Cat Chit Chat

Monday, 26 January 2026

Financially, Heat Pumps Cannot be Justified in UK 2026

Although environmentally speaking it is very easy to justify the installation of a in your home, they cannot be justified on a purely financial basis because heat pumps cost more to operate than mainly because they run on electricity and electricity is four times more expensive than gas at present in the UK. I guess things can change but I am writing about the metrics at this moment.

And this information comes from a survey carried out by the Green Britain Foundation in which 1000 heat pump owners were questioned.

You may know that heat pumps work like a reverse refrigerator by moving warmth from the outside air to the inside. They produce about 3 to 4 times the energy they use making them much more efficient than a traditional gas boiler.

I mention the running costs briefly above. There is also the installation costs. Even with the £7500 upfront subsidy, the installation of a heat pump will be £3000 more expensive than the installation of a gas boiler at about £3000. You have to recoup that extra £3000 over the forthcoming years after installation which you are not going to do.

Another point is that the claims the manufacturers make can be misleading because some data suggest that about 90% of heat pumps' actual performance is below the manufacturers' claims.

The survey mentioned above found that two thirds of respondents said their homes are more expensive to heat with heat pumps than they were with gas boilers, their previous system.

Only 15% of respondents reported that their homes are less expensive to heat. The remaining 19% reported no difference or that they were unsure.

It seems that heat pumps are far more common with richer people than poorer people. This probably indicates or confirms that the main reason for installing them is to protect the environment and the money aspect which I am mentioning here is somewhat irrelevant or less relevant for these people.

I think, however, that the financial aspects are very important because it's hard to ask the average person to pay £3000 more to install a heat pump rather than a gas boiler and then find out it's more expensive to run than a gas boiler.

And the installation is quite substantial. There is much more in terms of equipment when installing a heat pump compared to a boiler. There's more disruption and the equipment occupies more space. You will need to have that space around your house. There are strict rules about how close the pump can be to one's neighbour. It is far more technical than a gas boiler it seems to me.

Dale Vince, the person who set up the Green Britain Foundation says that customers are being mis-sold heat pumps. He added that: "It's a myth, but is such a frustrating one, that heat pump save you money. The reality for people on the ground is a disappointment."

The government argues otherwise. They say that a survey conducted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that 89% of property owners were satisfied with their heat pumps after a winter of use. The report said that property owners had mixed experiences with their total energy bills after installing a heat pump but "most commonly they reported that their bills had decreased."

As mentioned that comes from the government and personally I don't trust this government particularly as they want to promote heat pumps.

I have been thinking about installing a heat pump but having read The Times' article which I used to write this article, I have decided against installing a heat pump. This is particularly so because my current boiler is functioning okay and I don't plan to live in my house that much longer and you have to live in your house in which a new heat pump has been installed for many years in order to recover the initial outlay namely the extra £3000 mentioned above. That must be factored in to the overall finances.

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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. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Your Obese Cat Is Dying Slowly And You’re the One Feeding the Disease

Here is a tough-talking article about domestic feline obesity in the modern age. 70 years ago cat obesity was rare. 70 years ago we might say the same about human obesity. Both ate less, ate more pure foods and exercise more indirectly. Here goes...

Let’s stop pretending your cat “just got a little chunky.” Let’s stop hiding behind cute internet slang like “chonker” and “floof.” Your cat isn’t adorable. Your cat is obese. And the reason is brutally simple:

You made it that way.

Not fate.
Not genetics.
Not “he’s just hungry.”
You.

Cats Were Built for Violence, Not Your Sofa

A cat is a precision‑engineered predator — a creature designed to stalk, sprint, leap, and kill. Their metabolism expects:

protein
fat
movement
unpredictability

Now look at the life you’ve given them.

They live in a climate‑controlled box.
They eat industrial pellets that crunch like cereal.
They sleep 20 hours a day because there’s nothing else to do.
Their biggest thrill is when the Amazon driver knocks.

You’ve taken a biological weapon and turned it into a throw pillow.

Obesity Isn’t an Accident — It’s the Environment You Built

A cat doesn’t choose its food.
A cat doesn’t portion its meals.
A cat doesn’t decide to free‑feed on kibble all day.
A cat doesn’t design a home with zero stimulation.

You do all of that.

So when your cat becomes obese, the cause isn’t mysterious. It’s not tragic. It’s not “one of those things.” It’s the direct result of the conditions you created.

You didn’t mean to.
You didn’t want to.
But you did.

The Dark Mirror: Owners Pass Their Habits to Their Pets

Here’s the part people hate the most.

Cats often become obese for the same reason their owners do:

too much processed food
too little movement
boredom mistaken for hunger
emotional eating disguised as “treats”
a warped sense of what a healthy body looks like

If overeating is normal in your home, overfeeding the cat feels normal too.
If you snack when you’re bored, you’ll feed the cat when it meows.
If you avoid exercise, you won’t create an active environment for your pet.

