Small dogs beat cats when looking for love

I am afraid that this is something that domestic cats can't really do very well or hardly at all: walk on a lead with a man! How often do you see that? Almost zero is the answer but research from the University of Jaen in Spain indicates that men who are unlucky in love might have a solution in the shape of a pint-sized pooch.

Orlando Bloom looks safe to women! Photo: WireImage. On July 16th 2020 it was reported that he was heartbroken about the loss of his dog.

Scientists in Spain found in a study involving 300 women that when they looked at men with small dogs, they were perceived as being less intimidating and threatening. The women said that they felt "more in control, safer, and calmer" when around men with small dogs. It appears that big dogs don't do the same thing which is unsurprising seeing as the kind of men who like big dogs are probably quite big (or aggressive?) themselves and, in any case, big dogs are intimidating.

The female participants in this study were showed a range of photographs of men and women on their own or with a small dachshund dog or a medium-sized Portuguese podengo-like mixed breed dog.

They were shown two types of photograph. In one, the context was positive i.e. a well-lit urban space in the daytime. In the other the context was negative being a dimly lit quiet street at night. The participants were asked to imagine they were alone and that the person was walking towards them.

When those people who were walking towards them were accompanied by a dog, either small or medium-sized, the participants responded more positively than when they were alone.

The researchers said that:

"The small dog prompts more positive emotional reactivity and higher levels of safety than the medium-sized dogs in most emotional contexts, pointing out that emotional and safety benefits from dog presence might also be related to size."

One of the study authors, Raphael Delgado, suggested that the presence of a dog would indicate that a man was nurturing and capable of caregiving which made them less threatening in the eyes of the female participants.

He also said that a dog's presence "promotes a sense of safety". And even in intimidating and frightening settings such as a dimly lit street the presence of a dog had a soothing effect.

Sadly, this is where dogs outdo cats. As I recall, when women see men with cats, they think they are gay or weak. Perhaps I have exaggerated but it is something like that.

Hannah Betts of The Times writes amusingly about her boyfriend's experiences when walking with their whippet. She says that their whippet increased her boyfriend's allure from their very first outing. She said:

"As she danced around the park like a tiny gray form, women of all ages charged from every corner, shouldering me out of the way to pay homage to man and pup. Later, when she became tired, Terence had to carry her up the Kings Road tucked into his Barbour. Cue a conga line of fainting Sloanes."

Clearly, for Hannah Betts's boyfriend, Terence, the small dog works wonders if a man is looking for love.

UK cost of living crisis pushes up cat and dog abandonment sometimes callously and cruelly

The newspapers are reporting on an aspect of the cost of living crisis in the UK which is troubling to me and other animal advocates. People are giving up cats and dogs in greater numbers than normal and the RSPCA as a shelter and sanctuary is running out of space. They are going on waiting lists. I suspect that this problem is compounded by the end of Covid during which people adopted more cats and dogs than usual to keep themselves company. These were arguably irresponsible adoptions without concern for the long-term consequences and responsibilities.

One of 11 puppies thrown away like rubbish in Norfolk, UK. Photo: RSPCA. See story below.

And on their Facebook page, the RSPCA illustrate the callousness with which some British citizens throw away their pets. They don't bother to contact the RSPCA or any other shelter to offer them their companion animal but they simply put them in plastic bags and leave them next to the rubbish.

July 25, 2022

The RSPCA have an appeal for information on a female tabby kitten found by a dog walker. The kitten had been tied up in a plastic bag and dumped like rubbish in Broad Grove, Norfolk. They say that thankfully she was uninjured and is in generally good health. I suspect that is because she was found quickly. But for the person who found her she would have died of suffocation or starvation or perhaps being crushed when thrown into the back of a rubbish lorry.

Kitten thrown away in a plastic bag because of the cost of living crisis in the UK. Image: RSPCA.

13 hours ago

This is a more serious abandonment. It couldn't be more callous, heartless and cruel. Fortunately, once again, a kind person spotted this problem. Somebody had dumped 11 puppies in a rubbish bag in Halifax, UK. They were left to die. The person took the puppies to the RSPCA where their dedicated animal rescuers and animal centre staff are now hand rearing them. At least it produced a wonderful picture as you can see at the head of this page.

Of course it is disgusting to me that someone can do this. I won't be the only person. Margaret commented saying: "Some people have no feelings for animals. It's disgusting the amount of cruelty that goes on in the UK and around the world."

That's true. Of course, there are lots of great people, sensitive and gentle people who want to help animals. It isn't all bad. Although sometimes it looks like that. Sadly, it is the good people who have to tidy up the mess of the bad people. It is a good people who have to rescue and rehabilitate companion animals thrown away like rubbish by the bad people.

Swarm of puppies overwhelm resident cat (video)

This is a cute video, although the cat was totally overwhelmed by this gang of puppies who appear to have been brought to the cat's home for the first time. They immediately raced out of the carrier and swarmed all over the cat who was forced to escape. It's quite cute as I mentioned but, in some ways, I feel sorry for the cat. The big question is why were these puppies so eager to meet the resident cat? I can think of two possible reasons.

