In This Issue

From the President’s Desk: A Message from TICA President Vicki Jo Harrison | TICA Unveils New Data System to Offer Members Faster and More Efficient Services |  Royal Veterinary College Issues Warning as Cat Deaths Rise Linked to Pet Food  | Mark Your Calendar: TICA 2021 Annual Board Meeting | Meet Frenchie, The Rescued Kitten Found Behind TICA’s Headquarters | TICA Announces the winners of Trupanion’s Summer 2021 Giveaway!e  | TICA International Award Sponsorships Still Available, But Going Quick! | TICA Helps Newsweek Create Series of Feline-Friendly Slideshows | In Case You Missed It… | TICA May Breed of the Month: Oriental Shorthair | TICA Regional Updates

From the President’s Desk:
A Message from TICA President Vicki Jo Harrison

Hello My Fellow TICA Members!

This year has brought about so many positive changes for TICA.

TICA will shut down TDS early morning on September 10th and unveil TICA Feline Management System [TFMS] on September 14th, our new data platform that replaces TICA’s Data System (TDS) and that will allow us to offer members faster and more efficient TICA services. Read the article TICA Unveils New Data System to Offer Members Faster and More Efficient Services in this newsletter to learn more about this exciting new data system or watch this video by TICA Chief Operating Officer Danny Nevarez on what you can expect.

Look for more exciting news in the coming months on TICA’s new website and other TICA services.

Vicki Jo Harrison
TICA President

TICA Unveils New Data System to Offer Members Faster and More Efficient Services

TICA will shut down TDS on September 10, and on September 14, will launch the new TICA Feline Management System (TFMS).

The new system will help TICA work more efficiently and accurately by moving to a modern platform that allows TICA to respond to customer needs and reduce turnaround times. The new technology will streamline many processes and allows TICA to more effectively interact with clients.

TFMS will implement a new shopping cart that will allow clients to add items to their cart and checkout with a single transaction. “This facilitates far faster processing of service requests by removing the need for the Executive Office to match payments to work requests,” said TICA Chief Operating Officer, Danny Nevarez.

Listening to the needs of clients, TICA customers will now be able to update their own personal information without intervention by the Executive Office (EO). Clients will still have a current list of their cats, titles, registrations, and all other items they would expect from TDS. One big difference is the new system includes its own case tracking component so new service requests can be submitted within the system and paid for without having to ever leave the system.

Automatic reminders to members and clients for routine service notices such as renewals, payments, and breeder listing expirations will also become seamless. The new data system will facilitate updates on cases submitted so clients do not have to check with the EO on the status. In a few situations, items like cattery registration will be fully automated and processed in real-time.  TICA is also expanding the new platform to include multiple languages to better connect and meet the needs of worldwide users.

“As with any new implementation, there will likely be some early bugs that will need to be addressed,” said Nevarez. “Please be patient as we work through the initial implementation of our new modern system. We promise it will be worth the wait!” Welcome to TFMS.

For additional Q&A, please read TFMS What to Expect.

Royal Veterinary College Issues Warning as Cat Deaths Rise Linked to Pet Food

Several batches of dry cat food recalled earlier this year is suspected to be linked to the sudden deaths of more than 330 cats in the U.K.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is aware of 528 cases of feline pancytopenia in recent months, of which 63.5 percent (335 cases) were fatal and has issued a warning to cat owners over the June recall of multiple brands of hypoallergenic cat food manufactured by Fold Hill Foods.

The recalled products, which are still being investigated by RVC and the Food Standards Agency (FSA), are suspected to be connected to the illness.

Pancytopenia is a rare condition where the cats’ blood cells (red, white, and platelets), rapidly decrease. In a healthy cat the red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. White blood cells fight infections and support the immune system. And platelets help stop bleeds by forming clots. When the production of these cells decreases the results can often be fatal. While initial symptoms (e.g. lethargy, lack of appetite) may be difficult to identify, more serious symptoms include bleeding from the mouth and blood in the urine or stool, RVC reports.

