In This Issue:
From the President’s Desk | Letter from TICA Science Editor| TICA Joined Nestle Purina as Sponsor of Largest Gathering of Feline & Canine Genetics | TICA Top Five Feline Science Stories of 2022 | TICA Fall Election Results | Winter Board Meeting | TICA Holiday Office Hours| TICA Announces New System to Report Issues with TOES | TICA Welcomes Two New Clubs| Enter for Your Chance to Win $100 Gift Card in TICA and Trupanion’s Holiday Giveaway! |Sleepypod and Fear Free New Line | TICA 2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Both Feline and Human Edition | Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions from Your Cat| TICA Followers Give Thanks to their Cats |EveryCat Dec Update| GL Regional Update | MA Regional Update | NW Regional Update |SW Regional Update
From the President’s Desk: A Message from TICA President Vicki Jo Harrison
Happy Holiday’s to all our TICA friends!
December marks the return of TICA’s quarterly feline science newsletter. Our chief Science Editor, Anthony Hutcherson, has picked the top five news breaking stories of the year that you won’t want to miss reading.
But before we pounce on the science in this issue, I want to direct your attention to the results of our fall TICA election. Thank you to all those who ran for office. Your willingness to serve TICA is very much appreciated. We also included in this issue updated holiday hours and a 2022 Holiday Gift Guide to help make shopping a little easier this year for all the special cats and fun, fabulous friends in your life.
The integration of TOES with TFMS is moving at a great pace. Read about the new way to report any problems in this issues.
The Corin colors have been added to TFMS. Any color corrections on registration slips will be done at no charge. The cat owner needs to notify the EO of any color correction by creating a case in TFMS. The EO is making color corrections to the cats that have been shown this season and any cats shown in the future will be scored in the correct color class.
The number of shows on the show calendar is increasing along with the number of entries at the shows. This is a great sign that we are moving away from the pandemic and are out and about showing off our fabulous felines! I hope to see many of you at a show sometime this year.
Finally, as the calendar year ends, we want to thank everyone for their readership and continued support in all things TICA. We wish you the happiest of holidays and look forward to continued adventures in friendship and fun in the new year.
As always, I wish each of you good health. Please stay safe and hug your kitties tight!
Vicki Jo Harrison TICA President
A Message from TICA Science Newsletter Editor, Anthony Hutcherson:
‘Tis the season for joy, reflection, and gratitude throughout the world. Everyone fortunate enough to have a loving purring cat in their lap or at the end of their fingertips has something special to appreciate. TICA Members and our cats should be especially joyful as we have participated in the progress of felines as we close another calendar year. Please read all the way through this year’s Top 5 list and stay tuned to TICA’s website and TFMS for a very special science-related announcement and discount, especially for you!
A special acknowledgement of TICA’s Roeann Fulkerson and Christina Carey for their leadership and purrsistance in keeping us all informed and engaged with TICA newsletters throughout the year.
Happy Holidays!
Anthony Hutcherson
TICA Joined Nestle Purina as Sponsor of Largest Gathering of Feline & Canine Genetics
TICA members should be proud as the year closes for our support of the 11th International Conference on Canine and Feline Genetics and Genomics, the largest gathering of feline and canine geneticists. TICA joined Nestle Purina as a sponsor of this gathering in Huntsville Alabama Oct. 3-5, 2022. Leaders in cat and dog genetics from throughout the world gathered to discuss new- and ongoing research in the categories of Genome Biology, Population History, Cancer, Evolution, Behavior, Ophthalmology, Mendelian traits, Coat color and Metabolism. TICA brought all that information back with us to share with you. Pictured with me is TICA Judge of the Year, Adriana Kajon, and Kari Eckenstedt, PhD of Purdue University
TICA Top Five Feline Science Stories of 2022
TICA Top Five Feline Stories of 2022: #5 Promising New Treatments for Feline Calicivirus. A bevy of new treatments show results in common cat illness. Promising new treatments for feline calicivirus. A medication approved for use in people to treat Giardia infections has shown results in reducing viral shedding and clinical symptoms of calicivirus as one of several new treatments presented in an April 2022 article from the journal Viruses and overview of calicivirus in cats. Calicivirus is common and highly contagious in cats, and this is one of several treatments that show promise in addressing the ongoing concern.
