Monday, July 4, 2022

Keeping your home warm just for your cat might waste hundreds of dollars or pounds annually

It has been calculated in the UK that if you keep your home warm just for your pet cat you could be wasting £240 per year. The same applies to a dog. The point is this: if you keep the heating on in your home while you are at work to keep your cat warm it is going to cost you a lot of money over a year which is something to be factored in at this time of a cost of living crisis and rising inflation in many countries.

Don't heat your house while you are out to keep your cat warm
Don't heat your house while you are out to keep your cat warm. Image: Pixabay.

Dr. David Glew, an expert in energy efficiency and policy at Leeds Beckett University said that "It is not a great idea to heat your whole house for a dog [or cat] while you are out as it could cost you hundreds of pounds a year. To put it into perspective, putting in loft insulation will only save you around £40 a year, a new boiler will save you £50 a year, and cavity wall insulation will save £80 a year for an average house."

I think you can safely translate those numbers to dollars in the USA although I suspect it would be considerably less as the cost of living is quite low in America compared to the UK. Nonetheless, every penny helps.

Interestingly, in the UK, a survey published in 2015 conducted by Energy Saving Trust found that 53% of dog owners and 47% of cat owners worried that their pet would feel cold while they were out. However, Justin Shotton, president of the British Veterinary Association said heating "shouldn't generally be necessary". The reason is that when animals are young and healthy and have the usual fur coat they are well able to cope with any slight chill that exists inside a home during cold days.

In addition, the survey found that 31% of people left the light on for the cat or dog while they were out. And 28% said they left the radio one and 23% kept the TV on.

My initial thoughts about this is that if you want to keep an area of your home a little bit warmer in winter while you are away, you can buy a trickle feed electric bar which plugs into the mains. These are very safe and designed to keep the temperature from dropping in a fixed are.

Trickle heater on Amazon.

It just takes the edge the chill. You can also buy one of those igloo cat beds which are completely covered and insulated. This will allow the body heat of your cat to warm up their own environment. Another possibility is to buy an electric blanket for cats and dogs which will allow them to warm up when resting. I believe that these are all available at modest prices in Amazon.

I certainly would agree with this expert that it is unnecessary and a waste of precious funds to keep a home warm just for a cat or dog. There are other ways of achieving the goal, three of which I have mentioned.

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Cat rescued from swamp cooler

Pueblo, Colorado, USA: the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region was called upon to rescue a domesticated cat stuck in what is called a swamp cooler. This is the first time I have read such a story. A swamp cooler is a device which cools a home by using the latent heat of evaporation. 

When water evaporates it takes warmth from the air and in doing so it cools the surrounding area. A fan blows the cool air into the room. Or the cool air may be blown into the room by a natural breeze. This must have been a pretty big swamp cooler, probably outside the house. Although it is not clear.

Pueblo Animal Law Enforcement responded to a call from a woman who said that there was a "deceased cat stuck in a swamp cooler". The temperature at the time was 101°F. She was unable to cool her home because her swamp cooler was malfunctioning. Because of the cat 😎.

It is pleasing to find out that the cat was not dead but very much alive and taken up residence inside her swamp cooler device. Why I wonder? Probably to stay cool! I can't think of any other good reason unless he wanted to be warmed up at night.

With a bit of help, the offices of the Pueblo Animal Law Enforcement team were able to recover the cat out of the cooler and take him to a shelter for medical treatment.

They describe the cat as a "spicy boy" and decided that he was a community cat. There is a cat colony in the area so he probably wandered away from that into her swamp cooler. They vaccinated him, checked him for any injuries and as he was ear tipped he was already neutered under a TNR program. He appears to have been in reasonable health because they took him back to the colony where I expect volunteers care for the cats.

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Animal killer made €1 million in blood money

This is a highly unpleasant story so if you think you might be upset about it then please do not read on. However, I will not go in any detail. I think it needs to be reported on. I am indebted to a short report from The Times newspaper dated July 2, 2022.

They state that in Spain a man has been accused of killing hundreds of animals by draining them of their blood to sell to veterinarians across Europe. Quite horrendous. The man has been arrested in Madrid.

The police allege that the man - who has yet to be named and has been released on bail - killed as many as 500 animals.

Most of them are dogs and cats. The killing has taken place since 2006.

The suspect allegedly made more than €1 million (£860,000 or $1,042,910.00) from selling animal blood the police said.

I don't know, as it is unreported, but it seems to me that this criminal was collecting the blood of cats and dogs to sell to veterinarians working in Europe because with proper donor selection and appropriate compatibility screening pet blood transfusions are well-tolerated and they may increase the chances of a cat's survival.

