Number of dog owners thinking about giving up pet surges, charity reports
10/09/2021 - Dogs Trust says it has experienced 35% rise in calls about handing over animals since lockdown Expand
10/09/2021 - Dogs Trust says it has experienced 35% rise in calls about handing over animals since lockdown liftedThe number of people considering giving up their pet dog for adoption has surged since coronavirus restrictions were lifted, a canine welfare charity has said.The Dogs Trust said it had experienced a 35% increase in phone calls about people handing over dogs since 12 July, when it was confirmed that “freedom day” would be happening the following week. Continue reading... Collapse
When our intentions really go to the dogs | Letters
03/09/2021 - Clare Munks and Sharman Finlay say their beloved pets always know what their owners are getting up Expand
03/09/2021 - Clare Munks and Sharman Finlay say their beloved pets always know what their owners are getting up toYour article (Paws for thought: dogs may be able to figure out human intentions, 1 September) was interesting, although like most dog owners, I smile at some of the efforts of scientific researchers to find out what we know already. My cocker spaniel, Meg, doesn’t need to use mental reasoning or theory of mind to work out our intentions. She just listens to the conversation.Clare Munks Alfreton, Derbyshire• My lurcher, Aoife, always knows when I am going to go out without her and will not take proffered treats, but goes and sulks on her sofa. I’m intrigued as to how she knows, several minutes before my departure, when I’m not doing anything incompatible with when I’d be taking her out with me.Sharman FinlayPortrush, County Antrim Continue reading... Collapse
What our treatment of Afghan people tells the world about us | Letters
01/09/2021 - Readers respond to Gaby Hinsliff’s article about Pen Farthing’s evacuation of animals from Expand
01/09/2021 - Readers respond to Gaby Hinsliff’s article about Pen Farthing’s evacuation of animals from AfghanistanThe emotive language of Gaby Hinsliff’s article (What a story to tell the world: Britain values dogs more than Afghan people, 30 August) not only risks deflecting attention from the consequences of the reactive, rather than proactive, response of the British government, but also suggests that one cannot care equally about the victims of humanitarian crises and the plight of other innocent species in manmade conflicts.Accordingly, “human souls” are pitted against a “menagerie of strays”, whose lives a former soldier in Afghanistan and his Afghan staff valued enough to wish to save at the risk of their own survival. Ms Hinsliff is no doubt correct in noting that cats are “of no conceivable interest to the Taliban”, so what fate does she imagine awaited these animals under the new rulers of the country? Continue reading... Collapse
Digested week: #binspace is the kind of Britain I want to live in | Lucy Mangan
27/08/2021 - As OnlyFans ended the peen panic, Twitter was united by petty grievances. Think of the level of Expand
27/08/2021 - As OnlyFans ended the peen panic, Twitter was united by petty grievances. Think of the level of civilisation we have reachedThanks to the continued commitment of 2021 seemingly to give me simultaneous infarctions in every organ, the week opened with the news that Ian “Beefy” Botham is to become the new trade envoy for Australia and John Cleese is to host a new series looking at “wokeness” and “cancel culture”. Related: What exactly do Ian Botham and John Cleese offer ‘global Britain’? Continue reading... Collapse
UK defence secretary complains about pleas to rescue pets from Kabul
25/08/2021 - Ben Wallace says he won’t ‘prioritise pets over people’ in evacuation and vents frustration over Expand
25/08/2021 - Ben Wallace says he won’t ‘prioritise pets over people’ in evacuation and vents frustration over Nowzad animal charityAfghanistan: live updatesThe defence secretary has complained that dealing with the former Royal Marine trying to fly rescued animals out of Kabul has been a distraction from the main evacuation effort, hours after seemingly trying to broker a solution.On a conference call with MPs on Wednesday, Ben Wallace said that the case meant the military had been “diverted” from their primary focus on saving people. He also claimed that some of the stories about the Ministry of Defence’s handling of the affair had been inaccurate. Related: Fleeing Afghans should try to get to border, says UK defence secretary Continue reading... Collapse
A war evacuee shares her recollections... and reveals how well it works | Alex Clark
