Can sand cats be pets? What to know about these adorable felines

Sand cats are fascinating creatures, but unfortunately, they are not suited for domestic life. Many people love the sand cat's appearance. So like a cute, and special domestic cat which encourages the belief that they could be a nice, exotic pet. Unfortunately, this is a genuine wild cat with a wild cat temperament. They are just as wild as a Bengal tiger in the wild. 

So from an attitude perspective they are pretty hard to live with. You can tame one and make them semi-domesticated but that wouldn't do either. Not much fun for the owner. They'll be noisy and the noise they make will not be the cute meow of the domestic cat.

When people live with wild cats their lives are disturbed by the experience. Far better to leave the sand cat in the wild. And you have to consider other issues too such as where the sand cat came from? A stolen kitten from a desert to be sold on the illegal black market? That sort of thing happens.

There many stories of failed or half-failed attempts to live with the two most popular wild cat species to be considered pets: the serval and the caracal. Many escape the home as it is far to small a home range for them. If and when they escape you can guess what can happen to them: panic in the neighbourhood and not infrequently the death of the cat.

You'll see them on the internet. Of they are social media celebrities which allow the owner to become celebrities vicariously. Not good I am afraid. Exploitation comes to mind.

Lastly you just don't see sand cat pets. People understand that it does not work.

RELATED: How do sand cats adapt to their environment?

Here are some more summarised reasons provided by Bing. This section is provided by Bing's AI bot: co-pilot and it is pretty poor to be honest in terms of answering the question. But it is here because this is the sort of info you'll see on other sites! 😎 And they are worse than this one on this sort of topic.

1. Natural Habitat: Sand cats are native to deserts across parts of Africa and Asia. They prefer dry habitats with little vegetation, living in sandy, dry plains and rocky valleys. Their range includes the Sahara Desert in Algeria, Niger, and Morocco, as well as the Arabian Peninsula and parts of central Asia such as Turkmenistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. They are deeply adapted to desert living not living room living (my added comment - see link above).

2. Legal Restrictions: Keeping a sand cat as a pet is not recommended (highly so). In the United States, 35 states have banned keeping big cats as pets. Although sand cats are smaller than cheetahs or lions, they could still fall into the “big cat” category. Additionally, they are generally considered exotic animals, which makes them off-limits for pet ownership. Only six states (Alabama, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Delaware, and Oklahoma) do not ban or regulate having big cats as pets.

3. Conservation Programs: The appropriate place for a captive sand cat is within a conservation program. While sand cats are not endangered, ongoing efforts aim to conserve and protect the species. These programs ensure that sand cats can continue to thrive in their natural habitats where they should stay. Sorry.

In summary, while sand cats may be captivating, it’s best to appreciate them from a distance and support conservation efforts rather than attempting to keep them as pets.🙄🐈‍⬛

Dog owners do not know what is in their dogs' food

A study commissioned by Butternut Box conducted by OnePoll, came to the conclusion that millions of dog owners in the UK have no idea what is in their pet's food. There were 2000 participants and 48% of them were able to name just three ingredients. 23% of the participants struggled to understand the ingredients listed on dog food labels.

I'm sure, by the way, that the same would apply to cats. There is certainly, as far as I am concerned, a big disconnect between pet food manufacturers and consumers in respect of labelling ingredients.

44% of participants were confused by what they perceive as contradictory advice about a healthy dog diet.

And because of this lack of understanding of what is in dog food, 36% of the participants admitted that they are worried about their dog's health in the context of their diet.

RELATED: Two Companies Ordered to Pay More Than $7 Million for Adulterated and Misbranded Pet Food Ingredients.

Four in 10 found planning their dog's diet stressful and certainly more stressful than trying to work out their own diet with 41% admitting that they would want clearer labelling on dog food packaging.

Clearly, a healthy diet can help a dog to be healthy and help to eliminate or at least manage health problems.

The argument is that there is a need for greater transparency and information about dogs' diets in order to help owners to make better more informed choices.

Comment: there is probably a general suspicion about the quality of pet food made by big business. The problem applies to cats and dogs and other pets. There are some ingredients in pet food such as rendered, hydrolysed or pasteurised animal by-products along with artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives.

It's believed that the manufacturers try to avoid drawing attention to these additives in order to preserve the food and make it look better but which are arguably detrimental to health by making the labelling more opaque and harder to understand.

RELATED: Worst Pet Food Ingredients

For 45% of dog owners, price is the deciding factor and 13% were swayed by the packaging. That is the appearance of the packaging encourage them to purchase the product.

27% of dog owners said that their dog was a fussy eater and 17% said that their dog turns up their nose at the food if he or she does not think that it is up to scratch. 11% of dogs refuse to eat their food.

Around 30% of dog owners say that the dog shows more interest in the food that they are eating then the dog food that has been put down for them resulting in 61% of dog owners feeding their beloved pooch human food at least once a week with around 25% of owners admitting that their motivation for doing this is guilt.

That said, 23% provided human food for their dog in the belief that fresh, human quality food is better for a dog than commercially prepared dog food about which they don't know enough.

The conclusion is that there is a need for dog owners to better understand the ingredients in dog food and the same would apply to cat food. And on the other side of the coin, they would appear to be an obligation on pet food manufacturers to be more transparent about dog food ingredients and to minimise additives which might be detrimental to dogs' health.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Fraudsters labelling puppy mill dogs as rescue dogs. Beware.

"A federal jury awarded nearly $4 million against two men who brokered puppy-milled dogs in violation of California’s pet store sales ban by falsely claiming they were rescued puppies. The lawsuit has driven the men out of the state and resulted in the closure of pet stores that illegally sold the puppies." - Nathan Winograd.

