As you would probably expect, here at cat advice we get through a lot of cat magazines and pet publications in general and there are certainly some excellent cat magazines out there. But let’s change the question around a bit and ask; what cat magazine should I buy? And on this, we have an answer that might surprise you…none of them!

This is because you can get a cat magazine that you don’t have to buy!

Total Cat Magazine is a new magazine that you can get for free (at the time of writing) and for anyone looking to take their very first steps in to the world of cat magazines, what better way to do it than by picking up a cat magazine that is 100% free to subscribe to?

Total Cat Magazine is offering a free subscription to the first few thousand cat lovers who put their name down for the offer.

All you have to do is visit the Total Cat Magazine website (www.totalcat.co.uk) and enter your name and email address.

That’s it!

It’s literally that easy to get a FREE cat magazine subscription (provided the offer is still running by the time you read this).

So in answer to the question: what is the best cat magazine to buy? probably none, when you go and pick one up for absolutely nothing.

www.TotalCat.co.uk

‘What’s it called?’ some one says, you stare expressionless at them, tumbleweed blows across your living room.
The naming of your cat is one of the first steps in creating a long lasting bond with your cat, it is not a decision to be taken lightly, give the matter some thought, and whilst you are thinking, read these tips, they may help you, they may not.

If you are going to choose a ‘Fifi Trixibelle’ type name for your cat, try to make sure that the name can be shortened, preferably to no longer than two syllables. Make sure that you are comfortable with the shorter version, as you will probably find that you use it more. A shorter name is also easier for the cat to learn.

If you have other pets in the house, try to have a distinctive sounding name for your cat. We usually give meanings to names and it wont be easy for any of your pets if they all sound alike, if you call your cat ‘Fluffy’ and your dog ‘Toffee’, can you imagine the melee at dinner time. Dogs and cats do react differently to sound patterns.

Also remember that tiny kitten sleeping in your hands may grow up to be a large cat and you may like the idea of your large adult cat being called ‘Tiny’, that’s your choice and as far as I am aware cats don’t give a monkeys about their name. However, if you are looking for a name that will describe your cats personality in years to come, please bear in mind that as a kitten grows, its looks and personality will change.

If you have named your kitty after a dear departed cat, don’t expect the cat to become an identical cat to it. Each cat is very different, even if the cat looks the same; my guess is that she will probably turn out to be very different.

If you want to be creative with your name, then be creative. The naming of a cat is nothing like naming a child. If you call the cat ‘Twinkle Toes’ you will not cause him any psychological difficulties and as far as I am aware, the other cats in the area will not make fun of the cat because of the name.

There is no right and wrong into naming your kitten, I had two cats called ‘Stan Laurel’ & ‘Oliver Hardy’ because I am a fan of the comedy duo, I made sure that I had a ginger kitten as Stan Laurel had red hair in real life, and I made sure that I had a well proportioned size kitten as Oliver Hardy was, well, well proportioned. I used to call them ‘Stan’ & ‘Ollie’ but would introduce them to my friends as ‘Mr Laurel & Mr Hardy’.

The 10 Most Popular Cat Names (UK)

CATS
1.      Molly
2.      Charlie
3.      Tigger
4.      Poppy
5.      Oscar
6.      Smudge
7.      Millie
8.      Daisy
9.      Max
10.     Jasper

More on popular pet names (including dog names, cat names and rabbit names)

They can also get lost if they are investigating new territory, and even sometimes they can be taken away by circumstances not of their own doing. When a cat is ill or injured it may seek haven in a safe dark place but very rarely do cats leave their home, even if badly treated. Try not to panic too much if you can’t find your cat, but start a thorough search as soon as you realise as any delay could put your cat at risk.

It is sometimes advisable to take a minute to think like your cat; after all, you will probably know where it tends to be, and what it tends to do on a day-to-day basis. Cats are excellent at hiding so I would be advise that you look around the house carefully, then double check. Even in spaces you think that a cat couldn’t fit there is a chance that they can. Listen for any sounds of stress, as cats like to explore weird spaces and can be innocently drawn to dark places. If your sure the cat is nowhere in the house, then check your front and back gardens and in the shed or green house if you have one.

 If you have recently moved house, it is probably beneficial to check your old house, cats normally have a good sense of direction and if a cat gets lost, they may tend to use their initiative and try to find their way back home to the place they know the best.

If all this is proving fruitless, it may be advisable to ask your neighbours if they have seen or heard anything of your cat, asking them to check their property and gardens if they wouldn’t mind. You will find that most neighbours will co-operate. If you get on really well with your neighbours, ask them if you can check their house for yourself as a frightened cat may only respond to a friendly voice.

If you still haven’t found your cat, please try not to panic, as this will cause you to stress and you will probably miss some ideas that you can try. If time is dragging on and your cat is nowhere to be seen it may be an idea to stick a few posters up in your local vicinity, or a postcard in your local newsagents, these should describe the cat, its name, when it was last scene and your name and phone number. If the cat is missing even longer, place a ‘lost’ advertisement in your local paper; there is normally a ‘lost and found’ section in the classifieds.

I hope that you don’t have to get to this stage, but if you do, still keep in contact with your neighbours to see if they have noticed somebody with a cat who didn’t have one before. Sometimes children find cats playing or away from an environment and assume that they are stray, taking them home only to be put outside by the parent and then finding themselves in a strange environment and lost.

As hard as it is for you, it is important not to rule out that your cat has been mistreated. As much as you love your cat, there are people out there that don’t; I would even go as far as they actually hate cats for a reason known only to them. They think it is amusing to dump a cat in another area, and even worse, some think that it is funny to cause physical injury to a cat. If you have a local animal shelter in your area, it would probably be an advantage to phone or visit them, to see if any cats have recently been brought there. You could even ask the shelter if there is anybody in the local area who is known by them to have a history of wishing cats harm. 

If all this is still failing to locate your cat go over your checks again, sometimes an injured cat may choose to withdraw into a quite place to care for their injuries. The sooner a cat can get medical treatment the better the chances of it surviving.

Think about the last time you saw your cat, and try to remember anything from that time. Maybe you had a van or lorry driver drop something off with you and your cat climbed into the back. Ring the company up to see if they have found anything, after all they wouldn’t know who the cat belonged to as they probably do umpteen drops a day. Try talking to your postman to see if he has seen anything, your postman has a better chance of visiting houses in your neighbourhood and may be able to spot something whilst doing his job.

If you feel the need to offer a reward, I offer a word of warning, whilst researching this article I came across the story of a couple whose Persian cat went missing and after fruitless searches they offered a ?50 reward, only to be phoned by a man who had found their cat and wanted ?100 and was affectively holding the cat hostage. They ended up paying the money. If you do offer a reward and this scenario happens I would seriously recommend calling the Police.

I have mixed views about Micro-chipping, and as yet I am unsure what to recommend, if you have researched the subject and feel that it may aid you find your cat should your cat get lost then go ahead and get your cat micro-chipped. It is a reliable way of stamping your ownership on your cat should any disputes arise, but it will not guarantee the safe return of a lost cat, but then again, nothing guarantees the safe return. 

Finally don’t give up the search too soon. Keep looking in the same spots time and time again, and don’t feel overcome with anxiety. Cats are tough cookies and can last for many days without food and water.

I hope that you read this as an article only, and not as something to refer to should you be in the unfortunate position of losing a cat.