Investigations are ongoing as data is still being collected from veterinarians and food samples with affected and unaffected cats are still being tested to determine the significance of these findings. However, a statement issued by RVC suggests recent incidents of the illnesses could be caused by mycotoxins (toxic compounds naturally produced by various fungi). Mycotoxins can grow on a variety of different crops, including grains and vegetables, before or after harvest, as well as foodstuffs, including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apple juice, and coffee.

Pet food manufacturer Fold Hill Foods is proactively recalling many hypoallergenic cat food brands, including Applaws, AVA, and Sainsbury’s, due to a suspected connection to an epidemic to the potentially deadly illness. They have urged cat owners to stop feeding their felines the following products immediately and return them to the nearest store for a refund.

Applaws, AVA (available at Pets at Home), Sainsbury’s, and Wilko products have only been affected, which products with the specific best before dates below are being recalled.

Applaws
Applaws Cat Dry Chicken 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Salmon 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Kitten Dry Chicken 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Lamb 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Cat Dry Chicken & Duck 400g, 2.5kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Cat Dry Ocean Fish 350g, 1.8kg and 6kg. Best before all date codes
Applaws Cat Dry Senior Chicken 400g, 2kg and 7.5kg. Best before all date codes
Sainsbury’s
By Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe complete dry cat food with Salmon 1+ Years 800g. All batches and best before dates
By Sainsbury’s Hypoallergenic Recipe complete dry cat food with Chicken 1+ Years 800g. All batches and best before dates

AVA
AVA Adult Fish 2kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Adult Mature Chicken 7+ 2kg and 4kg. All batches and best before dates A
VA Senior Chicken 12+ 2kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Sensitive Skin & Stomach 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Weight Management 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Hairball 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Oral Care 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA British Shorthair 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Persian 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Maine Coon 1.5kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Kitten Chicken 300g and 2kg. All batches and best before dates
AVA Adult Chicken 300g, 2kg, and 4kg. All batches and best before dates

Wilko
Wilko meaty feast cat rabbit/chicken/veg 950g. Item code 0267053
Wilko best salmon & tuna dry cat 800g. Item code 0463508
Wilko best beef & chicken dry cat 800g. Item code 0463507
Wilko cat food active health salmon 800g. Item code 0470811
Wilko active health cat food chicken 2kg. Item code 0481421
Wilko active health cat food salmon 2kg. Item code 0481422
Wilko dry cat food active health 7+ 800g. Item code 0470808
Wilko cat food active health hairball control 800g. Item code 0470809
Wilko dry cat food active health 800g. Item code 0470807
Wilko cat food active health chicken 800g. Item code 0470810

For more information, click here.

Mark Your Calendar: TICA 2021 Annual Board Meeting

The TICA 2021 Annual Board meeting will take place September 1-3, 2021 via Zoom. View the full agenda. Please check www.tica.org for login information and passcode.

Cecilia (left), Frenchie, and Alma

Meet Frenchie, The Rescued Kitten Found Behind TICA’s Headquarters

Last spring, the ladies in TICA’s Executive Office (EO) found a black and white shorthair Household Pet (HHP) kitten that they rescued from behind headquarters.

After hearing a feline cry, Cecilia took a brief break from registering cats/litters and Alma stopped a moment from scoring catalogs to go to the back of TICA’s headquarters building and discovered a kitten in an old telephone wire box. The kitten was uninjured, but found dirty, hungry, and with dry tar stuck to her two back paws.

The kitten, they’ve since named Frenchie after the spunky, fun-loving, bubby character from the movie Grease, was spayed earlier this month and now splits her time living with TICA Business Manager Frances Cardona’s sister on ranch in Texas and visiting TICA’s EO. Frenchie can be found at TICA’s headquarters so often that that you can say she’s become TICA’s unofficial mascot.

Frenchie has been enjoying her time on the ranch. She is joined on the ranch with a dog named Duke and a pig named Pumba. “At first Duke and Pumba were terrified of Frenchie,” said Frances. “She hissed at them on the first day, so they stayed away, but now all three are best friends and like to play and take walks together.”

She loves to explore the chicken coop, but her favorite spot is spending time at home with her new human companions and taking advantage of every cuddle.

