Welcome to May 2009 edition of the Happy Cat Ezine Normality is finally returning to the happy Cat Household now that the building work is finished. All I have to do now is decorate whilst keeping Little Mo out of mischief. Anyway I hope you will enjoy this month ezine and that you will come and visit the website soon and perhaps make your own submission. We always love to hear from all our subscribers and seeing all their feline friends and hearing about their stories. Don't forget to enter the cat competition again this month. I really enjoy reading all your humorous captions and the prizes aren't bad either. Until next month Best Wishes Kate   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENTS 1. New Cat Huts This Month 2. Competition 3. Little Mo's Diary Update 4. An Upset Cat - A Poem by Mike O'Brien 5.. Article - Cat Ear Mites and Other Ear Problems.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.New Cat Huts This Month Five new Cat Huts have been added to the site this month. Each one with their own delightful story. They are: Smores - A 4 year female who had to be rehomed due to her family buying two dogs and not wanting her any more. Big Ozzy - A 7 year old Male with a bit of a weight problem. Lola - A 2 year old feral female who is now learning to live with both humans and other cats. Sisqo - A 7 year old male cat who never meows. Sarah - A 10 year old female who loves to keep computer mice warm. ----------------------------------------- 2. Competition Number May19 Here is May's Caption Competition. All you have to do is write a caption for this picture. You are the first to see it as it doesn't get posted onto the site for a few days, so it gives you extra time to get your entries in first. Simply send us your caption to go with this picture. picture by Bobster1985 Click here to submit Caption The deadline for this competition is May 24th. 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 will be a copy of the book Your Talking Cat by Jack Richter. GOOD Luck           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Little Mo's Diary Update Happy Cat Diary Happy Cat Diary 15th April 2009 Meow and sneeze Sneeze, sneeze, sneeze, Oh sorry thats all I seem to be doing lately with all this dust in the house. My lovely white patches on my coat are all yellow and horrible due to all the mud and dust everywhere, I just can't seem to get myself clean. Mum and dad keep telling me that the building work will be finished soon and that I will get my house back all to myself, no more noisy strangers trampling mud everywhere. I can't wait. luckily spring is here at last and I can go out a lot more to get away from it all. Ahhhh I just love the spring, don't you? So many more little bugs around to chase, great fun. Speaking of which, I must be off. Little Mo Click here to read more of Little Mo’s Diary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. An Upset Cat A Poem by Mike O'Brien I will jump on your cupboard and walk all around I will grin with joy as your best vase hits the ground I will empty your trash bin all over the floor I will make a large mess for this I am sure I will climb up your curtains,claws slashing about I will rip them to shreds and then I'll go out I will do all these things, and do them with glee THAT will teach you to feed the dog before me. ______________________________________________ 5.. Article - Cat Ear Mites and Other Ear Problems. Ever noticed your cat shaking it's head or scratching madly at its ear? Well it might be time to check your pet's ear to make sure that they don't have any unwanted visitors like the ear mite. It is very important to make sure that your cat is free from ear motes as they are not only contagious to other cats in the home but can also infect other animals who live in the same environment. It is also important to keep your cats ears healthy as they rely on their hearing to listen out for their prey and to be able to protect them selves from being crept up upon and being attacked by other cats. Their ears also help them with balance when climbing trees etc. that if not functioning properly could cause all sorts of nasty accidents. Ear mites are small spider like insects that love to make the inside of a cat ear their home. Unfortunately they cause infections and can cause damage to the eardrum causing a permanent loss of hearing. They are passed from one cat to another, this could be simply sharing the same sleeping places to close contact with other cats whilst grooming or playing together. The mites can also live for a while in the general environment so even if your cat hasn't come directly in contact with another cat, there is still a possibility of them being passed on by your cat simply passing through a place where another cat with mites has been previously. It is therefore wise to check your cat's ears on a regular basis for any signs of infection of the mite itself. It is possible to see them with the naked eye and they look like small white dots against dark earwax. You may even get some indication that your cat has a problem in the ear by noticing vigorous head shaking or excessive ear scratching by your cat or you may notice a build up of excessive earwax that is very dark in colour and has a strong odour. It is always wise to make sure that these symptoms are caused by ear mites and not some other medical condition, so always get a vet to check the ears if you do suspect something is wrong. If ear mites are correctly diagnosed it is important to kill them off before the infection becomes any worse or that it spreads to other animals. The vet will wipe away a lot of the earwax along with some of the mites that can be seen, he will then administer some eardrops that will be able to get deep into the ear canal. These drops will have to be administered for a three-week period to ensure the total eradication of the ear mites. It is also important that you treat the cats fur at the same time with a flea powder, this will kill off any dormant eggs which may have lodged themselves in the fur. All the cats bedding and usual sleeping places need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned and the home should also be treated with a flea powder for the home. This will prevent any further re-infecting of your cat after treatments stops. Other general care for your cat's ears should include: Protecting them during the summer months from sunburn with a non-toxic sun cream. This is very important for cats with light coloured ears. These areas are very prone to skin cancers and many cats in hotter climates end up having to have their ears amputated. Make sure the ears are clear of any debris such as grass seed. If debris is left in the ear it can cause fungal or bacterial infections Watching for any signs of imbalance or apparent dizziness in your cat. This could indicate an inner ear problem that will need urgent treatment by a vet.