We have to do more to ensure welfare of primates kept as pets
It may come as a surprise to discover that it is perfectly legal in the UK to keep primates, such as marmosets, loris, capuchins or squirrel monkeys, as pets. Perhaps more surprising still is that there is no requirement to register or (in some cases) hold a licence for such exotic creatures. The UK Parliament’s […]
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Faithful Fido or fickle Felix: what determines our pet preferences?
Pets inspire powerful emotions and strong attachments. They comfort the sick, console the lonely and entertain the children. We invite them into our families, pay their human-sized medical expenses and mourn their passing. Our preferences for them are often passionate as well. To a dog devotee cats are arrogant and frivolous. To a partisan cat […]
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Wintering with Horses
Just as the summer months bring fly spray, bathing, sunscreen, and heat protection, the winter months bring their own special care requirements for our horses. Fortunately, preparing for winter can be an easy task as long as you plan ahead. BlanketingMost people assume that horses need to be blanketed in the winter. In fact, […]
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Do Cats Really Love You Less Than Dogs?
Recently, I’ve seen a rash of concerning Internet headlines in reference to a new research study. The headlines might lead you to believe that cats love you less than dogs, however, these headlines are misleading and don’t give an accurate overview of what the study really found. The ‘Secure Attachment’ studyAccording to the PLOS One website, […]
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Many of us want to take our dogs on public transport, but others shudder at the thought — what’s the solution?
We’ve been looking at the ways people travel with dogs and what it says about attempts to shift towards a more sustainable and healthier transport system. Our research first established that trips with dogs in Australia are both common and car-dependent. This is because Australia has some of the highest rates of dog ownership in the world but we […]
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With rising human drug use, a collateral rise of dogs ingesting cannabis and opioids
In the past few years, opioids and cannabinoids have received a great deal of attention from the media and public health authorities. The dangers of opioids remains high, despite the efforts of public health authorities, the medical community, policy-makers and academics focused on combating addiction and substance abuse. In 2019 alone, there were more than 49,000 […]
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Don’t try to replace pets with robots — instead, design robots to be more like service animals
Robopets are artificially intelligent machines created to look like an animal (usually a cat or dog, but they can be any animal). There are numerous robopets on the market right now, being sold to consumers as “pets” or companions. There is an especially fervent effort being made to set caregivers’ minds at ease by buying these robopets for […]
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