“Frenchie loves to be held and will jump to your lap or find a place to cuddle on the bed where she will purr and knead a comfortable spot until she falls asleep,” added Frances.

She also loves to roam TICA’s EO. “Once she is tired she will curl up on my lap or desk and fall asleep. All the ladies in the EO love her and enjoy her visits.”

TICA Announces the winners of Trupanion’s Summer 2021 Giveaway!

Congratulations to Marcie B. from BC, Canada on winning a $100 Amazon.ca gift card and Andy M. from Colorado, USA on winning a $100 Chewy gift card as part of TICA’s partnership with Trupanion, medical insurance for pets.

In addition to winning $100 gift cards, Marcie and Andy both joined Trupanion’s Breeder Support Program to protect their litters and give peace of mind to their buyers.

Not yet a member? It’s not too late to join our Breeder Support Program. You’ll get access to a special coverage offer for your kittens so they can be protected should they get into any mischief in their new homes.

If you’ve already signed up, don’t forget to take advantage of our newly updated Breeder Referral Program. For each friend you refer that is approved to join the program, you’ll get $25*. Start earning now!

Congratulations again to Marcie B. and Andy M! Stay tuned for more giveaways from Trupanion and TICA in the coming months.

*Rewards paid via gift card or PayPal. Maximum reward of up to $600 a year for individuals and households in Canada and the US (excluding Washington State). Maximum reward of up to $100 a year for individuals and households in Washington State.

Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Please visit AmericanPetInsurance.com to review all available pet health insurance products.

TICA International Award Sponsorships Still Available, But Going Quick!

There was such an awesome response to the announcement that TICA International Awards are ready for sponsorship that almost half of them are spoken for! It would be great if we could get most if not all of them sponsored this year!

Yes, this year is different than most however, that doesn’t change the fact that we have international winners from the 2020-2021 show season and those awards are available for sponsorship!

If you don’t see an AB win for a friend or favorite cat look at the breed winners, perhaps the breed win is still available! You can celebrate your breed, or just be part of the fun. Sponsorships will be engraved on the award plaque or trophy.

Sponsorships are available for $25 for award plaques and $100 for each of the trophies given to the five international bests.

Sponsorships are available for:

Top-25 championship cats
Top-25 longhair/shorthair cats (not in the top-25 championship cats)
Top-25 kittens
Top-25 alters
Top-25 household pets
Top-25 household pet kittens
Best of breed cats, kittens, alters

See what sponsorships are available, as well as additional sponsor information. see:  
Deadline for sponsorship is October 1, 2021.

TICA Helps Newsweek  Create Series of Feline-Friendly Slideshows

Last month TICA worked on three feline-focused slideshows with Newsweek magazine. If you haven’t already, check out Newsweek’s 20 Cat Breeds That Get Along With Other Cats, 25 Most Loyal Cat Breeds, and 20 Cat Breeds That Shed the Least.

TICA provided the list of breeds, descriptions, and comments on each breed by President Vicki Jo Harrison, and photos by Helmi Flick. TICA’s continued role in the slideshows confirms TICA’s expertise of breeds and all things feline.

Look for more slideshows in the coming months from Newsweek featuring TICA.

In Case You Missed It…

Check out TICA’s top social media posts you may have missed…

On TICA’s Instagram:
Newsweek Featured TICA’s Top 25 Most Loyal Cat Breeds.

On TICA’s Facebook:
TICA Celebrated National Kitten Day.

On TICA’s Twitter: 
The American Association of Feline Practitioners Updated Feline Senior Care Guidelines.

TICA July Breed of the Month: Oriental Shorthair

Known as a “Siamese in designer genes,” the Oriental Shorthair is a very social and talkative breed that thrive within the company of other people. They are members of the Siamese Breed Group, which also includes the Oriental Longhair, Siamese and Balinese. Orientals have extremely loving temperaments and bond closely with their families and people of all ages, including children, cat-friendly dogs and other cats. They thrive on attention and affection and are often found beside their humans. Find out more about TICA’s Breed of the Month and if an Oriental Shorthair is right for you and your family.

