The incredible story of our cat

On the anniversary of our cat arriving into our lives I posted the story of her first year with us on Twitter. Now at last I am sharing this story for the benefit of my blog readers. This is a post that involves scrolling down a lot, but it does also feature a lot of pictures of what may be the world's most beautiful cat.

1. When we first moved to Stoneybatter, we noticed a cat frequenting Billy Edwards Park #cativersary pic.twitter.com/8dDvcfHw80

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

2. One year ago today she invited herself in to visit. She seemed friendly #cativersary pic.twitter.com/SfANpTaE27

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

3. The cat made herself at home. We called her Billy Edwards, after the park #cativersary pic.twitter.com/lKMNKCZrMF

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

4. Cat likes resting in the windowsill #cativersary pic.twitter.com/9fqqFJyMJY

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

5. Cat does not like other cats, especially Backyard Cat #cativersary pic.twitter.com/DrUYzbUNdT

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

6. Cat knows how to live #cativersary pic.twitter.com/FaxbZIEsY3

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

7. Cat sometimes goes exploring, but remains wary of meeting her enemy #cativersary pic.twitter.com/AEjs7VUkSA

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

8. Cat keeps an eye on shady local characters #cativersary pic.twitter.com/jSCNYAe8VC

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

9. Cat does not like when it rains #cativersary pic.twitter.com/mCA5kHC869

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

10. Cat does not like when I play “Bitches Brew” #cativersary pic.twitter.com/P2y3KMxk7J

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

11. Cat collects heavy artillery #cativersary pic.twitter.com/dF397BEAAQ

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

12. Cat solicits Dreamies #cativersary pic.twitter.com/LEWQq8kPEA

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

13. Fleas made her sick so sad cat had to go to the vet #cativersary pic.twitter.com/AsrYat7DSh

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

14. Once cat was better she caught up on the latest internet news #cativersary pic.twitter.com/Mw3glB6WG0

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

15. We found her original home, but cat elected not to back as she has fallen out with her sister #cativersary pic.twitter.com/SVBfqtxo5Z

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

16. The two sisters in happier times #cativersary pic.twitter.com/cIRDD5vBtm

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

17. Cat has added many smudges to our front window #cativersary pic.twitter.com/JZud7CdGz0

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

18. Cat does not take any nonsense #cativersary pic.twitter.com/Jj1w6QmMeO

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

19. Cat makes the best of her tough life #cativersary pic.twitter.com/bdooJOg97N

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

20. She may be the world’s prettiest cat #cativersary pic.twitter.com/dC78qJ9OZ5

— Ian Moore (@IanMoore3000) June 11, 2016

More amazing cat pictures here and here

Dog rescued from armchair

Lyn Kirkwood of Salford was looking for her dog Cagney when she heard a whimper and found the Lhasa Apso stuck head first in a reclining armchair. Cagney was unable to get out and Ms Kirkwood could not extract her herself.

Ms Kirkwood had no option but to contact emergency services and the RSPCA. Firemen were eventually able to free Cagney by dismantling the armchair. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue reports that Cagney then "wandered off for a drink".

Cagney has not responded to inquiries as to how she came to be stuck in the armchair in the first place.

more (BBC)

Everyone has a good side, including Mike Read

DJ Mike Read has been in the news recently in connection with his support for the anti-EU and anti-immigrant party UKIP. Mr Read had recorded a pro-UKIP novelty pop single in which he sang a calypso style song in a faux West Indian accent. Among other things, the lyrics complain about the numbers of foreign people who have come to the UK. The combination of subject matter and Mr Read's accent led many to dub the song racist.

Mike Read is no stranger to controversy. Older readers will recall that he instigated BBC Radio 1's banning of Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Relax' back in the early 1980s.

Nearly all people have good and bad sides. Earlier this year, Ms Sarah Prior saw Mike Read's good side in action. She was out walking her six month old puppy Digby in Henley when the naughty dog decided to chase some ducks into the river Thames. Ms Prior called out in dismay as she saw Digby being washed away by the surging waters, with the dog showing no natural aptitude for swimming.

Fortunately for Digby, Mike Read happened to be passing. He immediately leaped into the water and rescued the bold puppy, earning Ms Prior's gratitude. Digby was none the worse for wear but his opinions on the incident have not been recorded.

