The Sunbeam Newsletter Issue 35 - April 2021 It’s April and spring is here! It’s been a relatively mild winter with the exception of the mid-March storms. We hope you all weathered them well! As always, please enjoy this edition of the Sunbeam and pass it along to Charity No. 1154876 your friends. Jessica Wilson, Editor

Mark Twain’s Cat—Bambino By Fred Glueckstein

“If man could be crossed with the cat, it

would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (30 November 1835 – 21 April 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humourist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. Twain was a great cat lover and owned up to 19 at one time, reported Kat Eschner in Smithsonian Magazine. His cats all bore imaginative titles including: Apollinaris, Beelzebub, Blatherskite, Buffalo Bill, Satan, Sin, Sour Mash, Tammany, Zoroaster, Soapy Sal and Pestilence. This is the story of his cat Bambino.

In the early autumn of 1904, Mark Twain’s daughter Clara fell seriously ill and was taken to a sanatorium for a year. While at the facility, Clara wrote: “During the first months of my cure I was completely cut off from friends and family, with no one to speak to but the doctor and nurse. I must modify this statement, however, for I smuggled a black kitten into my bedroom, Bambino although it was against the rules of the sanatorium to have any animals in the place. I called the cat Bambino and it was permitted to remain with me until the unfortunate day when it entered one of the patient’s rooms who hated cats.” She was ‘invited’ to give the cat away and made it a present to her father knowing he would love it, “and he did,” Clara wrote. Twain became attached to Bambino, who helped him deal with depression from the death of his wife. One day, Bambino got out of the house to chase a squirrel and didn’t come back. Distraught, he placed an ad in all the newspapers offering a reward for Bambino’s return:

Mark Twain Has Lost a Black Cat. Have you seen a distinguished looking cat that looks as if it might be lost? If you have take it to Mark Twain, for it may be his. The following advertisement was received at the American office Saturday night:

A CAT LOST – FIVE DOLLARS REWARD for his restora- tion to Mark Twain, No.21 Fifth Avenue. Large and intensely black; thick, velvety fur; has faint fringe of white hair across his chest; not easy to find in ordinary light.

Bambino eventually came home on his own, but not before numerous people had turned up at Twain’s home with cats that might match the owner’s artistic description!

There are many other stories about Mark Twain and his cats and it is clear that although Mark Twain is important to American literature because of his novels and how they portray the country’s experience, his love of cats adds a delightful human touch to the life and literary accomplishments of the great writer.  NEWS & VIEWS

Lockdown Larry Layers on the LBs

Oh dear! It seems we humans aren’t the only ones who’ve piled on the pounds during the various lockdowns the UK has had to endure. Like the other famous resident of No. 10 Downing Street, Larry the cat has been told that he needs to cut back and lose the weight he’s gained over the last few months. During lockdown, Larry gained 500 g which is about 10% of an average cat’s weight. The possible culprit of the excess weight is more titbits and treats than usual as people are around more to give into his demands! PM Boris Johnson has made no secret that he is trying to lose weight so perhaps they could join up and become exercise buddies and encourage each other on towards their goal weights!  Source: www.thedailymail.com

Angry Moggy Becomes Mile-High Menace

A Tarco Airlines flight from to had to return to its origin after pilots encountered a fur-midable opponent shortly after take off. A feline stowaway suddenly appeared in the cockpit and he was not happy that he was now on his way to ! The crew tried to catch him, but he was having none of it and attacked the crew. The ensuing chaos meant the flight had to turn around and land back in . It is believed that the cat was a feral who snuck onboard while the plane was in the hangar undergoing some maintenance and when he was rudely awakened 1000s of feet up, he was livid. Thankfully the plane with crew and all passengers, two- and four - legged landed safely ready to try the journey again, without as much drama! Source: www.simpleflying.com

House Squatting and Feline Fine!

