UK pet bereavement helplines report big rise in calls during Covid
1 DAY AGO - As actor Miranda Hart takes time off to grieve, charities speak of heartache many face after loss Expand
1 DAY AGO - As actor Miranda Hart takes time off to grieve, charities speak of heartache many face after loss of beloved animalCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAnimal bereavement helplines have reported a big increase in calls during the coronavirus pandemic, charities have said, as it emerged that the comedian and actor Miranda Hart was taking time off work to grieve the loss of her beloved dog Peggy.The Blue Cross animal charity and Cats Protection, a UK charity dedicated to rescuing and rehoming stray cats, said they had received a growing number of calls from people unable to be with their dying pets because of social-distancing rules that mean vets have to euthanise a cat or dog alone. Continue reading... Collapse
First it was sourdough, now it's a puppy – I am a lockdown cliche
07/01/2021 - I now realise I must have a knack for picking up on trends, but why did no one tell me how Expand
07/01/2021 - I now realise I must have a knack for picking up on trends, but why did no one tell me how difficult it is to train a new dog?Back when I presented a lot of television programmes, some people were unkind enough to characterise me as a bit of an Alan Partridge figure. This was hurtful, not least because they had a point. I remember the moment I realised this. I was filming a series of quiz shows called, if memory serves, Perfect Strangers. I was perfectly rubbish at it, which is why it ended up being shown in the not very coveted 3.15pm slot on BBC Two. At the end of a very short run, it limped off into the oblivion of failed TV projects.We recorded several shows a day, at breakneck speed. At the end of each one, I would rush to my dressing room, where a nice Australian woman called Paula would have my next outfit ready. While I stood there reading my notes, she would remove my trousers and shoes, and put new ones on. On one occasion I found myself glaring at her because she had seen Collapse
Brexit: how the new rules will change your visits to Europe
02/01/2021 - From holidays and health to mobile phones, we explain what has changed for consumersBefore Brexit, Expand
02/01/2021 - From holidays and health to mobile phones, we explain what has changed for consumersBefore Brexit, UK citizens could travel, live, go on holiday and work anywhere in the EU without any special permits or visas. As of 1 January 2021 that is no longer the case.The Guardian’s Money team has spent the week poring over the many pages of documentation to explain how Brexit will affect you. Related: From tariffs to visas: here's what's in the Brexit deal Continue reading... Collapse
Was this a tale of true love, or of a conman finding another mark? | Barbara Ellen
26/12/2020 - Christie Smythe reported on fraudster Martin Shkreli, then fell for him. The drama Expand
26/12/2020 - Christie Smythe reported on fraudster Martin Shkreli, then fell for him. The drama continuesSometimes, your own passion can be hyped. Your feelings can become a corny, overwrought storyline you lose control over.Christie Smythe, a Bloomberg News reporter, broke the story of the arrest of Martin Shkreli, controversial hedge funder, “Pharma Bro” and online provocateur, who became notorious for inflating the price of the lifesaving toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim by 5,000%. After Shkreli was sentenced to seven years in 2018 for securities fraud and conspiracy, Smythe visited him in prison and fell in love, losing her job and marriage. When she spoke to Elle magazine, in a story that went viral, Shkreli cut her off, saying: “Mr Shkreli wishes Ms Smythe the best of luck in her future endeavours”. She interpreted this as Shkreli being concerned about the fallout for her.Maybe in her mind, she was starring in her own personal 'love behind bars' movie of the week Continue reading... Collapse
Plan for compulsory microchipping of cats in England amid boom in pet ownership
23/12/2020 - Public consultation launched on scheme to chip 2.6m unregistered cats to help reunite lost animals Expand
23/12/2020 - Public consultation launched on scheme to chip 2.6m unregistered cats to help reunite lost animals with their ownersCompulsory microchipping for cats and kittens could be introduced in England as early as next year, in a move that would help reunite thousands of owners with their lost or stolen pets.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched an eight-week public consultation on Wednesday on proposals to make it mandatory for owners to microchip their cats, seeking input from vets, owners and members of the public. Continue reading... Collapse