22/08/2021 - Lunch with academic Gillian Beer recalls memories of my father, who survived war in BurnleyThere’s Expand
22/08/2021 - Lunch with academic Gillian Beer recalls memories of my father, who survived war in BurnleyThere’s a new novel by Pat Barker and, once again, she reflects on the cost of war to those already regarded as expendable. Reading The Women of Troy, I recalled interviewing her when her Second World War novel Noonday was published, and asking her about a particularly striking image, in which bedraggled troops returning to London are briefly glimpsed as though they might be survivors from Boudicca’s army. “From the point of view of the common soldier,” she told me, “one cockup is the same as another.”Sometimes, the past seems to come closer. Recently, I went to talk to the distinguished academic Dame Gillian Beer, who has written a short piece of memoir called Stations Without Signs, much of it focused on her experiences as an evacuee. We talked in the garden and, as Spitfires from the local war museum droned overhead, giving rich folk a taste of danger, she remembered two young brothers whose Collapse
Tim Dowling: the pet food system is broken, and the cat blames me
21/08/2021 - The dog is still on holiday, so there is no dog food for the cat and no dog to eat the cat foodThe Expand
21/08/2021 - The dog is still on holiday, so there is no dog food for the cat and no dog to eat the cat foodThe door of my office shed is open to catch the sounds of the late summer morning: the bright ring of scaffolding poles being dropped on to the back of a lorry; someone power-washing lawn furniture; the intermittent thrum of a distant helicopter. Because of all these sounds, I do not hear the approach of the youngest one before he leans through my door and holds up an open packet of cat food.“Have you fed the cat?” he says. Related: Tim Dowling: I’ve decided to try Working From Hammock Continue reading... Collapse
How to take the lead in dog walking – and earn unconditional love in return
14/08/2021 - Enhance your pooch’s wellbeing and your own by making daily walks an interactive, quality Expand
14/08/2021 - Enhance your pooch’s wellbeing and your own by making daily walks an interactive, quality experiencePepper meets Mr Binks for the first time and bottom-sniffs the diminutive pooch by way of greeting. As ever, I look away. But Mr Binks’s owner, dog behaviourist Anna Webb, says: “Ah, that’s nice, they’re introducing themselves.”Pepper, my miniature schnauzer, trots off ahead down the pavement, followed by me, holding her lead, and then Mr Binks and the glamorous Anna. The two of them are walking side by side.A dog that is charging ahead does not know where it’s goingThey know if I’m on a downer and cheer me up with a look or tail wag Continue reading... Collapse
Tim Dowling: hallelujah, the dog’s gone on holiday
14/08/2021 - No dog sleeping on my feet or barking when the bell rings, or staring at me intently as I make Expand
14/08/2021 - No dog sleeping on my feet or barking when the bell rings, or staring at me intently as I make coffee or try to watch TVI wake and stretch my legs until they reach the end of the bed. The sun is shining and my mood is unaccountably light. I can’t think why I feel so untroubled. Then I remember: the dog is on holiday.Three days earlier: I am sitting in the kitchen while my wife and the oldest one sort through his laundry and certain items are dropped into a suitcase for his week’s vacation in the West Country. Related: Tim Dowling: I’ve decided to try Working From Hammock Continue reading... Collapse
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A dog’s inner life: what a robot pet taught me about consciousness – podcast
10/09/2021 - The creators of the Aibo robot dog say it has ‘real emotions and instinct’. This may seem over the Expand
10/09/2021 - The creators of the Aibo robot dog say it has ‘real emotions and instinct’. This may seem over the top, but is it? In today’s AI universe, all the eternal questions have become engineering problems. By Meghan O’Gieblyn Continue reading... Collapse
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain review – Cumberbatch’s cat artist drowns in quirk
03/09/2021 - Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of eccentric Edwardian artist famed for his cute cats is brimful Expand