Firstly, they have been socialised with domestic cats when they were raised by the dog breeder. They learned to like cats and when they were removed from the breeder's home, they developed an urge to meet a cat again. As soon as they saw the resident cat in this home, they dived at him/her to say hello.

Gang of poppies a release from the carrier and swarm all over the resident cat who has to escape. Screenshot.

Another possibility is that they had never seen a cat before and wanted to explore! That would seem to be unlikely but just about possible. Whatever the reason, it's an interesting little video which shows curious puppies overwhelming a resident cat who uses her athleticism to vault over a gate to get away.

Dog's head turned out to be the backside of a cat!

The catch line is: Purrfectly confusing! The video was made by Carolyn Muylaert, from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, after she was baffled by what she saw on this roof. It appeared to be a disembodied dog's head staring back at her. Carolyn made a hissing noise and the "creature" moved to reveal a white-and-black cat looking at her.

Dog's head turned out to be the backside of a cat! Screenshot.

Dog's head turned out to be the backside of a cat! Screenshot after the cat turned to the videomaker, Carolyn.

It was just a simple case of the black markings on the backside and the tail being black against the white background giving the impression that this was a dog's head pointed towards her. It was an 'optical illusion' for the want of a better description.

Here is the video:

Note: This is a video from another website which is embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Dogs have a grasp of human vocabulary equivalent to a one-year-old infant

A well-publicised study concluded that dog owners reported that their dogs responded, on average, to 89 words and phrases. It varied, depending upon the circumstances and the dog, between 15-215 words and phrases. The researchers provided participating dog owners with 172 words and phrases separated into seven categories which the owners then rated. 

Dogs have a grasp of human vocabulary equivalent to a one-year-old infant. Image: Pixabay.

The owners could add words and phrases. The 'goal of the study was to develop a reliable, valid and comprehensive instrument designed to estimate the number of words and phrases to which domestic dogs reportedly respond consistently and differentially' in the words of the researchers.

The researchers are from Dalhousie University, Canada. The research is published online in Applied Animal Behavioural Science. The classic response to the phrase "Good girl/Good boy!" was usually tail-wagging or a treat-seeking behaviour.

Different languages?

Clearly the dogs responded to the English language in the study. We have to presume that dogs in different countries respond to different languages in the same way. It would be interesting to find out if dogs find understanding some languages more difficult than others. I would doubt it, but it is a possibility. This is not discussed in the report that I've seen.

Commands

In all, 165 owners participated. Their dogs recognised the names of their owners and phrases concerned with eating such as "treat" and "dinner". They also responded well to objects that they can chase such as "ball" and "squirrel". And of course we would expect that commands that are commonly used such as "sit", "wait", "no biting" and "no jumping" to be commonly understood and they were.

The researchers concluded that a dog's ability regarding vocabulary is equivalent to a one-year-old human.

Commands make up a substantial proportion of words and phrases spoken to dogs. The response is normally immediate and consistent. This allowed the participants to assess their dogs' reaction accurately. Dogs appeared to respond to commands relatively easily and their owners used a preponderance of commands when communicating.

Nouns

They state that nouns may be more difficult to teach to ensure that dogs' responses to them are selective. They state that only "select dogs with extensive training appear to learn to respond selectively to object words".

Several of the participants selected the word "toys" to add to the provided list. The researchers expected to see responses dependent upon the dogs' age. However, there was no correlation between the age of the dogs and how well they were responded to words and phrases. The age of the dogs varied between five months and 14.6 years.

Dog's age

They concluded that "word-based responses in dogs may not increase systematically with age as it does for human infants". Dogs depend upon training rather than life experiences to understand words and phrases.

Purebred

Owners added their own words and used more verbs if they lived with a purebred dog compared to mixed-breed dogs. This is probably because purebred dogs had already received some sort of training from their breeder and perhaps it is because the owners of purebred dogs might in general be more experienced in training dogs.

Dog breeds

More experienced dog owners are likely to use more words and phrases when communicating with their dog. The purebred dogs responding the best were the toy-companion and herding dog breeds. Therefore not all purebred dogs are equal in their abilities to respond to human language. Herding dogs are more likely to be better as they are bred to excel at human interaction. And toy-companion dogs are also specifically bred to interact with people but not for work purposes but for entertainment and companionship.

In contrast, sports-gun dogs responded less well to words and phrases compared to toy-companion and herding dogs. A factor in this difference may be "differences between owners of different breeds rather than dogs belonging to different breed groups". This implied that the behaviour of the owners had an effect upon their dogs' understanding of what they were saying.

The researchers stated that dogs have learned to respond to human non-verbal and verbal cues in a way that is unmatched by any other animal.

Cats

What about domestic cats? As usual, researchers prefer to work with dogs because they're more pliable and obedient. They perceive cats as being unmanageable in a research environment. That's my perception. But it would be nice to know how cats compared to dogs. They would no doubt compare badly. This is essentially because the domestication of the dog was about working dogs. Working dogs interact with their humans all the time. This has generated an ability to respond to human language. By contrast, domestic cats only fleetingly were working animals when they were first domesticated. They are companions for company and entertainment. They don't have a history of having to understand human commands.

