Website of the Month

Regular Mews-letter readers will know I'm a sucker for giving a bit of publicity to a cat rescue centre, so when one writes to me asking for a review, and their website is really good, I feel I have no choice but to tell you all about it here.

As you would anticipate, the site deals with topics such as cat adoption, what to do if you lose your cat and how not to lose your cat in the first place, but they've also made sure to make their website fun and entertaining, even for those not in need of their services. There is a great selection of photos and video clips but by far the most entertaining bit for me was the ‘musical cats' page, it really made me laugh out loud.

I'd looked around the rest of the site for as long as I could, but eventually it came down to brass tacks. I tried to resist, I avoided ‘that section' until the last possible moment, but the pictures on the home page were taunting me and eventually my will just wasn't strong enough. If you're a weak willed cat lover, like me, don't look at the ‘cats needing homes' section unless you've really got the room to expand your tribe! No, actually, do, well… don't… er, well do if you must…

All of the cases are heart breaking and all of these poor cats need good homes, and if it weren't for the fact that we're already known as ‘those weird cat people' down our road, I'm sure the population here would have increased by at least 1 or possibly more.

So, if you're near Worthing , or even within a drivable distance, get down to Worthing Cat Welfare Trust and adopt one of these little beauties. If you're not near enough to do that then get your credit card out and send them a contribution – it all helps so send whatever you can! (Donations can be made from the site)

Either way, the site is well worth a visit and I guarantee you wont regret it.

This month's website of the month is all about one of my favourite breeds of cat, the Bengal . These amazing creatures are pedigrees that are just 4 generations from the Asian Leopard Cat, which is a truly wild cat found throughout Asia .

The surprising thing about Bengals, is that although they have the striking appearance of the Asian Leopard Cat they are actually completely tame, more so than many more common domestic cats. (A friend of mine had a Bengal who loved nothing more than laying on his back in the sunshine and having his belly rubbed!)

But, enough about my fascination with them, on with the site review…

This site is very easy to navigate with all the sections clearly labelled and easily available. The subject matter covers everything you could possibly want to know about Bengals, including a fascinating interview with Jean Mill, one of the pioneers of the breed.

The site also goes into depth about the types of markings found in Bengals and what makes them pedigrees, as well as some of the interesting variations that are not currently considered pedigree but are none the less beautiful and fascinating.

I can't decide on which is my favourite part of the site, but it has to be either the ‘Your Bengal Cats' section or the ‘Letters' section. The ‘Your Bengal Cats' section has pictures and info about some of the visitors' cats including links to their own web sites. The ‘Letters' Section has questions and answers covering all sorts of Bengal and generally cat related topics. The advice is helpful and very well informed and would benefit most cat owners, whether you own a Bengal or not.

Before concluding this review, I'd like to add that whilst Bengals are great cats, if you're considering adopting a cat please consider adopting one from a shelter (as well as a Bengal ?). There are literally thousands of lovely cats in need of good homes at rescue shelters right now, and if you can provide a good home to one you'll not only be getting a great addition to your household but you'll be doing a good deed too.

In summary, Bengal Cat is a great site for anyone interested in cats and is well worth a visit.

The Daily Kitten, as the name suggests, posts a new kitten photo every day.

There's not a huge amount to review about this site, it does what it says on the tin, but as soon as I saw it I knew it was a site that should be recommended here in the mews-letter – I mean, who doesn't love kittens? Who wouldn't like to see new kittens every day?

The site is simple and in the form of a blog, with archives of past photos available and certain to keep you stuck on the site for quite a while, I certainly found it difficult to stop looking at the pics and get on with this review.

There's also a lively message board which has some interesting posters starting a good diverse range of threads. Not all of the threads are cat related, although plenty are and they seem like a friendly bunch so it's worth having a look around and joining in with any discussions that interest you.

I really enjoyed spending some time here and will definitely be returning to see some more cute pictures of kittens before the day is through.