03/09/2021 - Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of eccentric Edwardian artist famed for his cute cats is brimful of star cameos but gets lost in mannered performances Here is a sentimental biopic that buries you in a fusillade of quirks and tics and flicks, an overegged pudding of a film with producer-star Benedict Cumberbatch once again going into Sherlock Turing mode. He plays eccentric Edwardian artist and illustrator Louis Wain, a lively and arguably brilliant man who might today be considered neurodiverse, and who certainly suffered from depression. But for all his gifts, Wain finally became famous for just one thing: his hugely successful cute drawings of cats in jokey poses for the Illustrated London News. In Britain – and the US, where he was also popular – Wain could claim to have reinvented the cat as a lovable domestic familiar, the feline version of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. But Wain was stricken with grief at the early death of his wife, naive about money, burdened with the need Collapse
Cool days out for cats
29/08/2021 - From cat cafes to pet-loving hotels: 10 of the best feline-friendly destinations in Expand
29/08/2021 - From cat cafes to pet-loving hotels: 10 of the best feline-friendly destinations in BritainScotland’s first cat café, Maison de Moggy, is home to 12 cats, ranging from Pauline the Maine Coon to Elodie, the extraordinary-looking Sphynx cat (the MdeM is one of the only cat cafés in the world to have a Sphynx cat). The café has been purpose-built to give the cats space to climb and play, while visitors can have tea and homemade cakes (good vegan and GF options) while making friends with the furry inhabitants. A cat nanny is present at all times and reservations are essential. Stay at the chic Market Street Hotel, Scotland’s first Design Hotel.Doubles from £174 B&B; marketstreethotel.co.uk Continue reading... Collapse
Production allowed to resume of cat food at centre of pet deaths inquiry
26/08/2021 - No ‘causative link’ found between products of Sainsbury’s supplier Fold Hill Foods and blood Expand
26/08/2021 - No ‘causative link’ found between products of Sainsbury’s supplier Fold Hill Foods and blood conditionA company whose cat food has been at the centre of an inquiry into a spate of cat deaths will be allowed to restart production, as an investigation found no evidence that its products caused an illness thought to have affected thousands of pets.The Food Standards Agency said it had not established a “causative link” between an outbreak of panyctopenia and products made by Fold Hill Foods. Continue reading... Collapse
‘My persian had a three-hour blow-dry!’ 150 years of cat shows – then and now
25/08/2021 - Feline fancies began in the UK in 1871, with proud cat owners grabbing the chance to show off Expand
25/08/2021 - Feline fancies began in the UK in 1871, with proud cat owners grabbing the chance to show off their perfect pets. What is the secret of their enduring appeal?The air in the sports centre has a base note of urine. A soundtrack of plaintive mewling is interrupted occasionally by the sharp scratch of a hiss. Humans dart around the floor, attending to the whims of their lusciously furred, bouffant companions. Hairbrushes are wielded; coats are teased to 80s volumes. Over the PA system, an announcement is made. “Long-haired kittens are required in ring five!”The first cat show took place in Crystal Palace, south-east London, in 1871. I have come to the LondonCats Worldwide (LCWW) 150th anniversary celebration show. Over two days, 200 competitors will converge on the Crystal Palace national sports centre, cat carriers in hand. In six rings along one wall of the show floor, judges will assess each animal for temperament, condition and conformity to the breed standard, before an audience of Collapse
Puppy smuggling: UK plans crackdown with curbs on dog imports
21/08/2021 - Proposals would ban imports of dogs aged under six months, and those with cropped ears or docked Expand
21/08/2021 - Proposals would ban imports of dogs aged under six months, and those with cropped ears or docked tailsThe importing to the UK of puppies aged under six months could be banned under tight new welfare standards proposed by the government. The pushback against the “grim trade” of puppy smuggling will prevent puppies from being separated from their mothers too early, which puts them at increased risk of illness and death, said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They can currently be imported from 15 weeks old. Continue reading... Collapse
Senior rescues and short-term care: how to bring a pet into your life amid soaring demand
20/08/2021 - While the waitlists for puppies and kittens in Australia can stretch on for months, with a bit of Expand