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Important Panda News

Gao Gao the Panda lives in San Diego Zoo. He has had a long and eventful life since he was born in the wild in 1992 or thereabouts. After suffering an ear industry, he was taken to Fengtongzhai Nature Reserve in 1993. He was reintroduced into the wild but local villagers reportedly found him disruptive, so he was taken to the Wolong Panda Conservation Centre and then in 2003 he came to live in San Diego Zoo.

Pandas have a reputation for not really being onboard with the perpetuation of their species, but Gao Gao has done his bit, fathering five cubs with the panda Bai Yun. He now has three grandchildren. If anything, Gao Gao's life shows that the real threat to pandas is not their slow rate of reproduction but human encroachment into their habitat.

Gao Gao has had some health problems. Digestive system problems have led to adjustments to his diet and he also has a heart condition. But a more serious issue manifested recently, when a tumour was discovered on one of his testicles. Surgeons operated to remove the testicle earlier this month. He is reported to be recovering well and is getting back to his favourite activity - eating. There are reports that he has also been getting his keepers to scratch the back of his neck.

At this stage it is not known whether the operation will prevent Gao Gao fathering any more offspring. Because of limited exposure to panda cancers, veterinarians are not certain that the operation will have taken him out of the danger zone, but everyone has their fingers crossed.

More:

Surgery for Gao Gao (San Diego Zoo)

Pathologist's Report on Gao Gao's tumour (San Diego Zoo)

Gao Gao (Wikipedia) (image source)

Cat brings home special present

Cats often bring home little presents for their owners - usually dead rodents or birds. An unnamed cat in Dunedin in New Zealand went for something a bit more useful, bringing its owner a bag containing 5 grammes of cannabis. However, instead of sparking the hooter, the cat's owner showed a marked lack of gratitude and instead reported the find to the local police.

Sgt Reece Munro is investigating the case and trying to find out where the bag of cannabis came from. His efforts are being hampered by the cat, who is taking the Fifth on this and refusing to cooperate with the investigation or name its dealer. Sgt Munro will reportedly be letting the cat off with a caution.

IMPORTANT NOTE: photographs of the dope dealing cat have not been released, so the above image is stock image of a completely different cat.

More (BBC)

Even more (Otago Daily Times)

Suspicious Similarity

Image sources:

Inside the giant panda research centre - in pictures (Guardian)

Story 29 - The Tenth Planet (Tardis Musings)

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Cats get lost, cats get found

Pets often go missing. Owners of missing pets then post up photographs of their animals, asking people to keep an eye out for them and report them if found. For a while now I have been photographing these lost animal notices and posting them to a Flickr album and to Facebook. I find the pictures interesting in and of themselves but I do also like to think that maybe, just maybe, sharing the photos online will help the lost animals find their way home.

Today I was waking home from work a bit later than usual along the canal near the Luas Bridge, by the Hilton, when I saw a cat nosing around. Something about the cat seemed a bit odd, like it was almost approaching people but not quite, not a behaviour I generally see in our feline friends. And it looked a bit familiar. I fumbled for my mobile phone and looked at pictures of lost cats I had posted to Facebook, and thought that this one looked rather like one I had posted last January. Could it be the same one? I hurriedly wrote down one of the numbers on the poster and rang the number, leaving a somewhat confused phone message. Then I sent a more detailed text message to the phone numbers.

I watched the cat as it prowled around in the grass beside the canal, intently eyeing the birds swimming in the water. Perhaps it was hoping to chance upon a chick or a small bird ashore, or an unwary rodent. But it did not and moved away from the water. It came close to me, seeming to neither beg for food and attention nor to exhibit any obvious fear of humans. I thought of trying to catch it, which I think would have been easy enough, but I had no idea how long it would take the owners to come back to me. It would be a bit annoying if I was holding an angry cat when a message reached me that the owners had recovered their tiddles months previously. So I watched it for a bit longer and then decided to slink home lest I be arrested as one of those shifty characters who loiters outside hotels.

And then when I was nearly home I received a text message form the owners thanking me and saying that they had recovered the cat by the hotel. Jurassic Park.

Pets - Lost and Found

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Jesse the Cat's Eight Year Sabbatical

In May 2006 Jesse the cat was being brought by his owner Lesley Corbett on a routine visit to the vet. Jesse however had other plans. He threw himself violently against the door of his cat box until the door came off. Then he jumped out and ran away as fast as he could. Ms Corbett and her family tried to lure Jesse out of hiding by rattling his food container, but to no avail. Although they kept looking for him, they resigned themselves to the possibility of never seeing Jesse again, though they never gave up hope of his eventual return.

