CatDogBlog

The secret slaughtering of at least 10,000 racing greyhounds by one man, has been exposed by an undercover investigation.

For the past 15 years David Smith, a builders’ merchant, has been killing healthy greyhounds no longer considered by their trainers to be fast enough to race. He buries them in a one-acre plot at the back of his home in Seaham, Co Durham, UK.

Last week The Sunday Times covertly filmed Smith on two consecutive days receiving greyhounds from trainers before killing them with a bolt gun, dumping them in the plot and covering over the “graves” using a mechanical digger.

He told an undercover reporter it took him three years to fill the field, at which point he simply started all over again. “Within a year the bodies have gone,” said Smith. “It takes me about three years to get across there and by the time I get there I can start back here again and there are only a few bones left.”

According to Sunday Times calculations and testimony of two racing insiders, it is conservatively estimated Smith has killed at least 10,000 dogs.

The scandal, described as the “canine killing fields” by one campaigner, has shocked the government and greyhound industry, which attracts bets of £2.5 (over $4.5/€3.6) billion a year.
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Ask anyone who’s done it; a cross-country drive can be difficult and that’s in perfect conditions. But a family of kittens didn’t have perfect conditions, they had a shipping crate. Oh yeah, and they were less than a week old.

A local family thought they had ordered a mini-bike but got a surprise when they opened the package. Photojournalist Steve Hofbauer captured this story of surprise and survival. To see more of this story just click on the video link. Via wfmynews

A Dutch man who was fed up with his neighbours dog barking, got revenge when she created her own barking pet.

The man from Soesterberg said: “It was day in, day out the same annoying barking”.

After month of complaining he decided to get his own bark, he added: “I took barking noises from the internet, sampled them, put them in another frequence and played them by a sound amplifier.”

The neighbours immediately called the police who entered the man’s house and pulled the plug on the man’s amplifier.

In the summer, children love to spend time in the sandbox. Many adults enjoy the peace and tranquility of gardening. If your household includes a cat that also enjoys time outside, a sandbox or garden is often considered an attractive outdoor litterbox. Your cat’s natural preferences for elimination includes soft sand- or soil-type material so the attraction to these areas can be annoying or even hazardous to your health. Fortunately, there are methods that can be used to discourage this unwanted behavior.

Here are the points:
* Sandbox Covers
* Spray Repellants for sandboxes and gardens

If your cat doesn’t use his own litter box and persists in soiling the sandbox or garden, it is a good idea to check for feces before children get into the sandbox or you start working in the garden. Cats can shed parasites in their feces that are harmful. The sand in the box may also need to be replaced on a regular basis, although replacing dirt is not practical. And all people playing in the sandbox or working in the garden should wash their hands when they are finished.

If you’re always sneezing around cats, your misery may soon be over, as scientists have bred a cat that is allergy free. Cat allergies are set off by a protein in the cat’s skin and saliva, but an American company has bred kittens that don’t make this protein.

If you want one of these cats, you better start saving, because they’ll cost over $15,000. That’s the price you pay for getting them early, because another company will breed allergy-free cats in 2007 for $3,500.

Animal rights group the RSPCA has criticised breeding the cats, saying the cats could develop health problems. They say that the process which came up with the cats, choosing which animals breed together, can increase the chance of illnesses appearing in the animals’ descendants.

And allergy experts say that the cats might just be less likely to set off allergies rather than be completely allergy free.

Why do cats spend 15% of their time grooming themselves?

1. Waterproofing: When your cat licks and tugs at his coat, he stimulates glands at the base of the hairs to release a secretion that helps keep his coat waterproof.

2. Increase the scent: Although your cat enjoys being petted, you may notice that he grooms himself immediately afterward. This is to rid himself of your scent and even out his own scent. It also smoothes his coat back to the way he likes it.