The same issues could just as well apply to cats.

Some detail: a federal jury in San Diego ruled that David Salinas of Cedar Pet Supply and puppy mill brokers Raised and Alicia Rothman misrepresented where the puppies that there were selling had come from. A press release says that Rothman is the sales manager for Select Puppies in Iowa. This business supplies puppy mill puppies to pet stores across the country.

They lied to customers according to the court ruling saying that the puppies came from Maryland-based PetConnect Rescue in order to avoid California's 2019 law which bans the sale of dogs in pet stores unless they are rescue animals.

PetConnect Rescue learned about the fraudulent use of the name in 2020 after California customers contacted them to complain that their puppies were seriously ill.

Court exhibits showed that the animals were labelled as coming from PetConnect Rescue when in fact they came from puppy mills.

The jury awarded damages to PetConnect Rescue of $3.9 million. The organisation said that this represents a portion of the wrongful profits that were gained by the fraudsters in using their organisation's trademark. Nonetheless they were pleased with the jury's verdict.

The Cedar Pet Supply stores were put out of business in California. Although they still operate at several locations in Nevada and Utah. They have three locations in southern Nevada:

• Las Vegas - 5191 W. Charleston Boulevard, Suite #170
• Las Vegas - 5105 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite #115
• Henderson - 1000 W. Sunset Road

Comment: I hope people read this article and my thanks to Krnv.com and Nathan Winograd for bringing this to my attention. People should know when they buy puppies from a pet shop that they were either rescue animals ideally or at least from a certified and registered dog breeder. The same of course applies to cats.

By registered I mean registered with a dog association and the same applies to cats.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

More turbulence than normal for cats in aircraft cabins

Climate change is leading to increased turbulence on flights. A tragic incident occurred on a Singapore Airlines Boeing flight where one person lost their life and over 30 passengers were injured due to severe turbulence. The plane dramatically dropped 6,000 feet and had to make an emergency landing on Tuesday (May 21), as reported by the New York Post.

The gentleman who died of a suspected heart attack was Geoffrey Kitchen, 73. He was a retired insurance worker and a musical director living near Bristol. Six other passengers were in a critical condition last night in hospital.

He was with his wife Linda. He was on a holiday of a lifetime travelling to Singapore, the first leg of their trip to Indonesia and Australia.

A further 47 passengers were taken to hospital. Witnesses said that just seconds after the seatbelt sign was turned on the aircraft plummeted thousands of feet. Passengers were thrown into the air with their belongings. The pilots declared a medical emergency and diverted to Thailand. One passenger said that wherever you looked there was another injury.

Cat in aircraft cabin. Note: the carrier is the wrong type. Should be a soft one. And it is too large! 😻😹 AI created it.

Many airlines do allow cats to travel in the cabin, provided they meet certain requirements. Here are some airlines that warmly welcome cats on board. For example, American Airlines: Allows cats in the cabin, but check their specific policies.

What are the requirements for flying with a cat? 

When flying with your feline friend, here are some general requirements:

1. Carrier: Use an airline-approved cat carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. Soft-sided carriers are often preferred.
2. Health Certificate: Obtain a recent health certificate from your veterinarian, confirming your cat’s good health.
3. Vaccinations: Ensure your cat is up-to-date on vaccinations.
4. Reservations: Book your cat’s spot in advance, as airlines limit the number of pets per flight.
5. Age: Most airlines require cats to be at least 8 weeks old.
6. Weight Limit: Check the weight limit for in-cabin travel (usually around 9 kg, including the carrier).
7. Documentation: Carry necessary paperwork, including vaccination records and microchip details.

Remember to check specific airline policies, as they may vary. Safe travels for you and your furry companion!

And remember that there is more chance of encountering turbulence when flying nowadays thanks to global warming. The effect on the domestic cat in their carrier under the seat needs to be factored in.

While it’s rare, cats can occasionally escape carriers inside the cabin of an aircraft. To prevent this, follow these tips:

1. Secure Carrier: Ensure the carrier is securely closed and zipped.
2. Comfort: Make the carrier comfortable to reduce stress.
3. Stay Calm: If your cat gets out, stay calm and gently coax them back in.
4. Alert Crew: Inform the flight attendants immediately if your cat escapes.

Remember, most cats remain calm during flights, but it’s essential to be prepared.

Increased turbulence

Clear air turbulence (CAT) is caused by vertical wind shear, which are sharp variations in wind speed or direction with altitude. This type of turbulence is invisible, lacking any visual indicators such as clouds, and often arises when a large moving air mass encounters another at a different speed, such as when jet streams meet slower-moving air. 

Jet streams are rapid air currents that travel from west to east high above certain regions, like from the US to Europe. The jet stream's strong winds are driven by the temperature disparity between the Earth's polar areas and the equator. Many aircraft take advantage of the jet stream when flying across the Atlantic, allowing them to reach Europe more quickly and with less fuel.

Climate change doesn't cause uniform warming across the globe, and this uneven warming significantly influences CAT. Near the poles, warming is more intense at the surface, while at lower latitudes, it's stronger at higher altitudes. This is because there's more water vapor in the atmosphere over the equator. Water vapor, a greenhouse gas, leads to further warming, enabling the air to retain even more water, thus continuing the warming cycle. Consequently, there's a greater temperature disparity across the jet stream, resulting in faster wind speeds, increased shear at the boundaries, and heightened turbulence.-------------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Ozempic tells us humans are becoming lost

In generalising as I must, humans in developed or advanced countries are becoming lost by which I mean behaviourally and emotionally. Humankind is drifting in the wrong direction. They've lost their sense of self discipline. Humans have lost their ability to deal with difficulties, deal with pain and suffering, deal with the kind of things that humans have to deal with in order to be successful and live life to the full. And to be healthy.

