tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/pets-1701/articles
Pets – The Conversation
2024-03-07T18:17:29Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223481
2024-03-07T18:17:29Z
2024-03-07T18:17:29Z
Many owners allow their dogs to lick their faces, but it could be unhealthy – and even fatal
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/580085/original/file-20240306-20-4atcf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C20%2C4653%2C3085&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boy-his-dog-pomeranian-cup-ice-1142817122">RanQuick/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Any dog owners reading this will know the joy of getting home and being greeted with utter delight by their pet – tail wagging wildly before enthusiastic but face-drenching licks. While some owners will push their pooches away playfully to discourage face licking, others positively revel in their dog’s affection and may even offer up pursed lips for a canine kiss. </p>
<p>It’s a heartwarming scene. But think of what that doggy companion has been licking throughout the day. Their food and water, their paws, their toys and chews – and maybe their bottom and genitals. Do those cute kisses seem a little less appealing now? </p>
<p>Not matter what pets have licked, many owners are so taken with their dogs that they’re willing to overlook the potential hygiene issues. </p>
<p>And licking is important for dogs. It’s an instinctive canine behaviour. When dogs repeatedly lick their mouths, it can be a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159196011318">subtle sign of stress</a> or fear, especially when combined with ears back and a tense expression. In fact, observing lip licking frequency is a way to gauge dogs’ welfare during <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787814000070">training sessions</a> and when <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938407002582?via%3Dihub">kept in kennels</a>. </p>
<p>Dogs also use lip licking as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.006">behavioural response</a> to humans’ emotional states. Evidence suggests that <a href="https://theconversation.com/woof-dogs-really-can-tell-how-their-owners-are-feeling-new-study-shows-53075">dogs are empathetic</a>. They can recognise emotions in both humans and other dogs using visual and audio cues. A study showed that dogs lick their lips more frequently when looking at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2017.11.006">angry human faces</a>.</p>
<p>For dogs, then, lip licking is a natural instinct – and that applies to relationships with their humans, too. For anyone living with a dog, being licked is a common event, and many dogs will try to lick the faces and mouths of their humans. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/12/4300">Almost half</a> of canine owners report being licked on their face by their dog. But, given the penchant that many dogs have for consuming items owners might not find appetising (quick <a href="https://theconversation.com/explaining-coprophagy-why-do-dogs-eat-their-own-poo-91273">poo snack</a>, anyone?) is it hygienic, or even safe, to let your dog lick your face? </p>
<h2>What hides within</h2>
<p>Owners usually love their dogs, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607863.2019.1633620">dogs’ companionship</a> and affection can do wonders for their owners’ wellbeing and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903647/full">mental health</a>. But there’s no doubt that, for some humans, canine saliva might do more harm than good. </p>
<p>For people <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/specific-groups/high-risk/organ-transplant-patients.html">who are immunocompromised</a>, have open wounds, or a dog who likes to supplement their meals with a spot of coprophagia (poop eating), then it’s best to avoid those face licks. </p>
<p>Dogs’ mouths can harbour a <a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/187/10/736.short">range of microorganisms</a> that are usually low risk for humans. However, in rare cases, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zoonoses">zoonoses</a> (infectious diseases passed on between species) can be transmitted from dogs to humans by bites, licks and scratches.</p>
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<p>Most of the time, humans who come into contact with dog saliva do not become ill. In fact, many people manage to live alongside their pets, licks and all, without encountering any health issues. </p>
<p>However, there are rare cases where people have become seriously ill following contact with dog saliva. For example, <em>Capnocytophaga canimorsus</em>, a bacteria found in the mouths of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-deadly-is-your-dogs-saliva-62074">up to three quarters</a> of otherwise healthy dogs and cats, has caused <a href="https://casereports.bmj.com/content/2016/bcr-2016-215450">life-threatening sepsis</a>.</p>
<p>Other microbes such as <em>Pasteurella multocida</em> can be spread by contact with dog saliva, potentially resulting in serious outcomes <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)30953-5/abstract">including meningitis</a>. </p>
<p>People considered to be at high risk from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00024-13">zoonotic infections</a> are the immunocompromised, very young children, older adults and pregnant women. </p>
<p>If you fall into one of these groups, then it’s in your interest to dodge dog licks. Additional measures should also be implemented for at risk dog owners. Keep surfaces clean, minimise contamination of household items and maintain scrupulous household hygiene at all times, especially after contact with animals.</p>
<p>Antibiotic resistance is recognised as a major <a href="https://www.unep.org/topics/chemicals-and-pollution-action/pollution-and-health/antimicrobial-resistance-global-threat">global health challenge</a>. Canine saliva can be a potential <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6382/11/11/1490">source of bacteria</a> carrying antibiotic resistant genes. These bacteria are capable of colonising humans after <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.621597/full">exposure to dog saliva</a>. </p>
<p>However, in 2023 <a href="https://www.the-microbiologist.com/news/multi-drug-resistant-organisms-can-be-transmitted-between-healthy-dogs-and-cats-and-their-hospitalised-owners/761.article">a German study</a> of 2,800 hospital patients and their companion animals verified “that the sharing of multidrug-resistant organisms between companion animals and their owners is possible”, but the study only identified a handful of cases. The researches therefore <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/19/dogs-and-cats-could-be-passing-on-drug-resistant-bugs-to-owners-study-finds">concluded that</a> “cat or dog ownership isn’t an important risk factor for multidrug-resistant organism colonisation in hospital patients.” </p>
<p>It is possible, then, that being licked by your dog could contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance – but it isn’t likely.</p>
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<h2>Doctor dog</h2>
<p>Despite potential threats to health, can dog licks be beneficial? </p>
<p>Records suggest that in the past, <a href="https://ethnobiomed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13002-017-0175-6">animal saliva</a> has been used for wound healing, with some dogs specially trained to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014067369290480Q">lick open wounds</a>. However, there is no research to suggest that allowing animal companions to lick wounds will help them to heal. Allowing animals to lick open wounds, in fact, could put an owner at increased <a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/vbz.2019.2558">risk of infection</a>.</p>
<p>The relationship between humans and their dogs can confer other potentially healing benefits. <a href="https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-therapy/types-of-therapy/animal-assisted-therapy/#:%7E:text=Animal%2Dassisted%20therapy%20can%20help,struggling%20with%20anxiety%20or%20depression.">Animal-assisted therapy</a> helps people with a range of issues, such as anxiety, eating disorders and trauma. Cuddling and stroking dogs, for example, <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-friend-who-keeps-you-young#:%7E:text=The%20cortisol%2Dlowering%20and%20oxytocin,%E2%80%9CIt's%20relaxing%20and%20transcendental.%E2%80%9D">can help patients</a> to feel calmer and lower blood pressure and heart rate. </p>
<p>Dog owners tend to benefit from their pets through increased <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029216300048">physical activity and social connections</a>, as well as companionship and improved mental health. Licking, however, is not essential to the close bond between human and canine.</p>
<p>Within reason, for most people, letting your dog lick you is probably safe. With good management, healthcare (for you and your dog) and excellent hygiene, the risks of an occasional lick are likely to be minimal. But it’s a good idea to enforce the “not on the mouth” rule, for everyone’s safety.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223481/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup and member of the Dog Health Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University</span></em></p>
Dogs may be a human’s best friend but there are limits – is face licking one of them?
Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223248
2024-02-13T15:20:48Z
2024-02-13T15:20:48Z
How to help children and the family dog stay safe when they play together
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/575295/original/file-20240213-28-rl6h25.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=22%2C37%2C5034%2C3328&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dog-ball-running-child-playing-catch-596137544">alexei_tm/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s no wonder owning a family dog <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/6/1072">is popular</a> in the UK – research shows that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2016.1152721?casa_token=0RjI6Y1Cr5sAAAAA:6StzU9JXuiAK3V1BpK-ym6L2wHfLg65_sKZ-zjfGA7D0IQ-d26jD1vZf4jF0IEqL0Mf39wl5o76Neg">our wellbeing</a> can increase with dog ownership, and there’s even evidence that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-020-1007-2">children’s development</a> can benefit if they share their home with a dog. </p>
<p>Unfortunately though, hospital admissions for dog bites are more likely to be <a href="https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000726">children than adults</a>. The majority of bites on children are from a dog <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787817301168">known to them</a>. And many bites happen while <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2017.00130/full">a parent or caregiver is actually present</a>. </p>
<p>Popular representations of dogs as the perfect addition to a family are everywhere, from the 1904 JM Barrie Novel Peter Pan <a href="https://peterpan.fandom.com/wiki/Nana">and Nana</a>, to today’s children’s television. The movie, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5113040/">The Secret Life of Pets 2</a> opens with Max, the charismatic terrier complaining that he doesn’t personally love kids and is grateful for not living with them and being “piled on” by “hordes of children”. Max is soon faced with a new child in the family, Liam, and he laments he doesn’t feel safe in his own home.</p>
<p>Although Max’s predicament is played for laughs, the truth is children can make dogs’ lives difficult and uncomfortable. We certainly don’t want our children to be bitten. But it’s easy to overlook the dog’s perspective. </p>
<h2>Power of play</h2>
<p>Safe play means no shouting or roughness. Fetch, for example, can be great but be mindful if your dog is “guarding” by not relinquishing or snapping for their favourite toys. You and your children should <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/basics/leave-training">teach your dog</a> a leave command by trading toys for treats. Immediately throwing a second toy as soon as they bring the first back can also discourage guarding. My own son finds this game lots of fun with our dog. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman holding a child and shaking a dog's paw" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/574919/original/file-20240212-30-nubo36.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supervising play is important.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-woman-little-girl-dog-outdoors-29925649">Alena Ozerova/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>During play all four paws <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/outdoors/jumping-up-training">should be on the floor</a>. If your dog becomes over excited during play, for example jumping up or <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/unwanted-behaviours/stop-your-dog-chewing-mouthing#:%7E:text=Dogs%20and%20puppies%20use%20their,chewing%20us%20or%20our%20belongings.">mouthing</a>, it’s better to just ask your child to step away and both have a bit of a time out, than shouting or punishing your dog. </p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean children should be discouraged from playing with the family dog. Play is something children are usually better at <a href="https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-importance-of-play-for-adults">than adults</a>. Parents I interviewed for my research into children’s interactions with a family dog said their kids <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2023.0042">don’t tire of throwing</a> a ball or playing tug. And for dogs, play is a natural behaviour that they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635714002289?casa_token=Am6cWW7sVq4AAAAA:MkFoAt2uCcZ0-PYiPHQ-ToZCvISguCm7yvWSTx3Z06WmYWSiiOt-ZY-gHwbL9LlQO8iuNCCQtN8">don’t grow out of</a>.</p>
<h2>Cuddles aren’t always cute</h2>
<p>While thousands of animal cuddly toys are squished by children the world over, it’s worth remembering that cuddling is a <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/715754">mostly human behaviour</a>. </p>
<p>Research has shown that some dogs can learn to tolerate cuddles, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303712x13316289505468?casa_token=a1Z8-vDAitUAAAAA:4uFCEi_Pq2jI0eoNJ_mup7gU66tWjQW6oVen-hgGeaUiaOWrvCkedVZKAFA_fUPrJczVyu1h2SQjQg">some even enjoy them</a>. But they are not something that dogs innately find enjoyable and research shows that many dogs don’t get an oxytocin (cuddle hormone) <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/10/792">response to it</a>. </p>
<p>Close physical contact between children and the family dog is <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2023.0042">a common reason</a> dogs show aggression towards a child. So children should be discouraged from putting their arms around a dog, leaning on, or picking them up, in favour of other ways of showing affection in which the dog has more freedom of choice. </p>
<h2>A dog needs freedom of choice</h2>
<p>It’s impossible to allow dogs to do whatever they like all the time. Their behaviour has to fit into what we are willing to accept as their human owners after all. Nonetheless dogs living with children can react aggressively if children <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2023.0042">restrict their ability</a> to choose what they want to do, for example physically restrictive cuddles, or interrupting them when they are in the middle of resting, eating or playing alone.</p>
<p>It isn’t difficult to allow your dog some choice in affectionate interactions from children. Simply encouraging the kids to call the dog over to them where they are sitting, rather than approaching the dog themselves, can make a difference. And remind children not to follow the dog if he or she moves away from them. <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2023.0042">In my recent study</a> parents also found that their dogs were more likely to value their space from the kids at night time or when they were tired. </p>
<h2>Don’t expect children to read dogs</h2>
<p>Dogs can’t talk. Imagine if they could. Perhaps then we’d be better at understanding their needs. Instead, they mostly use their bodies to communicate. </p>
<p>Research has shown that young children are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2019.1598656">generally not good at</a> recognising dog body language or facial expressions. My 2023 study of UK families showed that even if they could recognise their dog was unhappy about an interaction, it didn’t make the child <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/hai.2023.0042">stop it</a>. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2016.1228750?casa_token=Q7kmHelju5YAAAAA:xo3Iez6cAIp3piNnWSgTzxGK9dxtI_qg1zQWd7DtYkUELGbFi-bpe_6DBuAOnaL8fOzl5Ha3_jOt5Q">And a 2016 study found</a> that parents who owned a dog didn’t notice common signs of anxiety, such as a dog licking their lips or nose, wide eyes, yawning out of context or leaning away from the child. </p>
<p>If your child can learn how to spot how dogs show certain emotions that’s great. There’s lots of <a href="https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/behaviour-and-training/be-safe-with-dogs#:%7E:text=Relaxed%3A%20My%20body%20is%20relaxed,jaw%20and%20a%20hanging%20tongue.">resources available online</a> . But don’t expect that alone to be a panacea of all interaction problems or risks.</p>
<p>The fact that dogs have emotions too means there is always a possibility an interaction might not go well. Which is why it is not just supervision, but involved supervision that will help your dog and kids become best of friends.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223248/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anna Baatz receives funding from Dogs Trust Canine Welfare Grants. </span></em></p>
People often think about how it’s good for children to have a pet dog around. But what about the dog?
Anna Baatz, PhD Candidate and Associate Lecturer in human-animal interactions, University of Salford
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/216975
2024-02-06T13:29:24Z
2024-02-06T13:29:24Z
Perils of pet poop – so much more than just unsightly and smelly, it can spread disease
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571526/original/file-20240125-23-k5liyr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C37%2C959%2C684&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Responsible pet owners are on diligent poop patrol.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hannah Sussman</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever been out on a walk and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish of poop under your foot?</p>
<p>It’s not just gross. Beyond the mess and the smell, it’s potentially infectious. That’s why signs reminding pet owners to “curb your dog” and scoop their poop have been joined in some places by posted warnings that pet waste can spread disease.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=QiTnXH8AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a small-animal primary care veterinarian</a>, I deal with the diseases of dog and cat poop on a daily basis. Feces represent potential <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/zoonotic-disease">zoonotic hazards</a>, meaning they can transmit disease from the animals to people.</p>
<p>The reality is that waste left to wash into the soil, whether in a neighborhood, trail or dog park, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28316698/">can spread life-threatening</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/transmission/index.html">parasites</a> not just among dogs and cats, but also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.02532-21">to wild animals</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/transmission/index.html#animal">people of all ages</a>. A 2020 study found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04147-6">intestinal parasites in 85% of off-leash dog parks</a> across the United States.</p>
<p>While human diseases caused by soil-transmitted parasites are considered uncommon in the U.S., they infect as many as an <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/ascariasis/index.html">estimated billion people worldwide</a>. Signs that remind you to pick up after your pet are not just trying to keep public spaces clean; they’re urging you to help safeguard your community’s health.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="bottom of a child's foot showing open lesions by the toes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571223/original/file-20240124-27-qinn2d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Parasites can enter your body through broken skin and set up shop, as in this hookworm infection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=5204">CDC</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Abandoned poop’s impact on people</h2>
<p>Common dog poop parasites include <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/resources/roundworms_hookworms.html">hookworms, roundworms</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/coccidium">coccidia</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/whipworm">whipworms</a>. Hookworms and roundworms can thrive in a variety of species, including humans.</p>
<p>Their microscopic larvae can get into your body through small scratches in your skin after contact with contaminated soil or via accidental oral ingestion. Remember that next time you’re outside and wipe sweat from your face with a dirty hand and then lick your lips or take a drink – it’s that simple. After hose or rain water has rinsed contaminated poop into the soil, these parasite eggs can <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/epi.html">survive and infect for months or years</a> to come.</p>
<p>Once in the human body, both hookworm and roundworm larvae can mature and migrate through the bloodstream into the lungs. From there, coughs help them gain access to <a href="https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/parasitic-infections-nematodes-roundworms/hookworm-infection">the digestive tract of their host</a>, where they leach nutrients by attaching to the intestinal wall. People with healthy immune systems may show no clinical signs of infection, but in sufficient quantities these parasites <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/hookworm/disease.html">can lead to anemia and malnourishment</a>. They can even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revmed.2015.12.023">cause an intestinal obstruction</a> which may require surgical intervention, especially in young children.</p>
<p>Additionally, larval stages of roundworms <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apar.2020.01.001">can move into the human eye</a> and, in rare cases, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxocariasis/disease.html">lead to permanent blindness</a>. Hookworms can create a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/zoonotichookworm/disease.html">severely itchy condition called cutaneous larva migrans</a> <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2024/infections-diseases/cutaneous-larva-migrans">as the larval worm moves</a> just under the skin of its host.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="about a dozen little white worms next to a wooden match" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571669/original/file-20240126-27-e6h7di.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Adult hookworms.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/adult-hookworms-of-a-dog-in-the-institute-for-parasitology-news-photo/162781943">Agency-Animal-Picture via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once the parasite’s life cycle is complete, it may exit the host’s body as an intact adult worm, which looks like a small piece of cooked spaghetti.</p>
<h2>The impact on other animals</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0195-5616(87)50005-5">Dogs and cats can also develop</a> the same symptoms people do due to parasitic infections. In addition to risks of hookworms and roundworms, pets are also vulnerable to whipworm, giardia and coccidia.</p>
<p>Beyond parasites, unattended poop may also be contaminated with canine or feline viruses, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2020.108760">such as parvovirus</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-72-160422-6/50016-4">distemper virus and canine coronavirus</a>, that can create life-threatening disease in other dogs and cats, especially in adult animals that are unvaccinated and puppies and kittens.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/canine-distemper">These viruses</a> <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/canine-parvovirus">attack rapidly dividing cells</a>, in particular the intestinal lining and bone marrow, leaving them unable to absorb nutrients appropriately and unable to produce replacement red and white blood cells that help defend against these and other viruses. Vaccination can protect pets.</p>
<p>Many species of local wildlife are within the canid and felid family groups. They, too, are susceptible to many of the same parasites and viruses as pet dogs and cats – while being much less likely to have received the benefit of vaccinations. Coyotes, wolves, foxes, raccoons, minks and bobcats are <a href="https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/parvovirus#:%7E:text=Parvoviruses%20are%20capable%20of%20infecting,infect%20domestic%20cats%20and%20dogs">at risk of contracting parvovirus</a>, coronavirus <a href="https://vtfishandwildlife.com/learn-more/living-with-wildlife/wildlife-diseases/canine-distemper">and distemper</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="person dropping a bag of dog poop into bin with dog watching" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571667/original/file-20240126-15-giuwd9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Be prepared to deal with poop on every walk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/teenager-putting-a-filled-biodegradable-dog-poop-royalty-free-image/1335287112">Elva Etienne/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Responsible pet poop management</h2>
<p>So, wherever your dog or cat relieves himself – at the park, in the woods, on the sidewalk, or even in your yard – pick up that poop but always avoid contact with your skin. It’s safest to use a shovel to place the poop directly into a plastic bag, or put a baggie over your hand to grab the poop and then pull the plastic bag over it. While it’s tempting to leave the “soft-serve” or watery poops behind, these are often the more likely culprits for spreading diseases.</p>
<p>Tie up the bag and make sure to place it in a trash can – not on top – to avoid inadvertent contamination of a neighbor or sanitation worker. Promptly <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html">wash your hands</a>, particularly before touching your face or eating or drinking. Hand sanitizers can take care of many viruses on your skin, but they <a href="https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2016.54.1.103">won’t kill parasite eggs</a>.</p>
<p>Other potential sources of poop – and parasite – exposure are the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/1994/786090">sandbox, beaches and park sand</a> found under and around playgrounds. Sand is comfortable to lounge on, fun to construct into castles, and softens the impact if you fall off a play structure. But cats and other small mammals love to use it as a litter box since it’s easy to dig and absorbs moisture. Covering sandboxes when not in use and closely monitoring your environment at the beach and playground are key steps toward minimizing the risks of exposure for everyone.</p>
<p>By <a href="https://capcvet.org/guidelines">keeping your pets on regular parasite prevention</a> protocols, with annual testing for intestinal parasites and routine removal of fecal material from the environment, you can help to minimize the potential for these diseases among all the mammals in your environment – human, pet and wild.</p>
<p>Key points to remember to avoid parasites and minimize the impact on your ecosystem:</p>
<ul>
<li>Pick waste up and safely throw it out regardless of where your pet poops. Sanitize your hands afterward.</li>
<li>Wash your hands before eating or touching your face while gardening or working in the yard.</li>
<li>Avoid rinsing poop into the soil. Using rain or a garden hose only removes the visible mess, not the microscopic issues.</li>
<li>Make sure sandboxes are covered when not in use.</li>
<li>Keep your pets on <a href="https://capcvet.org/guidelines">monthly intestinal parasite deworming</a> schedules.</li>
<li>Have your vet test your pet’s poop annually for intestinal parasites.</li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216975/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Wuerz does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The signs that remind you to pick up after your pet are not just trying to keep public spaces clean; they’re urging you to help safeguard your community’s health.
