A dog in a Colorado shelter took an aggressive marketing approach which paid off.
The most stressed out cat in the house is the one who tolerates your petting, according to a new study.
New research shows that overweight dogs die about 10 months sooner than dogs in proper weight.
An alligator with a hunchback seems to be doing just fine in Brazil.
Our 16 day national nightmare is over: The Panda Cam at the National Zoo will be back up today.
Someone needs to be sung a lullabye. And I know just the person to do it.
Here’s the abstract on that cat study:
Given the social and territorial features described in feral cats, it is commonly assumed that life in multi-cat households is stressful for domestic cats and suggested that cats kept as single pets are likely to have better welfare. On the other hand, it has been hypothesized that under high densities cats can organize themselves socially thus preventing stress when spatial dispersion is unavailable. This study was aimed at comparing the general arousal underpinning emotional distress in single housed cats and in cats from multi-cat households (2 and 3–4 cats) on the basis of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) measured via enzyme immunoassay (EIA). GCM did not significantly vary as a function of living style (single, double or group-housing); highly stressed individuals were equally likely in the three groups. Young cats in multi-cat households had lower GCM, and overall cats that tolerate (as opposed to dislike) petting by the owners tended to have higher GCM levels. Other environmental aspects within cat houses (e.g. relationship with humans, resource availability) may play a more important role in day to day feline arousal levels than the number of cats per se.
What I find odd about this study isn’t the bit about petting – I’m not at all surprised that cats who put up with being handled even though they’d rather not are more stressed than those who successfully hide – but rather its premise. I’d thought that the notion that domestic cats are solitary by nature was long since discarded.
Ironic, but also really sad, that the dog would be better off escaping a place called a SHELTER than to remain inside. Hopefully he gets adopted soon.
My comment has nothing to do with this. I just wanted to post this poor pregnant dog in Memphis Kill Shelter with, of course, an obviously bad picture – http://petharbor.com/pet.asp?uaid=MPHS.A260201
Please post off topic comments in the most recent Open Thread. You can post to the current Open Thread on the blog anytime.
Thanks for alerting me to this dog. Someone local will try to check on her today. She looks like she has a litter on the ground so hopefully her puppies are with her.
Her 6 puppies are with her. The stray hold expires on Tuesday and MAS is closed until then.
Added: Just heard a rescue group will be sending her and pups to a foster home.
Thank God that she and the pups will be safe. She looks miserable . . . and being there is surely no picnic. Thanks for making everyone aware of her. (I think you get more out alive than they do – thanks Shirley for putting these animals in the irresponsible public’s eye).