Watch the new Advantage Family TVC and WIN!

This Competition is now closed! We hope you enjoyed the new Advantage Family TVC!

On behalf of Cat Diaries we would like to congratulate Isabel Prone NSW, Lynda Mills NSW, and Caroline Williams SA as you are the Major Winners of our competition!

Your prize is valued at $300; this includes a $200 Petbarn Gift Voucher and a Gourmet Food & Toy Pack!

We would also like to congratulate the following Runner Up winners as you have won a Mini Cat Surprise Pamper packs valued at $80; this includes Gourmet Food Treats and a luxury cat collar!

Cherie    Bekker, NSW
Jordan    Levai, SA
Leigh    May, VIC
Tina    Briggs, NSW
Stephen    Yeomans, NSW
Sarah    Kerville, VIC
Leeanne    Marshall,VIC
Tasmin    Tong, NSW
Belinda    Yaxley, TAS
Leigh    Bonello, NSW

Read Terms and Conditions here

Terms and Conditions

1.         Information on how to enter form part of the terms and conditions of entry.

Entry

2.         Entry is open to residents of Australia only.

3.         Employees of the Promoter and their immediate families, and their agencies and companies associated with the promotion are ineligible to enter the competition.

4.         The competition will commence at 5:30pm AEST on Friday 05^th November 2010 and ends at 11:00 am on Monday 29^th November 2010.

5.         To be eligible to win, entrants must visit www.catdiaries.com.au, watch the video on the promotion page, correctly answer the questions related to the video (all multiple choice questions), and enter a few personal details.

6.         Multiple entries are permitted, but there is a limit of one prize per email address and household.

7.         All competition entries entered incorrectly shall be deemed invalid. To be eligible to go in to the prize draw (both major and minor), the answers must be correct.

8.         Any costs associated with accessing the Promoter’s website is the entrant’s responsibility, and is dependent on the Internet Service Provider used by the entrant.

Prizes and Prize Draws

9.         There are 3 major Cat Pamper Hamper prizes to be won valued at $300 each (incl. GST and fulfilment).

10.       There are 10 minor prizes to be won valued at $60 each (incl. GST and fulfilment).

Prize description:

Major Prizes: 3x Cat Pamper Hampers valued at $300 each (including GST).

This major prize includes a $200 Petbarn Voucher and a Toy & Gourmet Food Hamper!

Minor Prizes: 10x Mini Cat Surprise Pamper packs valued at $60 (incl. GST).

This prize includes Gourmet Food treats and a luxury cat collar.

11.       The prize draw to determine the prize winners (both major and minor) will be a manual draw conducted at 10.00am Monday 06^th December 2010 at Suite 502, Level 5 282 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, 2022, NSW. The first draw will determine the 3 major prize winners. The 3 major prize winners will be automatically excluded from the draw for the minor prizes to follow after.

12.       Judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

13.       The winners will be notified by email at 10:00am (AEST) Tuesday 07^th December 2010. Upon winners’ details confirmation, their names will be published on www.catdiaries.com.au.

14.       In the event that any winner is unable to be contacted, and all methods of communication are unsuccessful, the Promoter shall conduct a further manual draw at Suite 502, Level 5 282 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, 2022, NSW. at 10.00 am on Monday 7^th March 2011 (AEST), subject to any written direction given under Reg. 37 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act 1993, (SA) and publish the new winners’ names on www.catdiaries.com.au .

15.       The prize remains the property of the Promoter until claimed by the prize winner.

16.       The total prize pool is valued at $1,500.00 (including GST). The prize value is in Australian dollars.

17.       The prize cannot be transferred.

18.       If the prize winner is under the age of 18 years, the prize will be awarded to the winner’s nominated parent or guardian.

19.       In the event that any of the prizes becomes unavailable due to circumstances beyond the Promoter’s control, the Promoter reserves the right to provide a similar product of the same or greater value as the original prize, subject to any applicable laws or written directions made under applicable legislation.

20.       The Promoter reserves the right to request the prize winners to provide proof of identity, proof of age and proof of residency at the nominated prize delivery address. Identification considered suitable for verification is at the discretion of the Promoter.