Train cats

That said, cats are trainable and Dr. Bruce Fogle believes that cats should be trained at least to a certain extent so that they can understand what you want which in turn benefits the human-cat relationship. Training cat would result in less cat relinquishment to shelters. There is no doubt in my mind about. It needn't be complicated or demanding. Just some basic commands would do. Of course, in the best homes there is always an informal level of mutual training.

What is the population of stray cats and dogs in India?

NEWS AND COMMENT: What is the population of stray cats and dogs in India?  Despite the report I mention, we don't know. If we are being honest. In the India language there are 6.2 core stray dogs and 91 lakh stray cats according to a fresh report recently published by the State of Pet Homelessness Index. How accurate are these numbers? How did they count them? Is it possible to count them? No. They are estimates. It took Washington DC a long time and a lot of effort to count their cats in a landmark survey.

Stray cat India. Photo: Pixabay.

A 'core' denotes ten million (10,000,000) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. A 'lakh' is equal to one hundred thousand (100,000).

Therefore 6.2 core is 62 million. 91 lakh is 9.1 million. I can't believe the cat numbers. Far too low. Perhaps it depends on how you define 'stray'. In India there are community cats. Are these stray cats?

There appears to be an index of stray animal populations called the 'All Pets Wanted' index. India scores 2.4 out of 10.

I think India is known for its stray cats and dogs. Isn't it? There is only one unhappy reason: carelessness and apathy about companion animal welfare. Yes, there is also a lot of the same in developed countries. It is a worldwide phenomenon. But in India and Pakistan for example the problem is more severe.

RELATED: 6 reasons for the 90% drop in pound killings of US dogs and cats since the 1970s

The same kind of carelessness which causes so much environmental pollution in India. A great nation let down by these weakness. This is supported by the finding - as reported in One India - that 61 percent of dog owners don't visit the vet (ever!). Is that true? I find that hard to believe too.

The reasons might sound justified: distance and poor reputations or facilities, but ultimately it is down to cat and dog caregivers to find a way. And if these reasons are true there is a failure at government level.

7 in 10 citizens of India see stray cats and dogs weekly.

Clearly a huge percentage of domestic or semi-domestic cats and dogs are not sterilised. They breed and generate a greater stray animal problem. It seems to be out of control. Is anyone doing anything about it?

Let's compare the 85% homeless companion animals in India with the United States (26%), Germany (7%), Greece (51%), China (29%), Mexico (20%), UK (5%), South Africa (27%) and Russia (6%). India is at the bottom by a long way. I can't vouch for these figures. You make up your own mind as to whether they are accurate. I am always dubious about counting stray cats. How do you do it? Where are they? 

In the table below please use the slider below the spreadsheet to read the data on the RHS.

RELATED: 85 percent of companion animals in India are homeless

Cat objects to the dog newcomer in the strongest possible terms!

It looks as if the owner has made the presumption that their resident cat will accept a newcomer dog without any fuss whatsoever. And the cat objects in the strongest possible terms about the introduction of a newcomer dog into the family. The cat is shocked. She screams and makes her point very strongly indeed. It couldn't be stronger. I don't know what they're going to do now. It looks like a catastrophe to me because it might take a very long time for these to the get along.

Screenshot. The cat is screaming at the top of her/his voice objecting to the dog.

I don't know what they were thinking when they videoed the introduction. Maybe they thought that it would be a happy scene but what they got was a cat screaming at the top of her voice telling the father to go away with that nasty dog who is going to mess up my (the cat's) life.

It is one of the hardest things to do to ensure that the resident cat gets along with the newcomer dog or newcomer cat. I don't know of any certain formula. I think it's more about 'suck and see' with the option to take your dog or cat back to a rescue centre if it does not work out. They say cats and dogs and cats and cats get along after a while but you don't want months on end of trying to ensure that the newcomer, incoming cat gets along with your resident cat. If it is very difficult to get 2 cats or a cat and dog to get along I can't really see the point of being responsible for a multi-cat home.

New Delhi, India: controversy over keeping pets in a luxury apartment complex

There is a luxury apartment and house complex in New Delhi, in the prime East Delhi area of Mayur Vihar I. It is called IFS Apartments. It was built by a co-operative society formed by IFS officers.

They've had a rule there since 2011 that leaseholders of the flats i.e. the owners, and the tenants who rent their flats cannot keep cats and dogs or other pets. They let this rule become a little bit slack by which I mean they appear not to have enforced it very carefully. This has allowed some apartment dwellers to keep cats for instance and in one case a woman living there has had a cat for three years. She found the cat particularly helpful during the Covid pandemic lockdown. 

Delhi’s IFS Apartments. Image in public domain.

New tenants who rent from landlords have to sign an agreement that they are fully aware that they cannot keep pets.

The residents of the complex say that the rules governing the keeping of pets are unconstitutional because the Animal Welfare Board of India said, in a circular of 2014, that the ban interfered with a fundamental freedom which was guaranteed to all citizens of India. There is a clash of rules, one at a apartment complex level, and one had a higher level.

I have not checked out the argument. Certainly, the management company who run the apartment complex appear to have ignored the Animal Welfare Board of India circular and continuing with the ban after the circular was issued. I have to say that no constitution states that citizens have a right to keep pets. I belive that the circular is ineffective in this instance.

