Pets Magazine November 2018

November 2018, FREE
MEET MOJO!
THE CANINE INSTA-STAR OF THE MOMENT
PET
HOROSCOPES
BY RUSSELL GRANT
FESTIVE
GIVEAWAY:
WIN A 3D PET SCULPTURE!
Vet
PLUS MORE INSIDE!
Pets Magazine
Photo Credit: Neil Foster, New Moon Image

Vet
Pets Magazine

Does Your Pet Have
The XMAS Factor?
We're searching for the most festive of pets for our #PetXmasFactor
competition. You can win a 3D sculpture of YOUR pet (literally, any pet, from
cat to iguana!) designed by 3D printing
specialists Arty Lobster.
Arty Lobster’s highly skilled artists create
the 3D pet sculptures, which are 3D printed
in-house before being delivered to the
customer.
The company offers three options,
including sandstone, bronze and custom
options and sculptures range in size from
14 cm (5.5 inches) tall when sitting (or long
when standing) to 20 cm (8 inches) tall for
the large sculpture.
The prize is for a 14cm sandstone
sculpture featuring a brass nameplate.
TO ENTER, and for full details & terms & conditions, please visit the following
website: Pet XMAS Factor Competition.
The deadline for entries is midnight on Monday 17th December 2018. One
lucky winner will be announced during the first week of January 2019.
Vet
Pets Magazine

My Pet
Our cover star this month is
celebrity dog, Mojo the Toy
Poodle. Mojo’s best known for
her appearance on ‘Britain’s
Got Talent’ in 2017 and as the
skateboarding dog in the
Webbox Naturals television
advert. We meet her owner,
Lynne Land, and find out
more about this cute pooch!
Tell us about Mojo...
I’ve had Mojo since she was 8 weeks
old, there were two girls in the litter
and I was supposed to be having the
other puppy; at the very last minute
the breeder changed her mind and I
had Mojo instead. I had planned a
name for the other puppy and had
seen her every week when they were tiny, but I
can honestly say I cannot imagine not having
Mojo in my life now, she is such a treasure to
live with, and she loves everyone she meets!
How did she become an
Instagram star?
I decided to set Mojo up with her own
Lynne with Mojo
Instagram page (@Mojosclub) because she has
such a busy and fun life (we have another 8 Toy
Poodles at home too).
People love her trick and grooming videos,
although I have to say Mojo prefers the tricks
way better than the grooming, in fact when the
brushes and shampoo come out she does her
best trick - a disappearing act!
Vet
Pets Magazine

Vet
Does Mojo have any
special tricks or games
she plays?
Mojo achieved a
Guinness World
Record this
year for the
most rotations
on her hind legs
(pirouetting) in
30 seconds, she
can ‘play’ a
piano and sing,
which she did
on BGT last
year, she can
drive a little car
and so many
more tricks. As
soon as she
sees me get the
clicker out, and
assuming some
very special
treats are on
offer - such as
Webbox Natural
treat bars (her favourites!), she
immediately wants to practise
or learn a new trick.
What does Mojo mean
to you and your
family?
Mojo loves us all and we all love
Mojo. (Husband Steve, kids
Hannah and Jamie). She is very
loving but a lot of fun too, I
take her and her son Freddie
into our local school and the
children read to them) Mojo
puts them at ease by being
really cheeky, pinching treats
out of my bag or trying to pick
books up, the children think
she’s hilarious, it’s hard not to
fall in love with her. I love
when people meet her and say
they didn’t realise poodles
Pets Magazine
were so nice, she’s a good
advert for the breed.
Do you take Mojo on
holiday
with you?
What has
been her
favourite
holiday so
far?
Lynne with her poodles
Yes, we take
Mojo away with
us. We were
recently in
Swanage for a
long weekend,
we made sure
the hotel was
dog friendly
and she had a
great time,
everyone made
such a fuss of
her and we even
found a dog
friendly pub
right next to the beach. (we
take her favourite food Webbox
Natural patè trays as they are
so handy to feed whilst away
from home). Her favourite
place so far is London, it’s
great for dogs with all the
beautiful parks, dog friendly
shops, cafes and if it gets busy