TICA Regional Updates

TICA Great Lakes Regional Update
TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Update
TICA Northeast Regional Update
TICA Northwest Regional Update
TICA Southwest Regional Update

TICA Great Lakes Regional Director Liz Brown:

Welcome Back!

TICA GL Treasury Balance: As of this writing, the TICA GL treasury balance is $5682.28. Recent transactions include 2021 rosettes, TICA rebate, some sponsorship monies, and the bottom 10 RW pictures in TICA’s yearbook.

New Treasurer: Help me give a warm welcome to our new treasurer Rick Hoskinson. Thanks to Dewane Barnes for his many years of service!  Please sign the card.

TICA Yearbook: It’s time to order your 2020-2021 TICA Yearbook. There are also still a few TICA 2019-2020 Yearbooks for sale. Contact Chris Unangst at chris.unangst@gmail.com.

Mark Your Calendars for the Following Shows:

• 2020 & 2021 GL Regional Show & Awards will be presented by Showcats! Columbus at the “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” in Zanesville, OH, on Aug 14-15. The show is now open for entries on TOES. Enter here or read more about the event.
• September 4-5, 2021, PracTICAl Cats Cat Club (New Club) presents “Cats” in Gray Summit, MO (Purina Farms). Enter here or read more about the event.
• September 18-19, 2021, Cats Rule Cat Club Presents “Feline Groovy” in Racine, WI. Early bird specials if paid by August 15, 2021. Enter here or read more about the event.
• October 16-17, 2021, Buckeye Ohio Rollers in Wooster, OH.

Recent Board Ballots & Interim Meeting: There will be no in region requirement for 2021/2022 season. Isolated status – Titles! Point minimums for 2021/2022 season: 500 (RW) and 1000 (BW & IW). Keep an eye out on the TICA Great Lakes FB page for the Annual Board Meeting Agenda and then Fall membership ballot details.

Annual Board Meeting: The agenda has been posted as of August 3 on TICA Great Lakes Facebook page. I will also post the individual proposals for comments on the page. You’re also welcome to email me privately.

2021 Optimal Selection 15% Discount Code: Look for the code on the front page of your TDS account.

2022 TICA Annual: CHICAGO:  Details to be released Aug 15 at the GL Regional Show & Awards.

TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Director Brenda Russo:

TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Awards Banquet and Presentation Commemorating the 2019-2021 Seasons was held on Saturday, July 24, 2021, Morgantown, PA.

This certainly has been quite a challenging year for all of us. Personally, I was thankful to be able to celebrate with many of our TICA Mid Atlantic Members. While not everyone was able to join us this past year in the show hall, I am sure we all thought of our friends and their feline family and how we missed them and wished them well.

Heart filled thanks to our TICA members from several regions, who helped the Mid Atlantic Region as well as TICA meet the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a difficult time for our nation and the world, and closer to home, many of us were worried about our own well-being and that of our loved ones. Particularly at such a challenging time, I am truly grateful for both the hard work as well as for the generous and collaborative spirit that animates our region and feline community.

Thank you to our clubs, United Cat Club & Central New Jersey Cat Fancy for seeing the potential to move forward with having shows that we could all enjoy in the unpredictable show seasons of 2020 & 2021. Special gratitude to the Petras Family for their extraordinary dedication, hard work and tenacity!

A sincere thank you to all our Mid Atlantic members. It is an honor and a privilege to be your Mid Atlantic Regional Director.

In Honor of TICA Judge Emeritus Paul Lahey: You will always be remembered for your dedication and valued judging expertise. Thank you for your years of hard work, enthusiasm, and promotion of our beloved felines, TICA and the Mid Atlantic Region! Please accept our gratitude for your many years of service. Our best wishes go with you in your retirement! TICA Mid Atlantic Members.