Some tenants and leaseholders are moving out of the complex. They are aggrieved with the anti-pet policy. One of them is a lawyer, Vasudha Mehta, who is moving out with her husband and two children. They have lived there since 2014. They appear to have rented initially and then they bought their home in 2016. They signed the agreement not to keep pets but didn't really apply their minds to it.

During the lockdown period and with children in the home constantly they decided to get a puppy to ease the mental strain, she said. They found that the management committee started to harass them by reminding them of the agreement that they signed.

On August 29, 2020, there was a problem with dog poop at the complex and a notice was put up by the management committee saying, in capital letters, “NO NEW DOGS MAY BE BROUGHT INTO THE COMPLEX BY RESIDENTS. DOG-OWNERS ARE REQUESTED TO SHOW CONSIDERATION FOR OTHER RESIDENTS AND RESPECT THE NEED FOR KEEPING THE COMPLEX CLEAN.”

The problem here is that in the past it wasn't an issue to keep pets despite the rule. Now the rules are being enforced and the residents don't like it. On the basis that the Animal Welfare Board of India circular is not enforceable (and I don't think it is) then I'm afraid the residents will have to put up with the rule or leave if they want to keep a pet.

Hairless crested dog in bed with a Sphynx cat

An interesting photo: what appears to be a hairless crested dog and a Sphynx cat in bed together. I think it is the first time I have seen this. Two things come to mind (1) they can keep each other warm and (2) the owner must like hairlessness! You have to keep hairless cats indoors, which is unfortunate.

Hairless crested dog in bed with a Sphynx cat. Photo: Pinterest.

I do not know much about hairless dogs but I do know that with hairless cats you have to clean them regularly because the sebaceous glands produce oils which rather than being deposited on hair strands is deposited on the skin where it picks up dirt and grime. The sebaceous also have nowhere to go. And of course, you got temperature issues because a hairless cat in a very cold climate is not going to work for obvious reasons. 

You have to provide a coat but the advice that I have seen is that you should keep a Sphynx cat inside in cold temperatures. In hot temperatures there may be the possibility of sunburn so the general upshot is to keep hairless cats inside but what about dogs? It goes against the grain to keep a pet dog inside all the time and it is probably impossible to achieve.

Associated: A rare hairless opossum rescued in Texas goes viral. Now she’s getting a new wardrobe.

There is an accepted idea of the full-time indoor cat but is this model of cat caregiving accepted for the hairless domestic dog? What percentage of domestic dogs are kept inside full-time? I can't find an answer to the question but you will find an answer to the question of how many domestic cats are kept indoors full-time. It is quite a high percentage nowadays e.g. 40%, and the trend is growing in that direction in the USA.

The same problems of keeping a cat indoors all the time apply to a dog, perhaps more so. I think that you would have to find some way of taking your hairless dog outside safely perhaps using a skin care product to protect against sunburn or, in the cold, to wear a suitably adapted coat.

P.S. The cat is a bicolor. Is the pattern in the skin or within fine downy hair? I reckon the melanocytes in the skin, where the pigment is created, create the pattern in hairless cats. See: Picture of a black Sphynx cat.

Nervous golden retriever meets new family member: a tiny kitten

@katiesquibb

My moms retriever and her new kitten that was rescued! ##goldenretriever ##kitten ##dogsofttiktok ##catsoftiktok

♬ original sound - Katie Squibb

They got to know each other and are in a close relationship. The dog is timid and enjoys the kitten's company. The kitten is braver as they climb on top of the dog to rest and feel warm and secure.

Nervous golden retriever meets new family member: a tiny kitten. Screenshot.

One day the video will stop playing but, in the meantime, enjoy. I don't control the existence of these videos.

CLICK THIS FOR A PILE OF INTERSPECIES FRIENDSHIPS

Most greyhounds will instinctively lunge at cats

I used to live in a block of flats with my cat who I allowed outside. Nearby, in another flat was a man who lived with two greyhounds. He admitted to me that his greyhounds liked to chase cats. He had to be particularly vigilant. And so did I.

A quick search on the Internet confirms that of all the dog breeds, it might be fair to say that greyhounds are a particular threat to domestic cats who are allowed outside. They can lunge towards a cat instinctively. There's one man who says that "my newly adopted greyhound goes mad lunging when she sees cats. She's very strong. I have to be constantly looking for them as we walk."

Gizmo a domestic cat was recently killed by a greyhound. Photo: Carla Hunter his owner.

And this is the problem. People will go out with their greyhound on a lead and in the UK it is commonplace to see domestic cats outside because they are indoor/outdoor cats. Unless the dog owner is particularly vigilant it is possible that a greyhound might pull hard enough to release themselves from their owner's control leading to an attack on a cat which would almost certainly be fatal.

I think it is a matter of being vigilant and I'm referring to dog owners because when domestic cats go outside their owner has no idea where they are.

Just today, reported on the website Leicestershire Live, an owner watched as her pet cat Gizmo was killed by greyhounds. Two greyhounds attacked her cat outside her home in Loughborough, UK. Carla Hunter heard a group of young boys shouting "get off" outside her home on August 12. She went out to check what was going on. She saw a group of children with two greyhounds. Her cat Gizmo was in the mouth of one of the dogs.