Julia Wuerz, Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221817
2024-02-06T12:29:36Z
2024-02-06T12:29:36Z
Is your pet exposed to secondhand smoke? Here are the (serious) health risks
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573211/original/file-20240203-21-iufaha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=24%2C32%2C5439%2C3604&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/man-relaxes-at-home-with-his-dog-december-5-2022-in-news-photo/1447421907?adppopup=true">Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our pets share our homes, lifestyles, and sometimes even our food <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-benefits-to-sharing-a-bed-with-your-pet-as-long-as-youre-scrupulously-clean-221536">and beds</a>. For many pets, this close contact with humans can include exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarettes and other air pollutants. This may have <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-61865311">serious health consequences</a> for our animal companions.</p>
<p>So, how significant a risk is passive smoking for our pets and should we be concerned?</p>
<p>Smoking is well understood to come with negative health outcomes for people. Between <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc2190">80 and 90%</a> of lung cancer cases are associated with exposure to cancer-causing componds from first-or second-hand smoking.</p>
<p>Passive smoking is also linked increased risks of other forms of cancer including <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10549-015-3628-4">breast</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539516650724">colorectal cancer</a>, <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c00991">heart</a> and <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/iuatld/ijtld/2004/00000008/00000005/art00002;jsessionid=1k6bnal73xupb.x-ic-live-03">respiratory disease</a>. </p>
<p>Children’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8060945/">oral health</a>, <a href="https://journals.lww.com/co-pediatrics/abstract/2017/04000/tobacco,_e_cigarettes,_and_child_health.16.aspx">development, and future health outcomes</a> are also negatively affected by exposure to secondhand smoke.</p>
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<p>More than 50% of bladder cancer cases in humans are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3271/8/1/15">attributed to cigarette smoking</a>, making exposure a significant risk factor. The recent identification of passive smoking associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023323000953">dogs developing bladder cancer</a> highlights the potentially serious health consequences of secondhand smoke for our furry friends too.</p>
<h2>Canine cancer risk</h2>
<p>Cancer is commonly <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/135/3/234/97261?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">diagnosed in dogs</a> and is a significant cause of death. While many factors may predispose a pet to <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.1004122/full#B26">developing cancer</a>, evidence suggests that passive smoking is a key risk.</p>
<p>Scottish terriers living in homes where they were exposed to cigarette smoke were <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023323000953">six times more likely</a> to develop bladder cancer than those not routinely exposed.</p>
<p>Nasal cancer in dogs is also <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/147/5/488/158913?login=false">linked to passive smoking</a>, and is a particular problem for dogs with long muzzles, such as collies. This is compared to a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/147/5/488/158913?login=false">lower incidence of nasal cancer</a>, but <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/135/3/234/97261?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">higher risk of lung cancer</a> in brachycephalic, or short-nosed breeds such as pugs.</p>
<p>The difference in cancer type might be linked to how dogs are exposed to the many toxic compounds found in cigarette smoke. In dogs with longer noses, more of these compounds will potentially become <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/the-effects-of-second-hand-smoke-on-pets">trapped in their nasal tissues</a>. Conversely, dogs with short snouts may be more likely to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/135/3/234/97261?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">inhale these compounds</a> into their lungs.</p>
<h2>Not just dogs</h2>
<p>All domestic pets living in the home are potentially at risk from exposure to secondhand smoke. This includes dogs, cats, birds, small pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs and even fish.</p>
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<p>Cats exposed to passive smoking have an increased incidence of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/156/3/268/71617">malignant lymphoma</a>. Nicotine concentrations <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jsap.12616">are higher</a> in the hair of cats living with smokers than non-smokers. Similar findings have been found for <a href="https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1136/vr.f2468?saml_referrer">dogs living with smokers</a>, regardless of whether pet owners smoked inside or outside.</p>
<p>Because cats tend to self-groom by licking, they may be at particular risk of <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/the-effects-of-second-hand-smoke-on-pets">ingesting even more toxic substances</a> from passive smoking than simply inhaling them.</p>
<p>Birds have <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/story-real-canary-coal-mine-180961570/">particularly sensitive</a> respiratory systems and exposure to smoke and air pollutants can be extremely distressing and harmful – think about canaries in mines. Indeed, our pets may well act as <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/18/2923#B99-animals-13-02923">useful sentinels</a> for air pollution more generally.</p>
<p>Toxic compounds found in cigarette smoke can also <a href="https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/all-pets/passive-smoking-and-our-pets">dissolve into the water</a> in fish tanks, creating risks for the health and welfare of fish or amphibious pets, too.</p>
<h2>Minimising hazards for health</h2>
<p>Passive smoking alone is not responsible for health concerns in people and pets. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vco.12186">Genetics</a>, <a href="https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/227/1/javma.2005.227.94.xml">diet</a> and <a href="https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/224/8/javma.2004.224.1290.xml">exposure to other potentially toxic substances</a> in the environment all combine to affect overall disease susceptibility.</p>
<p>But evidence repeatedly indicates more than just a casual link between <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-41748090">secondhand smoke exposure</a> and serious health concerns in our pets such as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/135/3/234/97261?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">cancer</a> and <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/the-effects-of-second-hand-smoke-on-pets">respiratory illnesses</a>.</p>
<p>Owners concerned about the wellbeing of their pet may be encouraged to be more <a href="https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with/indoor-air-pollution/improving">aware of air quality</a> in their home generally and make appropriate lifestyle changes. </p>
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<p>Choosing to <a href="https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/stopping-smoking/reasons-to-stop/dangers-of-second-hand-smoke">smoke outdoors</a> can reduce some risk. Opening windows, improving ventilation and using air filters may help too, although it is important to note that even low level exposure <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/the-effects-of-second-hand-smoke-on-pets">can be harmful</a> to our furry and feathered friends.</p>
<p>Indeed, awareness raising and education about the dangers of pet exposure to secondhand smoke could be an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/tc.2008.028282">important motivator for smoking cessation</a>. </p>
<p>Exposure to secondhand smoke is a common but avoidable risk factor for health concerns in pets and people alike. Reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, can enhance overall health, welfare and longevity for both pets and their people.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221817/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup and member of the Dog Health Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.</span></em></p>
The dangers of passive smoking for humans may be well-known but second – and even third-hand – smoke is also hazardous to our pets. Here’s what you need to know.
Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/222446
2024-02-02T16:38:10Z
2024-02-02T16:38:10Z
How long might your dog live? New study calculates life expectancy for different breeds
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572481/original/file-20240131-25-hw9am.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Survival curves for eight pure breeds. Border collie (dark blue), border terrier (light blue), bulldog (green), French bulldog (red), labrador retriever (orange), mastiff (purple), miniature dachshund (pink) and pug (brown). All purebreds vary significantly from crossbreds (light purple). </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dog-breeds-whippet-greyhound-hunting-437336992">Liliya Kulianionak/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The UK has long been considered to have some of the strongest animal welfare laws in the world. Beginning with <a href="https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/59989/200th-anniversary-of-the-cruel-treatment-of-cattle-act-1822">Martin’s act</a> on the cruel treatment of cattle, through to the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/contents">Animal Welfare Act 2006</a> and then <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2019/april/royal-assent-finns-law/">Finn’s law</a> to protect service animals, UK animal welfare laws have sought to reduce harm and cruelty to animals. But what happens when companion animals suffer or live shorter lives simply because of their genetic make-up?</p>
<p>On average, <a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/VetCompass/Infograms/220422%20Life%20Tables.pdf">dogs live for 10-13 years</a>, which is considered roughly equivalent to between 60-74 human years.</p>
<p>Small, long-nosed dogs have the highest life expectancies in the UK, while male dogs from medium-sized, flat-faced breeds such as English bulldogs have the lowest, according to a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50458-w">Scientific Reports</a>. The research team’s results were based on data from more that 580,000 individual dogs from over 150 different breeds and could help identify those dogs most at risk of an early death. </p>
<p>The study is an important one, not least because of its size and scope, but also because very little research of this type had been done previously. We have <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-life-expectancy-and-healthy-life-expectancy">life expectancy tables</a> and research for humans that show how long we might be expected to live according to a range of factors. But there has been very little research into dog life expectancy that considered how different factors affect lifespan. </p>
<p>The research team created a database of 584,734 dogs using data from 18 different UK sources. These included breed registries, vets, pet insurance companies, animal welfare charities and academic institutions. </p>
<p>Dogs included were from one of 155 pure breeds or classified as a crossbreed, and 284,734 of the dogs had died before being added to the database. Breed, sex, date of birth, and date of death (if applicable) were included for all dogs. </p>
<p>Pure-bred dogs were assigned to size (small, medium or large) and head shape (short-nosed, medium-nosed and long-nosed) categories based on the <a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/">Kennel Club’s literature</a>. The researchers then calculated median life expectancy for all breeds individually and then for the crossbreed group. Finally, they calculated life expectancy for each combination of sex, size and head shape.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Line graph showing probability different dog breeds will reach certain ages." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573116/original/file-20240202-29-nnz0m1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Survival curves for 8 purebreds: Border Collie (dark blue, x̃ = 13.1), Border Terrier (light blue, x̃ = 14.2), Bulldog (green, x̃ = 9.8), French Bulldog (red, x̃ = 9.8), Labrador Retriever (orange, x̃ = 13.1), Mastiff (purple, x̃ = 9.0), Miniature Dachshund (pink, x̃ = 12.2) and Pug (brown, x̃ = 11.6).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50458-w/figures/3">McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L. et al. / Scientific Reports</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How long do dogs live?</h2>
<p>This study from researchers at the Dogs Trust provides us with new information about the life expectancy of our canine companions. The researchers found that small, long-nosed female dogs tended to have the longest lifespans among pure breeds overall, with a median lifespan of 13.3 years. But breeds with flat-faces had a median lifespan of 11.2 years, and a 40% increased risk of shorter lives than dogs with medium-length snouts, such as spaniels.</p>
<p>Amongst the 12 most popular breeds, which accounted for more than 50% of all recorded pure breeds in the database, labradors had a median life expectancy of 13.1 years, jack russell terriers had a median life expectancy of 13.3 years, and cavalier king charles spaniels had a median life expectancy of 11.8 years. </p>
<p>Pure breeds had a higher median life expectancy than crossbreeds (12.7 years compared to 12.0 years), while female dogs had a slightly higher median life expectancy than males (12.7 years compared to 12.4 years).</p>
<h2>The ethics of ageing</h2>
<p>Research has previously suggested a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/feb/07/popularity-of-pug-flat-nosed-dogs-could-be-fuelling-rise-in-canine-fertility-clinics">growing popularity of small nose dogs</a> such as bulldog breeds and pugs. These dogs have become fashionable and highly prized as pets, but are prone to various health problems, including brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (Boas). </p>
<p>This potentially life-threatening condition includes <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsap.12286#:%7E:text=The%20brachycephalic%20breeds%20have%20been,nares%20and%20overlong%20soft%20palate.">symptoms</a> such as panting, overheating, exercise intolerance, retching, gastrointestinal signs and disturbed sleep patterns. So for some of these dogs, their life is potentially marked by suffering. This latest study shows they are also likely to live shorter lives. </p>
<p>This raises some questions about dog ownership and the ethics of breeding dogs likely to suffer from Boas. It might be seen as cruel to breed dogs that are either prone to or bound to suffer. </p>
<p>Other countries, including the Netherlands, have considered whether to <a href="https://www.fecava.org/news-and-events/news/dutch-prohibition-of-the-breeding-of-dogs-with-too-short-muzzles/">limit the breeding of these dogs</a> to prevent such suffering and we might expect UK law to consider this. But while the Animal Welfare Act creates an offence of <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/4">causing unnecessary suffering</a>, this relates to suffering of a protected animal that is already alive. </p>
<p>So, the act of breeding an animal with Boas is unlikely to be caught by these provisions and once in ownership of a dog with Boas, the owner has to treat that companion animal in accordance with its normal functions. Even though these conditions may be problematic if they are a natural part of the dog’s make-up, there is no offence of unnecessary suffering simply by having the dog. </p>
<p>The animal welfare acts include a duty to <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/9">provide for good animal welfare</a>. This means that dog owners should understand the needs of their chosen companion animal and should be confident that they can provide for them. </p>
<p>In addition to identifying possible directions for future research and animal welfare interventions, this study provides some important information that might help some potential owners decide which dog is right for them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222446/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angus Nurse has previously received funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to investigate the issue of dangerous dogs and responsible dog ownership.</span></em></p>
New research shows that certain breeds tend to live longer than others, and this could help potential owners decide which companion is best for them.