Ozempic face!! And body! This is a fantasy image of a person who took Ozempic to lose weight.

Ozempic® is cited as a wonder drug which suppresses a person's appetite which means they lose weight. It's a last desperate measure to tackle the obesity crisis among humans. Perhaps we should be giving it to domestic cats as well because they have an obesity crisis as a spin-off from the human crisis.

The huge popularity of Ozempic which will make billions of dollars for the manufacturers, is due to the simple fact that humankind nowadays has the inability to employ self-discipline to eat less. It's pretty much a simple as that.

Camilla Long, the Times journalist is very critical of humankind in her Sunday Times article. She criticises people for being unable to "countenance pain and suffering [which] has left us with Ozempic face and PTSD". Totally agree.

'Ozempic face' must refer to a gaunt face. Sharon Osbourne complained that she looked gaunt after taking Ozempic to lose weight. She regrets it.

It is called a game changing drug. A fantastic drug. Camilla Long is as disgusted as I am humankind. I must quote her.

"I can't think of a single product/medicine/panacea that defines our ephemeral world more - fill your life with disgusting junk food and then just wave a wand to make it go away."

There it is, nicely summarised by Camilla Long. Self-indulgent behaviour par excellence. Eat yourself into the grave but then take Ozempic to try and extend your lifespan. What about self-discipline? What about eating less? What about exercising a little bit? What about going for a walk in a wood or a forest to connect with nature?

There is a strong argument that eating less and exercising is far more effective than relying on Ozempic. And one day we will discover that Ozempic carries some horrible side effects. At the moment it is a wonder drug but every drug is a poison and I suspect that Ozempic is no different. Perhaps in 10 years time there'll be thousands of people with a chronic illness caused by Ozempic. Don't believe that any drug is a wonder drug.

Camilla Long complains that in every aspect of modern life people shy away from dealing with pain and suffering in order to achieve goals and live life successfully. It is a flabby, lost world.

And this discussion carries forward into the woke movement and snowflake teenagers and youngsters. The modern university student is a snowflake it seems to me. University has been dumbed down to make it much easier for students who been ill-prepared for university by their school classes. It's all dumbed down. Which means that young people are ill-prepared for the real world.

In the new world of modern parenting and schooling, nobody can fail. Failure is a word you can't use. This is the snowflake policy. Youngsters need to be toughened up. They need to face reality. They need to countenance pain and suffering in the words of Camilla Long. 

And the drug Ozempic is an example, a symptom, of the failure of humankind to face up to reality, get down and dirty, become self-disciplined, and organise their lives by taking the tough decisions.

Info about Ozempic which is not designed as weight loss drug

Ozempic® (semaglutide) is a prescription medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes. Here are some key points about it:

1. Blood Sugar Control: Ozempic® helps lower blood sugar levels by mimicking the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). It stimulates insulin release from the pancreas and reduces glucose production in the liver.

2. Once-Weekly Injection: Ozempic® is administered as a once-weekly injection. It’s convenient for patients who prefer less frequent dosing.

3. Cardiovascular Benefits: Ozempic® has been shown to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease.

4. Weight Loss: While not specifically a weight loss drug, Ozempic® may help patients lose some weight due to its effects on appetite regulation.

5. Safety Considerations:

   • Do not share your Ozempic® pen with others.
   • Possible side effects include thyroid tumors, so monitor for symptoms like neck swelling or hoarseness.
   • Avoid Ozempic® if you have a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Assessing cat personalities through owner questionnaires

In my view, it's not possible to gather accurate information about the personalities of different cat breeds by surveying their caregivers. This is due to the subjective nature of owners, who, in my honest opinion, may not possess the objectivity necessary to make a personality assessment meaningful. Moreover, personality assessment itself is inherently imprecise, especially when applied to domestic cats.

Scottish Fold owner filling out questionnaire on the personality of their cat. Image: MikeB

There are two imprecise processes at play: an evaluation by an owner who is biased due to their strong attachment to their cat, and the ambiguous task of assessing personalities, which tends to yield unreliable information. This is the case with the Burns Pet Nutrition survey, as reported by the Daily Mail online.

They say that the Burns Pet Nutrition survey has revealed that the Scottish Fold has been named as the top cat by the British. The survey participants said that they were most intelligent cat breed (75%) and the most affectionate (67%). 

Taylor Swift and other celebs have promoted this cat. That too has had an influence on responses to the questionnaire.

Of course, at this stage I've got to mention the fact that the Scottish shouldn't be a cat breed at all because it is inherently unhealthy due to the genetic mutation which it carries causing the cartilage of the cat to be malformed which results in the flat ears and potentially defective cartilage throughout the body. 

Breeders of the Scottish have to be incredibly careful and they can't breed Scottish Fold with Scottish Fold because if they do the result in offspring are unviable.

This is why there are many "Scottish Straights". These are Scottish Fold cats without the folded ears because half the cats that the breeders produce don't have folded ears because of the above-mentioned breeding requirements. I don't think enough people realise this.

And I don't think enough Scottish Fold owners realise that this is a very contentious cat breed which in Germany would be banned because of their torture breeding laws.

Anyway, to return to this survey. "A whopping 92% of cat owners found them [the Scottish Fold] the easiest to train compared to other breeds."