The other dog was trying to attack her other cat, Pebbles, who happened to be sitting on top of her fence. By the time she got there, Gizmo were dying. She contacted the police but they did nothing. She contacted the RSPCA and is waiting for them to get back to her. The dogs' owner has not apologised. They've done nothing about it. That sounds typical of modern-day UK. It has become a very selfish and difficult country to live in.

Carla Hunter has lost one of her cats and I would bet my bottom dollar that nothing will happen. She will simply have to cremate her cat and move on. She is very distressed by the whole event. It's a good example of the greyhound's urge to lunge at and attack domestic cats. They are trained to do this kind of thing. I guess that they can be untrained.

Did Elvis Presley ever live with a domestic cat?

There is no record of Elvis Presley living with a domestic cat companion. That bold statement is based on reading a page on Elvis's love of animals and the pets that he had throughout his life. 

Fake Elvis picture with white cat. This is actually Marlon Brando with his white cat with Elvis's head stuck on. This sort of proves that he did not have a cat.

CLICK TO SEE MARLON BRANDO WITH THIS WHITE CAT

I think that if he did live with a cat or cats, it would have been mentioned on the Graceland page (official website) as it is quite comprehensive. Although they do admit that they can't list every animal that he lived with.

Elvis Presley and Sweet Pea October 18 1956. Image in the public domain.

They do say though that he loved animals of all kinds and that he had many pets during his lifetime. It seems that he loved horses perhaps more than other animals and dogs probably feature in the top two sorts of domestic animal that he preferred.

He lived with a number of dogs including a basset hound named Sherlock, a couple of great Danes and a Pomeranian. Another dog he lived with called Get Lo developed kidney disease. He had his dog flown to Boston for treatment where he stayed for three months and then his aircraft picked him up and brought him home. Despite his best efforts Get Lo died.

As to horses, his favourite horses included a golden palomino Quarter Horse named Rising Sun and a Tennessee Walking Horse named Bear.

Associated: Did Kurt Cobain like cats?

He was given a squirrel monkey for Christmas in 1966 by the Lewis family who were devoted fans. They bought the monkey at the Katz Drugstore and named it Bambi. The Lewis family spent a lot of time at the front gates of Graceland and eventually they became friendly with Elvis. Mr Lewis ended up working for Elvis as a gate guard. Elvis and Priscilla loved Bambi.

When he purchased Graceland in 1957 it came with 13.8 acres of land. This allowed him to have a little farm in which there were chickens, a turkey and some hogs. He smoked and cured pork in the old pump house.

He was given some donkeys which he put in an empty swimming pool that was under construction because the delegated fenced area was not ready.

However, no mention of cats. That does not mean he never lived with one but it seems likely that he didn't.

Taliban presence may close Kabul animal shelter Nowzad. Animals may be euthanised

This is an example of why we must include animals in the conversation about the Taliban taking control of Afghanistan. Pen Farthing is an ex-marine who has had two tours of duty in the Middle East. He is the founder of Nowzad, an animal rescue which reunites military personnel with the animals that they rescued on the frontline. 

Pen Farthing at Nowzad the animal charity and rescue he founded and runs in Kabul. Photo: Nowzad.

As I understand it, Nowzad ships these animals out to the USA normally where they can be reunited with their human companion after their tour of duty. It's a very expensive operation as you can imagine and Mr Farthing had an amazing ability to raise money to rescue cats and dogs and get them out of Afghanistan into nice homes. It's an invaluable service to the animals and indeed to his 24 employees which include women.

Dr Hamida one of 24 personnel at the shelter. Photo: Nowzad.

You can imagine how Nowzad workers are feeling as just this morning the Taliban took control of Kabul and the rest of the country. They've promised that they won't harm people and that girls can go to school et cetera but who believes them? They constantly carry weapons. They have an incredibly poor track record in terms of human rights. They have demonstrated violent misogynistic behaviour. The women of Kabul are terrified and as mentioned there are several employed by Nowzad. And if their human rights record is crap, how do you think they treat animals?

Mr Farthing is terrified for his staff and the animals. I don't think he can function normally under the Taliban. It would seem likely that he has to close his excellent animal rescue organisation but I sincerely hope that he does not feel that he has to put to sleep all 216 animals comprising 140 dogs, 60 cats, 12 donkeys, two horses, one goat and one bull currently in his care.

Mr Farthing said:

"Were desperately worried and concerned and I think probably now a very real sinking realisation that we may well have to just put all our animals to sleep because that'll be the kindest thing to do.”

He also said:

"We know from prior experience the Taliban don't have much thought for human life, let alone animal welfare."

He has also said:

"The Taliban banned dog ownership when in power last time. And it's just too much of a risk. Never, ever did I want to put dogs to sleep."

One of the female employees appears to be a veterinarian as shown in a photograph is on this page with a puppy. Mr Farthing is shocked at the developments. And he said that he feels ashamed at the turn of events following the decision to pull out US troops. A move followed by allies including British troops. The world is shocked at the speed at which the Taliban have taken control of the country.

What has happened leads us to believe that the past 20 years and $1 trillion of investment into the country has been a complete waste of time. The US and allies have poured money and people into the country to try and change it but all they've achieved is to prop up a weak and ineffective government who have run away as soon as the Allies decided to go home. 

