him, I said ‘I’ve got a bit of a problem, I’ve got a cat in the engine bay.’ And he sort of looked at me a bit funny.” Senior Constable Tannous says he turned the engine off to make sure the cat did not overheat while he breath tested drivers. “The cars do get hot sitting there while we’re conducting our duties and I didn’t want to have a fried cat in the engine bay.”

He then took the car to a nearby mechanic who found the black kitten in the bumper cavity. Senior Constable Tannous says although he has bonded well with the female kitten – nicknamed Cartwright – he will not be adopting it.

It is not known if the kitten was trying to avoid a breath test but police have not laid charges and are appealing for its owner to come forward.

I’m very pleased the cat escaped healthy and with all four paws.

savvycat x

Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had a backyard filled with snow, but the video is still very amusing. I would imagine that most cats would find the snow unbearably cold though?

savvycat x

The Cat Protection Society’s Kitten Kaboodle photography competition is on again!

t’s that time of year again when we want you to capture the essence of what the cat in your life means to you.

Whether your style is artistic, humorous or just plain cute – everyone is invited to enter.

Simply download an entry form, send us your favourite cat photos and you could win some great prizes.

There’s also a Kid’s Club section, for those under 12.

Even if you don’t enter, be sure to head down to the exhibition while it’s on (June 1st – 20th, 2010) at the Buzzzbar Café in Newtown.

savvycat x