I find this last point extraordinary. How many people train their cats in the first place? Very few. I think what this means is that Scottish Fold owners found that their cat companion picked up routines and habits through informal training which happens in every cat owning home. I think this is a very subjective finding.

The survey also found that over half of British cat owners rated Ragdolls as the most affectionate ahead of Maine Coons at 46%. And in terms of personality more than 50% of Brits said that Ragdolls had the biggest personalities 46% choosing Maine Coons and 41% preferring Bengals.

There were over 2000 participants who also said that the calico cat is easiest to train with 80% of owners reporting that they responded best to instructions. The calico cat is a tortoiseshell-and-white cat and nearly always female. Once again I think this is a subjective assessment which should not be taken seriously.

Apologies for the negativity, but I am aiming for realism. If you consult scientists conducting thorough surveys on feline behaviour using questionnaires, they will agree that the results are often dubious. It seems to depend on how the questionnaire is drafted and if it allows for crosschecking and weeding out inaccurate responses. There might be some merit to that, but generally, questionnaire surveys of cat owners, such as this one, ought to be regarded with skepticism.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Reason why pro tennis players grunt but pro golfers do not

The picture was created by an AI bot and it looks like a couple of gay professional sportsmen made of plastic. They appear to be stereotypes. It looks like DALL-E has decided to go particularly woke and politically correct. Fine. I like it.

There was a time when pro tennis players were silent when hitting the ball and they changed ends without sitting down and the time between first and second serves was seconds. Now pro tennis is frenetic when play is in progress but ponderous when not.

Why do professional tennis players grunt/shout when hitting the ball while professional golfers do not?

Professional tennis players often grunt during matches as they strike the ball. This practice has been observed in both men’s and women’s games. Here are some reasons behind tennis players’ grunting (these come from a search of the internet except for item 4 and 5 which are mine):

1. Timing Mechanism: Grunting can serve as a timing mechanism. Players who grunt while hitting the ball tend to time their shots optimally, transferring the right amount of power through the racket.

2. Masking Auditory Information: Anecdotally, players suggest that a well-timed grunt can mask important auditory cues used during ball contact. By focusing on the grunt, players may inadvertently impair their timing. 

3. Release of Tension: Grunting can also act as a release of physical and mental tension, potentially improving a player’s performance.

4. My preferred reason is that when a player grunts at the moment of striking the ball it enables them to fully release all their energy which is why golfers could or should do it when driving the golf ball from the tee. Distance is very important when driving the ball and grunting may improve it.

5. Another reason of mine would be that the shout/grunt stops the mind thinking which frees up all the muscle memory gained over years of practice. The player plays instinctively which is better than allowing the mind to intervene and tighten up the action. Once again this might benefit golfers and I can see some golfers adopting the habit in due course. The only problem is course etiquette. Golf is a silent sport. For a player to start grunting when hitting the ball might be frowned upon by some.

The conventional conclusion: In contrast, currently professional golfers do not typically grunt during their swings. The differences between tennis and golf, such as the nature of the sports, the equipment used, and the rhythm of play, likely contribute to this distinction. While tennis requires explosive movements and quick reactions, golf emphasizes precision and finesse. As a result, tennis players may find grunting beneficial, whereas golfers do not rely on it for their game.

The unconventional conclusion: golfers might start doing it one day. I am sure many golfers talk to themselves while hitting the ball to ensure rhythm. The same kind of thing.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

The public blame influencer for losing her indoor/outdoor Bengal cat to thieves

Olivia and Haukie who was stolen as he was let outside unsupervised. Image: Olivia's Instagram account.

This Aussie, female influencer, now realises that owning a Bengal cat presents a difficult problem of caregiving: should I keep my athletic, energetic and intelligent cat inside the home all the time or let him out through a cat flap?

I have hinted at the problem. The wild cat hybrids like the Bengal, even down to the F5s, are sharp mentally and demanding physically. They need exercise and entertaining.

Can you as an owner create an indoor environment which mentally stimulates a Bengal cat? The answer is that you have to. No choice as you can't let Bengal cats outside free to roam as they please because they are too pretty. 

They are liable to be stolen which is what happened this Aussie influencer whose name is Olivia Mathers.

She let her male Bengal, Haukie go outside unsupervised and he was stolen. She thinks she knows who stole Haukie and she thinks the cat has been sold to a new owner and taken to Brisbane from her home on the Gold Coast, QLD.

As she is an Instagram influencer she used the platform to try and recover Haukie. She told her 760,000 followers what happened. Some were sympathetic while others brutally criticised her for letting Haukie out unsupervised.

This is the problem; she was probably concerned about ensuring Haukie was happy and mentally stimulated so decided to let him out but you can't do it with a Bengal cat particularly with a Bengal cat living in Australia where a substantial percentage of citizens genuinely believe that cats must be confined to the home to protect wild life because they've be told this over and over again by the authorities who are having kittens over losing native mammals and marsupials to the skilled predation of Aussie's overgrown feral cats which have begun to look like another cat species endemic to Australia, the country were there were and are no native cat species.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Accident or assault? Metal bottle hits Novak Djokovic.

The man leans over the barrier with his left hand offered to Novak. His backpack is wide open and his metal water bottle is in it - at the top. Was this an accident or a very carefully orchestrated surreptitious assault on Novak? Was it an assault made to look like an accident? You decide. Novak has a lot of detractors. He is unpopular with a lot of people.

Being of a suspicious mind and having watched the video several times, I am beginning to believe and allege that this man did it deliberately and that it was not an accident.