Vet
she’s small enough to pick up!
Does Mojo come to
work with
you?
I am lucky enough
to work from home
as a groomer and
part time writer, so
my dogs are always
with me. Mojo is
my shadow, sitting
on my knee while I
type on the laptop,
she has inspired
me to write a
children’s book
(‘Mojo Make-
Believe’) starring
her! I only groom
Poodles these days
and Mojo loves
meeting them and
checking my
grooming is up to scratch,
but they aren’t allowed to
look as glamorous as her.
What do you like
about Toy Poodles?
We had our first Toy Poodle
when I was a small child, so my
mum started off the obsession.
I’ve taken it to another level, by
showing, doing agility and film
and tv work with my Poodles as
well as them being our loved
family pets. They are the most
wonderful fun and clever little
dogs and make brilliant
companions. They love to run
“Mojo was in the first
‘Kingsman’ film...and
we met Michael Caine”
and play and actually never
really grow up, they are cuddly
but fun too. They’re also
incredibly versatile, I honestly
think you could train them to
do anything. I recently trained
Freddie to be a scent detection
dog; the instructor who was an
Pets Magazine
ex-police dog trainer said he
was as capable as any spaniel
at scent work. So, I’d say never
underestimate a
poodle; they have
brains and beauty!
Anything
exciting in the
pipeline for
Mojo?
We recently worked
on an advert for
Webbox where Mojo
and Freddie
skateboarded across
the screen - it was
such fun. We have
done other film and
TV work in the past;
Mojo was in the first
‘Kingsman’ film,
which was very cool,
I did a lot of work on
it and even met
Michael Caine briefly.
The second Mojo book is
currently being worked on
and we’ve just been on
TalkRadio being
interviewed by Steph and
Dom (Googlebox) about
attending the National Pet
Show NEC where we did
displays and talks and had a
brilliant time meeting lots of
Mojo fans!

Gut Reaction:
How we can make our
pets’ healthier & happier
We meet Dr Rosemary Waring, an expert with Tharos, a science-led
health company focused on animal digestive health,
malfermentation, and the gut microbiome. Dr Waring discusses how
we can improve our pets’ gut health, leading to better general health.
Vet
Pets Magazine

Like us, our pets are what they eat
Vet
BY DR ROSEMARY WARING
It might come as a surprise, but
dogs and cats share remarkably
similar gut microbiomes to
humans.
This sounds a bit technical so
let me explain. A microbiome is
a multitude of bacteria and
fungal microorganisms that live
in a particular environment, in
this case, your pet’s gut. Crucial
to animal health, the
microbiome assists with energy
generation and battling disease.
Domestic cats and dogs have
evolved from their wild
ancestors, which were
carnivorous. As such, their gut
microbiome is populated with
enzymes and bacteria which are
great at breaking down
proteins, but struggle to break
down things like carbohydrates.
Many mammals, such as cats,
and dogs, lack large quantities
of amylase, an enzyme that
breaks down carbohydrates
into energy. It’s not something
they’ve developed
evolutionarily. As a result, if
they eat too much
carbohydrate, the carbohydrate
load may begin to ferment in
the intestine, causing diarrhoea
and other health issues.
This is a particular problem for
big dogs which are genetically
closer to their wild ancestors -
Pets Magazine
wolves. They are much more
likely to suffer from conditions
like IBS, which can be painful
and upsetting for the animal.
Vets are now citing high carb
diets as one of the biggest
causes of IBS in dogs - a
problem, they say, is getting
much more widespread.
Smaller dogs have been
selectively bred as companion
animals; their smaller size
meaning they have relatively
more amylase and suffer less
from problems with carbs.
Even if your pet is able to break
down the carbs, however, the
extra sugar this produces can
contribute to obesity, which
sadly can lead to a shorter life