Your cat becomes a reflection of your lifestyle — a living, breathing mirror of your habits.

The Pet Food Industry Is Happy to Help You Kill Your Cat Slowly

Pet food companies know exactly what they’re doing.

They sell calorie‑dense kibble because it’s cheap to produce and addictive to cats.
They market treats as “love.”
They print portion sizes that are laughably generous.
They rely on the fact that most owners can’t tell the difference between “healthy” and “on the brink of diabetes.”

A lean cat looks “too skinny” to many people now. That’s how far the baseline has shifted.

The Excuses Are Pathetic

“He’s fluffy.”
“She’s a big girl.”
“He hardly eats anything.”
“She cries if I don’t feed her.”

These aren’t explanations. They’re denial.

Cats beg because begging works.
Cats overeat because the food is there.
Cats gain weight because the calories exceed the output.

It’s not complicated. It’s just uncomfortable.

The Slow Death You Don’t Want to Think About

Obesity isn’t cute. It’s not harmless. It’s not a personality trait.

It’s:

joint pain
chronic inflammation
diabetes
heart strain
reduced mobility
shortened lifespan

Your cat isn’t “living its best life.”
It’s slowly dying in a body that can’t support itself — a body shaped by your choices.

The Brutal Bottom Line

If your cat is obese, it’s because the environment you created made obesity inevitable. Not because you’re cruel. Not because you don’t care. But because you control every variable that determines your cat’s health.

Your cat can’t fix this.
Your cat can’t change its environment.
Your cat can’t say no to the bowl you keep filling.

You are the architect of its world — and its weight.

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Friday, 23 January 2026

Dachshunds and British Shorthairs the most popular dog and cat breeds in the UK 2026

There was a time during the Covid pandemic and I guess shortly afterwards when the French Bulldog was the most popular breed in the UK but owners of this dog breed learnt to their cost that the French Bulldog is perhaps the most unhealthy dog breed of all with, as I recall, an average lifespan of about seven years, which falls far short of the general average which must be somewhere around 13 years for dogs and perhaps about 18 years for cats nowadays.

So the French Bulldog is, today, in 2026, the third most popular breed having slipped from first place and that lofty position has been taken by the miniature dachshund.

I often visit Richmond Park to walk and the most common dog that I see is, unsurprisingly, thr dachshund both the standard version and the miniature version and some wirehaired versions.

It was apparent to me without reading this Times article that the dachshund in the UK is the most popular breed. And as mentioned it is the miniature version of the dachshund which is the popular one.

Popularity as usual has been driven in part by celebrity culture with celebrities showing off their dachshunds. Perhaps the best known celebrity to live with a dachshund is the singer Adele who named her dog after Louis Armstrong.

The rise in the miniature dachshund has been swift because in 2018 the breed was the 16th most popular offered for sale. In second place today is the Cocker Spaniel.

The survey comes from Pets4Homes which is the UK's largest online marketplace for pets. They say that the miniature dachshund accounts for 1/3 of the country's puppy sales. However, the dachshund also has health issues (back) and it can be bred to long and too low to the ground. They are dwarf animals which is morally problematic.

Prices are beginning to rise again with 2025 being a turning point in prices and therefore popularity. The average puppy price reached £989 in December 2025 which is up 23% year-on-year. Demand has recovered to above pre-pandemic levels.

There are far more pedigree dogs and there are pedigree cats. This is because the domestic dog has been in existence for far longer than the domestic cat. Dogs were domesticated perhaps 20,000 or more years ago while it is believed that the wildcat was first domesticated around 10,000 years ago but that date is in dispute to a certain extent.

The reason for the early domestication of dogs is because they were used as utilitarian animals whereas cats are much less able to be utilitarian.

Pedigree dogs account for 65% of puppies sold which by the way is down from 82% 10 years ago. Perhaps nowadays there are more people adopting rescue dogs which are mixed breed dogs. This would indicates a greater concern nowadays for dog welfare than in the past.

The survey also concluded that cats are gaining ground in popularity with kitten adverts rising 8% in 2025 which represents a second consecutive year of growth. As mentioned in the title, British Shorthair cats are the most popular breed. They have a dense coat and they are known to be very good full-time indoor cats with a placid temperament. I suspect that a lot of these cats are full-time indoor cats because of modern work practices and with people being more aware that there are natural dangers outside for free-roaming cats particularly road traffic.

The British shorthair represents about 20% of sales by the way.

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel is the most expensive dog with an average price of £1441. The average price of a miniature dachshund in the UK, in December 2025 was £1016. Note: I can remember dog prices being a lot higher during the Covid pandemic because of rapidly increased demand and a lack of supply.

Prices for the miniature dachshund have risen £33 over the period 2024 (December) to 2025.