A man who noticed his neighbours had put their house up for sale thought he’d have a look at it using the online estate agent website. However, aside from the usual photos of the two up two down and the floorplan, he stumbled on bedroom photo which to his surprise appeared to come with an added fixture — his very own cat! The image shows a single bedroom with a ginger cat stretched out on the purple bedding looking very comfortable. Considering the feline had- n't been shooed out of the home for the photoshoot to take place, it's a fair assumption that the not-so-loyal pet's visits to the secret second home are not a rare occurrence. Hopefully the new owners of the house will be as accommodating for this multi-house loving cat!  Source: www.metro.co.uk

Dealing with Demanding Diners We share our home with four cats, each of whom have their own style of eating. There’s Ishmael, the ‘grazer’; Ebony, the ‘tortoise-slow’ eater; Poppy the ‘can’t you feed me any quicker’ eater; and finally Marrah, the ‘lick the enamel off the bowl so I don’t miss a bit’ eater. On top of the eating styles, as Ishmael is a senior he eats different food and the three girls get different portion sizes to suit Dinner time at the Wilson Household! their individual body types. How do we manage this multi-cat mealtime mayhem? Well, a few years ago we stumbled upon microchip feeders and what a revelation they were. The cats’ microchips are linked to their own individual feeder which has a cover that only opens when they approach the bowl. This means no one can eat the others’ food thus ensuring they get the right type and right amount. It also helps us know if someone may have a medical concern if they don’t appear to have eaten their food. We still have to feed the girls their allotted food over 3 different meals a day and take measures to slow Marrah’s and Poppy’s super-speed eating, but otherwise getting everyone’s diet right is a lot less stressful! By Jessica Wilson Chipping In to Find Lost Cats

Throughout the year SCR works so hard to help the community with problems relating to cats. Missing cats is a regularly occurring issue.

The first thing that would help with any missing cat is to have them microchipped before they disappear! Microchipping is invaluable and even if your cat doesn’t roam far or is an indoor cat, it is worth having them chipped as when they are found and scanned, their owner is easy to track down and reunite with their pet. You may not think indoor cats or those who don’t roam don’t need chipping. However, SCR often gets calls for help when an indoor cat has squeezed out of a window or through a door and gone missing. In cases like these, we recommend putting a bowl of their food as well as their used litter box outside to tempt the cat back home with familiar scents. It is also recommended to ask the neighbours to check their sheds and outbuildings to make sure that kitty hasn’t become trapped. Hopefully it will be just a matter of time before kitty comes strolling in through the cat flap!

Another way cats can go missing is an escape from their carrier on the way to or from the vets. To mitigate this, carriers should always be in good condition with all locks and doors secure and working properly. When an escape like this happens, it can be very serious because cats escaping in the car park of a veterinary surgery will easily get disoriented and frightened and be much harder to locate and catch. However, the vet may have a live trap they can use to try to catch your kitty or a member of the public may find your kitty at their door and take it to the vet for microchip scanning to track down the owner. In either scenario, microchipping is the best way to make sure your kitty comes home. Don’t for get to keep your details up to date; a microchip is only as good as the information registered against it! Article Advice and Details Supplied by Lou Tyack

That’s So Cat!

Loving Homes Needed

This handsome chap is Malcom. He’s had a rough time of it as he was bullied badly by another cat. As such, this 3-year-old boy would love a home where he’s the only pet and where there are no children. Ideally the home would be cat-experienced and be patient and understanding of his needs. Malcom is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and flea/worm treated. Could you offer this deserving fellow a loving home?

Loki is another cat that’s had a rough go. She has had four litters of kittens despite only being 3 years old. Loki would like a cat experienced home with no other pets or children. She is affectionate but on her terms so her new people would need to be patient and understanding. Loki has been neutered, vaccinated, flea and worm treated and microchipped. It’s time for this busy mother to have time for herself. Can you offer her the love and care she needs?

Pretty Sukey is looking for a cat-experienced home with access to a quiet garden. She’s very independent and affectionate on her terms and doesn’t really like a lot of stroking and will nip/bite when she’s had enough. Poor Sukey was very

traumatised on arrival, but as time passes becomes more tolerant of interaction when she wants it. She’s 11 years young and is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and flea/worm treated. Do you have room in your heart and home for this sweet girl?

If you would like more information on any of these beautiful cats, please phone 01993 831 279 or email [email protected] CONTACT US!!! For more information on our work, to rehome a cat, donate, volunteer or seek advice on cat

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www.sunshinecatrescue.org.uk

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