Ironically, the blood was taken from a cat or dog which kills them in order to aid the survival of a cat who is ill at a veterinary clinic. The motive: money with a complete disregard for morality and the sentience of the animals concerned.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Cornish Rex vs Devon Rex

In this article I compare the Cornish Rex with the Devon Rex and the lesser-known Selkirk Rex. I have included the Selkirk Rex as I consider these three the core Rex cats in the cat fancy. I also believe that you will find that the Devon Rex is the best known and most popular followed by the Cornish and then the Selkirk Rex.

You can make a choice: (1) stay on this page to see a comparison in photographs by the celebrated Helmi Flick, one of the world's best cat photographers together with a summary of the differences or (2) go to a full-blown description of each cat breed:
  1. Cornish Rex
  2. Devon Rex
  3. Selkirk Rex
There is also a Selkirk Rex longhair. All Rex cats have curly hair. That is what makes them Rex cats. The whiskers are brittle and break.

Photos strictly copyright Helmi Flick - violations reported to Google (DMCA)


Overviews

Cornish Rex - This cat has a greyhound-like body conformation. The hair is "marcelled" - wavy or rippled to you and me. The ears are huge and the head small and egg-shaped. This is an unusual looking cat and completely different in general appearance to the Devon Rex. This breed dates from 1950 in Cornwall, England, UK. A farm cat produced a litter of kittens, one of which was to become the founder of this breed: Kallibunker. The breed was exported to the USA in 1957 in a pregnant Cornish Rex cat whose two kittens founded the breed in America. In cat fancy terms the body is "oriental" in conformation (slender). The tummy is tucked in like a greyhound. This cat is medium sized and slim and comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. The cat in the picture is a bicolor black and white. Temperament: active, talkative.

Devon Rex - Pixie faced cat of considerable charm. Wavy hair and bat sized ears! A sweet little charmer. This breed dates from 1960 in Devon, England, UK. Devon is adjacent to Cornwall in the south west of England. It is a place of farms, retired people and tourists. The breed was imported into the USA in 1968. This cat has large eyes, set wide apart. There are prominent cheek bones and huge ears. This is a slender cat "semi-foreign" type. As for the Cornish Rex the rexed coat is due to a genetic mutation. This cat breed has a wide range of colors and types. The hair can be sparse, which is normal and due apparently to hormonal changes. Temperament: kleptomaniac! Friendly, charming and easygoing.

Selkirk Rex - "Cat in sheep's clothing", is the well-used description. This cat certainly does have the appearance of a sheep. This breed dates from 1987 in the United States (Wyoming shelter cat). The genetic mutation is dominant. Wide range of colors and patterns. This cat is much stockier in appearance - called "semi-cobby" than the other two. The head is round and the ears normal sized. They have a similar structural appearance to the British Shorthair or perhaps traditional Persian. You could say that the Selkirk is less extreme in appearance than the Cornish and Devon Rex cats.  The fur is thick but made up of loose individual curls. There is a shaggy look to the coat, which is soft and dense. Temperament: gentle, loyal and sweet

Hope this helps....

Saturday, March 12, 2022

Dogs can see and are fooled by optical illusions but cats can't see them

This video seems to tell me that dogs see and are therefore fooled by optical illusions i.e. they see them as real whereas cats do not recognise optical illusions and therefore, they ignore them. We see both reactions in this video.

Dog nonplussed by this optical illusion
Dog nonplussed by this optical illusion.

Right now, I do not know for sure how to interpret from these differences. I have never seen a test like this before between cats and dogs and how they react to an optical illusion.

Note: This is an embedded video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source or the video is turned into a link which stops it working here. I have no control over this.


The difference between cat and dog may be the difference between three dogs and one cat i.e. the difference may be on an individual animal basis rather than a species basis although that is unlikely.

Cat cannot see the optical illusion
Cat cannot see the optical illusion.

A crude deduction might be that dogs are more visually sensitive and aware and cats. But that does not make sense to me. Thinking about it, what may be happening is that dogs believe more in the human environment and are more trusting of it compared to the more independent-minded domestic cat.

Domestic dogs have been domesticated for about 20,000 years or so whereas the cat has been domesticated for about half that time. Perhaps the dog is more in tune with the human environment than the cat even after these thousands of years. And as mentioned they are more trusting. Optical illusions work because the observer trusts that it is real.

They say that the wild cat is just below the surface of the domestic cat. And it is plausible to argue that a wild cat is less likely to appreciate an optical illusion compared to a domestic dog because they are mentally distanced from the human environment. I am, of course, speculating and these ideas have simply flowed from my mind as I am writing this.