20/08/2021 - While the waitlists for puppies and kittens in Australia can stretch on for months, with a bit of flexibility there are still plenty of pets in need of homesSnack is a 10-year-old long-haired chihuahua. She enjoys sleeping on a comfy pillow, sneaking into the kitchen for stray bits of food and long walks – but only if she’s in the right mood.Snack is what adoption centres call a “senior rescue”. Her owner moved away, leaving her with an older relative who wasn’t in a position to give her the care she needed, so Snack was surrendered to a rescue centre. She moved into her new home with a family in Sydney earlier this year. Continue reading... Collapse
UK dog owners warned about thieves staking out parks and luring puppies
14/08/2021 - Blue Cross cautions about black market for popular breeds as government reportedly considers new Expand
14/08/2021 - Blue Cross cautions about black market for popular breeds as government reportedly considers new offence of pet abduction‘World turned upside down’ as boy’s therapy dog stolenStalking parks in affluent areas and luring puppies out of gardens with treats are among the methods dog thieves are using, campaigners have said, amid suggestions the government is preparing to clamp down on pet abductions.Criminals mug dog-walkers for their pets and raid boarding kennels in an effort to steal in-demand breeds, whose price tags have soared during the pandemic. They are also on the look out for pets that have not been neutered or spayed and are capable of breeding. Related: ‘He grabbed the lead and said: give me the dog’: can pet detectives stop the rise in animal theft? Continue reading... Collapse
A flash of a badger, a brazen fox, an angry bull – why I love a really wild show | Hannah Jane Parkinson
13/08/2021 - I could well end up as one of those people mauled to death in an attempt to get a selfie with a Expand
13/08/2021 - I could well end up as one of those people mauled to death in an attempt to get a selfie with a tigerI have come to accept that I am an animal lover. There is nothing wrong with this, but the term itself is not great. It has the slightly saccharine air of little girls hugging ponies, or the over-the-top chaos of Steve Irwin (RIP). If I saw it on someone’s dating profile, I might even dock points. And yet, I am an animal lover – especially given the way people always seem to disappoint these days – so I am finally embracing the label.Domestic pets, naturally, are one of life’s great joys. (Sometimes a friend and I message each other randomly – she has a dog and I a cat – to say: “Isn’t it weird the way we just have these animals roaming around our houses?”) But there is something especially thrilling about encountering animals in the wild. Related: Summer is upon us, the world is opening up – get me to the beer garden | Hannah Jane Parkinson Continue reading... Collapse
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Tim Dowling: the cat has gone to the vet. I sit and await good news
04/09/2021 - As a kitten, he’d lost his tail. But he was a good cat, and he always waved his off-putting little Expand
04/09/2021 - As a kitten, he’d lost his tail. But he was a good cat, and he always waved his off-putting little stub like there was a whole tail attached to itI am sitting in the kitchen, looking up tomato blight on my phone. My tomatoes are displaying all the symptoms. I have about half of them. “Wilted stems,” I say. “Tick.”My wife comes in from the garden. Continue reading... Collapse
UK to crack down on dognappers with new pet abduction offence
03/09/2021 - Thieves will face tougher penalties under legislation unveiled by government after surge in Expand
03/09/2021 - Thieves will face tougher penalties under legislation unveiled by government after surge in crimesDognappers will face tougher penalties under government plans to introduce a criminal offence of pet abduction.Pet theft is currently prosecuted under the Theft Act and is subsequently treated as loss of property to the owner, which for years campaigners have been saying fails to recognise the emotional distress caused by the crime. Continue reading... Collapse
Ex-marine Pen Farthing and pets cleared for Afghanistan evacuation
28/08/2021 - MoD says founder of Kabul animal shelter has passed security at airport but does not mention Expand
28/08/2021 - MoD says founder of Kabul animal shelter has passed security at airport but does not mention charity staff and familiesPaul “Pen” Farthing, who founded an animal shelter in Kabul, has made it through the airport’s security and is awaiting a flight out of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.The former Royal Marine and his supporters had been campaigning to get his staff from the Nowzad charity shelter as well as their families, 140 dogs and 60 cats evacuated from the country in a plan he named Operation Ark. Continue reading... Collapse