But then on the 28th of February last Ms Corbett received an unexpected phone call from the very veterinary practice to which she had been bringing Jesse in 2006. A stray cat loitering in the area had been brought in and then identified as Jesse from its microchip.

Jesse appears to have been well-fed during his eight years away, but now that he is home he is apparently being spoiled rotten. He is also proving very vocal, informing Ms Corbett's other cats of all the exciting adventures he enjoyed while on his travels.

more (BBC)

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Vladimir Putin has a feeling for animals

Russian president Vladimir Putin is no friend of Ukrainians or the gays. However, he is known for his ability to mix easily in the animal kingdom and for his interest in wildlife. The BBC reports that in the past he has been seen tagging whales and intervening to save people from an enraged tiger. He has also flown in a microlight aircraft to help cranes migrate.

Before the Sochi Olympics, President Putin took journalists and Olympic officials to visit a nearby sanctuary for Persian leopards. The president is keen to restore these spotted predators to southern Russia, where they had become extinct by the 1970s. But the visit provided another opportunity for him to demonstrate his rapport with non-human life. When one of the leopard cubs in the sanctuary became agitated, attacking two journalists, Putin stepped in and calmed the animal down.

"I like animals," commented the Russian president. "It seems I have a feeling for them. We like each other."

More:

Russia President Putin encounters Sochi leopard cubs (image source, BBC)

Vladimir Putin helps bird migration

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Murderer caught after parrot sings like a bird

In a gruesome slaying, Neelam Sharma and her pet dog were stabbed to death in their home on the 20th of February last. The only survivor was Ms Sharma's parrot Neera. The parrot seems initially to have gone into shock after witnessing the terrible crime. However, Ms Sharma's husband, Vijay Sharma, noticed that Neera became agitated when his nephew, Ashutosh Goswami visited. This aroused his suspicions, which he shared with the police. They arrested Mr Goswami; he admitted under interrogation to having gone to the Sharmas' home to rob it, but was surprised by Ms Sharma and so murdered her (and the dog).

That is the outline version of this story appearing on the website of the Times of India. The Daily Telegraph reports further details. Apparently Mr Sharma read out the names of a number of possible suspects to Neera, and then when Mr Goswami's was mentioned, the parrot exclaimed "He's the killer! He's the killer!"

Local police chief Superintendent Satyarth Anirudh has however denied that it was the parrot's evidence that led to the murderer's apprehension. "We interrogated all the suspects," he said, "and the nephew of the victim confessed to the crime. We don’t know where the parrot came into it.”

More (Times of India)

Even more (Daily Telegraph)

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Wild beavers return to England

Beavers used to live wild in England, but they were exterminated in the 16th century. In more recent years, some have been reintroduced into the wild in Scotland, but there have been no organised reintroduction programmes in England and Wales. However, there now appears to be a wild beaver community in Devon.

After reports of sightings and signs of gnawed trees, retired environmental scientist Tom Buckley set up motion sensor cameras along the River Otter in east Devon. The cameras captured an image of two beavers playing together while a third gnaws at a tree in the background. The image is fascinating, suggesting that now there might be a breeding community of beavers living wild in England.

Quite where the beavers came from is something of a mystery. There are beavers living in a securely fenced compound run by the Devon Wildlife Trust, but they have all been accounted for and have not busted loose to set up home along the River Otter. The wild beavers may have escaped from some other site where they were being held in captivity. Or perhaps some mysterious person or group set them free deliberately. In England it is currently an offence to set beavers free, but there have been calls for their wider reintroduction as a way of combatting floods.

Scientists have called for the River Otter beavers to be left alone and carefully monitored to see how their colony develops. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said however that it was looking into the case and deciding what action would be taken; the DEFRA spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the beavers would end up being left alone, moved or killed.