Angus Nurse, Professor of Law and Environmental Justice, Anglia Ruskin University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221536
2024-02-02T16:35:54Z
2024-02-02T16:35:54Z
There are benefits to sharing a bed with your pet – as long as you’re scrupulously clean
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573096/original/file-20240202-19-bguuni.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=50%2C7%2C4848%2C3759&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Should your dog share your bed? Some owners have better quality sleep alongside their furry friends</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/small-boy-asleep-with-his-pet-dog-circa-1950-news-photo/110169318?adppopup=true">Keystone View/FPG/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When heading off for a night’s slumber, does your pet follow? Perhaps the cat curls up at the end of your bed. Maybe the dog dives under the duvet or pops their head on your pillow. Alternatively, your pet might have their own devoted sleeping space.</p>
<p>But if you do share your bed with Fluffy or Fido, what what does science suggest is best practice?</p>
<p>Pets increasingly have new roles and expectations in society. Dogs, cats and a multitude of other companion animal species have become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1621516">family members</a>, a role far removed from their original purposes as <a href="https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/paij/vol1/iss1/6/">protectors, hunting partners</a>, <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0171593">pest-exterminators</a> and in some cases, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10460-021-10272-4">food sources</a>.</p>
<p>Owners now spend much more time in close contact with their pets, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124300">confers many benefits</a>. Positive associations with pets are linked with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295517/">improved health</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122085">social contact</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196199">physical activity</a>, and decreased perceptions of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02332-9">loneliness</a>.</p>
<p>While people typically share living spaces with their pets, sharing beds is a much more intimate proposition. Nevertheless, <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/2/10-1070_article">research shows</a> that of the estimated 90 million European households who own a least one pet, 45% of dogs and 60% of cats are allowed on the bed – and 18% of dogs and 30% of cats sleep with their owner inside the covers. </p>
<p>While it might be enjoyable and relaxing to share resting time with your pet, it could come with risks to pet and human health, not to mention impacts on sleep hygiene and human relationships too.</p>
<h2>Disturbed Sleep</h2>
<p>One challenge of sharing your bed with your pet could be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.06.014">disturbed sleep</a>. The movement of sleeping partners (two or four-legged) may lead to reduced sleep efficiency, although a bed large enough to accommodate all can mitigate this. </p>
<p>Encouraging your pet to sleep elsewhere, but within the bedroom could also be beneficial if sleep disturbance is affecting your wellbeing. Our pets also need <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0163620">quality sleep</a>, so their own sleeping space might be good for them too.</p>
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<p>But shared sleeping areas can have positives. Many owners like to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352721820303053">sleep with their pets</a>, who can offer companionship, security and even warmth. More than 80% of dogs examined in studies preferred to be <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/7/1172#B3-animals-10-01172">close to people at night</a>, suggesting a mutual benefit. Different species of pets also appear to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0237822">spend time resting together</a>, so if you have a multi-pet household, all might enjoy shared sleeping.</p>
<h2>Bed bugs</h2>
<p>Pets sometimes bring unwanted guests into our homes such as fleas, ticks, mites and lice. These ectoparasites might <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zph.12369">hop from our pets to us</a> and either cause transient or more prolonged irritation. In extreme cases, they can transmit other, potentially serious diseases such as <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jid/article-abstract/136/4/489/2189513?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false">plague</a> or <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.34.8.1952-1956.1996">“cat scratch disease”</a>, an infection caused by bacteria in cat saliva.</p>
<p>Pets often also harbour <a href="https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/2/10-1070_article#r2">internal parasites</a> such as the roundworm Toxocara canis – a parasite that affects both cats and dogs – some of which can be passed to humans, resulting in illness. Microscopic eggs that can cause infection can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304401709002003?via%3Dihub">carried on the fur of our pets</a> and close contact increases the potential of spread between pets and people.</p>
<p>The potential for other disease-causing organisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi to spread between our pets and us is also of concern, especially <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/36/2/e26/317343?login=false">antibiotic-resistant bacteria</a> such as <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/10/1110">MRSA</a>. Indeed, we can even share infections with our pets – <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-020-00248-3">including COVID-19</a> – so it’s not all one-sided.</p>
<h2>Allergies and injuries</h2>
<p>Sharing intimate contact with pets does raise the potential for <a href="https://doc.woah.org/dyn/portal/index.xhtml?page=alo&aloId=36892">increasing allergic responses or injury risk</a>. Minor, unintentional injuries such as scratches can occur. Contact with dust and dander from pet hair can be prolonged when in close proximity. This material can also <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-3164.2010.00882.x">accumulate in the environment</a>, potentially increasing the risk of allergic reactions.</p>
<p>Some pets may <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0168159195010084">develop behavioural concerns</a> such as separation-related behaviours as a result of sharing intimate spaces and prolonged contact with their human. Conversely, some owners choose to allow their pet access to sleeping areas to <a href="https://humanimalia.org/article/view/9930">reduce problem behaviours</a> such as door scratching or nighttime vocalising. Fair, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97743-0">consistent training</a> and expectations between a pet and their owner can go a long way to mitigate any such concerns, no matter where a pet sleeps.</p>
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<h2>Keeping it clean</h2>
<p>If you do share your bed with your pet, good hygiene and regular cleaning is a must. Advice suggests that at <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-61259074">least weekly washing</a> of bed sheets is good practice. If you share your bed with pets, washing bedclothes <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-sheets/how-to-wash-sheets">every three to four days</a> is suggested.</p>
<p>The fur and feet of our pets can be <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/10/1149">contaminated with dirt and pathogens</a> too. This leads to potential contamination “hotspots” in sleeping areas. Bacteria from faeces was <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/11/10/1149">isolated from the paws of 86% of dogs</a> in one study. Cleaning pet paws after being outdoors is a good strategy to reduce contamination risk. </p>
<p>Regular grooming and bathing (when appropriate) is <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.827348/full#B1">important for pet health monitoring</a> and wellbeing. It can also support a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195561695501263?via%3Dihub">positive human-pet bond</a> and reduce the potential for spreading potential infection.</p>
<p>The use of <a href="https://www.bsava.com/position-statement/parasite-control/">anti-parasitic treatments</a> under veterinary advice can also minimise the carriage and spread of internal and external parasites to pet owners and other pets.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-long-might-your-dog-live-new-study-calculates-life-expectancy-for-different-breeds-222446">How long might your dog live? New study calculates life expectancy for different breeds</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>It’s bedtime</h2>
<p>Whether you choose to share your bed with your pet depends on a number of factors, including lifestyle, health and even the relationship with your pet.</p>
<p>Balancing the potential downsides of sharing a bed with your pet, with possible benefits is important to assess whether it is a good choice for you or not. Indeed, sleep disruption due to bed-sharing with pets is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025619615006746">not as detrimental to sleep quality</a> as often thought.</p>
<p>With good hygiene and management, the choice to share your sleep with your pet might just give you both a great night’s sleep.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221536/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup and member of the Dog Health Group. Jacqueline is a full member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT #01583) and she also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic affiliation at Nottingham Trent University.</span></em></p>
While some people blanch at the thought of bed-sharing bed with a pet, others can’t sleep without their animal companions – an expert explains the pros and cons of sharing a bed with a pet (or two).
Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/208367
2024-02-02T13:19:41Z
2024-02-02T13:19:41Z
Training an animal? An ethicist explains how and why your dog − but not your frog − can be punished
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571993/original/file-20240129-15-anu9es.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C3%2C2114%2C1406&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Only one of these guys deserves to be in timeout.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/pekingese-and-bullfrog-first-meeting-royalty-free-image/538018993?phrase=frog+dog&adppopup=true">Wild Horse Photography/Moment via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People talk to their pets every day: offering praise when they’re good, reassurance when they’re confused and affection when they’re cuddling. We also speak to animals when they misbehave. “Why did you do that?” someone might ask their dog. Or we might scold the cat – “Don’t touch that!” – as we move a family heirloom across the room.</p>
<p>But is it ever appropriate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/05568641.2018.1563499">to punish or rebuke an animal</a>? </p>
<p>When people talk about “punishment,” this implies more than a loss of privileges. The term suggests someone <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2265412">is being asked to learn a lesson</a> after breaking a rule they can understand. But an animal’s understanding is different from a human’s, which raises questions about what lessons they can learn and what, if any, rebukes of animals are ethical.</p>
<p>These issues involve what researchers know about different animals’ cognition. But they also go beyond this by raising questions about <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/kant-and-animals-9780198859918?cc=us&lang=en&#">what kind of moral standing animals have</a> and how people who interact with animals should train them.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://philosophy.utk.edu/people/jon-garthoff/">an ethical theorist</a>, I’ve explored these and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10888683211065921">related questions</a>, including with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000200">some of my colleagues in psychology</a> and anthropology. I would argue it is important to distinguish three types of learning: conditioning, instruction and education.</p>
<h2>Conditioning</h2>
<p>One type of learning, called “classical conditioning,” <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/pavlovian-conditioning">was popularized by the psychologist Ivan Pavlov</a> just after the turn of the 20th century. By repeatedly ringing a bell while presenting food, Pavlov famously induced dogs to salivate from the bell ring alone. Such learning proceeds merely from associating two types of stimuli: a sound and a snack, in this case. </p>
<p>When scientists talk about punishment, they normally mean “operant conditioning,” which was <a href="https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.55072">popularized by the psychologists Edward Thorndike</a> and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1939-00056-000">B. F. Skinner</a> shortly thereafter. In operant conditioning, positive or pleasurable stimuli are used to reinforce desired behavior, and negative or painful stimuli are used to deter undesired behavior. We may give a dog a treat, for example, to reward it for following a command to sit.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A girl with colorful bracelets and a white t-shirt holds a white mouse eating cheese." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572216/original/file-20240130-19-rahaf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Reward for a job well done.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/little-hamster-eating-cheese-in-a-girls-hands-royalty-free-image/695407204?phrase=mouse+cheese&adppopup=true">Sol de Zuasnabar Brebbia/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The kind of learning that operant conditioning aims to achieve, however, lacks a crucial ingredient of human punishment: responsibility. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1143080">When people punish</a>, it is not just to discourage an undesired behavior. They are trying to drive home that <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/monist196852436">someone has transgressed</a> – that <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/jphil197875114">the individual’s behavior merits punishment</a>.</p>
<p>But can nonhuman animals transgress? Do they ever deserve rebuke? I would argue they do – but with key differences from human wrongdoing. </p>
<h2>Instruction</h2>
<p>Training for many animals, such as horses and dogs, goes beyond conditioning. It involves a more sophisticated kind of learning: instruction.</p>
<p>One important way instruction differs from conditioning is that an instructor addresses their trainee. Pet owners and animal trainers speak to cats and dogs, and though these animals have no knowledge of grammar, <a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-your-dog-can-understand-what-youre-saying-to-a-point-173953">they can understand what many human words refer to</a>. Caretakers also often listen to their animals’ vocalizations in an attempt to understand their meaning.</p>
<p>To be sure, people condition cats and dogs – consider spraying a cat with water when it nibbles on a houseplant. The goal is for the cat to associate an off-limits snack with an unpleasant experience, and so to leave the plant alone.</p>
<p>But training pets can go beyond changing their behavior. It can aim to improve <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198528272.003.0007">animals’ ability to reason about what to do</a>: a trainer teaches a dog how to navigate an agility course, for example, or how to get through a new pet door. Instruction involves understanding, whereas learning based on mere conditioning does not.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A fluffy orange cat sits on a coffee table, staring intently at a potted plant next to it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=407&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572210/original/file-20240130-29-qehghc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t do it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cute-ginger-cat-on-table-indoors-royalty-free-image/1793454702?phrase=cat+plant+eat&adppopup=true">Yuliia Kokosha/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>An animal’s ability to be instructed stems from the nature of their mental life. Scientists do not know exactly which animals’ cognition <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/mind/65.1.289">involves understanding</a>, <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5827/5827-h/5827-h.htm">genuine problem-solving and the ability to reason or infer</a>.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262514620/vision/">research on perception</a> – on how humans and other animals <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1520-8583.2007.00124.x">convert sensory information</a> into <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199581405.001.0001">mental representations of physical objects</a> – has helped philosophers and psychologists distinguish thought from more basic mental capacities such as vision and hearing.</p>
<p>It is extremely likely that some nonhuman animals – including dolphins, apes and elephants – do think, as <a href="https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/philosophy/profile/gary-varner/">philosopher Gary Varner</a> argued in the 2012 book “<a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/6454">Personhood, Ethics, and Animal Cognition</a>.” My research suggests the distinction between thinking and nonthinking animals <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/05568641.2018.1563499">tracks well with the distinction</a> between animals that can be instructed and those that can, at most, be conditioned. </p>
<p>This difference is crucial to how different pets should be treated. An owner <a href="https://jesp.org/index.php/jesp/article/view/52">should have concern for their pet frog</a>, of course, <a href="https://rintintin.colorado.edu/%7Evancecd/phil308/Anderson.pdf">and care for its needs</a>. But they do not need to recognize the frog the same way they should recognize a dog: by addressing it, listening to it and comforting it. </p>
<p>Though an owner may rebuke the dog to hold it responsible for its actions, they must also hold themselves responsible to the animal, including by considering how the pet has interpreted events.</p>
<h2>Education</h2>
<p>Some nonhuman animals have demonstrated <a href="https://academic.oup.com/book/6454">impressive cognitive abilities</a> in experimental settings, such as recognizing their bodies in mirrors and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_743">recalling past experiences</a>. Some birds, for example, display sensitivity to details about food they have cached, such as its perishability and how long ago it was stored.</p>
<p>Still, scientists <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012273965-1/50016-9">do not possess strong evidence</a> that animals have <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/3131086">critical thinking abilities</a> or <a href="https://www.pdcnet.org/jphil/content/jphil_2011_0108_40701_0287_0315">a concept of self</a>, the key requirements for genuine education. Unlike conditioning and instruction, education aims to enable a learner to explain the world, to evaluate and debate rationales for decisions. It also prepares people to ask – and to try to answer – ethical questions like, “How should I live” and “Was that action justified?”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with long black hair in shorts and a tank top sits as she talks and holds the hands of a young boy who also wears a tank top and shorts." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572207/original/file-20240130-21-8s9des.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Learning not just what not to do but why.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-teaches-her-son-a-difficult-lesson-royalty-free-image/1325618731?phrase=parenting+toddler+share+upset&adppopup=true">FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A cat or dog cannot pose these questions. Much of the time, human beings do not concern themselves with these questions, either – but they can. In fact, caretakers pay great attention to these matters during child-rearing, as when they ask children, “How would you like it if someone did that to you” or “Do you really think it’s OK to act that way?” </p>
<p>Assuming that animals do not reflect and criticize, and therefore are not capable of education, I would say that they have no <a href="https://doi.org/10.5840/jphil20111086/716">moral obligations</a>. It is fair to say a pet has transgressed, since animals such as dogs and cats can come to understand how to act better. But morally speaking, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198753858.001.0001">an animal cannot commit wrongdoing</a>, for it lacks a conscience: It may understand some of its behavior, but not its own mind.</p>
<p>In my view, addressing an animal and acting with an understanding of how it interprets events is central to the ethical training of pets. But if someone treats an animal as though it were responsible for justifying itself to us, as though it could offer excuses and apologies, they anthropomorphize the animal and ask too much of it. Pet owners often do this in a mock way, saying things like, “Now you know you shouldn’t have done that” – the same phrases they might use with a child. </p>
<p>Unlike a child, however, the animal’s transgression is not a failure to fulfill a moral obligation. In human relationships we aspire to relations of mutual justification, where reasons are exchanged and excuses and apologies evaluated. But that’s not the nature of our relationships with our pets – however tempted we may be to think otherwise.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208367/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jon Garthoff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Questions about how to ethically train different kinds of pets depend on the nature of those animals’ inner lives and their abilities to learn.
Jon Garthoff, Professor of Philosophy, University of Tennessee
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221709
2024-01-30T13:35:00Z
2024-01-30T13:35:00Z
Dog care below freezing − how to keep your pet warm and safe from cold weather, road salt and more this winter
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571552/original/file-20240125-22431-dyxkh4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=21%2C0%2C4715%2C3067&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dogs get cold in the winter too, but there are things pet owners can do to help them feel comfortable. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/NYColdWeather/de8019836ce9475e91bf816b1401fa3b/photo?Query=dog%20in%20snow&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=310&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=NaN&vs=true&vs=true">AP Photo/David Duprey</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Time outside with your dog in the spring, summer and fall can be lovely. Visiting your favorite downtown café on a cool spring morning, going to a favorite dog park on a clear summer evening or going on walks along a river when the leaves are changing color are all wonderful when the weather is favorable. But in much of the country, when winter rolls around, previously hospitable conditions can <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-winter-miserable-for-wildlife-108734">quickly turn chilly and dangerous</a> for people and pups alike. </p>
<p>Winter brings some unique challenges for dog owners, since dogs still need activity and socialization during colder seasons. Studies have shown that dog owners are almost 50% less likely to walk their dogs <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11113302">when the weather gets cold</a>. Knowing the basics of winter safety is critical to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for your dog. </p>
<p>I am an <a href="https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/erik-olstad">assistant professor</a> at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine who weathered polar vortexes with my dog while living in Michigan early in my career. While I’ve since moved to sunny California, I’ve seen how quickly frigid temperatures can turn dangerous for pets.</p>
<h2>Breed and age differences</h2>
<p>Not all dogs have the same abilities to deal with cold weather. A short-coated dog like a Chihuahua is much more susceptible to the dangers of cold weather than a thick-coated husky. When the weather dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius), the well-acclimated husky may be comfortable, whereas the Chihuahua would shiver and be at risk of hypothermia. </p>
<p>Additionally, if your dog is used to warm weather, but you decide to move to a colder region, the dog will need time to acclimate to that colder weather, even if they have a thick coat. </p>
<p>Age also affects cold-weather resilience. Puppies and elderly dogs can’t withstand the chill as well as other dogs, but every dog is unique – each may have individual health conditions or physical attributes that make them more or less resilient to cold weather. </p>
<h2>When is my dog too cold?</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A small dog wearing a thick, fluffy red coat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571548/original/file-20240125-29-dudlyh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dog jackets can keep pets warm in the cold.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/WinterWeatherTexas/b82392611da74eb69750dd2a12c73817/photo?Query=dog%20jacket&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=320&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=1&vs=true&vs=true">AP Photo/David J. Phillip</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Pet owners should be able to recognize the symptoms of a dog that is getting too cold. Dogs will shiver, and some may vocalize or whine. Dogs may resist putting their feet down on the cold ground, or burrow, or try to find warmth in their environment when they are uncomfortable. </p>
<p>Just like people, <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/frostbite-in-dogs">dogs can get frostbite</a>. And just like people, the signs can take days to appear, making it hard to assess them in the moment. The most common sites for frostbite in dogs are their ears and the tips of their tails. Some of the initial signs of frostbite are skin discoloring, turning paler than normal, or purple, gray or even black; red, blistered skin; swelling; pain at the site; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/ulcer">or ulceration</a>.</p>
<p>Other <a href="https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/frostbite-in-dogs">serious signs of hypothermia</a> include sluggishness or lethargy, and if you observe them, please visit your veterinarian immediately. A good rule to live by is if it is too cold for you, it is too cold for your dog. </p>
<p>Getting your dog a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/pets/best-winter-dog-coats-jackets">sweater or jacket</a> and <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/vets-corner/protect-dogs-paws-snow-ice-salt/">paw covers</a> can provide them with protection from the elements and keep them comfortable. Veterinarians also recommend closely monitoring your dog and limiting their time outside when the temperature nears the freezing point or drops below it.</p>
<h2>Road salt dangers</h2>
<p>Road salt that treats ice on streets and sidewalks <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/ice-salt-toxic-for-pets-1.5020088">can also harm dogs</a>. When dogs walk on the salt, the sharp, rough edges of the salt crystals can irritate the sensitive skin on their paws. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A fluffy dog sits in the snow wearing two cloth, polka dot paw covers." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=559&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571542/original/file-20240125-19-4pvz2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=703&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Paw covers for dogs can keep their feet warm and protected from road salt.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/PetsColdFeet/711807120a854c5787e5dfdaba307a44/photo?Query=dog%20boots&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=379&digitizationType=Digitized&currentItemNo=12&vs=true&vs=true">AP Photo/Jim Cole</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Dogs will often lick their feet when they’re dirty, wet or irritated, and if they ingest any salt doing that, they may face GI upset, dehydration, kidney failure, seizures or even death. Even small amounts of pure salt can <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-tips/my-dog-ate-road-salt-will-they-be-okay/">disrupt critical body functions</a> in dogs.</p>
<p>Some companies make pet-safe salt, but in public it can be hard to tell what type of salt is on the ground. After walking your dog, wash off their feet or boots. You can also keep their paw fur trimmed to prevent snow from balling up or salt collecting in the fur. Applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly or <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/how-to-make-your-own-paw-balm-for-winter/">paw pad balm</a> to the skin of the paw pads can also help protect your pet’s paws from irritation.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A snowy sidewalk covered in tiny chunks of salt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=376&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571553/original/file-20240125-28-o148ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=473&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Road salt can be harmful to dogs’ sensitive paws.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Road_salt_in_Moscow_01.jpg">Stolbovsky/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Antifreeze risks</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/antifreeze-chemical-substance">Antifreeze, or ethylene glycol</a>, is in most vehicles to prevent the fluids from freezing when it gets cold out. Some people pour antifreeze into their toilets when away from their home to prevent the water in the toilet from freezing.</p>
<p>Antifreeze is an exceptionally dangerous chemical to dogs and cats, as it tastes sweet but can be deadly when ingested. If a pet ingests even a small amount of antifreeze, the substance causes a chemical cascade in their body that results in severe kidney damage. If left untreated, the pet may have <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owner-blog/antifreeze-poisoning/">permanent kidney damage or die</a>.</p>
<p>There are safer antifreeze options on the market that use ingredients other than ethylene glycol. If your dog ingests antifreeze, please see your veterinarian immediately for treatment.</p>
<p>When temperatures dip below freezing, the best thing pet owners can do is keep the time spent outside as minimal as possible. Try some <a href="https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/great-indoor-games-to-play-with-your-dog/">indoor activities</a>, like hide-and-seek with low-calorie treats, fetch or even an interactive obstacle course. Food puzzles can also keep your dog mentally engaged during indoor time.</p>
<p>Although winter presents some unique challenges, it can still be an enjoyable and healthy time for you and your canine companion.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221709/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erik Christian Olstad does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Dogs might have furry coats, but they can still get cold when the temperature drops.