I would appreciate input from any visitors to try and explain the difference between cat and dog behaviour under the circumstances.

Note, if the video no longer works let me tell you what it shows. The owner of three dogs and one cat put an optical illusion in the hallway which gave the impression that there was a big hole going through the floor. The dogs observed the hole as genuine and jumped over it and the last dog just stopped before it and looked into the false hole. The cat in contrast, sniffed the object (a rug) and then lay down on it. There was no recognition of it as a hole whatsoever. To the cat it was a rug.

Monday, February 21, 2022

Melbourne man attacks 2 cats while walking his dog and it's the Australian government's fault

NEWS AND COMMENT-MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: A man attacked 2 cats while walking his dog in Melbourne last Wednesday. CCTV footage shows him kicking the two cats and encouraging his dog to chase one. One of the cats is 15-years-old and has suffered a serious leg injury which is ongoing. Victoria police have asked anyone with relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers. I'm going to blame the Australian government for this or for contributing to it.

This man attacked 2 cats wantonly without cause. It was a malicious and cruel attack.
This man attacked 2 cats wantonly without cause. It was a malicious and cruel attack. Photo: Victoria police.

For years, now, the Australian federal government and state governments have railed against feral cats and stray cats. They have basically indoctrinated the public into believing that any cat wandering around a public space, be it the countryside or suburbia, is a pest. They have consistently portrayed feral cats as pests and vermin.

Time and time again we've seen stories of state authorities devising schemes to kill feral cats. Intelligent scientists have used their best efforts to devise clever ways to poison cats. It's all an attempt to protect their native species which are being killed faster by humans than by feral cats by the way.

And the problem is this: when you constantly portray an animal species as vermin, you're going to get people like this uncouth man taking the opportunity to seriously injure a domestic cat whose been let outside to wander around suburbia.

RELATED: Attitude of Australian state governments towards feral cats indirectly promotes cat cruelty as evidenced in Perth.

We know how the public can be indoctrinated into believing whatever you want them to believe given enough time. I predicted this years ago (see link above). Clearly, you don't need to be indoctrinated by the government to hate cats. This man might simply hate them for all kinds of reasons. However, if you are ambivalent about the role of domestic cats and feral cats in the lives of Australians, then some gullible people will be susceptible to the indoctrination of their governments.

I think that it is about time the authorities started to think about how to deal with feral cats humanely. I've hammered on about this for years and they simply refuse to treat stray and feral cats humanely. They encourage people to shoot feral cats. But how do you know the difference between a feral cat and a domestic cat at 50 yards, for certain? What is certain is that some domestic cats are being killed by people who are eager to kill feral cats.

In this instance, and unidentified man was walking his dog on Belloza Way in Mernda, Melbourne at around 4:50 PM last Wednesday. The man kicked a black-and-white cat and encouraged his dog to chase him/her. The police also said that he picked up a piece of wood and attacked another cat. The elderly ginger cat was severely injured.

The man is described as Caucasian, about 185 cm tall of slim build and with dark hair. At the time he was wearing blue shoes, blue mid-length socks, black shorts, black T-shirt, black watch, black sunglasses and his mind is black to 😢! This is a cruel man with a problem and as a consequence society has a problem with him. If you have relevant information, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.

Note: there is a video of the incident. I can't watch it but if you want to see please go to the Daily Mail website by clicking this link.

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Serval on the kitchen counter smacks dog who's on the floor

This is an unusual household. The woman calls herself a 'serval whisperer' by which she means that she is a serval expert and can communicate with her cat companion. Servals are wild cats. They are lanky. In fact, they have the longest legs to overall size of all the wild cat species.

Serval on the kitchen counter smacks dog who's on the floor
Serval on the kitchen counter smacks dog who's on the floor. Screenshot.

Some people might like to see the video below and some might think that this looks just fine. I don't. I think it is entirely wrong to have a serval as a pet confined to the home which they must be. You cannot let this cat go outside alone for obvious reasons. And when they are confined to a home like this they want to escape. Some do escape and often they are killed outside by the police who shoot them because a neighbour complained that there is a wild animal roaming around the neighbourhood. Or a car hit them. The outcome is normally bad.

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.

The cat is obviously slightly twitchy about the presence of the dog. This is why she slaps him. This indicates a little bit of friction between the two. No surprise there. I wonder whether the serval whisperer could do something about that? The answer will be no. You can imagine what it is like to have that slightly antagonistic state of affairs.