• Why the metal bottle and not the usual plastic?
• Why did it fall from the backpack so easily?
• Why wasn't he shocked? Look at his reaction. Passive.

Here is another version:

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

NONSENSE citrus peel hack to deter cats from your garden

The hack the news media says deters cats - lemon peel scattered around flower beds. Image: MikeB

I've seen this a lot. News media websites restating what they say is the greatest domestic cat deterrent for your garden and it only costs 30p in the local supermarket. They say that citrus peel i.e. lemon and orange scattered around the flower beds is the best deterrent because cats hate the smell of citrus peel.

Immediately I can think of two things wrong with this suggestion which make it less than wonderful and probably ineffective after an hour if it was effective in the first place.

Lemon peel dries out in the sun quickly, perhaps in about one hour. It will lose a lot (almost all, I'd argue) of its smell after about an hour or so and it will no longer become a deterrent if it was originally. Do we expect the gardener to race around to pick it all up and re-scatter a fresh load every hour on the hour? Nah! 😢😃

Secondly, a person who is concerned about a domestic cat coming into their garden and onto their flowerbeds is going to be someone who is a good and concerned gardener as well. 

They're going to want to protect their flowerbeds because they are beautiful. And because they've put a lot of effort into them. 

It's impractical to suggest that this person, so proud of the appearance of their flowers, will find it acceptable to scatter piles of lemon peel in between the plants. It's going to look ridiculous and unattractive.

The cure is worse than the initial problem and in any case it isn't a cure. After many years of writing articles about domestic cats including deterrents because it's one of those pet topics that the news media bring up from time to time (excuse the pun), I can say that the ultrasonic cat deterrent is probably the best with about a 50% success rate. I don't think you will get much better than that.

Do ultrasonic cat deterrents work?

You will find many other hack deterrent such as coffee grounds. I don't think coffee grounds work very well. There is an ancient cat deterrent which is the plant called Rue. Crushed rue I believe has a reasonable success rate in deterring neighbour's cat coming onto your back yard.

Infographic on herb Rue as a cat repellent

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Ranking of Emma Raducanu has got worse since winning US Open

Immediately before Emma Raducanu won the 2021 U.S. Open she was ranked number 150 in the world. Today, she is ranked number 212 in the world. She has to qualify for the French Open because the administrators did not give her a wild card entry. After these years she still has to qualify for a major. No advancement. No progress. No hope as I see it. Disagree? Tell me.

Stomach trouble?! Breathing problems? The beginning of a history of illness and injury. Screenhot.

And therefore I have to conclude that Emma Raducanu has gone backwards since before the 2021 U.S. Open. She has, on the face of it, made no progress whatsoever which is a reality check.

The newspapers continue to write about her but a reality check indicates that she's failed to make progress. Surely we need to look at the hard facts? We have to put aside, now, our expectations for this young woman. It would seem to me that the world has misplaced expectations for her because of her extraordinary success during that U.S. Open tournament three years ago.

Before that tournament we knew nothing about her. There were no real expectations. There were hopes that she might do reasonably well and then she won the tournament; the first qualifier to a tennis tournament to win a major ever in the history of tennis.

And I don't think we can consistently make excuses for this lack of progress. We know that Emma Raducanu has had a series of injuries but it's more than that. It's about her mentality. It's about her attitude and I would argue a lack of commitment to succeeding.

I don't want to sound harsh or be over critical but Emma Raducanu too quickly wants to go back home and doesn't want to stick around long enough and be persistent enough to succeed as a tennis professional.

That is why I said a few months ago that she will retire within 24 months or thereabouts. It's about mentality. I don't actually think she likes tennis any more. She doesn't like all the trappings of the professional tennis life. She prefers to go home and be at home.

This assessment feeds into what she recently said to the news media that she has pushy parents. Have her parents demanded too much of her? Have they pushed her into playing professional tennis as a career when she is not emotionally fit to do it? Just asking.

And I personally believe that some of her illnesses were either semi-psychosomatic or psychosomatic. I think some of them were emotion-based such as the difficulty breathing in her first Wimbledon last-16 match when she had to retire. That I think was a forewarning of what was to come. She was trailing 6-4, 3-0 in this match against Ajla Tomljanovic.

She has retired from matches since when trailing and losing. A lack of steel?

Nobody has discussed this upsetting fact that Emma Raducanu's ranking is now lower than it was just prior to the U.S. Open which he won. This is significant.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Germans keener on cat ownership than the British

On a pro rata basis there are more cats in Germany than the UK. It would appear that the citizens of Germany are keener on cat ownership than the citizens of the UK.

Germany: in 2023 there were 15.7 million cats.

UK: in 2023 there were 11 million cats.

Germany: human population is 83.3 million.

UK: human population is 67.9 million.

The UK population is 0.81 of the German population. Multiplying that figure by 15.7 million cats in Germany produces 12.8 million cats which is 1.8 million higher on a like-for-like basis vis-a-vis the human populations of these countries.

Therefore Germany has more cats per human population than the UK.

Germany: in 42% of households there are 2 or more cats.

UK: 37% of households have more than one cat.

The above figures support the assessment that Germans are keener cat owners than the British.

The above stats come from Pet Food Industry.com and PDSA Pet Populations Report and other sources such as Cats.com and UK Pet Food.org.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Purina LiveClear to reduce sinusitis in cat owners

This is a quick note on a product which has been around for a while now, Purina LiveClear, a dry cat food which coats the cat allergen which causes an allergic reaction in people. This is a protein called Fel D1. And in coating this protein it prevents it having the same effect and irritating people who are sensitive to it. 

