From the President’s Desk: A Message from TICA President Vickie Fisher
Calling all artists in TICA’s world!!! Grab your pens, pencils, brushes or graphic programs. You are invited to submit your original artwork for TICA’s next visitor guide.
In its 4th printing, TICA’s visitor guide has become one of our most popular publications. Tens of thousands of Guides have found their way into the hands of the cat-adoring public at shows, expos, veterinary conferences (and even veterinary offices) as well as many other events.
The Guide proudly talks about our beautiful breeds, TICA’s regard for household pet cats, our wonderful Junior Exhibitor program, how to understand and enjoy a cat show, and many other tidbits about TICA.
Over the years, the Guide’s cover has made people either admire or smile. Be serious by capturing the beauty of our feline friends or have fun and capture their antics. Or try for both!
The publication is going to press this fall, so time is short. Send your original 8.5″ x 11″ artwork with your name, TICA region, email address and phone number by
September 18, 2018 to Julie.Rorabaugh@gmail.com. Winners will be announced on October 1, 2018. Oh, did I mention the $500 prize? Good Luck!
In This Issue
Welcome New TICA Clubs | TICA Partners with Catster to Offer Event Listings | TICA Joins Royal Canin to Promote Take Your Cat to the Vet Day | How Do Cats “Catch” a Genetic Disease | TICA State of the Cat Study Reaches 1000 Participants | Tips for Caring for Your Senior Cat | TICA In the News | WINN Foundation Update | Bengal Cat Receives First Feline Hip Replacement Surgery | Regional Updates
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TICA Welcomes Garden of the Cats Cat Club
Please help us welcome the Garden of the Cats Cat Club in Divide, CO to our growing TICA family!
TICA Partners With Catster to Offer Free Event Listings in Print & Online Calendars
TICA has partnered with Catster magazine to offer members complimentary listings to promote their shows and events in the magazine’s print and online calendar.
To list your show/event for free, members must provide 1-2 brief paragraphs about the event, including the physical address of the show and a high resolution photo (optional) at least four months in advance of the event to be included in the print magazine. Information must be sent at least two months in advance to make the online calendar.
All event information should be sent in one email to Roeann Fulkerson at RoeannFulkerson@tica.org.
TICA Joins Royal Canin to Promote Aug. 22 Take Your Cat to the Vet Day
While studies show that preventative veterinary care for cats can save lives, it’s estimated that there are 86 million cats living with caregivers in the U.S., however, nearly half do not schedule regular preventative visits to the vet and only make an appointment when they feel their cat is ill.
To maintain and improve a healthy life for cats in the U.S., Royal Canin is leading the charge for this year’s ‘Take Your Cat to the Vet Day’ on August 22, 2018.
This year Royal Canin has partnered with actor and activist Ian Somerhalder (best known for playing Boone Carlyle in the TV drama ‘Lost’ and Damon Salvatore in The CW’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’)and his cat, Moke, along with The American Association of Feline Practitioners, The International Cat Association, CATalyst Council and The Cat Fanciers’ Association to raise awareness for its Take Your Cat To the Vet Day campaign to promote the importance of preventive veterinary care for cats.
Regularly scheduled visits to the vet for cats are especially important as by the time they show symptoms, a disease may already be in the advanced stages, making treatment more difficult, and more costly.
“Regular feline veterinary care is crucial for the health and happiness of your cat,” said Dr. Catherine Lenox, Royal Canin Scientific Affairs Manager and board-certified veterinary nutritionist. “Just like dogs, cats need to see the veterinarian on a regular basis for wellness exams, not only when there’s a serious medical need. Cat owners should identify a time throughout the year that can serve as a regular reminder for this important check-up – such as back to school or when they schedule their own annual medical appointment.”
This year Royal Canin’s #Cat2VetDay campaign focuses on education, starting at the home and moving along the path to the veterinary visit. The materials will address barriers, what to expect at the visit, and post-visit follow-up/recommendations. A sharable video featuring Ian Somerhalder can be found on the campaign landing page or Royal Canin’s Facebook page. For every share, Royal Canin will donate $5 to Frankie’s Friends, an organization that helps provide financial help for cat vet visits.
For more information and to locate a veterinarian near you or to learn more about Royal Canin, visit www.royalcanin.com/Cat2VetDay. You can also join the conversation on social media by using hashtag #Cat2VetDay.
TICA Genetics Corner
Q. Dear Dr. Lytle: What are the benefits of performing DNA Testing?
A. One of the benefits of performing DNA testing on our cats is that we are able to identify and establish their genotype, or their genetic state, at various positions in the DNA that have been associated with certain diseases.
The presence of a particular DNA combination at that site could tell us that the cat is at risk of developing a particular disease, or that it is a carrier for the mutation but won’t develop the disease, or that it is clear of the mutation all together. By knowing this information, we can make appropriate care choices for the tested cat.
Using the results of the tested cat in combination with the test results of potential mates, we can also proactively leverage DNA testing to help produce healthier kittens. We achieve this by avoiding tom x queen combinations that could produce kittens with an at risk genotype.