Vet
expectancy. So, if you want
your furry friends around as
long as possible, it’s a good idea
to pay attention to how much
carbohydrate they are eating -
and keep it to a minimum.
In nature, cats get about 98% of
their energy from proteins and
only about 1-2% from
carbohydrate sources. Dogs are
much better at breaking down
carbohydrates, but still get the
majority of their energy
from protein sources in
the wild.
Yet, modern commercial
pet food often contains
much higher amounts of
carbohydrates than our
pets are used to - as
much as 70% of
commercial dog food is made
up of carbohydrates.
The reason is simple:
carbohydrate is much cheaper
to produce than protein.
Properly processed, these carbs
shouldn’t do too much damage
to dogs, but will cause
problems for cats. And in both
cases, the amount of carbs
we’re feeding our pets is much
higher than in the wild.
Owners also often don’t realise
the amount of carbohydrate
their pets are getting; those bits
of toast and pizza crust can end
up causing digestive problems
like IBS, diabetes, and
diarrhoea.
Fortunately, there is a lot of
research currently being
conducted into the field of gut
microbiomes in mammals.
One such study, carried out by
Tharos, found that an energyrich
malt extract containing
amylase helped horses digest
carbohydrates better, leading to
“The amount of carbs
we’re feeding our pets
is much higher than in
the wild...”
more energy and fewer
gastrointestinal issues.
It’s actually very unusual to
find measurable evidence of a
product positively altering the
gut microbiome. Often socalled
probiotics make little
measurable difference to the
enzyme makeup of the gut
microbiome. So, to find a
measurable change is
incredibly significant and
shows that the extract is
reaching the intestine without
being denatured by stomach
acid along the way.
Given these incredibly positive
results, we expect that a version
of the malt extract could be
Pets Magazine
developed for cats and dogs to
increase the levels of amylase
and help them better digest
carbohydrates. This should
result in less malfermentation
in the gut, leading to fewer
cases of IBS and diarrhea, and
to happier, healthier pets.
The fact that cats have been
licking spoons clean in early
tests shows that animals love
the taste of the malty flavour. It
may also turn out that the malt
extract can be used to
encourage pets to ingest
medications such as worming
tablets as well, something
which will delight cat owners
when it arrives!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Rosemary Waring is an
expert with Tharos, a scienceled
health company focused on
animal digestive health,
malfermentation, and the gut
microbiome. Dr Waring
qualified in Natural Sciences at
the University of Cambridge
and completed a PhD in
Biochemistry at the University
of Birmingham.
Web: http://tharos.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
TharosEquine
LinkedIn: https://
www.linkedin.com/company/
17945663/

WWW.ARTYLOBSTER.COM
Vet
Pets Magazine

Who’s Afraid
of Black Cats?
“… a remarkably large and beautiful
animal, entirely black, and sagacious
to an astonishing degree.” ― Edgar
Allan Poe, The Black Cat
DR DAVID CLIFF, of Gedanken, a company specialising in coaching-based
support and personal development, looks at the fascinating mythology and
superstition that has surrounded black cats for thousands of years....
As the proud owner of a black cat,
it is always puzzling to see
advertisements from cat shelters
and other animal rescue centres
that seem to show how black cats
are the hardest to rehome.
Why a feline noir should be so
difficult to place is a complex inter
play of superstition, aesthetics
and cultural perspectives, which
gives the poor old black moggie a bit of a hard time.
The ancient Egyptians prized all cats; indeed, the
ancient Egyptian God Bastet was the goddess of
warfare in Lower Egypt and was depicted as a black,
cat-headed woman who was the defender of the
Pharaoh.
Unfortunately, poor Bastet, or Bast as she was called
in various manifestations, would give way as Upper
and Lower Egypt unified to Seckmet, who although a
cat, was associated with menstruation and medicine
as well as war and vengeance. With this, the links
between cats and females began to increasingly grow.
The Egyptians so loved their cats that any harm to
them was considered a severely punishable offence.
The revered moggies were mummified in their
thousands; sadly few examples of these now exist as
Victorian entrepreneurs chose to use the mummified
corpses as fertiliser!
In Celtic mythology, the black cat was considered to
be evil and was sacrificed, despite cats as a group
being regarded as magical.
The full-blown assault on black cats however, took
place in the middle ages when the Christians began
to associate cats with witchcraft and Satanism, often
seeing accused witch as having a “Familiar” or even,
the cat itself being a transformed witch.
Vet
Pets Magazine

subject to
more
enlightened
thinking?
David’s cute and placid black cat Lola
Surely we
can
appreciate
the beauty
of the black
cat? But
sadly no. So
many of
these
beautiful
felines
languish in
cat shelters
while
people
prefer
Vet
The church began what turned out
to be a one thousand year killing
spree of cats and, of course,
primarily of the black cat, which
was associated with the forces of
darkness. Indeed, a black cat only
had to have a small fleck of white
on it, to sometimes be offered
mercy and spared its owner’s fate.
Yet the same redeeming white
flash on a black cat is associated
with Sith in Scottish and Irish
folklore, who steals souls before
they could reach heaven. Just to
show how pervasive imagery and
mental association can be even
nowadays, Sith lords are, of
course, those of the “dark side” in
Star Wars mythology, who of
course wear all black costumes…
Wherever in history, cats have
been persecuted; black cats, with
their dark, sleek looks, have
somehow managed to be
associated with an unfortunate
conjunction of an association
between blackness, the night and
the devil himself.
And of course, let’s face it, when
do cats come out but at night.
They are crepuscular, obligate
carnivores, required to hunt at key
times when their prey is available.
They typically sleep for the greater
part of the day, but come alive at
the very time we humans are
subject to other diurnal rhythms
that call us to out beds. They are
agile and fast and even their
hunting habits can seem extreme
and sometimes cruel.
The resurgence of the Black
Plague in the 1600’s was
attributed to cats who were
mercilessly slaughtered as a result,
with the perverse irony that the rat
population increased and thereby
created more rodent vectors of the
Yersinia Pestis bacterium. The
plague then spread without
restriction. Humanity always pays
a high price for its uninformed
strategies.
In a modern world, surely cats and
in particular black cats can be
Pets Magazine
tortoiseshells
and other styles that somehow
appear more appealing.
One cannot help however thinking
that there is a deep prejudice in
the subconscious of some that
relates to historical folklore.
Conversely, the black cat can be
seen as good luck. In Germany
depending on which way a cat
crosses your path left to right,
right to left can mean good
fortune, or otherwise.
There are many examples of when
black cats can bring good luck.
The black cat is the emblem of
Sunderland Football Club, for
example. However, every good
example can be counterbalanced
by a not so good one; for example,
the legend of the Ovinnik, a Slavic,
a mischievous spirit that used to
manifest itself as a black cat with
flaming eyes.