And one of the effects of cat dander on people who are allergic to cats is that their sinuses become inflamed. This is sinusitis. There are other symptoms such as sneezing and watery eyes et cetera. It depends upon the severity of the reaction in the allergic person.

But the point I want to make here is this: there may be a lot of people who are not formally diagnosed as being allergic to cats but their sinuses might be inflamed by the Fel D1 allergen without the person realising it.

Sinusitis is a very common condition as it affects around 10%-30% of people in the United States and Europe with chronic sinusitis affecting about 12.5% of people according to Wikipedia.

Purina LiveClear review

But as I said, there are different grades of severity of sinusitis and some people might suffer from minor sinusitis and it may be caused by cat dander

And what I'm proposing here is that in order to check if a cat owner is suffering from mild sinusitis they should purchase some Purina LiveClear and test it. Test whether their sinusitis decreases in severity while they feed their cat with this product.

My research indicates that the product is reasonably successful in its objective. That's based on reviews you can read online.

My feeling is that there are perhaps many thousands of people living with cats who don't know that they are in a minor way allergic to them. That's because their symptoms are so low level that they don't recognise the problem but their sinuses may be affected and this test will at least tick that box to make sure that they are not suffering unnecessarily..

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

All 45 cat breeds created in the United States of America

The US is by far the biggest marketplace (if that is the right phrase) for the domestic cat and it can be no surprise that by far the most cat breeds have been created there compared to any other country.

America, quickly followed Great Britain in developing a cat fancy (the breeding and showing of purebred cats). It all kicked off in the years immediately preceding the 20th century. 

Created in America 😹🙀😻🐈‍⬛. This is not a distinct cat breed but a cat representing all the breeds.

The first well-known cat show in America took place in 1895 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Enthusiastic cat fanciers organized this event to promote cat breeding and showcasing in the United States. 🐾. It featured a variety of feline stars. Among them, a brown tabby Maine Coon emerged as the big winner. The event drew thousands of cat enthusiasts, showcasing both pedigreed and domestic cats.

The cat fancy was 'invented' by the English and the Americans took it too the next level. Their Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and The International Cat Association (TICA) are the best known cat associations in the world.

I would suggest that the American cat fancy exists thanks to the descendants of European immigrants. They brought with them their love of the domestic cat and then the purebred cat. 

There was a surge in cat breed creation in the middle of the 20th century which included a fascination with the wild cat hybrids, the most notable of which is the Bengal, a cross at F1 level between the Asiatic leopard cat and a non-purebred cat. The Savannah (serval cross) followed and there are others such as the Chausie (jungle cat cross).

But these wild cat hybrids were accepted with reluctance by the CFA, an old-school cat association. They believed that the wild cat genes made these cats unsuited to domestic life. At F5 they are fine. The CFA still does not accept the Savannah which is strange as at F5 the cat is no wilder then the F5 Bengal which is accepted. TICA accepted the wild cat hybrids.

RELATED: Cat History

1. American Bobtail (1960s)
2. American Curl (1981)
3. American Lynx (1980s)
4. American Shorthair (1966)
5. American Wirehair (1966)
6. Balinese (1940s)
7. Bengal (1963)
8. Bombay (1958)
9. California Rex (1959)
10. California Spangle (1971)
11. Chantilly (1967)
12. Chausie (1995)
13. Exotic Shorthair (1966)
14. Himalayan (1950s)
15. Javanese (1960s)
16. Karakul (1930s)
17. LaPerm (1986)
18. Longhair Exotic (1990s)
19. Maine Coon (1860s)
20. Malayan (1980)
21. Mei Toi (1994)
22. Mexican Hairless (1902)
23. Missouri Rex (1990s)
24. Munchkin (1991-Recognition Date)
25. Nebelung (1990s)
26. Ocicat (1964)
27. Ohio Rex (1944)
28. Ojos Azules (1984)
29. Oregon Rex (1959)
30. Peke-faced Persian (1930s)
31. Pixie-bob (1995)
32. RagaMuffin (1994)
33. Ragdoll (1960s)
34. Renegade (1997)
35. Safari Cat (1980s)
36. Savannah (1997?)
37. Selkirk Rex (1987)
38. Serengeti (1996?)
39. Si-Rex (1986)
40. Snow Cat (1990s)
41. Snowshoe (1960s)
42. Somali (1967)
43. Tiffany (1967)
44. Tonkinese (1950s)
45. York Chocolate (1983)

The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA), established in the United States in 1906, is currently the world’s largest registry of pedigreed cats. Their mission is to preserve and promote pedigreed cat breeds while enhancing the well-being of all cats. Whether you’re interested in choosing, caring for, or breeding cats, the CFA offers information, advice, and expertise to cat enthusiasts. 🐱

The International Cat Association (TICA), established in the United States in 1979, is the world’s largest genetic registry for pedigreed and household pet cats. Originally North American, it now has a global reach. TICA’s key activities include:

1. Encouraging members to be cat owners, lovers, and breeders who work together to preserve pedigreed cats and promote domestic cat health and welfare.
2. Maintaining a certified pedigree registry.
3. Hosting cat shows that showcase both pedigreed and non-pedigreed cats.
4. Fostering positive relations between breeders across the U.S. and other countries.
5. Supporting feline health research through a foundation and providing resource materials to members.

TICA also administers rules for hundreds of cat shows worldwide, evaluates cats based on breed standards, and recognizes cats in various classes. Their commitment to preserving distinct cat breeds ensures predictable traits for future generations.