Erik Christian Olstad, Health Sciences Assistant Professor of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/221454
2024-01-26T13:35:37Z
2024-01-26T13:35:37Z
Dogs in the middle ages: what medieval writing tells us about our ancestors’ pets
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570196/original/file-20240118-27-br2vl6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=38%2C5%2C681%2C387&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dogs being taken care of in an image from Livre de la Chasse (Book of the Hunt). </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.themorgan.org/collection/livre-de-la-chasse/32">The Morgan Library and Museum/Faksimile Verlag Luzern</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the middle ages, most dogs had jobs. In his book <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/27050/27050-h/27050-h.htm">De Canibus</a>, the 16th-century English physician and scholar John Caius described a hierarchy of dogs, which he classified first and foremost according to their function in human society. </p>
<p>At its apex were specialised hunting dogs, including greyhounds, known for their “incredible swiftnesse” and bloodhounds, whose powerful sense of smell drove them “through long lanes, crooked reaches, and weary ways” in pursuit of their prey. </p>
<p>But even the “mungrells” that occupied the bottom rungs of the canine social ladder were characterised in terms of their labour or status. For example as street performers, or turnspits in kitchens – running on wheels that turned roasting meat.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A dog with a spiked collar and a greyhound with a long leash" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570854/original/file-20240123-29-53mp9s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A dog with a spiked collar and a greyhound with a long leash from the Helmingham Herbal and Bestiary (c. 1500).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/orbis:9452785">Yale Centre for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The place of dogs in society <a href="https://brill.com/display/title/25199?language=en">changed</a> when hunting became an aristocratic pastime, rather than a necessity. Simultaneously, dogs were welcomed inside noble homes – especially by women. In both cases, dogs were signifiers of <a href="https://brill.com/display/title/25199?language=en">elite social rank</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Manuscript drawing of a nun holding a lapdog." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570198/original/file-20240118-19-na6vez.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=605&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A nun holding her lapdog, in Stowe MS 17, f. 100r .</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/09/dogs-medieval-mans-best-friend.html">British Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Indeed, in his ranking, Caius positions the “delicate, neate, and pretty” indoor dogs below hunting dogs but above the base mongrels, because of their association with the noble classes. As for puppies: “the smaller they be, the more pleasure they provoke”. </p>
<p>Although the church formally disapproved of pets, clerics themselves <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7722/j.ctt1x738m">often owned dogs</a>. Like women, clerics’ dogs were generally lapdogs, ideally suited to their indoor pursuits.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cats-in-the-middle-ages-what-medieval-manuscripts-teach-us-about-our-ancestors-pets-195389">Cats in the middle ages: what medieval manuscripts teach us about our ancestors' pets</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>In praise of dogs</h2>
<p>Not everyone had such affection for dogs. Concerned about potential violence, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/26630015">urban authorities in England</a> regulated the keeping of guard dogs, as well as violent popular entertainments, such as boar, bear and bull-baiting.</p>
<p>In the Bible, dogs are often characterised as filthy scavengers. <a href="https://www.bibleref.com/Proverbs/26/Proverbs-26-11.html#:%7E:text=ESV%20Like%20a%20dog%20that,fool%20who%20repeats%20his%20foolishness.">Proverbs 26:11</a> famously describes how they return to their own vomit. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A miniature of Sir Lancelot, in conversation with a lady holding a small dog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570201/original/file-20240118-21-lzdfhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=640&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A miniature of Sir Lancelot, in conversation with a lady holding a small dog (c. 1315-1325).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/02/nothin-but-a-hound-dog.html">British Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>On the other hand, the story of St Roch in <a href="https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume5.asp#Rocke">The Golden Legend</a>, a popular 13th century collection of saints’ lives, tells of a dog who carried bread to a starving saint, then healed his wounds by licking them. One of Roch’s saintly attributes, a motif by which viewers can recognise him, is <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/473871">a devoted dog</a>.</p>
<p>The trope of dogs defending their owners or lamenting dead ones can be traced back to the classical period, to texts like Pliny the Elder’s <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D61">Natural History</a>.</p>
<p>This theme is repeated in the medieval <a href="https://bestiary.ca/intro.htm">bestiary</a> tradition, a moralising compendium of knowledge about animals both real and mythical. One common story tells of the legendary <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/ms24/f18v">King Garamantes</a> who, when captured by his enemies, is tracked down and rescued by his faithful dogs. Another tells of a dog who publicly identifies his master’s murderer and attacks him. </p>
<p>The tale of one greyhound, Guinefort, even <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Holy_Greyhound.html?id=XwJTqyskSRQC&redir_esc=y">inspired an unofficial saint’s cult</a>. Writing in the 13th century, Dominican inquisitor and preacher <a href="https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/guinefort.asp.">Stephen of Bourbon</a> described a noble family who, falsely believing the dog to have killed their infant, killed Guinefort in retribution. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Dogs in a battle with kings" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570200/original/file-20240118-29-td76te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Detail of a miniature of King Garamantes, being rescued by his dogs, from the Rochester Bestiary ( c.1230).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscripts/2013/02/nothin-but-a-hound-dog.html">British Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Upon discovering the child unharmed (the dog had really saved it from a venomous snake), they honoured the “martyred” canine with a proper burial, which led to its veneration and alleged healing miracles. Although Stephen’s story intended to reveal the sin and folly of superstition, it nonetheless underlines what medieval people perceived as the special qualities that distinguished dogs from other animals. </p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/">Aberdeen Bestiary</a> (c. 1200): “No creature is more intelligent than the dog, for dogs have more understanding than other animals; they alone recognise their names and love their masters.”</p>
<p>The association between dogs and loyalty is also expressed in the art of the period, including <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O64856/tobias-and-sara-on-their-panel-unknown/">in relation to marriage</a>. In tomb monuments, depictions of dogs <a href="https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004328617/B9789004328617_012.xml?language=zh&print=">indicate</a> fidelity of a wife to the husband who lies beside her.</p>
<p>In the case of clerical tombs, however, they may suggest the faith of the deceased, such as Archbishop William Courtenay (d. 1396), buried in Trinity Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral. Courtenay’s alabaster effigy reposes atop a tomb chest on the south side of the chapel. The archbishop wears the robes and mitre of his office, and two angels support his cushioned head. A long-eared dog wearing a belled collar lies obediently at his feet.</p>
<p>Although it’s tempting to wonder whether the dog depicted on Courtenay’s tomb may represent an actual pet owned by the archbishop, the belled collar was a popular convention of contemporary iconography, especially for lapdogs.</p>
<h2>Pampered pooches</h2>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A nude painting in which a woman looks in a mirror. At her feet is a white, pampered-looking dog." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=950&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1194&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1194&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570197/original/file-20240118-15-r925rs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1194&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Allegory of Vanity by Hans Memling (c. 1490).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Memling_Vanité_ca_1490.jpg">Museum of Fine Arts of Strasbourg</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Like their modern counterparts, medieval dog owners with means kitted out their companions with a variety of accessories, including leashes, <a href="https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O73327/the-devonshire-hunting-tapestries-tapestry-unknown/?carousel-image=2006BF7088">coats</a> and cushions made from fine materials. </p>
<p>Such material investment <a href="https://www.academia.edu/27942359/_Coats_Collars_and_Capes_Royal_Fashions_for_Animals_in_the_Early_Modern_Period_in_Medieval_Clothing_and_Textiles_Vol_12_2016_pp_61_94">was central</a> to the aristocratic culture of <em>vivre noblement</em> (the art of living nobly), where the deliberate consumption of luxury commodities publicly demonstrated one’s status.</p>
<p>Popular perceptions of dog owning and accessorising also fed gendered stereotypes. Whereas men were more likely to own active dogs for the protection of their life and property, women preferred lapdogs they could cradle and pamper. Toy dogs, then, could also be <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347765860_Arnolfini%27s_best_friend_Fellowship_and_familiarity_in_Jan_van_Eyck%27s_Arnolfini_portrait">associated with female idleness and vice</a>, as seen in Hans Memling’s painting <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Memling_Vanit%C3%A9_ca_1490.jpg">Allegory of Vanity</a> (c. 1485).</p>
<p>But even working dogs needed meticulous care and attention if they were to perform at their best. A miniature in a lavish 15th-century copy of Gaston Phébus’s influential book <em>Livre de la Chasse</em> (Book of Hunting) shows kennel attendants examining dogs’ teeth, eyes, and ears – while another bathes the paws of <a href="https://www.themorgan.org/collection/livre-de-la-chasse/32">a very good boy</a>.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Savage does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The place of dogs in society changed when hunting became an aristocratic pastime, rather than a necessity.
Emily Savage, Associate lecturer in the school of art history, St Andrews Institute of Medieval Studies, University of St Andrews
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220838
2024-01-16T20:51:12Z
2024-01-16T20:51:12Z
Remembered by our pets: More animals are getting a mention in obituaries
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569427/original/file-20240115-15-82sgl2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C30%2C6700%2C5022&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Over the years, more obituaries have grown longer, providing more room to mention a person's pets, hobbies and passions.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Animals occupy many different roles in our lives. Some consider them members of the family, while others appreciate the reminder to take daily walks.</p>
<p>From <a href="https://theconversation.com/service-dogs-play-vital-roles-for-veterans-but-canadas-lack-of-standards-makes-travel-and-access-difficult-219470">service dogs</a> and <a href="https://a-z-animals.com/blog/animals-that-have-been-made-into-service-animals/">emotional support animals</a> to the pet waiting to greet us at the front door, animals can bring joy, comfort and companionship to our lives. So naturally, these relationships that form throughout our lives would continue — or at least be commemorated — in death.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/this-humane-society-needs-a-bigger-home-what-happens-to-the-650-pets-buried-in/article_b25eba3a-99f7-11ee-a7f5-473bdce48588.html"><em>Toronto Star</em></a> recently reported on efforts to excavate and move over 600 animals from an Oakville, Ont. pet cemetery. As that story highlighted, and as <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/46086/">many others will note</a>, burying, embalming or cremating animals is hardly a new practice. These funerary practices offer ways to honour a pet and everything they meant to us.</p>
<p>But what about when the owner dies first? As it turns out, animals are more frequently getting mentioned in the obituaries of their human companions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smiling woman carries a bulldog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569423/original/file-20240115-67455-vfr8d9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">From service dogs and emotional support animals to the pet waiting to greet us at the front door, animals can bring joy, comfort and companionship.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How obituaries are changing</h2>
<p>Writing an obituary is one of the many practices people conduct when a loved one dies. Formerly, they were reserved for society’s elite, but the <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203015964">democratization of the obituary</a> has resulted in more people being memorialized in this way.</p>
<p>We write obituaries for different purposes. Some of these are purely practical; to announce that someone died, or invite family and friends to the funeral.</p>
<p>More importantly though, obituaries give the bereaved a chance to tell a story about someone they loved. Who were they? What did they enjoy? What were their values?</p>
<p>As one of the studies within the <a href="https://nonreligionproject.ca/">Nonreligion in a Complex Future</a> project, our team has <a href="https://nonreligionproject.ca/obituaries/">analyzed Canadian obituaries</a> over the last century to understand transformations in how people commemorate the dead. As it turns out, animals are appearing more frequently with each passing year.</p>
<p>As recently as 1990, not a single one of the 53 obituaries published on a given Saturday in the <em>Toronto Star</em> mentioned any pets. This steadily started to change, however. We learn that, in 1991, Harriet will be “sadly missed by all of her friends and animals.” Likewise, Berton — who died in 1998 — was “sadly missed by his ‘good boy Scamp.’”</p>
<p>By the mid-2000s, roughly one to four per cent of obituaries mentioned pets. Since 2015, this number has climbed as high as 15 per cent.</p>
<p>Granted, these figures are not exactly overwhelming. In a sample from 1980 to 2022 containing 3,241 obituaries, only 79 mention animals. However, this minor uptick points to a transformation in how people compose obituaries.</p>
<h2>Telling personal stories</h2>
<p>Our research shows that, since the early 1900s, obituaries have grown progressively longer. The old standard was short notices stating the deceased’s name, age and where they died — all in the space of about four lines. In recent years, the mean length has grown to around 40 lines, with some reaching over 100 lines.</p>
<p>This added space leaves room for more information about the deceased. For example, over 80 per cent of recent obituaries mention the deceased’s children. This is up from about 50 per cent prior to 1960.</p>
<p>Recent obituaries are also more likely to mention the deceased’s education, occupation or hobbies. Beyond just listing attributes, it is common to see rich, detailed descriptions. Rather than be defined by their job title, we read that one man was “a dedicated visionary who remained proud of and loyal to his many employees and colleagues.”</p>
<h2>Our furry friends</h2>
<p>As obituaries grow longer and more detailed, it only seems fair that animals get some attention. It has become more common to mention someone’s pet, or love of animals. Passages also grow more detailed. Beyond the pet’s name, we learn whether they were a “hoity-toity poodle,” a “loyal companion” or “the best dog ever.”</p>
<p>Occupation is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2015.1056562">another staple of obituaries</a>. For Mary, who died in 2019, a career highlight while working at Nestle Purina was “inducting various heroic pets and service dogs into the Purina Hall of Fame.” Not just a professional passion; Mary also had six black Labradors at home.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2020.1784122">Hobbies and interests</a> are becoming more common in death notices. For Bobby, these included “sitting in his garden with his dog, Chloe” and “being entertained by his beloved parrot, Pookie.”</p>
<p>Rather than send the family flowers, many obituaries now close by requesting <a href="https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/grief-loss/lieu-flowers-wording-ideas-etiquette">donations in the deceased’s memory</a>. Unsurprisingly, groups like the <a href="https://ontariospca.ca/">Humane Society</a>, the <a href="https://www.farleyfoundation.org/">Farley Foundation</a> and various nature conservancy groups are growing in popularity.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smiling golden retriever" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569428/original/file-20240115-67455-4xa2ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It has become more common to mention someone’s pet or their love of animals in their obituary.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The new ways we grieve</h2>
<p>This trend in death notices hints at a broader societal shift. Namely, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/socrel/article-abstract/78/1/9/3053446">people are placing greater value on nature</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00377686231170993">non-human animals</a>. The reasons behind this turn are varied and complex. But the evidence — in <a href="https://doi.org/10.2752/175303713X13636846944204">obituaries</a> and <a href="https://nonreligionproject.ca/trekking/">beyond</a> — suggests people are finding meaningful connection through the natural world and with other-than-human creatures.</p>
<p>Animals aside, obituaries also reveal important transformations in how we commemorate the dead. These were once brief, formulaic texts (and some still are). But more frequently, obituaries are windows into the life of a person. They can be <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/an-ontario-woman-s-scathing-obituary-for-her-dad-raises-questions-do-we-have-to/article_aaaf6d28-0224-5c9a-9eaa-c124482e04bc.html">sad or tragic</a>, but also <a href="https://www.lex18.com/news/he-up-and-died-on-us-sons-hilarious-obituary-goes-viral">funny, sarcastic and heartwarming</a>.</p>
<p>Above all, obituaries are now more personal. To commemorate the lasting memory of someone they loved, families want to share with the world what made that person special. This can be told through the activities, people or pets that brought them joy throughout their lives. For some, this means cheering for their favourite hockey team, or recalling the time they scored a hole-in-one, and, often, the furry friend they curled up with at the end of a long day.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220838/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Miller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Writing an obituary is one of the many things people do when a loved one dies. And animals are more frequently mentioned in the obituaries of their human companions.