21.       The prize winners are advised that tax implications may arise from their prize winnings and they should seek independent financial advice prior to the acceptance of the prize.

22.       The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained as a result of taking a prize except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.

23.       The Promoter and its agencies associated with this promotion will take no responsibility for prize lost in transit.

General

24.       The Promoter collects entrants’ personal information in order to conduct the promotion. If the information requested is not provided, the entrant may not participate in the promotion. By entering the promotion, unless otherwise advised, each entrant also agrees that the Promoter may use this information, in any media for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes without any further reference, payment or other compensation to the entrant, including sending the entrant electronic messages. Entrants’ personal information may be disclosed to State and Territory lottery departments and winners’ names published as required under the relevant lottery legislation. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter at their address set out below.

25.       The Promoter reserves the right to at any time add to, delete from, or otherwise amend, the conditions of entry relating to the competition. In the event of war, terrorism, state of emergency or disaster the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion subject to any written directions given under applicable State or Territory legislation.

26.       The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the promotion. The Promoter’s legal rights to recover damages or other compensation from such an offender are reserved.

27.       If for any reason this promotion is not capable of running as planned because of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this promotion, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion or to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, subject to any written directions given under applicable State or Territory legislation.

28.       The promoter is Bayer Australia Limited, 875 Pacific Highway, Pymble, NSW 2073. ABN 22000138714.

Permits:

ACT     -           ACT TP 10/04802.1

NSW   -           LTPS/10/10486

We all know the joy of owning a cat, and of course none of us would trade Moggy in for the world, but if you had to consider adding a new pet to the household, how far out of the box would you be willing to go?

Here we explore some of the most unlikely, unusual and impossible pets you’ll ever come across…

Capybara

If you haven’t heard of a capybara before, don’t worry – you’ve definitely heard of one of its cousins, the common guinea pig.

‘But wait!’ we hear you cry. ‘A guinea pig isn’t an exotic pet at all!’ Well, it is if you multiply its size by about 200 per cent – which is exactly what you’ll get with a capybara.

The capybara is native to several South American countries and can usually be found in swamps, marshes and waterholes, as this water-loving creature enjoys nothing more than a damp home. The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, weighing up to 80kg and standing 120cm at the shoulder. Usually friendly and gentle, the capybara makes a placid, if slightly disturbing, pet.

Pot-bellied pig

George Clooney is rumoured to have one, and there’s a growing demand in Australia for these sweet little animals as pets. Substantially smaller than a full-sized pig, the pot-bellied is usually the size of a medium-sized dog and is reportedly one of the smartest animals in the world!

Due to its docile nature, the pot-bellied pig is easy to train – and if you have the space for one, it can make a charming addition to the family… preferably a family that doesn’t like bacon too much!

Crocodile

For those of you who like to live on the wild side (literally, in this case), this pet may just be for you! Chito, a 52-year-old fisherman from Cost Rica, has disproved the ‘never smile at a crocodile’ maxim, befriending a 445kg croc after saving the reptile’s life over 20 years ago.

Pocho (the crocodile) was close to death after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head, when Chito came along and nursed him back to health. Pocho now happily frolicks and ‘play-wrestles’ with Chito in the water in front of (understandably) shocked onlookers.

The Cat Diaries recommendation, however, is not to try this at home!

•   So what about you? What kind of weird and wonderful pet would you welcome into your home – and why? Use the Comment facility below to let us know.

Congratulations to Annette as you are the winner of our Pets with a Difference Best Comment competition!!

Your prize is a Cat Igloo and Cat Toy Pack!