I know of 6 American cat associations:

In North America, several cat associations play pivotal roles in promoting feline welfare and breeding. Here are some of the recognized major cat associations:

1. CFA (The Cat Fanciers’ Association): A prestigious organization that oversees cat shows, breed standards, and registrations in the United States.
2. CFF (Cat Fanciers’ Federation): Another notable association dedicated to pedigreed cats and cat shows.
3. ACA (American Cat Association): A non-profit organization that advocates for responsible breeding and cat welfare.
4. ACFA (American Cat Fanciers Association): A cat registry that recognizes purebred, pedigreed cats, experimental breeds, and household pets.
5. CCA (Canadian Cat Association): Although based in Canada, it collaborates closely with American counterparts. This is added for completeness! 🙀😉
6. TICA (The International Cat Association): A global registry that promotes pedigreed and household pet cats.

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Nine house plants safe (non-toxic) for domestic cats

Here are nine houseplants which are safe for domestic cats. It is nice to see a list of safe houseplants because so many articles write about plants that are dangerous for cats. And many plants are. The most dangerous, as you might know, is the Lily but here are some safe ones.

Baby Rubber Plant: according to a very good source, the ASPCA, this plant is safe for cats and dogs. The plant likes filtered light and the potting soil should have plenty of organic material. It's a plant which helps to remove impurities from the air and I believe it comes in different shades of green and variegation.

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Ponytail Plant - Ponytail Palm - Beaucarnea recurvata

The Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a captivating houseplant with a unique appearance. Despite its name, it’s not a true palm but belongs to the Asparagaceae family. Here are some key details:

• Appearance: It features long, slender, arching leaves that resemble a ponytail, hence its name. The swollen base of its stem gives it the nickname “elephant’s foot.”
• Size: In the wild, it can reach up to 4.5 meters (about 15 feet), but indoors, it typically grows to around 2.5 meters (8 feet).
• Care Tips: Light: Place it in bright, indirect light (near a north-facing window or set back from a south/west-facing window).
• Soil: Use free-draining houseplant compost.
• Watering: Water sparingly—allow the compost to dry out completely between waterings.
• Pruning: It doesn’t require pruning, but you can trim brown tips for aesthetics.
• Winter Care: Reduce watering during dormancy.
• Pet-Friendly: Good news—it’s not toxic to cats or dogs!

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African Violet - Saintpaulia

African violets, also known as Saintpaulia, are charming little houseplants prized for their vibrant blooms and fuzzy leaves. They are not actually violets, but rather part of the Gesneriaceae family, and are native to the tropical rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya in eastern Africa.

Here are some tips for caring for African violets:

• Light: African violets prefer bright, indirect light. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, as this can scorch the leaves.
• Water: African violets should be watered from the bottom to avoid getting water on the leaves. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
• Humidity: African violets prefer high humidity. You can increase the humidity around your plants by placing them on a tray filled with pebbles and water, or by using a humidifier.
• Temperature: African violets prefer warm temperatures, between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Fertilizer: African violets can be fertilized with a weak solution of liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing season.

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Spider Plant: These are pretty, grow well when hung (keeping them away from most cats), and quickly produce new leaves and baby plants if nibbled upon.

Rattlesnake Plant: Also known as Calathea lancifolia, this plant has beautiful striped leaves and is safe for cats.

Boston Fern: With shaggy fronds, Boston Ferns are a great choice for cat-friendly homes.

Polka Dot Plant: The Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) features colourful, spotted leaves and is non-toxic to cats.

Remember, every cat is different, so always be mindful and observe your pet’s behaviour around plants. 😺🌿

Sources for above: Gardeners World, Bing, Prevention.com, Typically Tropical.

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Cast Iron Plant - (Aspidistra)

Certainly! The Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior) is a robust perennial native to Japan and Taiwan. Here are some key details:

• Appearance: It features lush, dark green, glossy leaves that grow straight out of the soil in a clumping fashion.
• Size: Typically reaches 1-3 feet in height (30-90 cm) and spreads out to about 2-3 feet (60-90 cm).
• Flowers: Small, brownish-cream blooms appear near the soil surface in late winter or early spring, but they’re often inconspicuous.
• Hardiness: Hardy in USDA zones 7-11, making it suitable for shaded garden areas or indoor settings.
• Uses: Widely grown as a houseplant due to its resilience in low-light conditions.
• Trivia: It’s known as the “cast-iron plant” because of its ability to withstand neglect and tough conditions.

Feel free to add this hardy plant to your indoor collection! 🌿🏡

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Dwarfpalm (Collinea) - other names: Good Luck palm, Parlor palm

Certainly! The Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans), also known by various other names such as “Dwarf Palm,” “Good Luck Palm,” and “Neanthe Bella Palm,” is a delightful indoor plant with attractive light green fronds. Here are some key details:

• Origin: Native to Mexico and Guatemala, it has been a popular houseplant since Victorian times.
• Appearance: Its lush, graceful fronds grow in a compact clumping form.
• Low Maintenance: The Parlor Palm is tolerant of low light levels and dry air. It’s also an excellent air purifier.
• Growth: Slow-growing, it may produce tiny yellow flowers and black fruits when mature.
• Pet-Friendly: Good news for cat and dog owners—it’s not toxic to pets!
• Care Tips: Light: Bright, indirect light is ideal. Avoid direct sunlight.
• Temperature: Keep it in a warm room (around 18°C-24°C) with a minimum of 10°C.
• Watering: Water when the top few centimetres of compost have dried out (more frequent in warm weather).
• Repotting: Repot only when root-bound, typically every three years.
• Misting: Mist the plant a few times a week to maintain humidity.