TICA Top Five Feline Stories of 2022: #4 Class of Antibiotics causes blindness in Tigers, Clouded Leopards & Cats. A new study shows genetic changes shared by big & little cats that make some antibiotics dangerous. Genes make Enroflaxin (Baytril) bad for feline eyes – Cheetahs, Clouded Leopards & your cat. According to a November 2022 published research study in the journal Genes a series of four genetic variants render a protein involved in the cellular transmembrane transport of fluoroquinolones and inducing retinal phototoxicity in domestic cats and several other wild felines. The Black-footed cat, Cheetah, Clouded leopard, Cougar, Asian golden cat, Jaguarundi, Jungle cat, and Marbled cat all share the same 4 missense mutations as the domestic cat. An additional eleven wild feline species share three of the four genetic variants, those species are the Asian leopard cat, Caracal, Fishing cat, Leopard, Lion, Margay, Pallas’s cat, Serval, Snow leopard, Tiger, and Tigrina or Oncilla.
TICA Top Five Feline Stories of 2022: #3 Nature Vs. Breeder – contrasting the genetics of a pedigreed breed and a stray population show emphasis on different set of traits. Random-bred Cats vs Pedigreed Cat Genes. Compare a random bred cat population to Siamese or Oriental Shorthairs and some genes are more common than others. An October 2022 study published in the prestigious journal Nature did this comparison for a group of cats in Germany. The results indicate a natural selection associated with genes for reproduction, cold-induced thermogenesis, motor/neurological behavior, and immune system development among other genes. The results suggest selection for environmental adaptation and resistance to infectious disease in the stray population. The study points toward eleven genes in the unique selective regions OSH & Siamese implicated in the breed’s wide range of coat colors and patterns, as well as its common heart and gastrointestinal defects.
TICA Top Five Feline Stories of 2022: #2 Different Golden & Extreme Golden genes identified in Siberian Cat breed. Golden and NEW Extreme Golden genes in Siberian Cats. Animal Genetics published in May 2022 “Golden Cats: the story goes on” in which details of wbSIB (Siberian recessive extreme wideband) allele in the domestic cat a newly identified CORIN variant found in Golden or Sunshine Siberians Cats.
TICA Top Five Feline Stories of 2022: #1 TICA members get praise & discount in large study of disease, traits, and diversity from Kinship/Wisdom Health. TICA Members were recently thanked in the largest significant international study of inherited disease & morphological genetic variation in domestic felines of more than 11,000 cats. Heidi Anderson, PhD of Wisdom Health presented some of the key findings of the recently published study at the recent International Canine & Feline Genetics and Genomics Conference profusely thanking TICA Members and Cats for utilizing the genetic testing panel. Some findings of note:
- Thirteen genetic variants associated with disease in cats are present in more pedigreed breeds than previously thought.
- PKD1 variant associated with Polycistic Kidney Disease in Persians was identified in Maine Coons and Scottish Straights.
- Non-Abyssinians with two copies of the Pk-def variant rarely showed clinical symptoms of the disease.
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy variants occur in more breeds than previously thought.
Stay tuned. Dr. Anderson and her colleagues are preparing a special presentation just for TICA members that will detail some of the study’s key findings and offer one of the largest discounts off Optimal Selection testing available.
TICA Fall Election Results
If you haven’t yet heard, TICA fall election results are in. Regional Directors for seven TICA areas have been confirmed and all the proposals on the ballot for consideration passed.
