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If you have a welfare concern please contact the Ocicat Club Welfare Officer, Mrs Manuela Croft in the first instance Tel: 07870 747639 or Email

In the past The Club had some concerns that should an Ocicat need to be found a new home (for whatever reason), there seemed to be no definite place that a cat could be taken to in the short term until a new home was found.

The Club has an ongoing interest in hearing from any members who feel they may be able to help with any welfare issues. If it is not possible to offer a foster home, if members could please consider whether they might be able to act as “taxi-driver”, to take an Ocicat in need to a foster home in your general area?

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CAT THIEVES - WARNING!

In April 2010 an Ocicat owner reported seeing a lady intently watching his beloved pet cat as it sunbathed in his front garden.  Later in the week he was fortunate enough to witness the same lady, this time accompanied by a man, park their car nearby and walk towards his cat with an empty cat box.  The owner made his presence known and the two people hurried away.

This took place in Dulwich London, and the owner was very concerned that this couple had intended to steal his cat.  He has notified the police and asked that other pet owners be warned.

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PIPE CLEANER TOYS - WARNING!

WARNING ! Get Rid of Toys made from Pipe Cleaners!!!

I just want to warn everyone of a danger that never occurred to me until this weekend.

At various shows, I have received little cat toys made from pipe cleaners often twisted to look like a bug or caterpillar, and I have just tossed them into the show bag for future use. I thought this was a nice little bonus from the clubs who did this and have never had a second thought about giving them to my cats.

This weekend, I tossed one into my cat's cage on Saturday afternoon and watched while he tossed it and chased it and generally had fun with it. Later when I returned to my cage I found the toy MINUS one of its antennae! I looked everywhere in the area (even sifted the litter) but could not find the missing portion of the pipe cleaner. I watched the cat closely for the rest of the weekend; he seemed OK until Monday morning as we were standing in the security line at the airport when he started to vomit. He vomited several times on the way home so the moment we got home, I headed for the vet.

Sure enough, the x-ray showed the pipe cleaner segment lodged in the stomach with a very sharp point visible and in a position that the vet did not think it would pass on its own. Therefore, we had to have emergency surgery to remove the pipe cleaner segment; it all came out in one piece and the cat should be OK but this was a very scary situation. I have now disposed of all the pipe cleaner toys that I had and will never risk giving one to a cat again. I would recommend that anyone reading this do the same.

Jean-Marc Lagarde (TICA Judge)

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GARDEN MULCH and CHOCOLATE - WARNING!

Cocoa mulch is favoured by gardeners for its fine texture and the sweet smell of chocolate it gives off.  However many varieties of Cocoa garden mulch contain Theobromine, this can sicken and even cause death in dogs and cats if consumed in sufficient quantities.

Thebromine poisoning does not begin and end with cocoa mulch, chocolate in any form can pose a substantial risk to dogs and cats.  Chocolate contains both Theobromine and Caffeine

Theobromine can affect the heart, central nervous system and kidneys causing nausea and vomiting.  Cardiac arrythmia and seizures are symptoms of more advanced poisining.

This is a general heed to pet owners of the potential impact that everyday products can have on the health of our pets. Theobromine poisoning is usually treatable if caught early on.    

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URBAN FOXES - BEWARE!

"For years, we kept our cats, Tigre and Fitz, in at night. We live in North London, and our house backs onto our own back garden, as well as all of our neighbors'. During the day, the boys were free to come and go through their cat-flap. At night, we locked the flap, keeping our cats in, and other cats out. It never occurred to us that they would be in any danger outside. We knew there were foxes in the area, and often in our garden. We also knew that foxes and cats avoided each other.

A few months ago, we installed a chip activated cat flap that meant our cats, and only our cats, could enter and leave the house. Suddenly, they could be out at night too, though they generally chose not to be. My only worry was for the birds, but our boys only hunted successfully during the day.

On Saturday morning (4/10/08) I looked out of the kitchen window, and saw our beautiful, gentle, funny, Fitz lying dead. We had been mistaken about foxes. There was no other suspect.

So, what happened? It seems clear that the general rule about foxes does not apply to urban foxes. As their territory is eroded, they are under increasing pressure. I know that this results in physical problems. It would also make sense that they would behave "out of character".

As far as I can tell, even in cities, it is unusual for foxes to kill cats, but I would never, ever let a cat of mine stay out at night again, because it did happen. I would advise anyone in doubt, not to risk the heartache, and keep your cats in."

The Club Comments: A devastated pet owner supplied the above tale, and although they found information that advised that a fox attack on a cat was extremely rare, information on the Internet shows an increasing trend.  The foxes had adapted well to city life, and were kept well fed from our scraps.  In recent years, with the introduction of wheelie bins we have altered the ease of access to our food scraps, resulting in many foxes living on the brink of starvation.

The following link gives details of an attack on a cat by foxes with an explanation to the likely reasons, it is very graphic in it's description and therefore very upsetting, but does explain the worrying risks for our urban pets Click Here