Enjoy your Parlour Palm—it’s a charming addition to any indoor space!

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Dogs eating cannabis edibles on the increase in the UK

Dogs eating cannabis edibles has hit a new high in the UK according to the Mail on Sunday. Of the cannabis edibles available to dogs, it appears that gummies, cannabis-infused sweets are increasingly popular and are thought to have contributed to a rise in the number of dogs poisoned by dope recently.

A fictional image 😉🐶.

The Poisons Information Service reported that more than 450 dogs have been treated in the past four years including 119 in 2023 compared to 82 in 2020. These figures are probably quite substantially underreported because Nicola Robinson, the head of service of the above-mentioned agency said that, "Not all animal poisoning cases are reported to us, so these are not a completely accurate representation of numbers."

The poisonings are taking place at home or perhaps while the dog is out on a walk.

The dangers to dogs eating cannabis gummies are quite substantial and variable. The RSPCA say that the symptoms include overstimulation and a high temperature. A dog might need intravenous fluids.

Other symptoms include wobbliness, agitation, incontinence, hyper-salivation, a change in heart rate, vomiting, seizure and possible coma according to Dr. Glassman, writing in Dogs Today.

The symptoms can develop quickly within 30 minutes but sometimes after about three hours. Dog owners should contact their veterinarian quickly if they see these symptoms and if they fear that the dog has eaten a cannabis gummy or other edible. 

Or, the owner can administer an oral detoxifier containing advanced activated charcoal. Vomiting should not be induced. Veterinarians can treat dogs at a cost of £800.

Cannabis gummies contain THC which is the primary proactive compound in cannabis. They are illegal in the UK as a class B drug. Although, on a practical basis, I don't think the police ever get involved with cannabis use in the UK. By default and through police inactivity, cannabis in any form is legal in the UK.

In the US cannabis gummies and other edibles are legal for recreational purposes and for medicinal use in more than 20 states. Cannabis edibles poisonings of dogs in the states amount to around 6000 over 5 years.

Some dog owners give their dogs CBD oil which is legal. This does not contain THC and is purely medicinal. It can be used to treat allergies, anxiety and pain.

Around 38% of Danish dog owners regularly give their pets some form of medicinal cannabis i.e. CBD oil with positive effect.

CBD can reduce stress in dogs and treat pain which is useful for those suffering from osteoarthritis. In Britain a vet has to prescribe human CBD oil preparations for a pet.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

No whiskers makes the Sphynx cat illegal in Germany

Under Germany's torture breeding laws, the Sphynx cat is illegal because it has no whiskers. There are other reasons but if you visit a Sphynx cat forum, the aficionados on that website constantly refer to the fact that this breed normally has no whiskers.

They are born with whiskers but they are very brittle and they break off. That's part of the result of the genetic mutation which makes the cat hairless.

"I would consider the lack of a sensory organ to be harmful," animal expert Thomas Göbel said before court during a case about neutering a male Canadian Sphynx cat in Berlin owned by a breeder, Jacqueline L. The court made an order for the breeding cat to be castrated to prevent him breeding thus undermining the breeder's hobby business. 

The court case proves that the law is occasionally (at least) enforced. The report is dated 2015.

You might know that Germany has a unique policy on domestic cat breeding which prevents breeders from creating animals that suffer through what I would call misguided breeding practices. It's the cat fancy which drives breeders to creating unusual-looking cats such as these hairless cats and others such as the Persian with the extremely flat face which causes breathing problems. That breed is also illegal in Germany despite the fact that it is a very popular cat breed in America and has been for decades.

Germany is ahead of the game in terms of controlling cat breeding. Although, this law is difficult to enforce in Germany. On the forum I mention they say that there is at least one Sphynx cat breeder in Germany 😹🙀. I presume they are exporting their cats abroad.

It was interesting to me to see what these Sphynx cat owners say about their cats falling foul of the German Qualzucht law. They pinpointed the lack of whiskers but there are other reasons because this is a hairless cat.

A side effect of a lack of cat coat is that the sebaceous glands' oils are deposited on the skin and not into the hair strands. This causes the skin to become grimy which means the Sphynx caregiver has to wipe down their cat regularly. It can also cause the cat to smell. 

20 facts about cat whiskers

Cats need whiskers for balance, to help guide them in darkness, to feel a prey animal that's been captured. You see a cat force their whiskers forward when there is something of interest right in front of them. Whiskers are incredibly sensitive because of a large bundle of nerves at their base. They are really an important part of a domestic cat's anatomy and therefore their life.

To remove them is cruel and the cat will suffer which is why this breed is banned in Germany. And to that obvious fact you can add another one which is recently been revealed namely the incredibly short lifespan of this cat breed which is 6.68 years according to a comprehensive study.

And the reason why the lifespan is so short is because this breed like other cat breeds suffers from HCM which stands for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which describes a thickening of the left ventricle of the heart causing the heart to become very inefficient leading to a shortened lifespan. And a high percentage of Sphynx cats suffer from this disease. It isn't good enough. The Germans know this. And that's why it's illegal in Germany.

How does a cat use her whiskers?

This is a cross-post because it's an important post. It's important to tackle what cat advocates regard as inappropriate cat breeding. I'm not against cat breeding per se but when the animals produced are inherently unhealthy because of genetic mutations it's unfair on the cat. But the cat fancy allows it because these cats look interesting. They attract attention.

This is an attractive and popular looking cat but there are too many deficiencies all because of what animal advocates would regard as inappropriate breeding.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.