Read Terms and Conditions here

Images by: Wikimedia Commons, Gift Trap and David Au

6. Multiple entries are permitted, but there is a limit of one prize per email address and household.

7. Any costs associated with accessing the Promoter’s website is the entrant’s responsibility, and is dependent on the Internet Service Provider used by the entrant.
8. Prizes
Prize: 1x Cat Igloo (valued at $39.95) and 1 x Cat Toy Pack (valued at $20.00 )
9. Prize Draw
Draw 1: The winning entry will be determined at 10.00am Wednesday 27th October 2010 at Suite 502, Level 5 282 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, 2022, NSW.
10. The winner will be notified by email at 5:00pm (AEST) Wednesday 27th October 2010. The winner’s name will be published on www.catdiaries.com.au on Friday 29th October 2010.
11. In the event that the winner is unable to be contacted, and all methods of communication are unsuccessful, the Promoter reserves the right to allocate the prize to another promotion.
12. The winner has until Wednesday 26th January 2011 to claim the prize. Past this date, the prize can no longer be claimed.
13. The prize remains the property of the Promoter until claimed by the prize winner.
14. The total prize pool is valued at $59.95 (including GST). The prize value is in Australian dollars.
15. The prize cannot be transferred.
16. In the event that any of the prizes becomes unavailable due to circumstances beyond the Promoter’s control, the Promoter reserves the right to provide a similar product of the same or greater value as the original prize, subject to any applicable laws or written directions made under applicable legislation.
17. The Promoter reserves the right to request the prize winner to provide proof of identity, proof of age and proof of residency at the nominated prize delivery address. Identification considered suitable for verification is at the discretion of the Promoter.
18. The prize winners are advised that tax implications may arise from their prize winnings and they should seek independent financial advice prior to the acceptance of the prize.
19. The Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained as a result of taking a prize except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.
20. The promoter and the agencies associated with this promotion will take no responsibility if the winner does not utilise the prize before the expiration period.
General
21. The Promoter collects entrants’ personal information in order to conduct the promotion. If the information requested is not provided, the entrant may not participate in the promotion. By entering the promotion, unless otherwise advised, each entrant also agrees that the Promoter may use this information, in any media for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes without any further reference, payment or other compensation to the entrant, including sending the entrant electronic messages. Entrants’ personal information may be disclosed to State and Territory lottery departments and winners’ names published as required under the relevant lottery legislation. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter at their address set out below.
22. The Promoter reserves the right to at any time add to, delete from, or otherwise amend, the conditions of entry relating to the promotion. In the event of war, terrorism, state of emergency or disaster the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion subject to any written directions given under applicable State or Territory legislation.
23. The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the promotion. The Promoter’s legal rights to recover damages or other compensation from such an offender are reserved.
24. If for any reason this promotion is not capable of running as planned because of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this promotion, the Promoter reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion or to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, subject to any written directions given under applicable State or Territory legislation.
25. The promoter is Bayer Australia Limited, 875 Pacific Highway, Pymble, NSW 2073. ABN 22000138714.

This competition has now closed, Thanks for all the great tips. Please see below for the winning comment!

Congratulations to Laura. You are the winner of a Cat Igloo! We loved reading your entry! 

” I’ve never once had an issue litter training any of my cats (5; 14yrs, 4yrs, 2yrs, 1yr, 12wks) and never have any accidents!

Routine is very important, and if you are trying to litter train a new cat or kitten, don’t constantly move the litter tray around!

Cats or kittens from shelters, pet stores, breeders etc. generally have already been trained to use a litter tray, so just need to be shown where it is and you shouldn’t experience too many complications.

Cats by nature are clean, and like to bury their business, but they just need to be shown where the litter is, and be able to access it easily and quickly. Try a few different types of litter, e.g. paper pellet based, absorbant crystals, clumping litter, clay based, dirt, sand etc. Different cats may have different preferences, particularly when you’re first training them!

Try to place the litter trays in a ‘private’ type area where the cat won’t be disturbed whilst digging and doing their business. It may be beneficial to have a few litter trays in various locations to let the cat choose which it prefers, and which area it prefers. Some cats are really picky when it comes to using a litter tray, whilst many others don’t mind at all! If you have a really private cat, there are fully enclosed litter trays with flap doors etc. that may help your cat feel more private and secure.