Congratulations to the following for being elected/re-elected to their respective Regional Director positions:
Asia East– Hisae Tasaki
Asia West– Jeff Shi
Southern Europe– Kurt Vlach
Great Lakes-Liz Brown
Mid Atlantic-Brenda Russo
Northwest-Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz
South Central-Jim Armel
See complete election results posted on tica.org, including how voting went for each region, election proposals, and outcomes of the Burmese /Bombay Breed Group Standard Change poll submitted during the 2022 Annual Board Meeting.
TICA Winter Board Meeting to be Held January 18-20, 2023
The Winter TICA Board meeting will be held January 18-20, 2023. The meeting will be held online. Check tica.org for the agenda and contact your Regional Director with any questions or comments.
The Zoom link for the open sessions will be posted on tica.org a few days before the meeting.
TICA Holiday Office Hours
As the holiday’s quickly approach, TICA would like to remind everyone to please plan accordingly as our office will be closed the following days:
Christmas – Monday, December 26, 2020
New Years – Monday, January 2, 2023
TICA would also like to wish everyone in our TICA family of friends and felines alike to have a happy holiday!
TICA Announces New System to Report Issues with TOES
The way to report problems using TICA’s Online Entry System (TOES) for shows has changed.
To report a problem:
- Log in to TFMS
- Click “More” in the list of options at the top of the page
- Click “TOES Support”
- For “Case Origin” if you are using https://show.tica.org leave the default as “Web” and “Case Subject” as “TOES”
- Explain the problem you are having with TOES in the “Case Details” section, then click “Next”
To submit any supporting documentation, including screenshot images of the problem, upload the files to this page. After adding anything you would like to include, click “Next” to submit your problem to the support team.
To view the status of any case submitted to TICA’s EO, log into TFMS, click the icon on the upper right corner of the screen that looks like a person in a grey circle, select “My Cases.”
TICA Welcomes Two New Clubs
TICA continues to grow with the addition of two new clubs to our family. Please give a warm welcome to Mad About The Curl (Coventry, West Midlands England) in our TICA Europe West Region and Mundo Gato (Mercadillo, Ecuador) in our South American Region! Welcome to TICA’s family of fabulous felines, fun, and friendships!
Enter for Your Chance to Win $100 Gift Card in TICA and Trupanion’s Holiday Giveaway!
The season of giving is upon us! We’re getting into the holiday spirit with a special offer for TICA breeders from our friends at Trupanion, providers of medical insurance for the life of your pet.
For a limited time only, eligible breeders who sign up for Trupanion’s Breeder Support Program will automatically receive 10 cat toys and be entered into a giveaway for a $100 gift card! *
Signing up is easy and free! Give yourself the gift of peace of mind with these benefits and more:
- Go Home Day Offer – Send your kitten buyers home with an exclusive coverage offer with no waiting periods
- Kitten Pack Materials – Complimentary brochures and informational materials sent to your door
- Dedicated Support – Access to your own account manager and a private Facebook group of breeders
Don’t wait—this offer and giveaway is only valid for breeders who sign up by December 31, 2022!
Terms and conditions apply.** For full giveaway rules: click here
Congratulations to the lucky winners of our last giveaway!
Samantha W. from Ontario, winner of a $100 Amazon.ca gift card
Louise H. from Florida, winner of a $100 Chewy gift card
You could be next! Use the link above to sign up before the end of the year.
Happy Holidays from Trupanion and TICA!
*$100 USD Chewy gift card for US, $100 CAD Amazon.ca gift card for CAN. Valid only for breeders in the US and Canada. 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.
** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be legal resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) or 50 US states and DC (excluding ND and WV), 18+ and at least age of majority. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Enter by: December 31, 2022. Odds of winning depend on the # of entries. Details and rules can be found here. Sponsor: Trupanion Managers USA, Inc.
Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and GPIC Insurance Company and in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company and ZPIC Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Please visit AmericanPetInsurance.com to review all available pet health insurance products.
Sleepypod and Fear Free Launch New Line That Makes Pet Travel Stress-Free
Do you travel with your cat? If so, then you’re in luck. Last month Sleepypod and Fear Free launched a new Fear Free Happy Homes line of products.