By knowing the parents’ genotype and the mode of inheritance of the particular disease in question, it is easy to determine the probability of any kitten born in a litter of being clear, carrier, or at risk for a recessive disease. Remember that recessive conditions require both parents to contribute the mutation to a kitten to produce an at risk state. In the case of dominant conditions, the only potential outcomes are clear and at risk because dominant diseases only require one copy of the mutation from either parent.
It can be helpful to depict the probability that a particular mating will produce kittens at risk of a particular mutation by graphing them on a Punnett Square.
To gain a better understanding of what this entails, and a graphical representation of the potential outcomes, we invite you to visit the Health page on TICA’s website at
https://tica.org/en/cat-owners/cat-health.
Dr. Katie Maldonado Lytle, DVM, MPH, MS has a passion for people, pets, and science. In her role with Wisdom Health, she seeks to help breeders, owners, veterinarians, and pet lovers better understand the cats and dogs in their lives through the application of cutting edge genetic testing.
Do you have a question to ask TICA about genetics? No question is too big or small to ask. Just send your question to newsletter@tica.org and we will answer your question in a future issue of the newsletter.
TICA State of the Cat Study Reaches Goal of 1,000 Participants
Last fall, TICA and Wisdom Health™ embarked on a widespread genetic analysis of pedigreed cats using the Optimal Selection™ Feline Genetic Breeding Analysis test, one of the most comprehensive genomic screening tools commercially available.
TICA is proud to report, as of August 1, 2018, more than 1,000 test kits have been claimed to TICA-registered cat families in 16 different countries in 12 different TICA regions.
Information attained from the study will help identify the prevalence of inherited mutations across a large cross section of pedigreed cats and can then be used to help further our knowledge of genetic disease in the breeding cat population. Note that once you have submitted your test(s) Wisdom Health’s team of veterinarians, geneticists and bioinformaticians are available to help answer questions and interpret results.
Currently, more than 293 TICA-registered cats have published their results from the study, including Maine Coons, Bengals, Abyssinians, Egyptian Mau, Ragdoll, Somali, Lykoi and even Highlanders! View results here.
If you still have kits that have not been submitted, now is the time to send them in! Check TICA’s double helix progress bar here.
TICA would like to extend a big thank you to all of the study participants and supporters!
Tips for Caring for Your Senior Cat
Not long ago, cats were considered seniors at eight years old. Today, thanks to improved nutrition, living indoors and advances in veterinary medicine, cats live longer and are now considered older at 12 to 14 years and can live up to 20 years old with proper care.
To help your cat enjoy his golden years, consider the following:
- Schedule regular visits with your vet, including physical exams (eye and ear check-up), blood work and x-rays.
- Make sure your cat’s favorite place to rest is not in a drafty area of your home.
- Use litter boxes with low sides and keep them on every floor of your house to help older cats who are prone to arthritis and have reduced control over their bowels and bladder.
- Provide easy access to food and water and keep them in different areas of the house.
- Create box steps, ramps, or purchase pet stairs that allow your cat to safely reach a special spot on his own.
- Groom your cat gently. Older cats can benefit from more frequent hands-on help if their self-grooming begins to wane. Gently brushing or combing removes loose hairs and stimulates circulation and sebaceous gland secretions. See a vet immediately if your cat suddenly stops grooming herself.
- Keep a light on. Older cats with eyesight problems will need night lights to help them navigate an area.
- Find gentle ways to encourage your older cat to play with you. Try waving a wand, going for a walk with your cat inside your home, and playing chase the kibble.
- Older cats may need a special diet. Consult your vet on the foods and amount of calories needed for your older cat. Consider mixing canned and dry food to let your cat absorb the water canned food offers.
TICA In The News
Listen to New Hampshire Public Radio’s show Outside/In’s story of Bengals and cat shows. In the story that aired last month, producers visit a TICA cat show, talks about various breeds and discusses the issues facing Bengal’s and all other breeds and species.
An Update from the WINN Foundation
Feline Research Award Awarded to Dr. Philip Fox: Dr. Philip Fox, head of cardiology and director of the Caspary Research Institute and Education Outreach at the Animal Medical Center in NYC, is this year’s recipient of the AMVA/Winn Feline Foundation Excellence in Feline Research Award. Dr. Fox was the principal Investigator of a multi-year Winn-funded study, titled “Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM): Five-year outcomes and risk assessment”. His research is the center of a large nine-year international study to better understand the risk of HCM in cats. The study included 1,730 cats from 50 veterinary centers in 21 countries. Summaries of the results from this study have been published in Winn’s Cat Health News blog.
Congratulations to Winn’s Scholarship Recipients! The Winn Feline Foundation, together with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF), recently presented $2500 scholarships to two students. Laurel Krause, of the 2020 class of Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, developed an interest in clinical research studies around novel causes of chronic kidney disease and infectious diseases in cats. Taylor Opgenorth, from the 2019 class of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, performed research on the H7N2 viral outbreak in New York City cats. Winn and AVMF believe both students will continue to have a significant impact on the future of feline medicine.