Vet
However you cut it, we live in
modern times. We struggle now to
believe in the existence of God in
many cases in an increasingly
secular society. And yet despite all
of this, we still have this uneasy
association with a black cat.
Ironically, black cats lend
themselves very well to graphic
design. Many iconic images that
are produced for the Web or
elsewhere are typically those of a
black cat because the image is
clear and equivocal and distinctive
as well as providing effective
contrast and impact.
The truth is that many black cats
are not black. Comparatively few
breeds are a pure black pigment.
Many have other colours
encompassed within them, which
present themselves depending on
the light. Many black cats for
example are chocolate brown in
sunlight and some black cats have
been known to find the dark
pigment recede and acquire a hue
of “rust” in favour of their more
long lasting brown pigmentation.
The truth is I couldn’t go past a
black cat. From the very time that
my dear Lola came in to my life as
a kitten, she was nicknamed
“micro-panther” because of her
sleek lines, her elegant gait and
the pure aesthetics displayed as
she moved. Another very practical
thing is that black cat hair doesn’t
show up on anything other than
the lightest of fabrics and so if the
odd hair should stray onto a suit
or whatever, there is no sense of
looking any less than pristine on
arrival at the office!
As a black cat owner and as
somebody who knows many
people who have black cats, one
thing is clear is that the black cat
is every bit as loyal, affectionate,
fascinating, sensual and curious as
any of the feline world. Modern
design has seen black as more
chic, sophisticated and frankly
Bast: The mythical black cat
upmarket than many other kitties.
There is even a black cat’s
calendar now and they all look
great.
The history of cats is fascinating.
It was only with the creation of
agrarian, (agricultural) societies,
that their domesticity really got
under way. The dog was
domesticated a long time before
that for defence and hunting.
With humanity’s need for the
maintenance of food stored
supplies, the destruction of vermin
and the avoidance of famine in
organised societies, cats far exceed
the merits that their canine
counterparts offer us, even if they
Pets Magazine
don’t run for sticks without an O2
subscription!
Our relationship with the cat is
improving and strengthening with
each generation. Our
understanding is still limited.
Fossils record has a huge “cat gap”
millions of years, where a
development of cats is simply
absent, although there are some
early indications that this is now
slowly being filled due to new
fossil finds.
We need a contemporary modern
relationship with the cats. In this,
black cat offers it as something
that requires you to think for
yourself, not the superstitious
past, and enjoy them for what they
truly are.
So next time you are thinking of
adopting a cat, passing through a
cat shelter or simply looking at a
litter of kittens, do factor in the
black cat. Put what might be
subconscious cultural heritage to
one side, born of misguided
Christianity and other beliefs and
look at these magnificent
creatures for the beauty, aesthetics
and sheer fun that they exude.
Give them a good home and the
rewards will be truly magical,
without you having to burn at the
stake for it!
Dr David Cliff is MD of
Gedanken, a company
specialising in coachingbased
support and personal
development.