From harnesses to carriers, the new Fear Free Happy Homes edition was designed to help alleviate fear, anxiety, and stress in pets at home and while traveling.
The first products in the new line are co-branded versions of current Sleepypod carrier and harness designs. These products are the Sleepypod mobile pet bed, Sleepypod Air carrier, Sleepypod Atom carrier, Clickit Sport Plus car harness, and Clickit Terrain Plus car harness.
Every carrier and harness design comes with Sleepypod’s patented Pet Passenger Restraint System® technology that controls rotation and prevents a pet from sliding forward off the seat bench in a car crash or hard stop. Both carriers and car harnesses have been crash-tested at U.S., Canadian, and E.U. child safety seat standards, then independently tested and certified with a top safety rating by the Center for Pet Safety.
Learn more about the Sleepypod Fear Free Happy Homes line of products.
TICA 2022 Holiday Gift Guide: Both Feline and Human Edition
Whether you’re looking for that unique toy to tuck under the tree for your cat or the ideal present for the certified cat mom or dad on your list this year, finding them the purrfect gift doesn’t have to be hard.
To help you get a jump on your holiday shopping, TICA sifted through the vast world of feline-focused products to find the very best gifts for both cats and the humans who love them. Check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide, both feline and human edition. As of this publishing, all prices were accurate, and products were still available. But hurry, before someone else scoops them up.
Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions from Your Cat
Proving that New Year’s resolutions aren’t just for humans, we compiled the Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions your cat might be planning in 2023. Among them:
10. Wait until 6AM to wake up the humans invading my space in the house.
9. Find new and exciting household objects to conquer and destroy.
8. Stop playing “dead cat on the stairs” while my owner brings in groceries or laundry.
7. Make “Grumpy Cat” smile.
6. Get more exercise by increasing 3am wild zoomies through the house.
5. Prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the vacuum cleaner is evil.
4. Redesign sofa with claws.
3. Perfect evil-eye stare to gain power and influence.
2. No longer be a slave to the sound of a can opener.
1. Maintain dominance over the dog.
Happy Mew Year! We look forward to sharing more fabulous felines, fun and friendships with you in 2023!
In Case You Missed It….. TICA Followers Give Thanks to their Cats
Last month TICA celebrated Thanksgiving on our social media pages with a tribute to the cats who share our lives. TICA Facebook and Instagram followers were asked to submit a photo of their cat(s) and share the reason why they are thankful for what they bring to our lives. Photo messages were posted throughout Thanksgiving Day and eve.
Check out the messages and if you’re not a TICA Facebook or TICA Instagram follower sign up so you don’t miss our special New Year’s tribute opportunity for you and your cat(s).
EveryCat Health Foundation December Update
What is your greatest wish for our beloved feline companions this Holiday Season? Perhaps, like us, it is to make cures for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) readily available. Or find a vaccine or even a reliable diagnostic test. We wish to see an end to feline kidney disease, heart disease, and breed specific ailments, like amyloidosis, and for cats to live their longest, healthiest lives.
Cat lovers like you have made it possible for EveryCat Health Foundation to fund countless life-saving research studies over our 53-year history. This past year, because of you, we were able to fund 22 grants between three grant cycles. However, we received 70 proposals, many more of which could have been funded with additional support.
This holiday season, please consider making a gift to the future of feline health at www.everycat.org or by calling (888) 963-6946, Ext. 701.
Your support of EverCat Health Foundation paves the way for healthier, happier lives for every cat, every day, everywhere.
We cannot thank TICA and its members enough for their past support and continued commitment to creating a brighter future in feline health.
From all of us at EveryCat Health Foundation, we wish you and your families, both two and four-legged, a joyful holiday season and Happy Mew Year!
TICA Regional Updates:
TICA Great Lakes Regional UpdateTICA Mid Atlantic Regional UpdateTICA Northwest Regional Update
TICA Southwest Regional Update
TICA Great Lakes Regional Director, Liz Brown:
From my home to yours, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. I wish you health and happiness this holiday season and beyond.