Celebrate Cures4Cats Day-on October 20, 2018: This year, to support Winn’s Cures4Cats awareness program and celebrate our 50th anniversary, the Winn Feline Foundation announce the launch of a new campaign to find answers for feline kidney disease (FKD). Watch Winn’s social media, website and Winn Wins emails for further details around the first part of September on how to join Winn in finding answers regarding feline kidney disease.
Planning a Loving Legacy? Join Winn’s Nine Lives Society: If you or your family have established a gift to Winn Feline Foundation as part of your will or estate planning, Winn has founded a legacy society as part of our planned giving program. Winn will offer website recognition for those members who wish to be acknowledged for a lifetime legacy of support for feline health. If you wish to belong to the Nine Lives Society, please contact info@winnfelinefoundation.org. Winn has information available about planning for your estate and leaving a loving legacy on our website, including monthly planning and tax tips going back through 2015. You can view our Planned Giving page here.
Bengal Cat Receives First Feline Hip Replacement Surgery
Last March, an energetic 2-year-old Bengal cat named Fridgey received successful hip-replacement surgery performed by the orthopedic surgery team at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
It all began in 2017 when Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s orthopedic surgery team began treating Fridgey for various hip issues.
They initially performed a commonly done surgery on his left hip called a femoral head ostectomy (FHO), which involves removing part of the femur bone.
When Fridgey later began to have issues on his right side, his owner brought him back to the Purdue. This time, the surgery team led by Dr. Mark Rochat, clinical professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, and Dr. Sarah Malek, assistant professor of small animal orthopedic surgery, performed a total hip replacement surgery, a procedure commonly used in human medicine but never before used on a feline patient at Purdue.
It’s believed that the first human hip replacement was inspired by a procedure originally performed in dogs, and it has taken some time for the process to work its way from people back to small animals. While FHO had been performed for decades in dogs and cats to treat hip dysplasia, severe fractures and arthritis, total hip replacement surgery better addresses quality of life issues.
While Fidgery isn’t ready to take any giant leaps, he’s resting and continuing physical therapy sessions, which in animals can include using everything from an aquatic treadmill to balance boards, wheeled carts and a slalom course of orange cones to help a wide array of animal patients regain full strength and range of motion.
TICA Regional Updates:
TICA GREAT LAKES REGIONAL UPDATE:
Meow Meetup Chicago 2018 was a huge success thanks to the many regional members who volunteered! My sincere thanks to Marina Piskareva, Mary Reiss, Mary Hudec, Barb Waindle, Deborah Kelly, Jan Poole, Jane Zablocki, Jennifer Hardin, Kelli Hallifax, Lori Dominick, and Susan Creighton. I also want to thank Roeann Fulkerson-Chrisope, Toni Newton Jones and Vicki Jo Harrison for their support and help at the event.I anticipate this being held again next year and will be looking for volunteers early next summer.
GL Treasurers Report – Expect a full report from our regional treasurer, Dewane Barnes, in September.
Interested in helping with next year’s Regional awards? We are looking for volunteers who have opinions and time to help. Please contact Liz if you are interested.
Annual Raffle Basket – If you are able to contribute to the Great Lakes raffle basket at the Annual in Birmingham, AL, please contact Angela Ng
Upcoming shows/events:
- Cats Rule Cat Club in Racine, WI, Sept 15-16
- Prairie State Cat Club in Franklin Park, IL, Oct 13-14
- Buckeye Ohio Rollers in Medina, OH, Nov 24-25
Please check out the Great Lakes Region website at www.ticagreatlakes.com and get social with us on our Facebook page (TICA Great Lakes) and Yahoo Group (TICA Great Lakes).
TICA Mid Pacific Regional Update:
Don’t miss the Mid Pacific Regional: Join the TICA Mid Pacific Region for their Regional Show August 25-26, 2018 in Reno, NV. The event, “Whisker lickin’ and tail twitchin’ ” will be hosted by the Sophisticats Cat Club. A special banquet will also be held on Aug 25th after the show. Entries are still being accepted here.
TICA Southeast Regional Update:
2018 TICA Annual: The Southeast Region invites you to the 2018 TICA Annual, the grand party cat show of The International Cat Association! Hosted by Alabama Paws & Claws Cat Club, felines and their owners from all over the world will converge in Birmingham, Alabama August 29 – September 2 to “Experience The Magic.” Click here for more information, including ideas on fun shopping trips, sightseeing, and of course, southern home cooked meals. To enter send your summary sheet (also available on the entry information page of our website) here and then submit your entries here in TOES.
The Southeast Region is also hosting the “After Party” show September 8 & 9 in North Augusta, SC, right down the road off Interstate I-20! Hosted by the Cattyshack Cat Club, members are invited to wind down and relax for more southern hospitality. Click here for more information or here to enter.
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