Image source (Guardian)

"Bring back beavers to control flooding, environment secretary told"

Dancing Bear Cubs

Valtteri Mulkahainen was travelling in the forests of Finland when he saw a magical sight: some bear cubs playing together, looking like they were dancing or playing a game of ring-a-ring-a-rosies.
Their mother kept a close watch to make sure nothing untoward happened.
More on this important story (Huffington Post; with more dancing bear cubs)

Valtteri Mulkahainen (more bears, and other photographs)

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Owls to the rescue

The long and thin country of Chile is in the grip of a terrifying hantavirus plague. This contagious disease is carried by long-tailed pygmy rice rats, who are themselves immune to its terrible effects. These rodents traditionally live in forests and usually it is only people who go out foraging for bamboo who catch it from them. Recent forest fires, however, have pushed the hantavirus carrying rice rats into urban areas, where they have spread the disease into the human population to an unprecedented extent.

The Chilean forest service is responding to this crisis by trying to swiftly increase the numbers of owls. The flying predators like nothing better than to devour the long-tailed rats, so they could function as a "biological regulator".

There is only one problem to this plan. Many Chileans have a superstitious fear of owls, believing that their hooting near a house means that someone in it is about to die. The Chilean authorities hope to convince people that the owls are in fact a signifier of protection from the plague, but they have their work cut out for them.

More

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[science] Dogs and their understanding of human voices

Scientists in Hungary have been investigating how the brains of dogs and humans react to different noises. This has involved training dogs to lie still while undergoing MRI scans. The trainers used positive reinforcement strategies ("lots of praise", says Dr Attila Andics of the Hungarian Academy of Science's Eotvos Lorand University).

The scientists then played a variety of noises to their human and dog subjects. These included dog vocalisations, human sounds and various environmental noises. They discovered that when dogs and humans heard the human noises, in both cases there was activation in the same part of the brain (the most anterior part of the temporal lobe). Furthermore, the activity in human and dog brains was remarkably similar when exposed to emotionally charged human sounds (such as the sounds of laughter and crying).

For other sounds, human and dog brains reacted differently. The human brain responded far less strongly to recordings of dog vocalisations. And dog brains seemed far more engaged by environmental sounds, which is not particularly surprising to anyone who has ever seen a dog excited by a barely perceptible sound off in the distance.

These differences in human and dog responses to other noises make the similarities in response to human noises all the more fascinating. Dogs have of course been selectively bred for closeness to people for a long time now, so it is not too surprising that they would have some sensitivity to human voices. But the apparent emotional engagement with human vocal sounds is rather interesting and suggests perhaps that our canine friends really are able to tell when we are happy or sad.

More (BBC article by Rebecca Morelle, from which come the images)

Even more (Article in Current Biology, so you won't be able to read it unless you have a subscription)

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Parrot Driving Instructor

West Yorkshire police were astonished recently when they pulled over a learner driver on the M62 motorway — because she had a parrot in the car with her. Parrots are very clever birds but they are not known for their ability to drive cars. In any case, even if the parrot was a qualified driver, the learner driver would still be in trouble. Learners are not allowed drive on the motorway under any circumstances, even when accompanied by someone holding a full licence, or a parrot.

"The rules of the road exist for a very good reason," said Chief Inspector Mark Bownass, before warning of the dangers of putting too much faith in the driving abilities of parrots.

More

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Sad Elephant News

Joyraj the elephant has died. He was 73. The 3.35 metre tall pachyderm had spent his life in the Kaziranga National Park in the Indian state of Assam. He had spent most of his life as a working elephant, transporting tourists into the park's jungle to see rhinoceroses and other animals that lived there. He also helped break up fights between unruly male elephants.

Joyraj has been in retirement since 2008, but was still a much loved fixture in the park. Mohan Karmakar, his mahout, wept at the animal's death, but it seems that that the other elephants in the park have also been mourning Joyraj's passing, loudly trumpeting and visibly crying at their loss.

The picture shows Joyraj with Elke Riesterer, an animal body therapist who treated the elephant for a number of ailments in 2008.

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Adaptable Penguins Soldier On

Everyone loves emperor penguins. The large flightless birds who swim in the seas around Antarctica and breed on frozen sea ice had their curious ways popularised by films such as March of the Penguins. But concerns have been expressed about the future of the black and white birds, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifying them as "near threatened".

Unlike other animals, the penguin is not threatened by human encroachment into their harsh environment. Rather the fear is that the changeable weather conditions created by man-made climate change will disrupt their habitat and prevent them from successfully breeding. With the penguins typically breeding on sea ice, concerns have been expressed as to what they will do if climate change leads to the ice forming late or not at all.