Chris Miller, Postdoctoral fellow, Nonreligion in a Complex Future project, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220926
2024-01-16T14:55:36Z
2024-01-16T14:55:36Z
Why South Korea is banning the sale of dog meat
<p>The South Korean dog meat trade will officially end in 2027 after a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/09/south-korea-votes-to-ban-production-and-sale-of-dog-meat">bill was passed</a> making the slaughter of dogs and the sale of dog meat for human consumption illegal in the country (though the consumption of dog meat will still be legal). People who violate this new law could be fined up to 30 million won (about £18,000) and be jailed for three years.</p>
<p>The news has been embraced in South Korea as a long-awaited victory by many animal protection organisations. But it has also been received very negatively by pro-dog-meat associations, as the livelihoods of dog meat farmers and retailers will be directly affected by this legislation. </p>
<p>Dog meat is the <a href="https://www.press.purdue.edu/9781612497075/">fourth-most consumed meat</a> in South Korea after pork, beef and chicken. However, the practice of eating dogs has been in sharp decline over the past few decades and has divided South Korean society for more than half a century. </p>
<p>For some, the trade represents resistance against cultural imperialism. For others, it is an obstacle to modernity. All the while, little attention is given to the fate of other animals whose death and commodification as meat are largely normalised and accepted.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A bowl of dog meat soup." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569279/original/file-20240115-23-jei9my.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=507&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bosintang is a traditional Korean soup that uses dog meat as its primary ingredient.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/boshintang-korean-soup-that-includes-dog-499106899">Fanfo/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Stigmatisation of a practice</h2>
<p>Dog consumption has a long history in Korea. Some Korean scholars point to the excavation of dog bones from Korean relics dating to the Neolithic age (roughly from 6000BC to 2000BC) as <a href="https://www.press.purdue.edu/9781612497075/">evidence</a> that dogs have been eaten since at least that period.</p>
<p>But an important moment of national and international friction around the practice occurred in the run-up to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. The South Korean government at the time <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo3637968.html">banned the sale</a> of dog meat temporarily in the traditional markets of the capital and asked dog meat retailers to remove dog carcasses from their stalls to avoid offending foreigners. </p>
<p>This decision was <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10649867.2018.1547959">widely criticised</a> by part of South Korean civil society who saw it as a form of cultural imperialism reminiscent of colonial times when many Korean cultural traditions were erased or stigmatised. This episode aroused feelings of national pride and protection towards the consumption of dog meat.</p>
<p>It was followed by a stronger reaction during the 2002 Fifa World Cup (which was co-hosted by South Korea). Influential South Korean public and political figures <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/629658">took a public stance</a> in favour of dog meat as a national cultural symbol. </p>
<p>Tensions were further reignited before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, a city in the country’s north-east. It was <a href="https://koreandogs.org/pc2018-sign-project/">reported</a> that the hiding of dog meat restaurant signs and dog carcasses had once again been introduced by the government. </p>
<h2>A practice in sharp decline</h2>
<p>However, there’s no denying that dog meat consumption in South Korea has slumped dramatically, particularly since 2000. In 2002, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07256868.2010.491272">3 million dogs</a> were slaughtered for consumption in South Korea per year. According to animal protection group, Kara, this had fallen to <a href="https://www.animals.or.kr/report/press/51382">just under 1 million</a> by the early 2020s – a third of what it was more than 20 years ago. </p>
<p>In recent decades, a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07256868.2010.491272">civil movement</a> led by animal protection charities has campaigned for the end of the trade. This movement has largely been supported by younger generations who, perhaps also influenced by the development of “pet culture”, are more inclined to challenge centuries of tradition than previous generations.</p>
<p>It could be argued that the COVID pandemic has also played a part in the sharp fall in dog meat consumption in recent years. Until the outbreak of COVID, live animals, including dogs, were often sold and slaughtered in traditional markets. Since then, municipal authorities have opened a dialogue with dog retailers to negotiate the demolition of dog slaughtering facilities. </p>
<p>Ongoing research conducted by one of us (Julien Dugnoille) alongside colleagues (Frédéric Keck and Miwon Seo-Plu) suggests that the pandemic may have facilitated a move away from the status quo on dog meat consumption. This shift has created a discussion around the end of the practice as a way to keep urban spaces free from the risk of diseases that can be spread between animals and humans.</p>
<h2>The perspective of the dog farmers</h2>
<p>Since 2014, some of these municipalities have agreed to compensate dog meat retailers for closing dog meat stalls in traditional markets. However, now that a full ban is coming into effect, dog meat farmers are requesting compensation schemes as this new law will directly affect their livelihoods.</p>
<p>The Korean Dog Meat Association has been <a href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/12/113_364963.html">arguing</a> that the bill represents an abuse of power that overlooks the perspective of many South Koreans, and that it infringes on the right to choose what one wants to eat. Last December, the Association demanded compensation for farmers of 2 million won per individual dog (about £1,200) and a grace period of ten years after the ban.</p>
<p>While the ban may be good news for Korean dogs, dog lovers and for animal protectionists, it adversely affects those whose livelihoods depend on the domestic trade and who have practised the profession for generations. </p>
<p>The change does not necessarily mean an end to the consumption of dog meat in South Korea. Dog meat consumption will continue to be lawful (presumably supplied by imported meat). </p>
<p>Still, this is a milestone for the Korean relation to dogs that cements the dog’s privileged status, in contrast to other animals whose commodification as meat remains normalised and invisible.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220926/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julien Dugnoille received funding from the Korea Foundation and the Academy of Korean Studies to conduct part of the research on which this paper is based.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Knight does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
A new law has been introduced that officially brings dog meat to an end as a commodity in South Korea.
Julien Dugnoille, Senior Lecturer in Anthropology, University of Exeter
John Knight, Reader in Anthropology and Ethnomusicology, Queen's University Belfast
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/218033
2024-01-15T00:27:05Z
2024-01-15T00:27:05Z
TikTok says orange cats are ‘dumb’, and tortoiseshell cats have ‘an attitude’. But how true is that?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/560110/original/file-20231117-29-fv986f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C15%2C5048%2C3340&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve watched cat videos on social media lately, you may have encountered the idea a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shop2daybycbph/video/7227729130438069509?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7311132537870452242">cat’s coat colour</a> tells us something about their personality. </p>
<p>Orange cats are supposedly “dumb”, always <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@winniegingercat/video/7235730348087299333?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7311132537870452242">falling off beds</a> or getting themselves stuck in awkward places. Tortoiseshell cats are often said to have a strong-willed attitude (sometimes referred to as “<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@shop2daybycbph/video/7227729130438069509?is_from_webapp=1&web_id=7311132537870452242">tortitude</a>”). <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thisisdhayes/video/7167064678177295662?q=black%20cats%20smarter&t=1702356432918">Black</a> cats are “smarter”, if social media is to be believed.</p>
<p>The idea a cat’s personality is linked to their coat colour isn’t new. <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/judging-a-cat-wrongly-by-the-color-of-its-coat-97549864/">In 2012</a> a study of human perceptions of cats reported people generally believe ginger cats are friendly, while tortoiseshell cats are seen as aloof and intolerant. </p>
<p>It’s important to note this is a reflection people <em>believe</em>, rather than how cats <em>are</em>. So what does the research actually say?</p>
<h2>Surveys on cat personality are filled out by people</h2>
<p>Research suggests that cats, like people, have different personality types. One study proposed the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0183455">“feline five”</a> personality traits for cats: neuroticism, extraversion, dominance, impulsiveness and agreeableness. </p>
<p>The researchers linked “neuroticism” in cats with being anxious, insecure, fearful of people and tense. Cats low in neuroticism were associated with being stable, trusting, calm and self-assured. </p>
<p>Cats categorised as impulsive scored highly for being erratic, reckless and distractible, while those low in impulsivity were considered to be predictable and constrained.</p>
<p>You might get a sense from these studies that these are not terms cats would choose for themselves, and you’d be right. </p>
<p>Surveys on cat personality are filled out by people. As such, results are affected by human perspectives, projections and biases. </p>
<p>Indeed, a review of methods used to define <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/9/1516">personality in cats</a> concluded studies reporting differences in personality due to coat colour were likely to be affected by owner bias. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three kittens - one orange, one grey and one calico - frolic in grass." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566193/original/file-20231218-23-agqln9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Studies reporting differences in personality due to cat coat colour were likely to be affected by owner bias.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/three-kittens-different-colors-on-grass-2118477416">Irina Makushina/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Breed personality</h2>
<p>Instead of colour, it’s possible breed is more important when it comes to cat personality.</p>
<p>One <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44324-x">study</a> found British Shorthair cats were least likely to seek human contact, while Korat and Devon Rex cats were most likely.</p>
<p>Another study, however, found <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44324-x">substantial variation exists within breeds</a>, suggesting a cat’s breed may not fully explain personality.</p>
<p>Both of these studies were once again survey-based and so, again, human bias is likely affecting the results. </p>
<h2>If it’s not coat or breed, what else is it?</h2>
<p>Genetics is not the only factor influencing personality. The environment and how an animal is raised also has a big effect.</p>
<p>If kittens are not socialised with people by the age of <a href="https://vetfocus.royalcanin.com/en/scientific/feline-developmental-stages">around nine weeks</a>, they are more likely to be anxious and shy around humans and other animals. </p>
<p>Whether your cat was hand-reared, purchased from a breeder or found in a box, they will likely behave differently depending on time spent with their mother.</p>
<p>In reality, humans tend to ascribe certain meanings to particular behavioural traits.</p>
<p>For instance, if a cat is fearful, they may come across as lacking intelligence because they are less likely to interact with their environment in ways we recognise as “smart”. </p>
<p>On the flip side, confident cats comfortable in their environment may seem “dumb”, as they act in a carefree way that registers as “stupid” to the human eye. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An orange cat appears to be stuck inside a jar." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566196/original/file-20231218-21-mdxtlx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A cat that is bold and confident may look ‘dumb’ to humans.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/orange-tabby-cat-stuck-inside-glass-2109878690">perezoo/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Don’t judge a book by its cover – or a cat by it’s colour</h2>
<p>While funny social media videos linking personality with cat coat colour might be harmless, the biases they create can have more harmful results. For instance, black cats take longer to adopt <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-modern-heart/202010/3-reasons-people-dont-adopt-black-cats">from a shelter</a> than cats of other colours, and so are at higher risk of being euthanised. </p>
<p>Black animals are more difficult to photograph, meaning they may not look as attractive in adoption photos. Some people also believe black cats symbolise bad luck, or are associated with witchcraft or evil. Stereotypes of black cats being less friendly may also stem from facial expressions on darker fur being harder to read. </p>
<p>Before you dismiss this as speculation, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0033294119844982">a study</a> did confirm human bias against black cats using photos of cats of different colours.</p>
<p>We shouldn’t be surprised people make judgements about cats based on their coat colour. We also make judgements based on human hair colour – take the baseless “dumb blonde” and “fiery redhead” <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/speaking-in-tongues/202104/examination-stereotypes-about-hair-color#:%7E:text=Over%20time%2C%20specific%20hair%20colors,and%20redheads%20have%20fiery%20tempers.">stereotypes</a>, for example. </p>
<p>And just like with human stereotypes, putting our cats into arbitrary boxes isn’t useful for anyone.</p>
<p>Instead, it’s best to think of your cat, and any cat, as the individuals they are. </p>
<p>Cats are much more than their coats. People and cats <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(19)31086-3.pdf">form</a> <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1601">close emotional bonds</a>.</p>
<p>A cat can be the reason somebody gets up in the morning. Cats can also be fiercely <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/cat-waiting-window-every-day-dead-owners-return-breaks-hearts-1736479">loyal</a>, unwavering companions, friends and family. Let’s not reduce their complex, wonderful individuality to just a colour or type.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susan Hazel receives funding from the Waltham FoundationTM and is a member of the Dog & Cat Management Board of South Australia, RSPCA South Australia and Animal Therapies Ltd. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Henning does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Surveys on cat personality are filled out by people. As such, results are affected by human perspectives, projections and biases.
Susan Hazel, Associate Professor, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide
Julia Henning, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/220330
2024-01-11T22:01:41Z
2024-01-11T22:01:41Z
Less than 10% of Australian scorpions are known to science. We’ve added two new species to the list
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568742/original/file-20240110-23-mw4aqy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=137%2C0%2C1713%2C1170&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/photos/32190014">Mark Newton/iNaturalist</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scorpions are among the most ancient of land animals. Fossils indicate they were roaming the Earth more than 400 million years ago. For perspective, the non-bird dinosaurs became extinct <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/extinction.html">about 65 million years ago</a>.</p>
<p>Scorpions trivialise the 100-million-year reign of the dinosaurs — they saw them come and go and are still here today. In fact, the external anatomy of scorpions has changed little, based on what we’ve seen from <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/worlds-oldest-scorpions-437-million-year-old-fossils-180973975/">400 million-year-old fossils</a>.</p>
<p>While formally describing a new scorpion species from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, we discovered another species with identical external morphology (shape and structure). The only way to tell the two species apart was by looking at the morphology of the male reproductive organs.</p>
<p>You’d think that is a very small difference, but it’s not uncommon for telling apart species in other groups, like spiders and millipedes. But these are the first scorpion species distinguished solely by male reproductive anatomy.</p>
<p>Our find, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23018">published in the Australian Journal of Zoology</a>, hints significantly more scorpion species await discovery in Australia than previously suspected.</p>
<h2>A widespread and popular group</h2>
<p>Most Australians think of scorpions as exotic desert animals. But they are fairly widespread, ranging from salt lakes in central Australia to ancient rain forests in Tasmania.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, our estimates (based largely on unpublished DNA sequence data we have access to), indicate that less than 10% of Australia’s scorpion species have been scientifically described or named. Describing them means scientifically documenting and applying a unique scientific name to a new species while following the <a href="https://code.iczn.org/">International Code of Zoological Nomenclature</a>.</p>
<p>The scorpion genus <em>Urodacus</em> is endemic to mainland Australia and represents one of the largest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_radiation">radiations</a> (increases in diversity) of scorpion species on the continent. Most <em>Urodacus</em> species live in deep spiralling burrows, enabling them to survive in arid ecosystems. In some habitats, these scorpions are a significant part of the ecosystem and comprise much of its biomass.</p>
<p>Despite their reclusive habits, <em>Urodacus</em> are popular exotic “pets” and are among the most popular invertebrates offered by online stores in Australia. There’s also a large community of scorpion enthusiasts.</p>
<p>Trading of scorpions is dependent on an unknown level of harvesting from natural populations. Some <em>Urodacus</em> species are known to live for 15–20 years, but in captivity, their longevity is usually less than a year.</p>
<p>With minimal knowledge about the diversity and distributions of Australian scorpions, the potential for serious impacts to their conservation is high. Traded scorpion species are often unnamed, and some may also live in very small areas.</p>
<p>For example, the two new species we described, <em>Urodacus uncinus</em> and <em>Urodacus lunatus</em>, are restricted to creeks and drainage lines, with a known area of as little as 50 square kilometres. Such small distributions make species particularly vulnerable to habitat loss, which is a growing threat in Australia.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, there is no regulation for scorpion ownership in most Australian states, although you need a permit to keep them as pets in the <a href="https://nt.gov.au/environment/animals/keeping-wildlife-as-pets/keeping-scorpions">Northern Territory</a> and <a href="https://www.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/134373/keeping-protected-scorpians-spiders.pdf">Queensland</a>. Collecting them from the wild is only regulated in conservation areas.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A red field with green tufts of grass and a bright blue sky above" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568532/original/file-20240110-19-vyxk2z.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An example of the type of habitat where the newly described species were collected.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Huon L Clark</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/buying-bugs-and-beetles-or-shopping-for-scorpions-and-snails-australias-pet-trade-includes-hundreds-of-spineless-species-207932">Buying bugs and beetles, or shopping for scorpions and snails? Australia's pet trade includes hundreds of spineless species</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>We don’t know enough about our scorpions</h2>
<p>The two new species we just described are large (more than 7cm long) yellow scorpions. Males of both species have a striking enlargement in the tip of their “tails”, with a swollen venom gland and a sting that is more strongly curved than in any other known species of the genus.</p>
<p>The task to fully document and understand the diversity of Australian scorpions is colossal. Approximately 3,000 scorpion species are known worldwide, but in Australia only 47 species are currently described and named. Based on our estimates, we think there could be at least 500 scorpion species here.</p>
<p>Only 13 new Australian scorpion species have been described in the last 45 years. At this rate, many are likely to become extinct before they are even named. </p>
<p>Further research on Australian scorpions will also reveal more of these animals’ incredible biology. One example is their curious reproduction. Scorpion mating rituals include a dance during which males of some species even sting the females as part of the courtship. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L2rrBvMmiXg?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Sperm transfer occurs via what could be described as a “detachable penis”, placed on the ground by the male. During mating, part of this organ breaks off in the female reproductive tract and functions as a “mating plug” that prevents the female from remating until the babies from the last mating are born.</p>
<p>Burrowing scorpions give birth to live young that are gestated for up to 18 months within an organ somewhat like a uterus. After birth, mother scorpions carry their babies on their back until they disperse to live a largely solitary life.</p>
<h2>Undiscovered secrets</h2>
<p>These fascinating behaviours are only a small portion of scorpion natural history discovered to date and they are likely to harbour many more as yet undiscovered secrets.</p>
<p>Next to nothing is known about Australian scorpions, which is surprising given their diversity and ecological importance. More research on Australia’s scorpions is urgently needed to help recognise and protect threatened species and their habitats.</p>
<p>Expanding our knowledge about native scorpions would also help with the regulation of wild collections and allow captive breeding to further develop more responsible pet ownership as a force for conservation, rather than a risk.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ever-wondered-whod-win-in-a-fight-between-a-scorpion-and-tarantula-a-venom-scientist-explains-155138">Ever wondered who'd win in a fight between a scorpion and tarantula? A venom scientist explains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220330/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bruno Alves Buzatto currently works for Flinders University. He has previously been funded by the University of Western Australia, Macquarie University, the Australian Research Council, Australian Geographic and National Geographic. Bruno has also previously worked as a principal biologist for Bennelongia Environmental Consultants in Western Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erich S. Volschenk owns Alacran Environmental Science, an environmental consultancy business specialising in the diagnoses of terrestrial invertebrates. He has previously received funding from Australian Biological Resources Study. </span></em></p>
Most Australians think of scorpions as exotic desert animals, but they are fairly widespread across the continent. Still, next to nothing is known about most local scorpion species.