They propped up a shell government and they left behind hundreds of millions of dollars-worth of military equipment which I presume has been seized by the Taliban. The highly trained Afghan military dissolved and disappeared in the face of Taliban with Kalashnikov rifles. It's pathetic, sad and embarrassing.

And now, animal advocates are facing the prospect of 216 animals being put down. It's horrible. And depressing. And what about all the other companion animals in Kabul, for instance? Many people are leaving the city. Are they leaving behind the pets? And the stray and feral animals? What about them? We must remember them and their suffering.

Update: there are calls for the staff to be evacuated to the UK. Mr Farthing will not leave his team of 24 Afghan nationals. There is a campaign to get them to the UK and it is backed by comedian Ricky Gervais's and actors Dame Judi Dench and Peter Egan. They are calling for the entire staff at the shelter to be given British visas. In addition, Nowzad is fundraising to hire a cargo plane to fly out as many of the dogs and cats as possible. It is called Operation Ark. 

Update: The flight was initially blocked by the British government as they did not want animals flying out before humans even though the flight is privately funded. Today, 25th Aug, Wallace the Defense Secretary has relented and will allow the flight to take place and the staff and animals to enter the UK (Sky News). The problem now is that the Taliban has refused Afghanis to leave the country.

The shelter has not only saved the lives of many animals but also educated many people on animal welfare. The staff have worked tirelessly to protect and treat animals in their care. They cannot be left to the Taliban and their murderous ways.

Ricky Gervais's is a patron of Nowzad and he has put his weight behind the campaign and said:

"Pen Farthing and his team Nowzad have done amazing work for over a decade in Kabul, they have saved thousands of dogs and provided work for the local community and instigated educational programmes which have benefited their community. Their lives are now in danger. They need our help now."

Update one day later: In a news conference, the Taliban made all the right noises to try and convince the world that they want a peaceful Islamic state. Let's see if they are genuine.

This video is shocking. WARNING. It shows Afghani nationals falling from a plane that they had clung to. Totally impossible and a certain death. CLICK HERE TO SEE IT ON YOUTUBE. I can't show it here as it may upset Google Adsense.

Update: this is October 10, 2021. You may have heard the news that Mr Farthing managed to get back to England with the animals in a specially chartered plane. There was great difficulty and a lot of stress. But he achieved it. The animals were taken to shelters for quarantine in England. He had to leave the staff behind. Today, the news is that his staff went overland to Pakistan and from Islamabad in Pakistan they have now all managed to fly into the UK during September. 

So he has got his animals and his staff out of Afghanistan which is an enormous achievement. His staff are in the UK to stay and they will forge the new careers in this country. I believe that one or two of them are veterinarians and they will be checked and if necessary retrained to make sure that they comply with UK standards. Then they can work in this country as vets because there is a need for more veterinary surgeons in this country.

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Britons are more open to the idea of taking their cats on staycation holidays thanks to Covid-19

This pain in the bum pandemic has impacted human life dramatically. Most of it is negative for obvious reasons but for some it has been positive and, in that category, I think we have to add domestic cats and indeed domestic dogs. The huge surge in employees working at home is clearly very beneficial to cats. Both cat guardians and their pets have become closer. It has helped to cement the relationship. Home working for some will be permanent. It is said that in the UK staff will like a diet of 3:2 which means three days in the office and to at home. It is a Covid-based revolution in working patterns. I expect other countries to be undergoing this sort of revolution as well.

Britons are more open to the idea of taking their cat on staycation holidays thanks to Covid-19. Photo: Pixabay.

With the cessation, pretty well, of travel abroad out of the UK, many cat owners have decided to take their cat companion with them on holiday within the UK. A 2,000-pet owner poll conducted by Direct Line Motor Insurance tells us that the reluctance to take cats in cars on staycation holidays has evaporated. 20 million people in the UK said that the holiday habits have changed this year because of the pandemic. Normally 20% of Britain's would not drive on a UK holiday and 14% would not normally take their pet on the UK holiday, but this year they will.

The poll indicated that 3.6 million cat owners plan to take their cat on a road trip over the next months. Each trip will be on average about 98 miles so in total cats will be travelling 348 million miles on staycation holidays in the UK.

This trend is being driven by young cat owners. It is people in the age bracket 18-34 who are keener to take their cat on holiday. Those over 55 are much less likely to pick up the challenge. It can be a bit of a challenge at least emotionally because of the potential dangers for a cat. It does take some organisation.

I've done it myself successfully, thankfully. I bought a very large cat carrier (actually a dog carrier) which is more like a mini-enclosure (cheap on Amazon). It just about went inside the back of my car with the rear seats folded down. This allowed him plenty of space to walk around within the car but being secure at the same time. His food and sleeping quarters were inside the enclosure. He could look out the window and enjoy himself and be stimulated. He remained in it throughout the journey which took all day. He appeared to enjoy himself. I encountered no real issues.

