Scaredy-cat remembers bonfire night

(London, 26 October 09) London's only cat only vets, Kitten to Cat, is calling on cat owners to be more careful this bonfire night after looking after a Chinchilla Persian who was left homeless and traumatised after last year's celebrations.

The cat – nicknamed "Jinxy" by staff at Kitten to Cat – was rescued after hiding in the garage of a Richmond resident for two months.

Zeta Frasca, Kew resident and owner of Kitten to Cat believes Jinxy became disorientated and ran away from home because of fireworks. "Cats are very susceptible to stress and changes in environment so we do see more missing cats in November as a result of bonfire night," says Ms Frasca. "Thankfully many find their way home or are micro-chipped and so able to be reunited with their families when they are brought into the local vets."

Unfortunately for Jinxy her owners had not micro-chipped her and enquiries of local residents proved fruitless.

"Jinxy was in such a poor state of health and to this day is traumatised by any loud noises and unexpected movement. This makes her unpredictable and difficult to handle so it would be difficult to re-home her through normal channels" explains Ms Frasca. Consequently Jinxy now lives with Ms Frasca's mother in Kensington.

Even indoor cats can be traumatised by fireworks, and the experience can lead to stress related health and behavioural problems such as soiling, aggression and nervousness in the weeks following bonfire night.

Ms Frasca is urging cat owners to take some simple precautions this November:

• Keep cats indoors all weekend.
• Have your cat micro-chipped in case she slips out.
• Use Feliway™, a synthetic feline pheromone that has a calming effect, at least a week before bonfire night.
• Close curtains to muffle outside noise.
• Leave the TV or music on for background noise.
• Make sure there is a comfy dark place for your cat to hide under, which is convenient to food, water and a litter tray.

People should also be on the look-out for nervous cats after bonfire night and contact their local vets of rescue shelter if they see a new cat wandering in their neighbourhood or hiding in their garage like Jinxy.

About Kitten to Cat. Opened in March 2008, Kitten to Cat is London's only cat only veterinary clinic. By catering exclusively for cats Kitten to Cat is able to minimise stress for cats. In addition to a cat friendly veterinary surgery, Kitten to Cat, has boarding facilities equipped with web cams so owners can make a Skype video call anytime to check up on their loved ones.

www.KittenToCat.com

View pictures of Jinxy