Bruno Alves Buzatto, Lecturer, Flinders University
Erich S. Volschenk, Senior Research Associate, Murdoch University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/214947
2024-01-02T20:16:40Z
2024-01-02T20:16:40Z
Are catnip and treats like it safe for cats? Here’s how they affect their minds and moods
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566729/original/file-20231219-23-kvv5j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C9%2C3316%2C2209&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cat-eats-grass-263516882">Morozova Olga/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cats kept indoors can <a href="https://safeandhappycats.com.au/">live a good life</a> when they get access to a variety of positive experiences. Examples include performing natural behaviours, feeling safe at home and using their full sensory capabilities, including their sense of smell. </p>
<p>Plants such as catnip, cat thyme and silver vine are potent smelly stimulants that can affect cat minds and moods. </p>
<p>Ever wondered if these mind-altering substances are safe gifts for our feline friends? And importantly, is it OK to provide these, or is offering catnip to a cat like offering alcohol to a child?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A ginger tabby cat stands on a path, sniffing the flowers in a garden." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565931/original/file-20231215-19-9p8s8o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The sense of smell is key to how our cats experience the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-tabby-cat-smelling-plants-blooming-2278887409">keldridge/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/wont-my-cat-get-bored-if-i-keep-it-inside-heres-how-to-ensure-its-happy-214562">Won’t my cat get bored if I keep it inside? Here's how to ensure it's happy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Catnip, cat thyme and silver vine, oh my!</h2>
<p>Owners who are concerned about their cats feeling bored and frustrated might offer them fresh or dried catnip (<em>Nepeta cataria</em>), silver vine (<em>Actinidia polygama</em>), cat thyme (<em>Teucrium marum</em>) or other plant materials such as valerian (<em>Valeriana officinalis</em>) and Tatarian honeysuckle (<em>Lonicera tatarica</em>). These last couple <a href="https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6">could offer an alternative</a> if your cat doesn’t respond to catnip.</p>
<p>Toys filled with the leaves or extracts of these plants can cause apparently euphoric behaviour in domestic cats (as well as big cats like leopards and jaguars). Not all cats respond this way to these smells, which is <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-022-01369-1">believed to have a genetic basis</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black and white cat lies with a catnip toy in her front paws and tongue out." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565747/original/file-20231214-21-j2zry2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When cats encounter smelly treats, they might behave playfully, rubbing or rolling around.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Anne Quain</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Are these treats safe for cats?</h2>
<p>Cats have a highly developed sense of smell. Some plants release chemical compounds to deter insects or to attract predators of insects that might otherwise destroy them. This includes <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba0721">nepetalactone</a>, an ingredient isolated from catnip and silver vine.</p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/why-cats-are-crazy-catnip">it has been argued </a> that exposure to nepetalactone leads to an increase in feel-good hormones in cats. It may also act as a <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abd9135">natural mosquito repellent</a> (note that it does not repel all mosquitoes and is not effective for flea or tick control).</p>
<p>This may be why sniffing catnip, silver vine and some other plants causes cats to roll on their backs and rub their chins, cheeks and bodies on the plants. Other <a href="https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6">observed behaviours</a> include: licking, shaking their head while carrying plant material in their mouth, drooling, kicking the plant material with their hind feet, and a “wavelike” motion of the skin over their backs as muscles contract and relax. </p>
<p>These responses <a href="https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-0987-6">generally don’t last long</a>, usually seconds to minutes, before cats relax or resume their normal behaviour. </p>
<p>Rather than becoming addicted to these substances, cats are more likely to become habituated and desensitised, with the plants having less effect over time. When sniffed, these plants <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(23)01925-9">appear</a> to have <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-022-01369-1">no adverse effects</a> on cats. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yNUz4zQTA1E?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Cats (and a dog!) react to the active compound in catnip and silver vine, nepetalactone.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-is-catnip-and-is-it-safe-for-my-cat-160961">What actually is catnip and is it safe for my cat?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Is it ethical to alter the minds of our cats?</h2>
<p>When considering how to improve the lives of animals we care for, we tend to focus on whether the benefits outweigh the potential harms. </p>
<p>Despite some marketing claims that these plants activates the brain’s opioid system, delivering a “natural high” for cats, there is no evidence these substances actually alter the minds of cats in the same way as alcohol or other drugs alter the minds of humans. </p>
<p>The marketing of these cat treats as “kitty crack” or “<a href="https://www.meowijuana.com/">meowijuana</a>” and silver vine sticks as “<a href="https://www.nekopiapets.com.au/product-page/joycat-cat-cigarettes-silvervine-stick">kitty cigarettes</a>” is likely to deter some people from offering their cats <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-022-01369-1">this kind of olfactory stimulation</a>. </p>
<p>Unlike offering alcohol to a child, though, the evidence suggests our cats are OK when given access to these treats. These items won’t induce psychosis and won’t lead to addiction or withdrawal symptoms. And we don’t need to worry about our cats operating heavy machinery or making important decisions under the influence of mind-altering substances! </p>
<p>Provided they can walk away at any time, it seems reasonable to let them opt in to a fun time. </p>
<p>In fact, we harness the power of cats’ sense of smell in other ways by using <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6435919/">synthetic feline facial pheromones</a>. This can help reduce fear, anxiety and distress in cats. These substances can come in useful in settings such as multi-cat households or when moving house.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A tabby and white cat sniffs a pine branch being held above her head. On the ground are a range of other items from the garden brought in for her to explore." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565935/original/file-20231215-17-luaw62.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Give cats the choice to interact with a range of positive experiences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/curious-cat-sniffing-pine-branch-leaves-2393598557">DimaBerlin/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-unethical-to-give-your-cat-catnip-107774">Is it unethical to give your cat catnip?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How to make sure your cat has the purr-fect time</h2>
<p>Offering a range of smells (olfactory stimulation) is just one way to ensure your cat has a varied and interesting life. Here are some tips:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>offer cats choices to interact with treats and toys – don’t force them</p></li>
<li><p>rotate the toys and experiences on offer, so every day offers something fresh</p></li>
<li><p>offer items that cats can scratch – scratching posts and corrugated cardboard are popular items</p></li>
<li><p>if you are concerned your cat has swallowed part of a toy or seems unwell, check in with your vet.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Given the short-lived effects of these plant-based olfactory stimulants on cats, it is important that we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159119301054">optimise their environment, lifestyle and interactions</a> with humans to improve their welfare. We can’t just rely on catnip or silver vine to give our cats a good life indoors – it’s really up to us!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214947/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Quain is on the NSW Committee of the Australian Veterinary Association. She is also a committee member of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association, the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists Animal Welfare chapter, the European College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine, and consults to veterinary and animal welfare organisations regarding Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mia Cobb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Are plant-based treats like catnip, cat thyme and silver vine safe for cats? And it it ethical to use them?
Mia Cobb, Research Fellow, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne
Anne Quain, Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/219726
2023-12-21T16:07:15Z
2023-12-21T16:07:15Z
Cats like to play fetch, as long as it’s on their terms – new research
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565558/original/file-20231213-19-gdxrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C53%2C5973%2C3934&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Surprised that cats like to play fetch too? </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-cute-scottish-fold-cat-sitting-1466349110">Tzido Sun/Shuttestock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Cats have a reputation <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185599">for being aloof</a> (some may even say lazy) – but our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-47409-w">new research</a> has found they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982219310863?via%3Dihub">interact with their owners</a> in surprising ways. What we discovered also shows how important this <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.650143/full">kind of interaction</a> can be for cats’ wellbeing.</p>
<p>Fetching behaviour in domestic cats has been <a href="https://gwern.net/doc/cat/psychology/1996-voith.pdf">reported to be</a> more common than coming when called, meowing on command, or playing games. There may also be breed differences in fetching (at least among purebreds). For example, <a href="https://tica.org/breeds/browse-all-breeds?view=article&id=1227:the-siamese-breed&catid=48">Siamese cats</a> and their crossbreed variations are known for being proficient fetchers.</p>
<p>We wanted to know more about how and why cats fetch. In an online survey, we asked owners of cats who play fetch about this behaviour. Almost all of these cats (94.4%) had not been trained to fetch, and most were young (less than one year old) when their owners first noticed they could fetch.</p>
<p>At the time of our survey, these cats had on average fetched for approximately four years. But there was a lot of variation – some were new fetchers, while others had played fetch for their whole lives. </p>
<h2>What we learned</h2>
<p>We discovered that cats prefer to be in control of their fetching sessions. According to their owners, the cats that usually initiate fetching sessions seem more enthusiastic about it. These cats both had more fetching sessions per month and retrieved the object more times in a single play session.</p>
<p>Most of the cats in our sample were mixed breed (86%). Out of the purebreds, Siamese were the most common (22.5%), supporting their reputation as fetchers.</p>
<p>Fetching cats preferred to play fetch with toys such as imitation mice and catnip toys. But they also made the most of their surroundings and would opportunistically fetch items such as crumpled paper, hair ties or bottle caps.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Tabby long-haired kitten playing in a paper bag with crumpled paper, peeking out" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565560/original/file-20231213-15-eewqnt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some cats prefer to play with crumpled paper.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cute-cheeky-tabby-longhaired-kitten-playing-1724286601">Pocket Canyon Photography/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Overall, the owners reported lots of differences in fetching behaviour. Some cats bring the object to their owner first, while others respond to their owner throwing an object first. Some cats only bring the object back halfway. Some are fussy with the objects they want to play with, and some will only fetch at certain times or in particular areas of the house (like up and down the stairs).</p>
<h2>Playful cats</h2>
<p>When cats play, they look similar to when they hunt. For example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0003347279901295">chasing, biting, leaping</a> and stalking their prey or object of choice. Hunting is a natural behaviour for cats, so they need an outlet for it. </p>
<p>Play has important benefits for pet cats in terms of preventing aggression towards humans, and acting as a <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(20)31896-0">substitution for predation on live animals</a>.</p>
<p>Owners can also learn about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787822000533">the needs of their cats through play sessions</a>, such as how long they like to play for, and thus help strengthen their bond. Young cats are most likely to be playful, both with objects and littermates. But we don’t know much about how play in adult cats differs from play in kittens or young cats, because there is only limited <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159118304556">research into how adult cats play</a>. </p>
<p>While there also hasn’t been a lot of research into the bond between cats and their owners, some studies have shown this relationship is an important one. For example, a <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0185599">2017 study in Sweden</a> found that cats sought more social contact with their owner after being left alone for 30 minutes – they coped well on their own, but their behaviour changed when their owner returned home. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Black cat stares down toy mouse" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565563/original/file-20231213-19-21bdwi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Playtime is good for cats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cat-hunting-toy-mouse-home-burmese-1957926694">Viacheslav Lopatin/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s important for owners to put time aside to play with their cat each day. Short periods of play a few times a day are enough – and it doesn’t have to be a game of fetch. If cats enjoy playing fetch on their own terms, that probably applies to all kinds of play. Generally, they prefer toys that have features of prey – for example, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159118304556">toys that can break or pull apart</a>, or <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376635716303424">that move erratically</a> (like toys on a rod).</p>
<p>Owners can learn and understand what their cat’s behavioural signals mean during a play session. When a cat wants their owner to play with them, they might bring a toy to their owner or sit next to a toy and stare expectantly at their owner. Examples of behaviour that shows a cat wants to end the play session include lying down, walking away from the area, or no longer chasing after a toy when it’s thrown. </p>
<p>If owners can read and interpret the body language of their cat and know when to start or end a play session, the cat will enjoy this experience and may open up more playing opportunities in the future – perhaps even building up to fetch!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219726/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
There hasn’t been a lot of research into adult cat play, but a new study shows it’s not just dogs who like to play fetch.
Elizabeth Renner, Lecturer of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle
Jemma Forman, PhD Candidate in Psychology, University of Sussex
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/213814
2023-10-25T15:49:04Z
2023-10-25T15:49:04Z
Is your pooch better or worse off on a cereal-free diet?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548801/original/file-20230906-22-pw1jay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4214%2C2833&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Does your doggo have what it takes to digest wheat? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sara Hoummady</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If there’s one issue that has gripped the dog-loving community for the past few years, it’s that of cereals in dog food, and in particular in the ingredients that make up kibbles.</p>
<p>The charges are manifold: the grains are said to cause bloating, obesity, gluten intolerance diabetes, and be riddled with mycotoxins (toxins produced by microscopic fungi). It took only a few years for the makers of dry dog foods to adapt to these fears, and many now claim to have eliminated cereals from their formulas, with the merits of gluten-free food widely touted.</p>
<p>But are cereals really harmful for our dogs?</p>
<h2>Presumed culprits: cereals!</h2>
<p>Behind the notion of cereal lie a number of terms that are often confusing for consumers, including carbohydrates, gluten and mycotoxins.</p>
<p>A cereal is a herbaceous plant cultivated mainly for the nutritional value of its grains. These mostly hail from the Poaceae family, more commonly known as grasses. The best known and most widely cultivated in the world are wheat, maize, rice and barley.</p>
<p>On average, a grain of wheat contains 70% starch, a complex carbohydrate. Gluten refers to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28244676/">group of proteins</a> contained in the seeds of cereals from the Poaceae group.</p>
<h2>Charge No. 1: Failing to respect a dog’s “natural” diet</h2>
<p>The first charge levelled against foods containing cereals is that they do not respect the dog’s “natural” diet. To pin down what the latter may be, scientists have a choice between examining prehistoric or feral dogs, which we define as individuals of domesticated species that have little or no dependence on humans.</p>
<p>Analysis of canine remains in tombs at various sites in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula dating from the Early Middle Bronze Age (end of the 3rd to 2nd millennia BC) has shown that their diet was <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12520-019-00781-z_">fairly similar</a> to that of humans, and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10963-021-09153-9">contained cereals in some cases</a>. The diet of feral dogs, on the other hand, is also mainly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5981278/">based on human waste</a>, made up mostly of cereals and human faeces.</p>
<p>We can therefore conclude that dogs’ diets stretching back to prehistoric times have consisted of human food waste that, in some cases, contains cereals. This is quite different from the impressions we have of the “natural” diet of the dog – often represented in our imaginations as hunting, like a wolf in the wild.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555366/original/file-20231023-25-lvxxe.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A feral dog in Sichuan, Southwest China.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sara Hoummady</span>, <span class="license">Fourni par l'auteur</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Charge No. 2: Dogs can’t digest starch</h2>
<p>Contrary to popular belief, dogs have acquired some salivary <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5568211/">alpha amylase</a> – an enzyme responsible for kick-starting the process of breaking down starch – <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature11837">throughout their evolution</a>, and can therefore digest a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10461997/">moderate quantity of starch</a>.</p>
<p>During the domestication process, [certain genes] that play an essential role in starch digestion were selected. Over time and through selection associated with the creation of breeds, the number of copies of the gene encoding the production of starch-digesting enzymes increased <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749313/">depending on the dietary habits of the breeds</a>. Dogs are therefore capable of digesting starch, although not all breeds are equal.</p>
<p>While dogs can survive without starch in their diets, its presence remains necessary in certain physiological conditions <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022316623238006">such as gestation</a> and lactation.</p>
<h2>Charge No. 3: Gluten makes dogs ill</h2>
<p>The consumption of gluten-derived products can lead to adverse reactions of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28244676/">three known kinds</a>: allergic, autoimmune and miscellaneous.</p>
<p>In dogs, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373930/">the relationship between gluten and intestinal disease</a> has been studied in the Irish setter for around 20 years, with researchers having yet to establish any causality. In Border Terriers, an <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26500168/">association between gluten and paroxysmal dyskinesia</a> (episodic involuntary tremors) has been noted. At present, these are the only two reports of pathologies that could be associated with the presence of gluten.</p>
<p>In this context, an avoidance diet could be considered to test the dog’s sensitivity.</p>
<h2>Charge No. 4: Cereals can poison dogs with mycotoxins</h2>
<p>Mycotoxins are toxins produced by microscopic fungi during plant growth, storage, transport or processing. They can be present in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17390876/">various plant organs</a>, including grains, fruit and tubers.</p>
<p>The most common one in animal feed is alfatoxin B1, found in wheat grains in particular. In humans and animals, mycotoxins can cause <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651323004529">various health problems</a> (liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, etc.). Nevertheless, control methods are put in place at harvest time and the food industry also uses detoxification methods. In general, moulds do not grow on properly dried and preserved food, so effective drying and correct storage are <a href="https://www.who.int/fr/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">effective measures</a> against moulds and the production of mycotoxins.</p>
<p>Compared with “premium” dog food, the total aflatoxin content <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1828051X.2022.2117105">is generally higher</a> for “economy” dog food. This difference can be partly explained by the use of lower-cost products with less controlled storage conditions. The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1828051X.2022.2117105">source of nutrients of animal origin</a> is also a factor.</p>
<h2>So, are cereal-free foods healthier?</h2>
<p>Cereal-free foods are not always starch free, but protein-rich plants such as peas, lentils and beans have lower carbohydrate levels than cereals – that’s why they are of interest to the pet food industry. For example, <a href="https://www.terresunivia.fr/produitsdebouches/alimentation-animale/proteagineux">pea seeds</a>, contains 21% protein and 45% starch.</p>
<p>The starch in low-carbohydrate dog food is often replaced by fat. This may not be adapted to the animal’s situation, particularly if it’s overweight, obese or suffering from kidney problems. Furthermore, a cereal-free diet is not necessarily less rich in carbohydrates when the compositions are compared.</p>
<p>Finally, <a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy">recent research</a> has picked upon cases of heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) in dogs eating cereal-free foods rich in legumes, including in breeds not predisposed to this pathology. Although the association between cereal-free foods and dilated cardiomyopathy is not yet clear, caution is called for, particularly in the case of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10212094/">pea-based foods</a>.</p>
<h2>Verdict: It’s complicated</h2>
<p>The charges levelled at cereals in dog foods are not as clear-cut as they may appear to be. Having eaten cereals since they were domesticated tens of thousands of years ago, dogs have developed the enzymes necessary for them to digest starch. Critically, research has found that gluten only poses a problem for a few individuals of uncommon breeds. While mycotoxins are found in all dog foods, their quantity is highly regulated by the industry.</p>
<p>In sum, there is currently no scientific justification for choosing a grain-free food for healthy dogs with no known medical conditions.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213814/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>
Many believe the presence of cereals such as rice or wheat in kibbles can upset their dog’s stomach. But is this backed up by science?