Pet Horoscopes
by Russell Grant
ARIES (March 21st-April 20th)
Your human companion is more
affectionate than usual, which is
pleasantly puzzling. At last your
friend is starting to see how
much joy you bring to their life,
and is thanking you accordingly.
Spending more quality time
together is on the cards. If you
sense your owner has a heavy
your best to fill the void. Your
presence is incredibly healing.
TAURUS (April 21st-May
21st)
You'll be taking care of your
owner instead of the other
way around this month.
Fortunately, this arrangement
suits you just fine. You get great
while you're tremendously
heart, it may be the result of a
difficult love relationship. Do
pleasure from providing your
human companion with love,
comfort, and reassurance. And
giving, you're also quite
sensitive. A harsh word will send
you scurrying for cover.
Vet
Pets Magazine

The only way to entice you out
of hiding is with a game of 'catch
me if you can'.
cap and an honour for your
human companion as well.
unknown territory, or a search
party will have to be called!
GEMINI (May 22nd-June 21st)
It's possible that you've
developed an obsession over a
particular toy or possession. This
is a sign that you need healthier
diversions. A little more exercise
could do the trick, although it
will be a challenge to pry you
away from your favourite object.
Like humans, it's easy for
animals to get attached to
objects. They provide a welcome
distraction from any emotional
voids. It's time to find healthier
alternatives.
LEO (July 24th-August 23rd)
You may have recently been a
bit out of sorts, so it's a welcome
change to see the emotional
climate shift pleasantly as the
month begins. Let the weather
do what it will, for even if it
brings showers or storms you
can enjoy curling up in a cosy
spot and dreaming the
afternoon away. Part of your ill
temper may have been due to a
lack of sleep; why not take
advantage of any grey days that
come along to catch up on your
rest?
LIBRA (September 24th-
October 23rd)
You may be tempted to take out
your frustrations on a valuable
piece of property. Your human
companion would be wise to
keep such items out of your
reach. If an unfortunate incident
does occur, it would be wise of
your owner to deal with the root
cause. You wouldn't be
destructive if there wasn't a
problem. Happily, things get
back to normal by the end of
November, when you both
willing to turn over a new leaf.
CANCER (June 22nd-July 23rd)
Few animals know better than
you how to be a good helper, so
when you get the opportunity to
model this behaviour for a
visitor, do so to the best of your
ability. The impression you make
will have a most positive effect
and before long the news may
reach the ear of someone who
trains pets for special duties.
Don't be surprised if they come
seeking your services. This
would be quite a feather in your
VIRGO (August 24th-
September 23rd)
It's difficult to obey commands
early in the month, when you're
distracted and moody. Do your
best to do the bare minimum or
you could find yourself in
trouble with your master. Things
will be much more relaxed by
mid November, thanks to your
owner's forgiving attitude and
your adorable behaviour. Resist
the temptation to venture into
SCORPIO (October 24th-
November 22nd)
A party-loving human friend is
delighted to have you as their
companion as they visit one site
of celebrating after another.
Whether this involves spending
an evening with high-spirited
neighbours or going to some
gala social event, you can count
on being decked out
appropriately by the one who
dotes on you. When you head
Vet
Pets Magazine

home after these experiences
you and your friend will have
much to share, so be ready for
some pleasant pillow talk
before you get to sleep.
SAGITTARIUS (November
23rd-December 21st)
Though you live to wiggle into
secluded or hidden places, it's
best you not conduct too many
investigations at the present
time, especially outside the
home. Ignore this advice you
could find yourself front page
news when you're caught by an
overzealous photographer or
news person as they're currently
out and about hot on the trail
for stories of interest. If keeping
a low profile is your actual
intent, stay curled up at your
people's feet watching TV.
CAPRICORN (December22nd-
January20th)
You're sleeping deeply, which is
always a good thing. The next
time you awake from a nap, be
aware of how your body is
feeling. Notice how nicely
everything seems to be working.
Minimal stiffness, good
flexibility, keen vision, clear
sinuses. It's great to have your
health! Take a moment to
appreciate this gift. Then have a
good stretch and go back to
sleep.
AQUARIUS (January21st-
February19th)
Getting into scrapes is your chief
occupation this month. You
simply can't resist examining
new packages or exploring
forbidden territory. There's even
a chance you will get lost. Your
owner would be wise to take
extra precautions with your
confinement. And while your
appetite may not be huge, your
craving for company is.
Socialising with people and
other creatures brings out the
best in you. Be prepared to
make a new friend.
PISCES (February20th-
March20th)
If you feel a bit perplexed this
month, there's likely a good
cause and friends with
developed psychic abilities are
sensing it as well. This is a good
time to stay close to home
engaged in quiet pastimes. The
more still you become, the more
you invite information to come
to you as it does to those who
are spiritually gifted; perhaps
you'll pick up a vibration! You're
actually quite in tune with
electrical currents, so keep your
personal antenna raised and
who knows what information
you might receive!
Vet
Pets Magazine