September was Happy Cat Month, an event created by the CATalyst Council to improve cat wellness by focusing on happiness. The council promotes helping cats live their best lives by focusing on four major categories: health, enrichment, safety and value.
The hunting behavior of cats is frequently a topic for songbird enthusiasts. However, understanding how cat owners view their cats and how best to manage them could potentially be useful for both cats and birds. UK researchers say recent findings demonstrate the need for diverse management strategies that reflect the differing perspectives of cat owners.
Source: My Vet Candy, September 2, 2020. Link. The research paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, is entitled: Diverse perspectives of cat owners indicate barriers to and opportunities for managing cat predation of wildlife <link>.
Also see: These five types of cat owners exist – which are you?, The News, ABC.net, September 23, 2020. Link.
Also see: Happy Cat Month newsletter. Link. Throughout September the CATalyst Council provided themed resources as below:
- Happy healthy cat week: September 2-10. Link.
- Happy enriched cat week: September 11-17. Link.
- Happy safe cat week: September 18-24. Link.
- Happy valued cat week: September 25-30. Link.
INSIGHTS: If nothing else, the research supports the need for focused lifestyle questions in order to identify the best individual approach for cats to be discussed in the clinic or during a virtual visit.