On another occasion I took my cats to Ireland on a holiday. There were no problems even on the ferry. Cats are adaptable although initially they may be nervous about getting into a car, they do settle down. Obviously, supervision is required at the destination because cats will be staying in a strange place, perhaps a holiday cottage, which may motivate them to do something silly. You don't want to lose your cat on holiday! I suspect, though, that these holidays work out pretty well and above all else they give a cat a change of scene and plenty of mental stimulation.

Perhaps one of the big weaknesses of modern cat ownership is that domestic cats don't get enough in the way of challenges and mental stimulation. A staycation holiday might be a good opportunity to pull that cat stroller out of the attic and use it again. I have decided that cat strollers do have a place in the life of a cat guardian. They can be useful because once again they allow a cat to see new places in safety. They allow a cat to join their owner on walking trips in safety.

I suspect that young people in the age bracket of 18-34 have been motivated to take their cats on staycation holidays because of quite large number of stories and Internet videos of adventurous cat owners taking the cat on trekking and hiking holidays which look wonderful. You have to harness train your cat but that is doable with patience. The survey indicated that 33% of owners in that age brackets are taking their cats a holiday. This is a distinct change in the human-to-cat relationship which is for the better by and large.

Post-pandemic surge in cat adoptions in UK

NEWS AND COMMENT: There was a surge in dog adoptions, mainly purchases of purebred, small dogs, during the coronavirus pandemic. In the UK, the pandemic, as we know it, is nearing its end, we hope. That is the general consensus and it is due to the great success of the vaccination programme which combined with a high level of infections without bad symptoms in unvaccinated, young people has resulted in near herd immunity. Once we get to herd immunity you could probably argue that the pandemic in the UK is over.

Couple of shelter cats ready for adoption as a pair.

Click for factors affecting the success rate of shelter adoptions.

And at this time the Pets4Homes last quarterly report tells us that almost as many cats were rehomed in the first half of 2021 compared with all of 2020. The number rehomed this year so far is 156,193 whereas for all of last year the number is 179,298.

In contrast, dog adoptions have faded from their peak when there was this manic desire to adopt a dog during lockdown. The report states that the previous trends are in reverse with an increased number of available cats and dogs for rehoming. They say that the number of companion animals available for rehoming has risen dramatically. 

Comment: this appears to be a result of impulsive purchases of dogs resulting in a relinquishment of those dogs once the adopters returned to normal in terms of their employment. In short, it appears that some people adopted a companion animal simply for the duration of the pandemic lockdowns.

The report states that the slowdown in demand for dog has come about at the same time that there has been an increase in demand for cats. I don't know what we can make of that. I know we can understand why dogs were adopted during the pandemic. And we understand why they've been abandoned after the pandemic. But why are more cats being adopted at this time?

Perhaps things have got back to normal, more or less. Throughout 2020, which was the year of the pandemic, with social distancing and lockdowns, there was a surge in dog adoptions. That probably weakened demand for cats because the focus was on dogs. When those pressures to adopt a dog had passed people reverted back to adopting shelter cats hence the statistics mentioned above in the second paragraph. 

A key aspect of choosing cats over dogs is that they are perceived as being more suitable for working owners who are away from the home for long periods. This is actually not necessarily true but the belief that it is true has fueled the increase in cat adoptions now that employees are returning to the office to work rather than working from home.

Rescued dog parents and nurtures rescued kittens and it's beautiful

This is a great picture taken, I believe, by Rachel a nurse at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home who also fosters rescued animals at the shelter. She volunteered to foster some very young kittens who had been cruelly abandoned by the roadside. It's a hard job looking after kittens at that age and parenting them. 

Bertie a rescued Lab retriever parenting rescued kittens abandoned at 2-weeks-of-age at the roadside. Photo: Rachel of Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

Bertie, her ex-Battersea rescued Labrador retriever stepped up to the plate and volunteered to help. He's done a great job and entertained Rachel at the same time. Rachel made the point that I want to make which is that it is wonderful to see a rescued dog looking after rescued kittens. 

It is a beautiful interspecies relationship which is in stark contrast to the relationship between the former owner of the abandoned kittens. It must have been incredibly poor for a person to throw away kittens on the roadside like that. 

It always bemuses me how people can do this. They must have abnormal brain function. A part of their brain is obviously missing because nobody can do something as cruel as that without something fundamental lacking in their mentality. Often it is down to poor education due to poor parenting but I don't know the background to the abandonment. What is clear though is that no one should ever throw away kittens at the roadside or in woods. There are rescue centers for these unwanted animals. Have the courage and decency to use them, please.

We see quite a lot of pictures of dogs parenting cats and kittens and vice versa. But rarely do we see a photograph this good in terms of its composition and the expressions on the faces of the animals. The lighting is pretty good too despite being artificial. I have to commend Rachel for the photograph if indeed she did take it. I expect she did because she was fostering the kittens and I believe still is.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prefer dogs over cats

OPINION: Some people might be interested in knowing the preferences with respect to companion animals of Meghan Markle and Harry Windsor, her husband. We know that Meghan Markle had a cat called Archie which is a reason why their son is called Archie that we also know that she appears to prefer dogs to cats because currently they have two dogs at their Californian home but no cats as far as I am aware. They could have cats as their home and staffing would allow it. Perhaps Harry influenced their decision to have dogs at the moment. He may have been quite firm on not having cats actually. He may even dislike them. 