When I have a young kitten, I generally start by keeping them in one relatively small room for the first few days, where they can easily see the litter tray, food, water, scratching post and their bedding. When I first take the cat/kitten in this room, I gently place them in the litter tray, where they are able to sniff it and feel the texture. Then, after each meal, I gently place the cat/kitten back in the tray to remind them where it is, until they’ve learnt where it is and use it without any help. Avoid having lots of loose things on the ground, of piles of clothes etc. as the cat/kitten may see that as a good area to urinate/defecate instead of using the litter tray. When the kitten does go to use the litter tray, make sure you don’t move and avoid making any noise, as it often startles or distracts them, where they will stop and leave the litter tray. Advantages I’ve found of keeping a new cat or kitten in a smaller room initially is that they have a ’safe area’ that they can adjust to fairly rapidly, which they can run back to when they are later let out if they get scared, and they rapidly learn exactly where the litter tray is. Once they get used to the location of this litter tray/s, and if you want to move the tray to another location, it is essential to move the tray slowly! If you suddenly remove the tray from one area, and place it in another, even if you place the kitten in the tray, they will often go back to the old spot and simply urinate/defecate on the floor, where the tray used to be.

When cleaning up accidents, the best products to use are the enzyme based ones, as they are the most effective to remove any odour, and discourage cats from continuing to use that area. A 50/50 solution of white vinegar/water can be used, though it is less effective and if it doesn’t work for you, try an enzyme based product. Ensure you apply a lot of enzyme based product, and give it time for the enzymes to have their effect.

In regard to urine found in locations other than the litter tray, don’t always jump to the conclusion that the cat/kitten simply had an accident. There are a number of causes for urination/defecation in areas other than the litter tray, including substrate preferences (if the cat does not have access to a litter substrate they like, anxiety/fearful or marking behaviour. If there are small quantities of urine away from the litter tray, either on horizontal or vertical surfaces, it is possible that the cat is marking. If there is a large volume of urine, however, it indicates that there may be an issue with the litter tray, such as it doesn’t like the substrate or location of its litter tray, it doesn’t know where it is, the area is not private enough etc. Just check that these factors are all ok!

If you have more than one cat, it is highly recommended that you have at least one litter tray! The recommendation from my behaviour lecturer is a minimum of 1 litter tray per cat, +1 extra tray. So if you have two cats, that would be 3 litter trays.

As mentioned previously, I’ve always found cats and kittens to be quite easy to litter train using the method I described above. Each cat is different though, so if you’re having trouble ask your fellow cat owners, come on here to check other peoples replies and google some good cat websites. If you continue to experience problems, I would strongly suggest you visit your vet or an animal behaviourist- they can both be very helpful!”

Laura was so happy with her prize she kindly sent in a photo of her cat Taz in the Igloo!

In the words of a fellow cat-owner (after rescuing an adorable little kitten a few weeks ago): “It’s all fun and games until someone craps on the carpet”. He was referring, of course, to the incredibly frustrating task of litter-training his new addition to use the litter box and not his $3000 rug. Everyone who has been through the experience of toilet-training an animal knows that it can be a harrowing ordeal. Which is why we’ve searched through piles of opinions and stories on the web to find the best tips and tricks to make “potty training” your moggie as quick, simple and pain-free as possible.

•    Be Consistent
Training is essentially about forming habits, and a habit needs consistency in order to form. When you first purchase a litter box, find a spot for it in the place your kitten seems to prefer to play the most. If your kitten has a favourite corner or nook in which he spends most of his time, situate the box there so he will have easy access.

Note, do not place it too near the kitten’s sleeping quarters or eating place…cats are reluctant to toilet where they eat and sleep (which makes sense!). Once you have chosen a place, ensure that the litter box remains there. You want it to become familiar to your kitten.

•    Reward Positively, Don’t Punish Negatively
Almost everyone responds better to positive re-enforcement than negative. The same goes for animals. By placing your kitten in his litter box after he’s eaten or had a drink, you’re optimising your chances of him depositing something in the box. Positive words, tones and of course a tasty kitten treat will trigger a connection between using the litter box and pleasure. Reprimanding your kitten by showing him the mess after the event is problematic because the animal’s memories are not as sharp as human memories, and therefore messages can be misconstrued. The message your kitten gets may be more like ‘Don’t do it where they can see me’ rather than ‘don’t do it outside my litterbox’.