It may result in the serval spraying urine to mark territory. Sometimes they spray urine inside the home because they might be stressed. That is not the sort of experience you want as a home owner. Sometimes serval owners declaw their servals because they want a serval i.e. an exotic pet, but they don't want to be slapped as you see in the video on their hand by their over-sized cat companion because it will hurt. It can draw blood.

You don't want to play with a serval like you would play with your domestic cat companion because they may hurt you. But, that said, they desperately need to be stimulated. There is no greater need to stimulate a cat than a serval. They are smart and active and have heightened wild cat senses. So how do you do it? I just see so many potential and actual problems with having a serval as a pet.

I have a page on keeping servals as pets which may interest anybody who wants to read more about this topic. And lastly, depending upon where you live, you may need a licence to look after a serval in your home. There will be differences between the states in America. In the UK you need a licence. In some US states you won't need the permission of the local authority to keep a serval which may be the case with this woman in the video.

Friday, February 11, 2022

Public are outraged by Kurt Zouma's cat abuse. I'm pleased.

The public are outraged by Kurt Zouma's Bengal cat abuse. I'm very pleased. I am also surprised by the strength of the sentiment. And it isn't just the public; the news media have come down hard on him too. It is great. Anything which supports cat welfare is progress as far as I am concerned.

There has been an outpouring of anger against Kurt Zouma because of his obnoxious behaviour in drop-kicking one of his Bengal cats and also slapping the cat while the cat was being held by a child. And he slapped the cat hard. Arguably that is also child abuse. He is at least potentially psychologically damaging this child and he is certainly teaching his child that it is all right to behave like that was an animal. Shame on him.

RELATED: Premier League footballer videoed kicking and slapping a Bengal cat.

Kurt Zouma
Kurt Zouma. Photo in public domain.

And to compound the bad behaviour, his brother videoed the whole thing and uploaded it to social media. And to make matters even worse his brother laughed while he videoed the abuse. It was terrible but what is delightful is the fact that the public have got behind cat welfare. They want to see Zouma punished. They don't want him to play in the forthcoming football matches. He has been fined two weeks wages which has told the world how much he earns because the fine is £250,000.

Ironically, his playing colleagues are complaining that they are underpaid because they have, for the first time, discovered what he earns. David Moyes the West Ham manager insists that he will play in the next match this weekend against Leicester. He was criticised by the public and others including Garry Lineker for playing him in the match against Watford which occurred 24 hours after the cat abuse incident. Garry Lineker accused West Ham of being tone deaf to the gravity of the event.

And this is what I really, really like about the story. People are concerned about cat welfare. I do not think that this would have happened like this 10 years ago. There is much more awareness about animal welfare nowadays than in the past. I believe that this may be a result of a concern for the planet in general because of global warming. People are concerned about the environment and what they do that might damage the environment.

It is quite a short step from this way of thinking to be concerned about animals. In part this is because the way we treat animals has an impact on the environment. I'm referring to livestock and meat eating.

Some people have been surprised. One person wondered if cat abuse is as bad as racism. I don't think that you can compare the two. But if a premiership footballer was prosecuted for racism or homophobia or was punished by the club for a racist remark, this person argued that he would be punished less than Kurt Zouma will be for abusing his cat. I get the point but this person is guessing how Zouma will be punished. We don't know. The RSPCA is investigating on behalf of the police and we expect them to make a statement about their intentions soon. They've seized his two cats. They may or may not return them depending on the outcome of their deliberations.

Here are the screenshots from the video of Zouma kicking and slapping his Bengal cat. Please click on the links.

Zouma's brother - the guy who filmed the abuse - has been dropped by his football club which is in one of the lower divisions (Dagenham and Redbridge). A different approach. Moyes wants to play Zouma because he is a good footballer (left back) and Moyes is desperate to finish in the top four in the Premiership to enable West Ham to play in the European Championships next season. It is money over morals.

They should prosecute him under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 for animal abuse and cruelty. I expect that to happen. And if he's convicted, he will be punished but the punishment will not be severe. Although he could, technically receive a five-year prison sentence as a maximum, this is not going to happen. The abuse was not as bad as that. It was bad and callous and stupid and it betrayed an ignorant person but he will be fined if he is prosecuted and convicted.

There are much wider issues too, which come out of the story. A lady on LBC radio made the point that the UK is not a nation of animal lovers. This is the opposite to what people in other countries believe. Great Britain is portrayed as a place where animal welfare is prioritised. It isn't true. Of course, it is better than all the countries of Asia and South America and the Middle East but there is still lots of animal abuse in the UK. There are lots of idiots in the UK would like to harm animals. We could do a lot better.

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