3. Heat regulation: During hot or cold weather, licking the coat acts as a built-in thermostat. Your cat licks his fur to keep warm or to keep cool. During cold weather, licking the fur smoothes the fur down and traps the air to keep your kitty warm. And during the warm summer months, because cats have a very limited ability to sweat, their licking serves a function similar to our sweating. Saliva evaporates off the wet fur and helps keep it cool.

4. Displacement behavior: Grooming is the most common form of displacement behavior in cats. It seems to help cats cope with stress by lowering their arousal level. For example, if your cat is intimidated by another household animal, you may notice that during an encounter, he may nonchalantly groom himself for several minutes.

5. Illness: Cats have a reputation of being meticulous self-groomers, and an unkempt coat is often the sign of illness. Excessive self-grooming can also indicate a problem (either medical or behavioral). Excessive self-licking can lead to baldness, or areas that are stubbly or inflamed. In these cases it is important that you visit your veterinarian.

Your cat will take care of grooming himself. However, you can give him some help, especially if he is a longhaired breed. Brush him daily to avoid painful mats, and you may even consider bathing him occasionally. This will not only provide an extra boost of cleanliness; it will provide good quality time with your pet and will also help reduce annoying hairballs.

If it’s a small area that has at least three sides, your cat will probably climb inside and make him/herself comfortable. It isn’t difficult to imagine why cats like being enclosed. They feel snug and protected in smaller, defined places.

Cats have a natural need for warmth and protection. Their instinct tells them to be alert to dangers that might sneak up on them when they are dozing.

You should make sure your pet has a variety of snug places where he can curl up and take a nap. Pet stores and pet supply catalogs carry an endless variety of beds, boxes and hideaways from which to choose. But a simple homemade Shangri-La can be made from a cardboard box tipped on its side and lined with a soft pillow or blanket.

An upside-down box with holes cut in the sides also will make a nice retreat. Or just open a drawer once in a while and see if your kitty takes up residence. Paper bags (but not plastic ones) also make great hideaways.
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Despite her age this 80-year-old Japanese woman, Chen Ing-tze, has a care center for stray dogs in her hometown of Taipei.

However, life took a turn for the worst when authorities in Taiwan said they wanted to close down her dogs kennel. Now the elderly lady is threathening to make an end to her life if they close it down. I guess these dogs are all she’s got left, fingers crossed it’ll work out alright.

The following kitty-cat is declawed. I can’t think of a better way for this cat to lose some weight and his housemate the dog to gain some!

Working up a good sweat in the hot summer months may be good for you, but it can lead to heat stroke in your dog and kill him in a matter of minutes. Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that takes the lives of many animals every year. Your dog’s normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. If it rises to 105 or 106 degrees, the dog is at risk for developing heat exhaustion. If the body temperature rises to 107 degrees, your dog has entered the dangerous zone of heat stroke. With heat stroke, irreversible damage and death can occur.

Here are some cold summer facts: The temperature in a parked car can reach 160 degrees in a matter of minutes, even with partially opened windows. And any dog exercising on a hot, humid day, even with plenty of water, can become overheated. Overheating often leads to heat stroke. As a pet owner, you should know the dangers of overheating and what to do to prevent it. You should also know the signs of heat stroke and what to do if your dog exhibits those signs.

When humans overheat we are able to sweat in order to cool down. However, your dog cannot sweat as easily; he must rely on panting to cool down. Dogs breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, directing the air over the mucous membranes of the tongue, throat and trachea to facilitate cooling by evaporation of fluid. Your dog also dissipates heat by dilation of the blood vessels in the surface of the skin in the face, ears and feet. When these mechanisms are overwhelmed, hyperthermia and heat stroke usually develop.

Dogs who have a thick coat, heart and lung problems or a short muzzle are at greater risk for heat stroke. Others at risk include:
# Puppies up to 6 months of age
# Large dogs over 7 years of age and small dogs over 14 years
# Overweight dogs
# Dogs who are overexerted
# Ill dogs or those on medication
# Brachycephalic dogs (short, wide heads) like pugs, English bulldogs and Boston terriers
# Dogs with cardiovascular disease and/or poor circulation

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