Concerns over pet welfare crisis due to high demand for ‘pandemic puppies’
26/08/2021 - Extreme rise in demand in 2020 has had serious consequences on animal health and welfare, study Expand
26/08/2021 - Extreme rise in demand in 2020 has had serious consequences on animal health and welfare, study revealsThe unprecedented demand for puppies during the pandemic has had serious consequences for animal health and welfare, a study has revealed.Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) looked into the impact of the last 16 months on puppy purchasing amid concerns that a huge puppy welfare crisis was unfolding in the UK. They found that while many people who bought dogs during Covid did so with the best intentions, the extreme rise in demand has heightened the risk of puppies being sourced from poor welfare environments, bred or raised on puppy farms, or illegally imported. Continue reading... Collapse
What should we be feeding our cats? – podcast
24/08/2021 - In mid-June this year, some brands of cat food were recalled as a precaution after a sudden Expand
24/08/2021 - In mid-June this year, some brands of cat food were recalled as a precaution after a sudden increase in cases of feline pancytopenia, a rare blood disease that can be fatal. Shivani Dave speaks to Daniella Dos Santos, a practicing small animal and exotic pet vet and the senior vice-president of the British Veterinary Association, to understand what the food recall means for cat owners, and to find out how best to feed our feline friends Continue reading... Collapse
Just got a puppy? Here’s what a terrier called Arthur taught me about love | Hadley Freeman
21/08/2021 - Owning a pet is a long-term relationship, and things change. But the love enduresI left having Expand
21/08/2021 - Owning a pet is a long-term relationship, and things change. But the love enduresI left having children pretty much as late as it was biologically possible to do, and I quickly grew to recognise, if not entirely understand, a certain look – let’s say, boredom mixed with condescension topped off with wry amusement – sported by my friends, who had their children at far more sensible ages, when I would go on and on (and on) to them about the miracle-slash-insanity of raising babies. No one before me had ever noticed how crazy all this parenting stuff was, I believed, while looking uncomprehendingly at the smirks on my friends’ faces as their kids did their GCSEs. Well, I comprehend them now. Because this is how I feel when people go on and on (and on) about the new dogs that they got during lockdown.More than 3.2 million people in the UK got a pet during lockdown, and they have been especially popular among the under-35s. This is generally reported in a tone of either shock (what are Collapse
Has the latest status symbol become a vegan dog? | Arwa Mahdawi
18/08/2021 - Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of his dog, Roscoe enjoying a plate of fruit, while apparently Expand
18/08/2021 - Lewis Hamilton posted a picture of his dog, Roscoe enjoying a plate of fruit, while apparently travelling by private jet. But he is not the only star feeding their pup a plant-based dietThe first rule of flight club is you don’t talk about flight club. While a private jet might once have been the ultimate status symbol, travelling lavishly has turned into a liability for celebrities who want to be taken seriously. “What about yer private jet, then?” has, understandably, become the knee-jerk response whenever the privileged pipe up about the climate crisis. If you’re going to lecture the hoi polloi on how we need to make sacrifices to save the world, it’s a good idea not to flaunt your own excesses.Alas, it seems Lewis Hamilton didn’t get the memo. The racing driver is a vocal vegan who has urged his fans to avoid meat for environmental reasons. Hamilton announced last year that his dog, Roscoe, is also following a vegan diet. While Hamilton got a bit of stick for his dog’s dinners at Collapse
‘World turned upside down’: therapy dog stolen from boy, five
14/08/2021 - Mother of Oscar in Derbyshire says her son and his cockapoo were ‘like peas in a pod’UK dog owners Expand
14/08/2021 - Mother of Oscar in Derbyshire says her son and his cockapoo were ‘like peas in a pod’UK dog owners warned about thieves staking out parksWhen five-year-old Oscar was introduced to his puppy, Elvis, his life changed.Oscar is on the autistic spectrum and had previously struggled to maintain friendships but his cockapoo therapy dog filled that gap, said his mother, Natallie Cobden. Continue reading... Collapse
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