Brexit: pets will need papers for travel to EU and Northern Ireland
16/12/2020 - From 1 January, pet owners must apply for a health certificate from vets allowed to deal with Expand
16/12/2020 - From 1 January, pet owners must apply for a health certificate from vets allowed to deal with exportsDog, cat and ferret owners will have to follow new rules if they wish to travel to the EU or to Northern Ireland with their pet following Brexit, it emerged on Wednesday.From 1 January, people travelling from Britain with pets and assistance dogs will need to ensure they have an animal health certificate (AHC) instead of a pet passport no earlier than 10 days before travel, the UK government said on its website. Continue reading... Collapse
‘Covid-19 has an odour, and the dogs are detecting it’: meet the canine super-squad sniffing out the virus
12/12/2020 - They’re loyal, diligent – and have unbeatable noses. Could dogs play a key part in the fight Expand
12/12/2020 - They’re loyal, diligent – and have unbeatable noses. Could dogs play a key part in the fight against the pandemic? A single-storey building in a lonely rural business park, a few miles from Milton Keynes on a grey autumn day. It looks like a location for a bleak thriller: where a kidnap victim is held, perhaps, or the scene of a final shootout. Inside, though, something kind of cool is happening.In a brightly lit room, four inverted metal cups have been placed on the red carpet, each containing a small glass jar. One of these contains a smell: a “training odour”. Into the room bursts Billy, followed by Jess. Billy is a labrador, and Jess his human trainer. Billy bounces about the place, clearly super excited. He sniffs at everything – furniture, people, the cups – wagging ferociously. When he sniffs at the cup that contains the smell, another trainer, Jayde, indicates success with a clicking noise. Billy is rewarded with his favourite toy, a well-chewed rubber ball, and a chorus of Collapse
Bored? These Americans are teaching their dogs to talk
08/12/2020 - Provided with a board full of buttons, some pets appear to be communicating with their humans – Expand
08/12/2020 - Provided with a board full of buttons, some pets appear to be communicating with their humans – and researchers are investigatingThere are plenty of reasons why we talk to our pets. Some research suggests our chattiness can be motivated by loneliness, a need to feel control over the dynamic of our relationship with them, or even just our perception of animal consciousness. It’s likely that most pet owners would simply feel weird not greeting their wagging pup at the door with a shower of “oh, hellooo”s or cooing baby-talk to their purring cat.What’s altogether unexpected is the idea that pets might talk to us – but new research is exploring whether and how they can.This article was amended on 8 December 2020 to clarify the name of Leo Trottier’s company. Continue reading... Collapse
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Ferrets and tarantulas among pets to find new homes in lockdown
2 DAYS AGO - Pet hates for some but people are turning to strange creatures for comfort under Covid Coronavirus Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Pet hates for some but people are turning to strange creatures for comfort under Covid Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageWhile it is well established that demand for cats and dogs has risen during lockdown, figures show that many people have turned to more unusual pets for companionship during the pandemic.With socialising all but banned in repeated lockdowns, nearly 20,000 parrots were rehomed last year by Pets4Homes, up 79% on 2019 – perhaps in the hope of extra conversation to fill the void. Chickens, stick insects and salamanders are also among the more unusual pets to have risen in popularity. Continue reading... Collapse
My wife wants to adopt a dog to live on our farm | Tim Dowling
09/01/2021 - I was worried that 2021 would be a rerun of 2020. Now I’m suddenly worried this year will bear no Expand