Sara Hoummady, DMV, PhD, Associate professor in ethology and animal nutrition, UniLaSalle
Guillemette Garry, Enseignante chercheur, Dr en biologie option phytopathologie, UniLaSalle
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/215003
2023-10-24T15:43:45Z
2023-10-24T15:43:45Z
Concerns over pet food and vet costs affordability are as old as pet keeping itself
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555323/original/file-20231023-23-j8sgs4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/two-guinea-pigs-eating-carrot-MUcxe_wDurE">Bonnie Kittle|Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Ever since domestic companion animals first became popular in the west, people’s ability to provide for their healthcare needs has been closely linked to their own economic situation. In October 2022, the British animal charity, the RSPCA, <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/-/news-figures-show-more-animals-in-shelter-rehoming-slows">reported</a> a massive 31% drop from 2019 in so-called “rescue” animals being rehomed from its centres. At the same time, the number of animals being surrendered was increasing. Between 2021 and 2022, there was a 11.9% rise in the number of dogs relinquished by their owners and rescued by the charity.</p>
<p>The RSPCA’s animal kindness index for 2023 <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/kindnessindex/petowners">shows</a> that 81% of pet owners were worried about the increased costs of pet care. Up from 68% in 2022, this is a direct consequence, the charity says, of the cost of living crisis. The rising costs of pet food (32% increase for dog food in April 2023) outstripped inflation at the time (8%), leading to 23% of pet owners expressing concern about being able to feed their pets. </p>
<p>The report also highlights that, in April 2023, there were 45,000 internet searches for “Can I give my pet paracetamol?”, an increase of 13%, compared to April 2022. The British government has since <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66733077">launched a review</a> of veterinary services in the UK, over concerns that pet owners face prohibitively high costs for animal healthcare.</p>
<p><a href="https://reaktionbooks.co.uk/work/pet-revolution">Our research</a> looks at how and why human and pet lives have become entangled in the UK. People, of course, have invested emotionally in animals for thousands of years. But, as we show in our recent book, Pet Revolution:
Animals and the Making of Modern British Life, it was in the 19th century that larger numbers of people in Britain (and other western countries) had the financial resources to keep pets. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A historic painting of two dogs chasing a cat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=834&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=834&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=834&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1048&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1048&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555325/original/file-20231023-21-forj5n.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1048&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Briton Riviere, A Blockade Runner, 1888.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/riviere-a-blockade-runner-n01518">Presented by Sir Henry Tate 1894. Photo © Tate</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The emergence of pet keeping</h2>
<p>Victorian culture celebrated the advent of the companion animal. British artists including Edwin Landseer and Briton Riviere painted <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/riviere-a-blockade-runner-n01518">cats</a> and <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/landseer-low-life-a00702">dogs</a>. King Edward VII commissioned Maud Alice Earl to do <a href="https://www.rct.uk/collection/401472/jack-king-edward-viis-irish-terrier">portraits of his favourite pooches</a>. And the commercial artist Louis Wain garnered broad popularity for his anthropomorphic illustrations of wide-eyed <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-louis-wains-exuberant-cat-art-at-the-bethlem-hospital-180979287/">cats</a>. </p>
<p>Countless contemporaneous novels – with characters including Rochester’s dog Pilot in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Count Fosco’s pet mice in Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White and the children’s story, <a href="https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00086490/00001/5">Peeps into Petland</a> – show how central pet ownership became to domestic life. This led to new markets emerging. </p>
<p>With vets, at the time, mainly concerned with horses and farm animals, pet owners were encouraged to treat animals themselves. There was a boom in <a href="https://www.exploringsurreyspast.org.uk/themes/subjects/pets-in-the-archives/">instructional literature</a> on how to care for cats, dogs, wild birds, squirrels and hedgehogs. Prolific pet health advisor Gordon Stables argued, in his 1876 book, <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Domestic_Cat.html?id=30oDAAAAQAAJ&redir_esc=y">The Domestic Cat</a>, that cat owners should take scalpels into their own hands. “Cats,” he wrote, “stand operations of all sorts well.”</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A vintage advertisement for Spratts dog cakes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=840&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=840&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=840&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555327/original/file-20231023-23-21xt9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1055&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Victorian entrepreneurs homed in on the nascent pet food and healthcare market.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.rawpixel.com/image/11493591/image-dog-art-cartoon">Rawpixel</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>By the 1890s, pet-food manufacturer Spratts was selling dog treatments including cooling powders, cough pills, ear-canker lotion and worm powders. It also marketed “Canarydyne” for asthmatic canaries. </p>
<p>From the late 19th century, vets started to cater to pets, largely targeting the elite owners of pedigree animals. In 1884, the London Royal Canine and Feline Surgery proudly advertised its wares in the Kennel Club Show Catalogue. The advert features a long list of international royalty who had consulted the surgery. </p>
<h2>Unequal access to animal healthcare</h2>
<p>As veterinary treatment for pets became widespread, however, inequalities quickly emerged. Poorer pet owners continued to rely on home remedies. This sometimes meant watching helplessly as a much-loved pet died in agony. </p>
<p>While recognising the potential for exploiting a growing market, vets were mindful of this inequality in accessing animal healthcare. From 1879, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in London ran free clinics for animals of the poor. </p>
<p>In 1900, the Blue Cross animal welfare charity, known at the time as Our Dumb Friends League, made grants available for poorer people to access treatment and seven years later, opened a National Animal Hospital in London. By 1921, this clinic employed three dedicated veterinary surgeons, treating an estimated 10,000 animals a year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A vintage illustration of anthropomorphic cats." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555330/original/file-20231023-17-6k4ha.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Louis Wain, Marketing, 1900.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://picryl.com/media/marketing-by-louis-wain-064a50">Picryl</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In early 1900s Liverpool, meanwhile, the RSPCA launched a scheme distributing grants for veterinary treatment. In 1917, it opened the first provincial animal hospital. By 1920, the hospital had moved to a larger site and by 1930, two further hospitals had opened across the city. </p>
<p>The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals launched in London’s East End in 1917. It would go on to treat an estimated 1 million British pets a year by the mid-1930s. And in 1925, the Dogs Trust inaugurated canine clinics, making grants to poorer pet owners that guaranteed the charity would cover veterinary bills. </p>
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<p>By the mid-20th century, veterinary care for pets was widely established. Increasingly complex treatments were available. Those who could afford it faced the new dilemma of how much they would pay to save their pets. Distressed over the condition of her increasingly immobile Alsatian, Dinah, London-based diarist Florence Turtle <a href="https://pethistories.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/living-flesh-to-clothe-these-bones-the-diaries-of-florence-turtle/">wrote</a> in 1957 that she paid £9 for specialist treatment. </p>
<p>Turtle reflected that she would not have spent that much money on herself. Indeed, £9 for her was the <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator">equivalent</a> of around £180 today, a sum most working-class families simply could not have afforded.</p>
<p>Today, spending on veterinary and other pet services totaled <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/308276/consumer-spending-on-veterinary-pet-services-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/#:%7E:text=This%20statistic%20shows%20total%20consumer,billion%20British%20pounds%20in%202005.">£5.3 billion in 2022</a>. By 2026, gross written premiums for UK pet insurance is currently projected <a href="https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/uk-pet-insurance-distribution-and-marketing-analysis/">to reach £1.9 billion</a>, a rise driven partly by increasing medical and pharmaceutical costs. </p>
<p>The RSPCA is clear that the cost of living is one of the greatest threats to animal welfare. Addressing unaffordable animal healthcare costs is vital to ensure owners are not, as the charity <a href="https://www.rspca.org.uk/whatwedo/latest/kindnessindex/petowners">puts it</a>, “only one unexpected bill away” from having to give up their pets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215003/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie-Marie Strange received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council for this research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane Hamlett receives funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council</span></em></p>
People have invested emotionally in animals for thousands of years, but their financial situation directly impacts their ability to properly care for for their pets.
Julie-Marie Strange, Professor of Modern British History, Durham University
Jane Hamlett, Professor of Modern British History, Royal Holloway University of London
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/211865
2023-10-03T12:31:16Z
2023-10-03T12:31:16Z
Birds, worms, rabbits: Francis of Assisi was said to have loved them all – but today’s pet blessings on his feast day might have seemed strange to the 13th century saint
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551232/original/file-20230929-25-91togn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C1024%2C680&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Each year, services on St. Francis' feast day draw humans and animals alike to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/blessing-of-the-animals-event-held-in-the-cathedral-of-news-photo/1243686159?adppopup=true">Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Each year, if you happen to be in New York around Oct. 4, you may catch sight of something unusual: a whole menagerie of animals being welcomed into the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, from spaniels and parrots to even <a href="https://untappedcities.com/2016/10/03/all-creatures-great-and-small-blessing-the-animals-at-new-yorks-largest-cathedral/">the occasional camel</a> or cow.</p>
<p>Since the end of the 20th century, it has become more and more common in the United States for animals and their human companions to be blessed on or around the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. The focus is usually on pets, though <a href="https://www.stjohndivine.org/calendar/42476/the-feast-of-st-francis">St. John the Divine’s Episcopal service</a> is especially spectacular, with all kinds of creatures participating in a liturgy that includes a procession into the sanctuary, followed by blessings of individual animals outside.</p>
<p>What would Francis have thought? It’s hard to say – though he wasn’t a fan of his fellow friars keeping pets. But as <a href="https://english.utk.edu/people/mary-dzon/">a scholar of medieval Christianity</a>, I see a long history of people looking to Francis and other Catholic saints as models of caring for all creatures within creation.</p>
<h2>Not just Francis</h2>
<p>Outdoor <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=c032134">blessings of animals</a> have been documented in Rome for at least a century, too – but on Jan. 17, <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253365/photos-animals-blessed-in-st-peter-s-square-for-feast-of-st-anthony-abbot">the feast of St. Anthony the Abbott</a>, who lived in Egypt in the third and fourth centuries. A number of saints, in fact, can be associated with modern-day blessings. </p>
<p>Anthony, a hermit who lived in the desert, was not known to have been friendly with animals in the way that Francis was. Yet kindly lions dug a hole for Anthony so he could bury the body of the holy hermit Paul, then licked Anthony’s hands and feet, “begging for his blessing,” according to <a href="https://press.umich.edu/Books/T/The-Desert-Fathers">the account by St. Jerome</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A religious icon shows a monk with a halo looking down at a group of animals while people look at him reverently." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1146&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1440&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1440&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551234/original/file-20230929-25-llcstv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1440&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A painting of St. Anthony the Abbot by the Master of St. Veronica.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Master_of_St._Veronica_(German,_active_about_1395_-_1415)_-_Saint_Anthony_Abbot_Blessing_the_Animals,_the_Poor,_and_the_Sick_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">DcoetzeeBot/Getty Center/Wikimedia</a></span>
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<p>Medieval iconography commonly portrayed Anthony <a href="https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199596607.001.0001/acref-9780199596607">with a companion pig</a>, stemming from the fact that a medieval religious order named after him <a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-singular-beast/9780231103671">bred pigs to feed people in need</a>. The creatures wore bells and were permitted to roam free in the streets to forage.</p>
<p>A well-behaved group of animals, including two pigs, is gathered before Anthony Abbot in a miniature attributed to <a href="https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/person/103K9K">the Master of St. Veronica</a>, a German painter in the early 15th century. Here the saint holds up his hand as if to bless the kneeling people behind him, as well as the reverent animals in front.</p>
<p>Another saint associated with animals, and known to have blessed them, is Blaise, a bishop of Sebaste. An influential 13th century collection of saints’ lives, “<a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691154077/the-golden-legend">The Golden Legend</a>,” recounts that Blaise took refuge in a cave to avoid persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. There, “[b]irds brought him food, and wild animals flocked to him and would not leave until he had laid hands on them in blessing. Moreover, if any of them were ailing, they came straight to him and went away cured.” </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An icon painting with a gold background shows two men with crosses on their clothing sitting near about a dozen animals." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551229/original/file-20230929-15-je28lu.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Russian icon of St. Blaise and St. Spiridon, now held in the Historical Museum of Moscow.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Icon_of_saint_Blaise_and_Spiridonius.jpg">Wikimedia Commons/Shakko</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>A Russian icon dating to the 15th century <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/bcs.2019.0020">shows Blaise seated on a throne</a> above a gathering of animals, some of whom look up to him in awe. </p>
<h2>‘The sweetness of his love’</h2>
<p>So why is it that Francis, the founder of the Franciscan religious order, became associated with animals in America? He has long been considered <a href="https://theconversation.com/caring-for-the-environment-has-a-long-catholic-lineage-hundreds-of-years-before-pope-francis-168698">the patron saint of ecology</a>, and bird-bedecked statues of the 13th century saint are often featured in gardens.</p>
<p>Many early texts about Francis speak of his intuitive connection with and concern for animals, especially those he associated with Jesus: <a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=248">lambs, not surprisingly</a>, but also <a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=250">the worm</a>, which reminded him of Christ’s humility.</p>
<p>Today’s most popular story about the Italian saint’s interactions with animals was also the most popular in the Middle Ages, judging from the surviving iconography: his preaching to the birds.</p>
<p>Francis’ first biographer, the Franciscan brother Thomas of Celano, relates that once when Francis was traveling, <a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=234">he came across a “great multitude of birds</a>” and ran toward them. After he greeted them and saw that they didn’t fly away, he was filled with joy and he proceeded to preach a sermon to them, in which he told them they should praise their Creator. After mingling with them, he blessed them and made the sign of the cross, then “gave them permission to fly off.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A religious icon painting in faded shades of blue and tan shows a man in monk's robes land a halo looking at birds on the ground." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=478&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551233/original/file-20230929-15-a1o8pp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=601&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Preaching to the Birds,’ by Giotto, 1297-1300.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/preaching-to-the-birds-by-giotto-1297-1300-13th-14th-news-photo/470381184?adppopup=true">Antonio Quattrone/Electa/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Francis likewise exercised gentle authority when he chided “shrieking and chirping” swallows in Alviano, Italy, as he was about to preach to people gathered there: “My sister swallows, now it is time for me also to speak, since you have already said enough.” The swallows duly complied.</p>
<p>Thomas of Celano’s biography of Francis goes on to describe how “even irrational creatures recognized his feeling of tenderness toward them, and sensed the sweetness of his love” – as when he <a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=235">released a rabbit from a trap</a>, caressed it “with motherly affection,” and the creature kept coming back.</p>
<h2>Love animals – within limits</h2>
<p>The relatively small number of surviving texts that Francis himself wrote reveal his thoughts about the myriad creatures around him. In his well-known “<a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=113">Canticle of the Creatures</a>,” a song in Italian that praises God and celebrates the beauty of creation, Francis professes a familial relationship with everything in nature, most famously “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon.” </p>
<p>Not as well known is Francis’ “<a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_-_the_saint/1999-00-00?pageNo=73">Earlier Rule</a>,” which he wrote to provide guidelines for his friars. Since their purpose in life was to spread the gospel in strict imitation of Christ, especially his poverty, Francis insisted that they not ride on horses or keep companion animals.</p>
<p>As I have learned from my research, this is a standard practice for early Christian and medieval ascetics. Keeping animals <a href="https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781783275694/medieval-pets/">was seen as distracting</a>, even frivolous, and risked drawing affections away from God. While Francis seems to have had more than enough love to share, he did insist that most of the animals he interacted with go free. </p>
<h2>The haloed wolf</h2>
<p>But perhaps Francis was not as opposed to pets as it may seem. Today, probably the second-most well-known story about Francis and animals is the tale of the wolf of Gubbio. After the saint establishes a pact of peace between the hitherto ravenous wolf and the previously terrified townspeople, the wolf is essentially left in their keeping. </p>
<p>According to “<a href="https://digitalcollections.franciscantradition.org/document/bx4700-f6f722-1999-v3/francis_of_assisi_early_documents_the_prophet/1999-00-00?pageNo=603">The Little Flowers of Saint Francis</a>,” a compilation from the 14th century, “Brother Wolf” lived for two years in Gubbio after his life-changing encounter with the saint: “he tamely entered the houses, going from door to door … and he was kindly fed by the people.” As far as the people were concerned, he was a living embodiment, almost a relic, of the “virtue and holiness of Saint Francis.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A painting shows a woman in blue leading a small child away from a wolf who is calmly receiving food from a butcher." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551273/original/file-20231001-23-ogzqoq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘The Wolf of Gubbio,’ by Luc-Olivier Merson.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/the-wolf-of-gubbio-1877-news-photo/71901320?adppopup=true">Culture Club/Hulton Fine Art Collection via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A 19th century painting by Luc-Olivier Merson provides a fascinating depiction of the wolf, endowed with a golden halo. He is seen placidly getting food from the butcher, as he stands on his doorstep, while a cat looks on and a little girl strokes his back.</p>
<p>While Francis and his fellow friars did not embrace the idea of pets, he did promote harmony among animals and humans, making him a fitting source of inspiration for blessings today. As <a href="https://www.southwestern.edu/live/profiles/25828-laura-hobgood">religion scholar Laura Hobgood-Oster</a> <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=c032134">has noted</a>, it is remarkable that the many animals gathered in St. John the Divine for over two hours each year behave so well. Perhaps they sense the sacred and are attracted to the Franciscan ideal of harmony: all members of creation, joyfully coming together to praise God.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211865/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary Dzon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Medieval monastics were often discouraged from owning companion animals, which were viewed as a distraction, a religion scholar explains.
