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EmailIphone Application    Posted: 29th September 2011
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Purr-fectly Deafened!
Smokey on the decibel scale.
Meet the cat with the loudest purr on the planet.

You know the sound of a lawnmower on a summer afternoon? Or a vacuum cleaner around the house? The drone in the background, whirring through your head and drowning out the TV just at that romantic moment! Now imagine if your pet made that noise. Well, for Ruth Adams and her family, that's exactly what happens.

Smokey, their pet cat, is officially the possessor of the loudest purr on the planet, having reached a deafening 67.7dB and setting the Guinness World Record. She is louder than the average conversation and is capable of purrs topping 90dB when measured at a close distance.

She has been compared to a lawnmower, a vacuum cleaner and a hairdryer, and frequently drowns out telephone conversations.

Ruth Adams, Smokey's eighth owner in her 12 year life, described the reaction to her pet's purr: "When I'm on the phone, friends often ask what the loud noise is and they can't believe it is coming from a cat."

She added: "It's not just the volume of her purr which is unusual, she makes quite a unique sound as if she has a dove stuck in her throat."

Diana Johnson, of Northampton Cats Protection, expressed her astonishment. She said: "I have never heard anything like that purr in my life. It can drown out your conversation. I've never found a cat with a purr that is anywhere near as loud."

Since the start of this year, Smokey's purr has gone global, and she has been filmed by news stations all over the world. With the new Guinness World Records 2012 book having just gone on sale, as well as a semi-biographical account of Smokey's rise to stardom in the works, her fame is in the ascendence, with her purr even being available as a mobile phone ring tone.

The reason for Smokey's incredible purr is unclear, but it's obvious she enjoys her life in the spotlight - the only time she's quiet is when she's asleep!

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Antibiotic Amnesty survey opens

News Story 1
 The Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance - Companion Animal and Equine (RUMA - CA&E) has launched a survey which seeks to measure the success of this year's Antibiotic Amnesty campaign.

Its results will help the group to calculate how many unused or out-of-date antibiotics were returned as part of the campaign throughout November. Practices are also asked how they engaged with clients to raise awareness of the issue.

Participating practices can enter a prize draw to win up to 100 in vouchers for taking part. Further prizes from BSAVA and Webinar Vet will be available for practices with the best input.

The survey takes a few minutes to complete and will be running throughout December. It can be accessed via this link. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue cases lead to restricted zone extension

Following the detection of new cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3), the restricted zone has been extended to include additional parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and North Yorkshire, as well as Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and part of Dorset.

The zone now covers 28 counties and unitary authorities in England. As of 16 December, 185 cases of BTV-3 have been confirmed in England and Wales during the current vector period.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease. Suspected cases must be reported on 03000 200 301 in England or 03003 038 268 in Wales. In Scotland, suspected cases should be reported to the local field services office. Suspected cases in Northern Ireland should be reported to the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or by contacting the local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.

A map of the area where movement restrictions apply can be found here.