09/01/2021 - I was worried that 2021 would be a rerun of 2020. Now I’m suddenly worried this year will bear no resemblance to my former lifeIt’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when I stopped being excited about the prospect of 2021. Up until a few weeks before Christmas, I was at least looking forward to 2020 being over, but I realised this was a bit like looking forward to flood waters finally receding: once they’re gone you’re left with a lot of ruined furniture and a foot of mud in your kitchen. The best thing you can say about 2021 so far is that the flood waters are still halfway up the bookshelves.When I open the back door to walk out to my office in the mornings, I create an ever-shrinking wildlife ripple: pigeons and magpies lift off the ground in front of me, and land behind me. Squirrels retreat a few feet, and then circle back. The parakeets, I notice, are too preoccupied with attacking the bird feeder to stop what they’re doing. Soon I will be invisible to the animal kingdom, Collapse
Fat felines: we all love a ‘chonky’ cat – but the online trend has to end
04/01/2021 - Over the last few years, the internet has thrilled to pictures of chubby pets. But now experts are Expand
04/01/2021 - Over the last few years, the internet has thrilled to pictures of chubby pets. But now experts are calling for a new era of cat shaming and determined dietingName: Fat cats.Age: Probably no older than 10, given their propensity to die young.Appearance: Fat. Continue reading... Collapse
Brexit deal is a rubbish gift for a gullible public | Letters
27/12/2020 - Readers respond to the trade and security deal struck with the EU on Christmas EveI find myself in Expand
27/12/2020 - Readers respond to the trade and security deal struck with the EU on Christmas EveI find myself in disagreement with the Guardian’s editorial where it argues that Keir Starmer is “right to back the deal”. Under its last leader, Labour failed the British people by not wholeheartedly opposing Brexit. Had Jeremy Corbyn mustered the commitment to lead the remain cause, Labour might well not have lost anything like the 50-odd leave seats it did in the last election. Labour is, thankfully, under new management and we know where the hearts of Keir Starmer, Anneliese Dodds and Emily Thornberry lie. They are Europeans, through and through. They must now have the courage of their convictions. They know that Brexit is fuelled by dubious money, dodgy argument, a focus on spurious “sovereignty” and elements of racism.A comparison of the speeches of Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson summed up why Christmas Eve was such a shaming day. Von der Leyen spoke with feeling, vision and deep Collapse
My first 48 hours owning a kitten were emotional. Here's what I learned | Coco Khan
25/12/2020 - I needed help reassuring a nervous cat but in the end it was me whose nerves were calmed. That is Expand
25/12/2020 - I needed help reassuring a nervous cat but in the end it was me whose nerves were calmed. That is the magic of petsI am writing this after my first 48 hours of kitten-rearing. As yet, she does not have a name. I wanted something that fits her personality but couldn’t find anything that translates as “carpet destroyer”; and my plan to honour her Persian heritage and magisterial ruff with something regal seemed silly given she is 15cm tall. (Although it would be funny to name her Genghis just to hear the vet call: “Genghis Khan?”)It has been emotional. When she arrived she fled under the sofa. There she remained, trembling in the shadows, invisible except for the glassy flash of two blue eyes, refusing to be coaxed. I paced, I fretted, I Googled: “Have I traumatised my cat by adopting it?” I did not sleep. Related: I'm all for positive thinking, but my brave face is starting to slip | Coco Khan Continue reading... Collapse
He has a bad boy attitude': could this be Australia's grumpiest cat? – video
23/12/2020 - Chester has been dubbed Australia’s grumpiest cat. He has been adopted (and returned) four times Expand
23/12/2020 - Chester has been dubbed Australia’s grumpiest cat. He has been adopted (and returned) four times due to his ‘bad boy attitude’. ‘He will swipe at you but it’s generally when he’s telling you that he’s had enough,' says Jenny Sherring from the RSPCA. ‘If you can learn to read those signs, it’s generally not so bad’. The RSPCA hasn’t given up on Chester yet and is patiently waiting for the right owner to come along. ‘What I love about him is he’s so chatty,' says Sherring. ‘He can be really affectionate when he wants to be. I hope that we can find the right home for him. It’s just a matter of being patient.’ Continue reading... Collapse
I lost all sense of perspective!' The broadcaster whose dogs became superstars
16/12/2020 - Millions of frustrated sports fans began following Andrew Cotter’s ultra-competitive labradors Expand