•    Keepin’ It Fresh…
Cats are, by nature, very clean animals, so don’t expect your kitten to want to ‘go’ in a litterbox that is the feline equivalent of a back-alley drop-toilet in a slum. Keep the litter fresh, and when you introduce your kitten to the new batch, remember to scratch his paw around in it to show him how it all works.

Remember that the most important tool you have in this time is patience. Pay attention to your kitten to ensure that there isn’t something about the type of litter or the position of the box that is putting him off. Take heart though, he will eventually get it and when he does you’ll be glad you persisted!!

Leave a comment telling us your litter training tips or hints to win a Cat Igloo! The most original comment will win! Be sure to include a valid email address so we can contact you about your prize.

Terms and Conditions

Images sources: kevinsteele and shine.yahoo.com

Congratulations to Sharon. You are the winner of a Cat Igloo! We loved reading your entry, it brought a smile to all our faces

“Does it count if all your friends, family and visitors claim they all want to be reincarnated as YOUR cat ??”

Leave a comment telling us how pampered your cat is to win a Cat Igloo! The most original comment will win! Be sure to include a valid email address so we can contact you about your prize. The promotion ends on the 19th of July and the winner will be announced on Friday the 30th of July 2010.

Obviously each of us loves our kitty dearly, and want to create the most loving home environment, yet lately, what experts are calling ‘petocracies’ are becoming more and more prevalent in Australian households. A Petocracy is a pet-run democracy…where your furry friend has equal (or sometimes more) say in the way the household is run than its human inhabitants. To find out if your home is a petocracy, take our fun, easy quiz and discover whether you’ve been usurped as ruler of your roost!

It’s bedtime. You:

a)    Put your cat outside for the night
b)    Send him to bed in his cat-bed in the laundry
c)    Let him curl up at the foot of your bed…he’s a good foot warmer!
d)    Plump up the pillow in your bed that he likes to sleep on and make sure he has most of the blankets.

Your cat’s diet consists of:

a)    Dry food only
b)    Mostly dry food, with other morsels as occasional treats
c)    A mixture of dry and wet food, with daily treats and a specially-designed eating plan to keep him interested and fit.
d)    It depends on the day of the week. He likes steak on Mondays, liver on Tuesdays, and I bake him little foie gras biscuits on Wednesday….

Regarding drinking water for your cat:

a)    He knows where his bowl is, and it is always full
b)    You change his water regularly to keep it fresh
c)    After each drink you tip out the bowl, clean it, and refill it with purified water
d)    He doesn’t like his bowl so you strategically place cups around the house and leave the bathroom tap dripping…that’s his favourite.

The rules you have for your cat are:

a)    Very strict—animals need discipline otherwise they get carried away.
b)    Fairly strict—he knows who is boss but sometimes gets away with things for being so cute!
c)    Quite lax—he knows how to get what he wants by using his kitten charm.
d)    No watching Law and Order (the theme song bothers him), no staying out past 9pm (he gets lonely) and no dogs in the house (naturally)….Oh, you meant what rules do I have for the cat….

Now for the tally…

Mostly As:

You’re from the old school, and believe that cats need to firmly know their place and respect their masters. You’re diligent in setting up boundaries for your pet and value obedience, loyalty and good behaviour. This is a perfectly acceptable attitude towards cat ownership, just remember to let your hair down and have some fun with your moggie…after all, it’s what they’re best at!

Mostly Bs:

While discipline is important to you, you recognise the importance of a pet needing to fit in with the family’s lifestyle, not the other way around. You can’t help but indulge your furry friend every once in a while and you like to be organised in your approach to having a pet.

Mostly Cs:

Your cat is an important member of your family and you consider its needs as a high priority. You work hard to ensure your pet’s happiness and probably sacrifice a lot of time to its care…which is worth it for you because of the love and affection you get back in return.

Mostly Ds:

Oh, Mostly Ds, what are we going to do with you? You’ve given complete control over to your kitty commander–whoops, sorry—companion, but we’ll forgive you because, well, we love cats too! Just make sure you try to set some boundaries, as pets do respect leadership and need to know what behaviour is acceptable.

For Terms and Conditions click here.