The picture below shows his natural love for dogs. I suspect that he is an animal lover. He loves Africa, a country renowned for its wildlife.

 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prefer dogs over cats. Photo: Getty Images.

As for Harry, he was interviewed way back in 2016 when speaking to Chris Evans on radio two ahead of the Invictus Games at that time. He revealed that he favours dogs over cats. I don't have any more information on that but it is pretty typical of men in general although there are many men who are very fond of cats. For instance, I've just written about Morrissey who is a great cat lover and who did an advert for PETA with a tabby cat on his head!

Cat Archie and Meghan are approached by another of her moggies. I believe that she is stroking Archie. Photo: Splash News.

As for Archie the cat, a close friend of Meghan said that her mother, Doria, rescued Archie and he became an important part of their home. Meghan love to play with him and she was always talking about him to friends. It's no surprise that she named her son after the cat she loved. So, I have to conclude that she loves cats too but I sense that she might prefer dogs. 

The two dogs that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have at the moment are called Guy and Pulia. It was reported in glamour.com that we don't see much of them on social media. They like to keep things private. Twitter still has a tweet on its website of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, discussing voting and how each vote matters and how the voting booth is the only place where women and men are completely equal.

Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex and @GloriaSteinem discuss representation, why each vote matters and how all women “are linked, not ranked." MAKERS has an exclusive look at that historic backyard chat! 🙌 Q&A to come tomorrow! https://t.co/e0WY2hjTju pic.twitter.com/AExOmNdWIb

— MAKERS (@MAKERSwomen) August 25, 2020

19-month-old sibling cats breastfeeding on their dog mother

19-month-old cats breast feeding on a dog. Screenshot.

A strange video of a couple of adult cat siblings at 19-months-of-age breastfeeding on a dog who looks very gentle and accommodating. They were probably raised by the dog when newborns as the mother was unavailable for whatever reason. But I find it difficult to understand why the owner does not gently discourage it and ensure that they are fed good quality cat food. I am not sure that it is good for the cats to drink milk as adults. It implies that they don't want to become independent. It is an extended kittenhood. It is ironic because when they stop suckling at the 'mother's' breast they will become kittens to their human companion. The human will become the mother. Confusing for the cats! Not really because it is all instinctive.

The normal aspect of this video is that it is very common to see dogs raise cats and vice versa. It happens all the time with great success.  Kittens become independent at around 12 weeks old normally.

Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

Dog rescues tiny abandoned kitten and leads her to safety

 

It is the purposefulness and commitment of this small dog who brings home a stray kitten which is so impressive. This did not just happen. This little dog knew what he was doing. He wanted to bring the kitten back into his home where, I guess, he realised that the kitten would be safe. So, it was a distinctly altruistic and purposeful rescue operation by a dog. I don't think that we can take anything different from the video which makes it all the more remarkable. We need to constantly remind ourselves of the intelligence of animals and that they are more comprehending that we often give them credit for.

Dog rescues tiny abandoned kitten and leads her to safety. Screensho

Cats and dogs have been as important as human family members during the pandemic

A survey conducted online about the human-to-cat (and dog) relationship threw up the following information. The survey was conducted by the dog and cat well-being business Paws Group.

• 70% of dog and cat owners believe that their companion animal helped them with their mental health during lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic;
• 70% of children also benefited, according to their parents, from living with a dog or cat during the Covid-19 restrictions:
• 61% of owners used their companion animal for comfort during the pandemic;
• Of those cat and dog owners who are married or living with a partner, 67% said that their companion animal was just as important for their well-being as their human partner;
• 49% agreed that talking to their dog or cat is easier than talking to a human family member;
• 47% felt that their cat or dog might suffer from separation anxiety when the lockdowns end;
• 38% agreed that they would like to take their cat or dog to work in the future (I guess this has come about because they have had much more time with their companion animal working from home under the coronavirus restrictions).

Comment: for me, the results are expected and perhaps predictable. To other people they might not be, particularly the statistic about it being easier to talk to a cat or dog than a human partner. Or perhaps, on reflection, it isn't unexpected when you think about it!

Cats and dogs have been more important than human family members during the pandemic? Photo: Pixabay.

One of the perennial sayings from companion animal owners is that they love their companion animals unconditionally. It seems that they can pour more love into an animal than they can a person. And the love is reciprocated or that is they way feel. The love is purer, therefore, than perhaps a typical human-to-human relationship.

We also know of the very many search projects which confirm time and again that children benefit enormously from a relationship with an animal, particularly children with conditions such as ADHD and autism. You don't have to go far in your search on the Internet to find the truth in that statement.

The pandemic lockdowns have brought people nearer to their companion animals which is a good thing. However, the consequences of these lockdowns is not all good with respect to the health and welfare of these animals. There have been a lot of fresh adoptions by arguably unprepared new companion animal guardians who perhaps don't have quite the right mindset to take on the responsibility of looking after their animal for the life of the animal.

It almost seems that they wanted to adopt a cat or dog to see them through the pandemic and after that, when they go back to their offices, they intend to relinquish their pet either in an online sale or via a rescue centre. That paints a rather negative picture but there have been many reports from cat rescue organisations who have expressed this fear.