16/12/2020 - Millions of frustrated sports fans began following Andrew Cotter’s ultra-competitive labradors Olive and Mabel in the first lockdown. Has it changed the trio’s lives?Did anyone convey the topsy-turvy world of pandemic life better than two ultra-competitive labradors? When the first lockdown was announced back in March and sports events were cancelled across the country, the Scottish commentator Andrew Cotter found himself staring at a grim year ahead. And so he decided to simply continue commentating … on his dogs.“You can feel the tension,” he said in his soothing soft Scottish accent, over a video of his dogs, Olive and Mabel, racing to empty their bowls. “Olive focused, relentless, tasting absolutely nothing.”Should have been the Olympic Opening Ceremony today. I used my notes anyway. pic.twitter.com/zjsTK3Armp Continue reading... Collapse
Dogs and owners may share resemblance in diabetes risk
10/12/2020 - Research shows people who have a dog with type 2 diabetes are 38% more at risk of having disease Expand
10/12/2020 - Research shows people who have a dog with type 2 diabetes are 38% more at risk of having disease themselvesIt’s said that dogs resemble their owners, but the similarities may also extend to their risk of diabetes, research suggests. The same cannot be said of cat owners and their companions, however.Previous studies had hinted that overweight owners tend to have porkier pets, possibly because of shared health behaviours such as overeating or not taking regular exercise. To investigate whether this extended to a shared risk of type 2 diabetes, Beatrice Kennedy, of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues turned to insurance data from Sweden’s largest pet insurance company, using owners’ 10-digit national identification numbers to pull their anonymised health records. Continue reading... Collapse
My big working-from-home problem? The noise from my husband's oversexed tortoises | Emma Beddington
08/12/2020 - Before hibernating, these reptilian Casanovas have been at it like there’s no tomorrow. Now I’m Expand
08/12/2020 - Before hibernating, these reptilian Casanovas have been at it like there’s no tomorrow. Now I’m having to lie to my colleagues about the soundAfter the eerie silence of lockdown, city centre life is back, judging by the nocturnal soundscape outside my window. There’s a constant, happy burble of chat, occasional singing and, last night, a proper fight – broken up by a waiter wielding a fire extinguisher: the scotch egg, served as a main meal, is a powerful intoxicant. My consolation – apart from the fact it’s quite nice to hear the city becoming a city again – is that the worst sound of autumn has stopped. You’re expecting me to say “leafblowers” aren’t you? No. This is a more esoteric pet hate, “pet” being the operative word: it’s tortoise sex. My husband’s tortoises come into the house in October for hibernation preparation and it is, frankly, harrowing.From the moment their heat lamp clicks on in the morning, my productive hours are numbered. First they rustle, maddeningly, as they Collapse
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That’s barking! Why all dog owners need a poo wormery
2 DAYS AGO - It’s no longer enough to bag it and bin it – the green approach is to let worms munch through your Expand
2 DAYS AGO - It’s no longer enough to bag it and bin it – the green approach is to let worms munch through your dog’s wasteName: Dog poo wormeries.Age: They’ve been around for a while, but thankfully you didn’t know about them. Until now. Related: Dog poop bags are a menace. But what's the green alternative? Continue reading... Collapse
Animal rescues by London fire brigade rise 20% in pandemic year
08/01/2021 - Firefighters called to 755 animal incidents in 2020, with cats most commonly in need of help Expand
08/01/2021 - Firefighters called to 755 animal incidents in 2020, with cats most commonly in need of help Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageLondon firefighters encountered a surge in callouts to rescue animals in 2020, figures show.The London fire brigade (LFB) was involved in 755 such incidents – more than two a day. The number of rescues rose by 20% compared with 2019 when there were 602, with the biggest rise coming in the number of non-domestic animals rescued, according to the data. Related: UK wildlife hospitals report ‘busiest year ever’ as lockdown turns focus to nature Continue reading... Collapse
Funeral for Fido: as pet ownership levels rise, so does the end-of-life care business
03/01/2021 - As human funeral providers increase their stakes in afterlife pet care, vets advise the reasons Expand