However, scientists observing four particular penguin colonies have discovered that the little fellows are more resilient than expected.When their preferred sea ice is not available, the penguins move to alternative sites, somehow climbing up onto the almost impenetrable ice shelves closer to land. Although this puts them much further from the sea and atop strange and unscaleable cliffs, the penguins still manage to travel to and from their breeding sites to gather food for their young. It appears they slide or jump down the cliffs on the way to the sea and then make long detours around them when returning back to feed the little chicks.

It is unclear whether this penguin adaptability is unique to there four colonies, or if all emperor penguins are able to seek out new breeding sites when necessary. It is also unknown whether other penguin species are also as adaptable. But the plucky behaviour of these penguins suggests that the flightless birds will not be easily defeated by climate change.

more

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Secrets of the Cat Burglar Cats

Cats are well known for their habit of bringing little gifts for their owners - usually half-eaten mice or mangled birds. But an important report on the BBC News website concerns two cats somewhat more ambitious in their gifting. Theo, a Siamese cross from Ipswich, has previously presented his owners with stolen clothing items, phone chargers and cat toys. This year, however, he has got into the festive spirit by bringing home a variety of Christmas decorations believed to be filched from neighbours' Christmas trees.

The same article reports that Luton cat Denis typically brings home underwear, shoes and similar items, acquired in a less than legal manner. After Christmas, however, he impresses his owners by delivering piles of Christmas wrapping paper to them.

Both cats are apparently not very good at catching birds or small rodents.

Cat experts believe that behaviour like this is typical of felines who were not thought to hunt properly as kittens. When they grow up, they become fixated on cat toys and human objects and retrieve them instead of launching murderous campaigns against other animals.

More (BBC)

Denis Cat Burglar Newman (YouTube channel)

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The sensual growl of the male Koala

Scientists have long been astonished by the low growl of the male koala. The marsupial bear emits this strange burping sound to let lady koalas know that he is in the area and ready to see to their sexual needs. What has confused scientists is how such a small animal has been able to make such a low pitched noise. Were their vocal tracts to be structured in the normal manner, koalas would apparently need to be the size of an elephant to make such strange rumbling tones.

But the vocal tracts of koalas are not like those of other animals. Scientists have discovered that, as well as their larynxes, koalas also have an extra set of vocal folds specially designed for male koalas to sing their sensual song.

It is unclear as to exactly what the male koala communicates with his low rumbling moan. Perhaps lady koalas can identify individual males from their calls and decide to stay away from that cad who gave them koala chlamydia last autumn. Or perhaps the quality of the growl is a signifier of the health and reproductive fitness of the male koala. Or perhaps, as the Guardian suggests, the purpose of the male koala’s growl can be understood with reference to certain human sexual behaviours.


more:

Koalas bellow with unique voice organ (BBC) (image source)

Is it a snore? Is it a burp? It’s a male koala trying to attract a mate

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Power and Exploitation among the Meerkats

The Meerkat is a popular little animal that lives in desert regions of southern Africa. They famously live in large social groups, taking turns to watch out for predators and looking very cute while they do it. But there is a dark side to meerkat society. Although they live together, their societies are not ones based on friendly cooperation. Rather, the cute little animals live lives that are hierarchically ordered.

Meerkat groups are led by a dominant female. It seems that these boss meerkats reinforce their position by preventing junior females from breeding. The matriarch keeps the juniors down by killing their young or else by expelling them from the group. Expulsion is akin to a death sentence - in the harsh environment the animals live in, a solitary meerkat falls victim easily to predation.

But the dominant meerkat is not content with stopping the other females from breeding. Scientists, including Kirsty Macleod from the University of Cambridge, have discovered that the dominant female extracts a rent from the junior females - they are forced to look after the matriarch's young as a price for acceptance in the group. As well as minding the little pups, lactating females are obliged to serve as wet nurses for the matriarch's offspring.

At present the junior meerkats seem to be taking it from the alpha females. If they have any plans to improve their situation, it is through individual aspiration to replace the boss lady meerkat at the top of the ladder. This atomisation supports the maintenance of the current power structure. There are rumours, however, that some meerkats are beginning to whisper to each other that a truly cooperative reorganisation of their social relations is required. It is even reported that some meerkats are beginning to form a vanguard party that will be able to strike for freedom when the time is right.

The roll of male meerkats in all this class conflict is curiously unmentioned in the one article I have read on the subject.

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