We have several shows in the new year and I hope to see you there.
– Liz Brown
Treasury Balance: The Current TICA GL Treasury Balance is $6457.39. All bills for the 2021/2022 awards have been paid! A check has been sent as a deposit for the 2022/2023 awards, but has not yet been cashed.
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the TICA GL Region:
- January 14-15, 2023, PracTICAl Cats w/HCM, in Gray Summit, MO.
- March 10-12, 2023, Showcats Columbus in Columbus, OH. Early bird pricing is available if paid by February 1, 2023 (this event will be back in our own building).
If you can’t attend a show, please donate to the club to help. We want to keep our club’s solvent, and everything matters.
TICA Great Lakes Regional Show & Banquet. This event will be hosted by PracTICAl Cats, July 28-30, in Gray Summit, MO (GL REGIONAL) July 28-30, 2023. Note: With an early date for this event, your winning cats’ pictures will be due earlier than usual. Take the opportunity now to get those pictures taken as soon as possible.
GL Webmaster (Word Press) Volunteer Needed: Contact Liz if you are interested in volunteering to do maintenance for the regional website and have experience in Word Press.
TICA Mid Atlantic Regional Director, Brenda Russo:
In this spirit of the holidays, I extend my sincere gratitude and good tidings to you and your family. Having fantastic members is something that makes the Mid Atlantic Region and TICA the best it can be. Thank you for being the most important part of who we are! Wishing you and your family a very happy holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year. – Brenda Russo
TICA MA Region Election Results. I wanted to take this time to personally thank everyone who voted in the ballot proposals and election for RD’s! Thank you to all for your continued support and enthusiasm!
View the results of both the proposals and elections for our region and TICA.
Current membership as of October 31, 2022, is 289 members.
Membership Strategies Workshop at January Board Meeting. There will be a board workshop in late December to discuss various membership strategies. I will report back in early January with our discussions/proposals
Make your plans now to attend upcoming shows in the TICA MA Region:
- January 6 – 8 2023, Central Jersey Cat Fanciers in Parsippany, NJ.
- January 21 – 22 2023, Tabby Tales Cat Club in West Friendship, MD.
- February 4 – 5 2023, “New Club TBA” in Allentown, PA.
- March 10 – 12 2023, Central Jersey Cat Fanciers in Oaks, PA.
- March 17 – 19 2023, United Cat Club Inc. in Chantilly, VA.
- March 25 – 26 2023, Philadelphia Tea Party in Lebanon, PA.
- April 21 – 23 2023, United Cat Club Inc. in Richmond, VA.
Please consider sponsorship opportunities if you cannot make a show!
TICA Northwest Regional Director, Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz:
Holiday Greetings … As you celebrate this holiday season, make wonderful memories that will linger in your home, make great friendships that will last a lifetime, and may this season be filled with peace and joy.
This time of year is a special time – we wrap up all of the good things from our past and carry them over to the new year. And it gives us the opportunity to remove from our thoughts those things that were troublesome. Above all else, we can raise our hopes for a better year ahead – to fabulous felines, fun and friendship! – Elaine Hawksworth-Weitz
TICA Southwest Regional Director, Laurie Schiff:
Happy Holiday’s!! Make your plans now to attend these other upcoming shows in the TICA SW Region:
- January 14-15, 2023, Socal ExoTICA Cat Club, featuring the Jean Mill Legacy Awards and International Judges, in Arcadia, CA.
- February 18-19, 2023, Cattitude Cat Club, in Arcadia, CA. New Club!
- March 11-12, 2023, Surf-N-Turf Cat Club & America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
- April 15 -16, 2023, America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
- July 29-30, 2023, Regional Show and Awards hosted by Socal ExoTICA Cat Club in Arcadia, CA.
- November 18-19, 2023, America’s Finest Felines, in Arcadia, CA.
