Browsing: Pets

If you think your cat is ignoring you, the chances are it probably is as scientists have proven that the animals do know when their owner is talking to them. However, while scientists have finally answered the question of whether or not your cat knows when you are calling it, they have not explained the enduring

Pets that have had limited contact with other dogs or people outside their owners’ family may not have developed their social skills and therefore be more likely to act aggressively when meeting unfamiliar dogs or people. This lack of proper socialisation is a particular risk factor for urban pet owners who have bought smaller breeds

In the spring, she was still leaping with that astonishing sprung energy onto the kitchen counter. Then, she started being sick. The vet rang to say he had found an inoperable tumour in her stomach; he could put her to sleep there and then on the operating table. But he, who never has an opinion

It is one of the most intimidating sights you can encounter in a park. As you are walking, you become aware of a blur looming towards you. Drawing closer, it becomes clearer: an upright figure, with furry outriders and dozens of legs. What could it be, a mechanical spider?No, it’s a dog walker, and it

Dogs’ “chattel” status is a quirk of the English legal system. Many countries in Europe – including Germany, Austria, France and Spain – have declared that pets should be treated as family members in the eyes of the courts, ensuring that judges consider an animal’s welfare when making a decision. In October last year, a

Many owners have blamed The Kennel Club’s strict breed standards that are said to encourage unhealthy facial features in brachycephalic dogs, though in a statement to The Daily Telegraph, spokesman Bill Lambert refuted this. “Breed standards describe a dog’s characteristics and are reviewed and informed by ongoing breed-specific health data, and are explicit that any

Every parent knows only too well that bed is a perennial source of friction. Little children don’t want the day to end. Teenagers don’t want it to begin.But at Woods Towers there is a very different nightly negotiation to be had; namely how my daughters are going to divvy up the dogs.Felicitously, we have two

Beyond the rules and regulations, of course, there’s a common-sense etiquette that needs to be applied. The first and main rule being: not everyone likes dogs, so don’t let your dog interact with everybody without their consent. In fact, this is a good mantra to remember when travelling anywhere with your dog, not just when

Then came Covid. We were all at home, all the time, and Mr Whispers, just two years old at the time, saw his chance. At first, it started surreptitiously. He would jump on the table after the girls had finished breakfast, and lap up their cereal milk, while I got them settled into their home

With Britain’s post-pandemic dog population having increased by at least 10 per cent to more than 11 million, I may be at the extreme end of cynophilia, but I doubt I’m alone. Canine life expectancy varies by breed: according to The Journal of Small Animal Practice, Cardigan Welsh corgis boast the longest odds, with us