03/01/2021 - As human funeral providers increase their stakes in afterlife pet care, vets advise the reasons for using them go beyond the emotionalWhen Helen Williams’ father died suddenly, her partner left and her first dog died, a Maltese shih tzu puppy called Hudson was exactly the balm required.“I needed something to love again and Hudson was it,” she says. Continue reading... Collapse
What does Brexit mean for you? Shopping, mobile calls, flying, driving …
27/12/2020 - Big changes to our lives, and livelihoods, and on their way from 1 January when the transition Expand
27/12/2020 - Big changes to our lives, and livelihoods, and on their way from 1 January when the transition period endsWill I see prices rise at the supermarket?There had been warnings that products such as meats, dairy and cereals sold in the UK could have faced tariffs of as much as 50% under World Trade Organisation rules. But the deal means there will be no tariffs on products sold between the UK and the EU, allowing companies on both sides to keep trading in a similar way to now. This should prevent price rises and keep shelves stocked. Continue reading... Collapse
Australia's grumpy cat: shelter staff find 'demonic' Chester a home just in time for Christmas
23/12/2020 - South Australian eight-year-old is off to his fifth home in seven years and the RSPCA is confident Expand
23/12/2020 - South Australian eight-year-old is off to his fifth home in seven years and the RSPCA is confident new owner Wilma will know how to handle himIt’s a Christmas miracle! Australia’s grumpiest cat has found a new home after being featured in media reports that focused on his “demonic” nature.Returned to the RSPCA by four different families in the past seven years, Chester may be the least-loved cat in Australia, but workers at a South Australian shelter were still determined to find him a home for Christmas – and they’ve succeeded. Related: 'It was love at first sight': readers on their new lockdown pets Related: John Gray: 'What can we learn from cats? Don't live in an imagined future' Continue reading... Collapse
Experience: I lived as a wild turkey
18/12/2020 - My aim was to become indistinguishable from the rest of the flock, but I felt they saw me as the Expand
18/12/2020 - My aim was to become indistinguishable from the rest of the flock, but I felt they saw me as the village idiotI started adopting young animals while still a child myself. Many were orphaned newborns, meaning I mothered a variety of creatures – raccoon, squirrel, fox, bobcat, whatever came my way. I felt the animals preferred my company to that of members of their own species, and many even slept in my bed. At the time, I thought I’d discovered a sort of magic; but after years of studying animal behaviour, I learned of a process known as imprinting, whereby young creatures become attached to the first moving object they encounter.I was keen to explore this phenomenon further, but it wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I got the chance. In the early 90s, I was living on a large tract of land in rural Florida, working as a wildlife artist and researcher. One day, I was given a dog bowl full of wild turkey eggs by a tractor driver who had almost driven over them. I had to act fast, Collapse
Rum Tum Tugger is the sexiest': one-man Cats show claws through film flop
16/12/2020 - Bad films can spawn kitschy, cult devotion, as Linus Karp demonstrates in How to Live a Jellicle Expand
16/12/2020 - Bad films can spawn kitschy, cult devotion, as Linus Karp demonstrates in How to Live a Jellicle Life As London’s theatres prepared for tier 3 closure last night, some of us spent our last evening out of the year in an auditorium watching a man in a cat costume give a PowerPoint presentation on the now infamous Hollywood CGI disaster Cats.Linus Karp’s one-man show How to Live a Jellicle Life, performed at the Lion and Unicorn theatre in north London, is a parody and homage to the phenomenal 2019 flop. The show is centred not around TS Eliot’s original collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, but celluloid creations from Jennifer Hudson’s Grizabella to Ian McKellen’s Gus, and what wisdom we humans can learn from them. Continue reading... Collapse
Paw patrol: the majestic sled dogs of the Arctic – in pictures
10/12/2020 - Sled dogs have helped hunters traverse the region for more than 4,000 years – often saving their Expand
10/12/2020 - Sled dogs have helped hunters traverse the region for more than 4,000 years – often saving their handlers’ lives. Yet with climate change, the faithful hounds’ days could be numbered. Photographer Ragnar Axelsson’s tribute to the Arctic Heroes Continue reading... Collapse
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