TICA Northeast Regional Director Tania Antenucci:

2019-2020 & 2020-2021 Regional Awards:

• 2019-2020 NE Regional Awards have arrived! If you would like these mailed to you at cost of postage, please reach out to christiancherau@cox.net.
• 2020-2021 NE Regional Awards will be available soon. Please check our website and FB page frequently for updates. Don’t forget to get your pictures ready, too!
• Both 2019-2020 & 2020-2021 Regional Winners will have their awards distributed and be honored at a Banquet on November 13, 2021 in Seekonk, MA, in conjunction with the Cat Lovers of New England “Harvest Festival II” show.
• Banquet details to come!

Mark Your Calendars for the Following Northeast Region Shows – 2021: We’re excited to have a show in Canada on the calendar. Please mark your calendar for all these shows, and consider helping or volunteering. If you’re interested in putting on a show, please reach out to the Regional Director Tania Antenucci at regional.director.ne@tica.org.

• November 13-14, 2021, Cat Lovers of New England presents “Harvest Festival II”, a 12-ring back-to-back show in Seekonk, Massachusetts. Show Details and Entry via TOES will be ready by August 31. All-in-one at the Seekonk-Providence Ramada Hotel. 10 minutes from Providence, RI, 15 minutes from PVD Airport.
• November 20-21, 2021 Canuck Cat Club presents “A Canuck Christmas!” in Mississauga, Ontario. Show details and Entry via TOES will be available soon. Show is at the Toronto International Centre, in conjunction with Canadian Pet Expos. 5 minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport.

TICA Northwest Regional Director Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz:

2020-2021 Regional Awards: If your cat, kitten, or Junior Exhibitor is getting a Regional award for the 2020-2021 season, send photos (.jpg or .pdf) to photos@ticanw.com no later than September 1, 2021!

Photos needed:
Top 25 All Breed Cats
Top 21 LH Cats
Top 25 SH Cats
Top 25 Kittens
Top 25 Alters
Top 9 HHP
Best, Second and Third best Kitten of every breed
Best, Second and Third best Alter of every breed
Best, Second and Third best Cat of every breed
Junior Exhibitors
Embarrassing photos of anyone
Photos from our Canadian friends on what they did during the season where they were sorely missed.

Lists of cats: (Note: these links take you to the sponsorship opportunities in addition to showing what photos we have:

Breed Winners: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/BREED.html
Cats: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/CAT.html
Kittens: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/KITTEN.html
Alters: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/ALTER.html
HHP: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/HHP.html
Bottom LH: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/LH_CAT.html
Bottom SH: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/SH_CAT.html
Outstanding Dam, LA etc: http://ticanw.com/2021winners/Achievements.html

The Region Needs a Volunteer: The Region needs a volunteer to coordinate the sponsorships of the 2020-2021 regional awards. If you are interested and can devote some time over the next few months, please contact your Regional Director as soon as possible by emailing regional.director.nw@tica.org.

Update on 2020-2021 Regional Awards Show & Banquet: The Evergreen Cat Fanciers, will be hosting the 2020-2021 Regional Awards Show & Banquet October 9-10, 2021 in Ferndale, WA. The show’s website is totally operational and the show is open for entries. Go now and enter the show, become a vendor, and/or sponsor the show.

Mark Your Calendars for the Following Northwest Regional In-Person Cat Shows:

October 9-10, 2001, The Evergreen Cat Fanciers, in Ferndale, WA.
October 23-24, 2021, Its Reigning Cats, in Longview, WA.
November 6-7, 2001, The Maine Event, in Olympia, WA.
December 11-12, 2021, And A Mouse, in Longview, WA.
January 28-30, 2022, The New Culture Club, in Portland, OR.
February 12-13, 2022, The Evergreen Cat Fanciers, in Ferndale, WA.
March 12-13, 2022, CanAm Cat Club, in Abbotsford, BC.
April 9-10, 2022, Calgary Cat Association, in Calgary, AB.
April 29-May 1, 2022, SeaCats (tentative), tentatively in Issaquah, WA.
May 14-15, 2022, Cat Fanciers of BC, in Sooke, BC.

Find more information on these shows here.

TICA Southwest Regional Director Canie Brooks:

Mark your Calendars and Save the Date:

November 13 & 14, 2021 is Americas Finest Felines Thanksgiving Cat Show in Arcadia, CA.