Images by polandeze, Matthew Yaktine and jen-the-librarian

You may think fleas go into hibernation in winter, but no, those little blighters keep on biting and breeding, so it is important that you keep treating your cat with monthly applications of Advantage throughout the coldest season.

Fleas are still active in winter

And if you needed any more incentive, you can find it at the brilliant Advantage ‘sNOw FLEAS’ game. Simply visit www.nofleas.com.au and enter your details. Just by registering you will win a two-month FREE Quickflix DVD subscription, and with proof  of purchase you will also go into the draw to win a pet-friendly family holiday valued at over $10,000.

That means the whole family (not just the human members) can enjoy a relaxation-filled trip of a lifetime. Plus with 300 cativity centres on offer for the runners-up, you’ve got a great chance of being a winner.

Kill those fleas!

Kill those fleas!
Play the ‘sNOw FLEAS’ game – the aim is to get your snowboarding flea to earn points by performing tricks and stunts before a drop of Advantage kills it!

Cornelius, the Cat Diaries cat, has had a go and managed to score 1040 points (which is pretty impressive considering he kept trying to chase the mouse rather than click with it). So see if you can beat that!

Of course, the whole point of the game is to keep us mindful of the fact that fleas flock to the same warm parts in the home that your pets love in winter. So don’t forget to apply Advantage every month.

Good luck with the game!

_____________________

Congratulations to the winner of the Advantage competition!

Lynette Murray – NSW

“These are our 3 cats.

Buddy our girl who is very shy hides when anyone comes. She hears the garbage truck 2 streets away and hides. She came to us as a kitten mid 2003 after being dumped.

Blackie our black boy who we found in our back shed (that was early 2008). He was so tiny we thought he was a possum; it took us a couple of months to get him used to us… Now he sleeps on the bottom of my bed at night. He is so friendly.

Oscar the easy going grey fellow who moved up here 2 years ago from 2 doors down when another little one moved in down there. He likes it up here and when they try to take him back he take off before they can close the door. We think Blackie must have told Oscar about our place as the boys are great mates. But both are a little jealous of Buddy.”

It was great to read about all of your pets’ mysterious and special abilities, and we’ve chosen our favourite comment!

Our favourite comment is by Anne:

Many years ago, when I was a student in Melbourne, I lived in a rooming house in Punt Rd, South Yarra, and had a young cat adopt me. My study hours and part time job meant that I could arrive home any time of the day, but would ALWAYS arrive to find Sam in the driveway waiting for me. I wondered if he just spent his whole day there, and mentioned this to some friends from one of the other rooms, who said, “No, most of the time he spends fast asleep in the laundry. He only goes out just before you come home.”
This was in spite of it being a VERY busy road; I used public transport, and had to walk approx 400m from my stop. There is no way he could have heard me arriving – there must have been some other method at work.

Congratulations Anne, you’ve won a cat brush to pamper your kitty!

And thank you everyone for your fantastic comments! It’s so great to see so many passionate cat lovers!

Images by sabine_in_beijing and sakura love

We finally have the end to our story,

thanks to Janelle and Aidon Michalowski from South Australia!

Here is the complete story:

Cornelius, the Cat Diaries cat, was sunning himself on the balcony outside the Cat Diaries office. He liked keeping an eye on things, just to make sure his pet humans were carrying out their work properly.

They were well-trained and knew they could always come to him for advice, and as a respected member of the cat community he felt duty-bound to spread the word among his fellow felines of the importance of receiving regular monthly doses of Advocate – his complete parasite protection.

Cornelius stretched and yawned. With the sun warm on his fur, his eyes started to close. After a busy morning answering emails and proofreading the latest online posts, he reckoned he’d earned a nice little catnap.

He was just dozing off when he heard the front door to the office push open and excited voices proclaim, ‘It’s a great pleasure to have you here. Come and meet Cornelius – he’ll be so excited.

Cornelious rose to his feet with a nervous shudder. “Not more photographers” he thought!  “If this is fame,  then they can keep it”!

Each week we selected a winner of the themed competition and we’ve featured the winners below!

PLAYFUL - Clarissa Whitehead - VIC

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

SLEEPING - Laura Coughran

POSING - Margaret Carter - SA

CUTE - Kristy Sweeney from WA