People who are interested in animal welfare will be pleased that the French Bulldog has lost its some of its popularity. Animal rights activist would argue that the French Bulldog should not be bred at all because it is inherently unhealthy due to its extreme breeding with an extremely round head with a very flat face described as brachycephalic by experts. The reason why breeders do this is to make the dog look more like a baby child which triggers a desire to buy the animal.

A lot of people nowadays appear to be buying dogs as a precursor to having a baby. They are testing themselves to see whether they can cope and whether they enjoy the experience.

Accordingly, it is arguable that they are treating their dogs as little babies which is to anthropomorphise them, which in itself, is not entirely advisable although quite cute. That's because one should treat dogs as dogs in order to ensure that they are even the best chance to behave naturally.

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Rogue UK police on rise despite Sir Mark Rowley's promises

I clearly remember Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Police Commissioner, promising to root out rogue police officers when he got the top job (2022). And yet The Times reports, today 23rd January 2026, that the number of criminal charges against police officers in England and Wales has risen by an astonishing 42 per cent in the past year according to Home Office figures.

Officers faced 323 charges, including 85 for sexual assault in the year to March 2025 up from 227 in 2023-24 and 160 in 2022-23. Data showed 1,687 officers were referred to misconduct cases.

Ah, misconduct cases! I am embroiled in one of my making at the moment. I was pushed over aggressively while photographing a protest in London which resulted in the breakage of the neck of my left femur - a very serious injury resulting in the death of 30% of sufferers in the first year believe it or not. The officer committed a crime against me (GBH or assault occasioning actual bodily harm) but on my formal complaint the Directorate of Police Standards (DPS) said that his behaviour was perfectly acceptable!

Only they refuse to show me the body worn camera that was worn by the officer who assaulted me (PC Lockett). I am making an application for Judicial Review and have complained to the ICO. Plus I am making a further complaint!

The point is that the police are far too often dishonest. Even the Directorate of Police Standards are not infrequently dishonest!! So much for maintaining standards.

From my perspective the Met Police are systemically dishonest and cannot be trusted. The public no longer trust the Met Police. Yes, the police say there are many honest and committed officers but my personal experience tells me otherwise. I say again in my case the DPS are cynically lying over Lockett's behaviour when he violently pushed me over causing a grave, life-changing injury.

If the organisation charged with upholding standards are inherently dishonest as appears to be the case how can we trust and respect the Metropolitan Police?

Here is a paragraph or two on the promise to root out rogue officers:

Mark Rowley and the Promise to Remove Rogue Police Officers

Since becoming Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in September 2022, Sir Mark Rowley has repeatedly promised to rid the force of so-called “rogue” officers and restore public trust after a series of damaging scandals. His message has been clear and consistent: officers who are racist, misogynistic, corrupt, or otherwise unfit to serve should not be wearing the uniform.

Rowley has spoken publicly about a minority of officers whose behaviour undermines the legitimacy of the entire service. In interviews and speeches, he has pledged a tougher approach to misconduct, faster disciplinary processes, and a cultural reset within Britain’s largest police force. He has described the removal of unfit officers as essential to rebuilding confidence, particularly among communities who feel failed or mistreated by policing.

However, turning that promise into action has proved more complicated than rhetoric alone suggests. A significant obstacle emerged when a High Court ruling confirmed that the Metropolitan Police could not dismiss officers solely by withdrawing their vetting clearance. This decision blocked a route Rowley hoped would allow the force to remove officers who failed integrity checks but had not yet been dismissed through formal misconduct proceedings.

Rowley responded forcefully, criticising the legal framework as unworkable and calling for urgent reform. He argued that it was “absurd” for officers who failed basic vetting standards to remain in post due to procedural constraints. His stance added pressure on the government to amend police regulations.

In response, ministers announced changes to vetting rules, making failure of vetting a clear basis for dismissal. Rowley welcomed these reforms, describing them as closing a serious loophole and giving police leaders the tools they need to act decisively.

In summary, Sir Mark Rowley has undeniably promised to remove rogue officers and has pushed hard for the authority to do so. While legal barriers initially limited his ability to deliver, recent regulatory changes mean that his pledge can now be tested not by words, but by results.

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Monday, 19 January 2026

Trump thinks Norway decides the Nobel Peace Prize!

Sorry but Trump is an idiot. There are many signs, the latest of which is his letter to the Norwegian president, Jonas Gahr Stoere, that he has given up on peace missions and now will concentrate on American interests which at this juncture means invading Greenland!! 😱😢 He's mad and some (many) American politicians think that he is losing his mind.

Trump is acting like an emotionally hurt 10-year-old child who petulantly demands something.

Here is the letter - the 'moanings of a petulant child' as described by a news reporter on Sky News.

Dear Jonas:
Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.
Thank you!
President DJT

Stoere said he had repeatedly told Trump that the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the peace prize, ‍was independent and that Norway's government had no control over it. As if he needed to be told that! He did and he did not listen. Trump is known to be a poor listener because he likes to deliver monologues to all and sundry.

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