Mary Dzon, Associate Professor of English, University of Tennessee
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/205626
2023-10-02T12:28:48Z
2023-10-02T12:28:48Z
There’s a thriving global market in turtles, and much of that trade is illegal
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549993/original/file-20230925-24-nz5ob8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=11%2C3%2C2422%2C1912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Smuggled rare Mexican box turtles intercepted by U.S. officials at the Port of Memphis.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2021-05/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-works-partners-rescue-rare-turtles-memphis-port-entry">USFWS</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hatchling turtles are cute, small and inexpensive. Handled improperly, they also can make you sick. </p>
<p>Turtles are well-known carriers of <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/salmonella/symptoms-causes/syc-20355329">salmonella, a common bacterial disease</a> that causes fever, stomach cramps and dehydration and can lead to severe illness, especially in young children and elderly people. In August 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/turtles-08-23/index.html">released an advisory</a> about an 11-state outbreak of salmonella bacteria linked to pet turtles.</p>
<p>“Don’t kiss or snuggle your turtle, and don’t eat or drink around it. This can spread Salmonella germs to your mouth and make you sick,” the agency warned.</p>
<p>Global trade in turtles is big business, and the U.S. is a leading <a href="https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055%5B0256:CIETIO%5D2.0.CO;2">source, destination and transit country</a>. Some of this commerce is legal, some is not. For example, it has been illegal in the U.S. since 1975 to sell turtles with shells less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) in diameter because young children often contract salmonella from them. But it’s easy to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278443">find them for sale</a> nonetheless. </p>
<p>However, humans are a much bigger threat to turtles than vice versa. Over half of the world’s turtle species are <a href="https://iucn-tftsg.org/checklist/">classified as threatened or endangered</a>, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.04.088">overharvesting of wild turtles</a> is a major cause. Turtles also face other threats, including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, diseases, invasive species and death or injury while <a href="https://theconversation.com/by-helping-wild-animals-you-could-end-their-freedom-or-even-their-lives-heres-why-you-should-keep-your-distance-207188">trying to cross roads</a>.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sevin-a38b4b89/">conservation biologist</a>, I work with colleagues from academia, nonprofit organizations and state and federal agencies to protect threatened species and combat wildlife trafficking. I also use the global wildlife trade to teach important ecological concepts and research skills. Here’s what we know about trade in turtles and how it threatens their survival.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fdnQ7Kd8czk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. zoos and aquariums are working with government agencies to detect and reduce illegal trade in turtles.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Life in the slow lane</h2>
<p>It’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229689">hard to harvest turtles sustainably</a> because they are so long-lived. Individual turtles of some species can survive for more than 100 years. Most turtles reach reproductive maturity late in life and have relatively few eggs, not all of which produce successful offspring.</p>
<p>To put this in context, compare a common female snapping turtle from the northern U.S. with a female white-tailed deer. Begin at the start of their lives and fast-forward 17 years. At this point, the snapping turtle will just be ready to reproduce for the first time; the deer will already be dead, but it may have produced <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-11/turtles-face-unique-challenges-cites-can-help">over 600 descendants</a>. It can take a female turtle her entire life to generate one or two offspring that in turn reach adulthood and replace her in the population.</p>
<p>Turtles are valuable because they play diverse roles in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy095">land, freshwater and ocean ecosystems</a>. For example, tortoise burrows provide refuge for hundreds of other species, including <a href="https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/gopher-tortoise">birds, mice, snakes and rabbits</a>. Box turtles – the type you may encounter in your garden – consume practically any kind of plant material and excrete the seeds as they move around, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6487">helping plants spread</a>. Some seeds even germinate more readily <a href="https://www.bbg.org/article/box_turtles">after passing through a box turtle’s gut</a>.</p>
<p>In lakes and ponds, freshwater turtles serve as both predator and prey, and they help maintain good water quality by consuming decaying organisms. Terrapins reside in brackish water zones, where rivers flow into oceans and bays, and feed heavily on snails. Without terrapins present, the snails would quickly consume all underwater seagrasses, which would harm fish, shellfish, sea urchins and other organisms that <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/seagrass-and-seagrass-beds">rely on seagrasses for their survival</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUOnx7ggav/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\u0026igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>In global demand</h2>
<p>Humans have long been fascinated with turtles. Revered in many cultures, turtles have <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kurma">symbolized strength</a> and <a href="https://blog.nativehope.org/native-american-animals-turtle-k%C3%A9ya">longevity</a> for centuries. Today, people use turtles as pets; sources of food, <a href="https://flic.kr/p/Rwc4mu">jewelry and other curios</a>; and in traditional medicines and <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/balinese-rituals-fuel-spike-in-trafficking-of-endangered-sea-turtles/">religious and cultural practices</a>.</p>
<p>International trade in turtles takes place on a massive scale. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 127 million turtles were exported just from the U.S. between 2002 and 2012. About one-fifth (24 million) <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0086478">came from the wild</a>.</p>
<p>More recent data indicates that exports declined between 2013 and 2018, but <a href="https://www.fishwildlife.org/application/files/7815/9352/0162/Case_Study_U.S._Freshwater_Turtles_and_Tortoises_CITES_2020_FINAL.pdf">trade in particular species increased</a>. Commercial freshwater turtle farming is still a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139053">multimillion-dollar industry</a> in the southeastern U.S.; a small number of native turtle species, <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Aquaculture/aqua_1_0020_0020.pdf">largely bred on turtle farms</a>, now make up the bulk of legal U.S. exports, for use as both pets and food.</p>
<p>There’s no good way to quantify how many native turtles are harvested from the wild. But history shows what happens when they are hunted without limits. Historic demand for <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/sea-turtles-are-surviving-despite-threats-from-humans-feature">sea turtles</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/07/18/742326830/our-taste-for-turtle-soup-nearly-wiped-out-terrapins-then-prohibition-saved-them">diamondback terrapins</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2016.11.003">snapping turtles</a> as food led to such crashes in populations that management agencies had to regulate their harvesting.</p>
<p>Turtles also are gaining popularity as pets, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/">particularly for younger adults</a>. Surveys indicate that <a href="https://www.americanpetproducts.org/press_releasedetail.asp?v=ALL&id=1229">more than 2 million Americans own turtles</a>. To curb pressure on wild populations, state agencies are <a href="https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/south-carolina-governor-signs-bill-protect-wild-turtles-poaching-trade-2020-10-22/">prohibiting or limiting</a> personal collection and possession of native turtles. </p>
<h2>Black market turtles</h2>
<p>Despite existing regulations, demand for some native North American turtle species is so strong that people collect, smuggle and sell the animals illegally. For example, in 2019 a Pennsylvania man was sentenced to six months in prison and fined $250,000 for trafficking <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-trafficking-protected-turtles">thousands of protected diamondback terrapins</a>. </p>
<p>Rare species such as wood turtles and Blanding’s turtles, as well as uniquely patterned individual turtles, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12797">command top value on the black market</a>. Internet commerce, social media apps and online payment mechanisms make it easy for illegal buyers and sellers to connect.</p>
<p>Between 1998 and 2021, U.S. enforcement agencies intercepted at least 24,000 protected freshwater turtles and tortoises <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10448">from 34 native species</a> that were being illegally traded across the U.S. These animals may be held without food and water and in crowded spaces, sometimes wrapped in tape and stuffed in socks.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A turtle roughly 10 inches in diameter, wrapped in duct tape." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549998/original/file-20230925-25-zzb9mu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A live smuggled Mexican box turtle intercepted by U.S. officials at the Port of Memphis in 2021.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://flic.kr/p/2kZn2Af">USFWS</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How to help</h2>
<p>To curtail the illegal turtle trade, regulators are working to <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/joining-forces-combat-turtle-trafficking">strengthen regulations and increase enforcement</a>. Private citizens can also help reduce the demand and protect wild turtles. Here are some simple steps:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Before you purchase any live animal or wildlife-related product, review relevant local, state, national and international regulations. Just because something is for sale doesn’t mean it’s legal.</p></li>
<li><p>Make an informed decision about owning a turtle. Consider the size it will reach as an adult, its care requirements and its life span. Prioritize adopting one from a reputable rescue organization, and seek out a captive-bred turtle instead of a wild one.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A small terrapin with a red streak on the side of its head." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550000/original/file-20230925-27-u1z8wx.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The red-eared slider (<em>Trachemys scripta elegans</em>) is a terrapin that has become highly invasive in the U.S., outcompeting native species.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider#/media/File:Tortue_floride_france.JPG">Galano~commonswiki/Wikimedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p>Don’t release an animal that you no longer want or can’t care for into the wild. This is illegal and can have serious ecological impacts. The <a href="https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1261">red-eared slider</a> (<em>Trachemys scripta elegans</em>), a freshwater turtle that’s native to the Mississippi River basin, was sold by the millions in recent decades and released by many pet owners. Now it is considered one of the <a href="https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatic/fish-and-other-vertebrates/red-eared-slider">world’s most invasive species</a> because it <a href="https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2000-126.pdf">outcompetes native turtles for food and space</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>If you encounter illegal wildlife collection, smuggling or sales, report them to your state fish and wildlife agency or the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/form/refuge-law-enforcement">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> for investigation.</p></li>
<li><p>Support efforts to conserve and restore turtle habitat and minimize other threats, such as pollution and <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/road-density-threatens-turtle-populations/">road traffic</a>.</p></li>
</ul><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205626/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Sevin is a co-founder and serves on the steering committee of the Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles.</span></em></p>
More than half of the world’s turtle species are endangered or threatened, and overhunting of wild species is a major cause.
Jennifer Sevin, Director of Biological Instruction, University of Richmond
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/211143
2023-09-26T15:16:39Z
2023-09-26T15:16:39Z
What’s the carbon footprint of owning pet fish? An expert explains
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549367/original/file-20230920-21-sqqv47.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C0%2C4464%2C2967&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">One of the most popular species of fish found in tropical marine aquariums is the common clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/unhappy-clown-fish-swims-aquarium-tank-1449838790">jflin98/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>While the environmental impact of having <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-cats-and-dogs-affect-the-climate-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-206812">dogs and cats</a> as pets has been examined to some extent, the impact of keeping pet fish has remained unexplored – until now. </p>
<p>Dogs in particular have a significant carbon “<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-about-your-carbon-pawprint-9878">pawprint</a>”. An average-size dog (weighing 10-20kg) in Europe is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biz044">responsible</a> for between 349 and 1,424kg of CO₂-equivalent emissions per year – compared with between 150kg and 251kg of CO₂-eq for an average-size cat (weighing 2kg-6kg). </p>
<p>But there had never been a study examining the carbon footprint of pet fish, despite <a href="https://ornamentalfish.org/wp-content/uploads/OATA-Annual-Report-2020-21-online.pdf">4 million</a> households owning them in the UK alone – <a href="https://www.ornamentalfish.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Customer-Profile-Survey-Results-2011-2012.pdf">70% of which</a> are tropical freshwater fish.</p>
<p>My <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15478">study</a> found the carbon footprint of a tropical aquarium in the UK ranges from 85.3kg to 635.2 kg of CO₂-eq per year – equivalent to between 1.6% and 12.4% of the average UK household’s annual emissions. This estimate is based on a range of scenarios including aquarium sizes between 50 and 400 litres and different tank operating conditions. But most household aquariums sold by retailers are in the 50-to-100 litre range.</p>
<p>Electricity generation is the main source of emissions from tropical aquariums. Maintaining one requires lots of electricity to power the heaters, lights and pumps. This electricity consumption is much greater in emissions terms than the CO₂ produced in transporting tropical fish from countries such as Singapore or Indonesia to the UK and Europe.</p>
<p>However, the precise carbon footprint of an aquarium varies depending on its location. For example, tropical fish kept in France have a much smaller carbon footprint than those kept in the UK, because the French electricity grid is <a href="https://ember-climate.org/countries-and-regions/countries/france/">more decarbonised</a>.</p>
<p>This also means that as electricity grids continue to decarbonise globally, and especially in Europe, the carbon footprint of keeping tropical fish will decrease.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two graphs showing the carbon emissions of keeping pet fish" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=278&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547316/original/file-20230909-48264-8gkxww.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=349&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">(a) Yearly carbon emissions produced by heating different-sized aquariums in three countries (green = Poland, blue = UK, red = France) whose electricity grids have various levels of decarbonisation. (b) Yearly carbon emissions of running a 200 -litre aquarium (2000-2022) and predicted emissions for 2040 based on pledges to decarbonise electricity grids.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Perry; Journal of Fish Biology (2023)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Water consumption</h2>
<p>Water consumption is another factor to consider. Tropical aquariums are closed systems so fish waste can build up, increasing the levels of ammonia which is deadly to fish. So, fishkeepers must perform regular water changes – which means replacing the aquarium water with treated tap water or, for marine fish, water that has been purified using <a href="https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/what-you-need-to-know-about-reverse-osmosis/">reverse osmosis</a> (whereby water is pushed under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane). However, reverse osmosis is not efficient and produces five litres of reject water for every one litre of purified water.</p>
<p>Estimates of water consumption for tropical aquariums vary depending on aquarium size, use of reverse osmosis, frequency of water changes and amount of water replaced. Based on industry recommendations and a range of aquarium sizes, I estimated that tropical aquariums can use anywhere between 156 and 31,200 litres of water per year.</p>
<p>For example, if you have a 50-litre aquarium and you change 6% of the water <a href="https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/faq/how-often-and-much-do-i-need-to-change-my-aquarium-water-and-clean-my-filter/">every week</a> with tap water, you would use 156 litres per year. But if you have a 400-litre aquarium and do a 25% water change every week with a reverse osmosis system, you could use up to 31,200 litres per year. </p>
<p>Clearly, these examples represent two extremes of water consumption, equivalent to between 0.2% and 30.1% of the average UK household’s annual water use. While the upper limit can sound alarming, most aquariums sit in the middle range by both water use and emissions. But, given that drought events are expected to increase under future climate scenarios, any additional levels of water consumption can quickly become unsustainable. </p>
<p>Context is also important, as estimates on energy consumption are based on the aquarium being in a 20C (68F) room. If a central heating system is on all day or it is a warm summer’s day, this will reduce the emissions generated from heating the aquarium. Alternatively, if the room is colder than 20C, those emissions will be higher – although the heat from the aquarium will also heat the room, so may be viewed as an electric radiator.</p>
<h2>Ways to reduce environmental impact of pet fish</h2>
<p>My estimates provide the first insights into the environmental impact of a popular hobby. They show that keeping tropical fish is generally a more environmentally friendly option than keeping a dog or even a cat.</p>
<p>They can also inform our decisions on how to reduce the environmental impact of keeping fish, such as: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Use renewable electricity, generated at home or by changing electricity provider.</p></li>
<li><p>Keep the water temperature as low as possible according to species guidelines. </p></li>
<li><p>Put aquarium lights and pumps on timers. </p></li>
<li><p>Only do water changes when necessary; and </p></li>
<li><p>Re-use the reject water both from your aquarium and the reverse osmosis system. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Keeping tropical fish is a great way to enjoy beautiful ecosystems in your home. Done correctly, it can also help prevent the world from becoming a little bit more tropical.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><em>Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?</em></strong>
<br><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeTop">Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.</a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/imagine-57?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=Imagine&utm_content=DontHaveTimeBottom">Join the 20,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.</a></em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211143/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>William Perry does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
New research reveals the environmental impact of keeping tropical fish as household pets – but there are ways to reduce it.
William Perry, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/213356
2023-09-14T00:10:12Z
2023-09-14T00:10:12Z
Is it really safe to feed your cat a vegan diet?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548193/original/file-20230914-29-z5w8xs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C62%2C5854%2C3900&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/research-check-25155">Research Checks</a> interrogate newly published studies and how they’re reported in the media. The analysis is undertaken by one or more academics not involved with the study, and reviewed by another, to make sure it’s accurate.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Recently there’s been a trend of people wanting to feed their pets a diet that follows their own dietary preferences – which often means a meat-free diet.</p>
<p>Vets have long maintained that feeding cats a meat-free diet is a big no-no. But a new <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0284132">study published</a> in the open-access journal PLOS ONE challenges this assumption. The researchers write in the abstract:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] cats fed vegan diets tended to be healthier than cats fed meat-based diets. This trend was clear and consistent. These results largely concur with previous, similar studies.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, are vegan diets really more healthy for cats? When we start to pick apart the findings, we see the evidence is far from conclusive.</p>
<h2>What the study involved</h2>
<p>The authors of the study surveyed 1,369 cat owners, who fed their cats either a vegan or meat-based diet, about their cats’ health. Respondents were mostly female (91%) and represented a range of ages. Most lived in the UK, with others residing in Europe, North America or Oceania.</p>
<p>Most (about 65%) had themselves adopted some form of diet to reduce meat consumption – being either vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian (fish only), or reducing their meat consumption. A small portion (9%) fed their cats a vegan diet in spite of their own dietary choices. </p>
<p>The owners were asked about their cat’s health, including specific health conditions, medication use and how often they saw a vet. They were also asked their opinion on how healthy their cat was, and what they believed their vet would say about their cat’s health. </p>
<h2>What did the study find?</h2>
<p>Overall, the study found no evidence of detrimental health effects in cats fed a vegan diet. In fact, the authors suggest a vegan diet actually leads to health benefits for cats.</p>
<p>The researchers looked at seven indicators of illness and found non-significant reductions in all of them in cats on a vegan diet. These included reduced veterinary visits, reduced use of medications and fewer instances of owners thinking their cats were in poor health.</p>
<p>Non-significance means the researchers didn’t find <em>strong enough</em> evidence to say there was a meaningful difference between the groups – but it doesn’t mean there was no effect (especially since some of the trends were strong).</p>
<p>They found 15 diseases were more common in cats fed meat, while only seven diseases were more common in cats on a vegan diet. Examples of less common diseases for cats on a vegan diet included dental disease, skin disease and hormonal diseases. But again, the differences between the two diet groups were not statistically significant.</p>
<p>There was only one disease for which a significant statistical difference was observed: cats fed a vegan diet were slightly more likely to have kidney disease. </p>
<h2>Putting the findings in context</h2>
<p>Compared to similar past studies, this study included a relatively large number of cats. That said, only 127 of these cats were on a vegan diet. </p>
<p>Most of the health benefits reported for this group also did not reach statistical significance, which may be the result of simply not having enough animals in the study.</p>
<p>The authors reported a tendency towards positive effects of vegan diets. This means there was a general trend (which was sometimes strong), but doesn’t necessarily mean there is a very predictable relationship. </p>
<p>As a survey study, it’s not possible to confirm exactly what the cats were eating. Many of them went outside and may have <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-cat-one-year-110-native-animals-lock-up-your-pet-its-a-killing-machine-138412">hunted down meaty treats</a> even while on a vegan diet. Some owners also fed their cats treats and essential nutrient supplements, so any beneficial effects (or a lack of harmful effects) may not be due to diet alone. </p>
<p>Another missing piece of information is how long the cats were kept on the diet. We might assume one year – but this isn’t specifically stated. This is important information since deficiency diseases can take time to develop.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547959/original/file-20230913-17-su4cro.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cats in the study may have gone out hunting for meaty treats without their owners’ knowledge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Finally, any study assessing animal health will have inherent limitations if it’s designed as a survey. Pet owners usually aren’t medically trained and their “opinions” can be subjective and therefore biased.</p>
<p>Owners who had removed or reduced meat in their own diet were over-represented in the study. These people may already anticipate vegan diets are better for health, and this thinking could influence their responses.</p>
<p>It’s also worth noting the study was funded by ProVeg International – a food awareness organisation that promotes plant-based products. While this might not have impacted the validity of data, it could have influenced the stance taken when reporting on the results. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-cat-one-year-110-native-animals-lock-up-your-pet-its-a-killing-machine-138412">One cat, one year, 110 native animals: lock up your pet, it's a killing machine</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So, is a vegan diet good for my cat?</h2>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1992.tb09872.x">Only a handful of studies</a> have looked at health outcomes in cats fed vegan diets. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that, contrary to long-held beliefs, it <em>may</em> be possible for cats to stay healthy on a vegan diet. </p>
<p>However, we’ll need much more research before we can conclude vegan diets are better for cat health than diets containing meat.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-vegan-pet-diets-as-unhealthy-as-theyre-claimed-to-be-heres-what-the-evidence-says-197409">Are vegan pet diets as unhealthy as they're claimed to be? Here's what the evidence says</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To obtain really strong evidence on the safety and health benefits of vegan diets, we’d need clinical trials involving a large cat population and direct measurements of health through veterinary exams and lab tests.</p>
<p>One challenge that isn’t really addressed in this paper is how a vegan cat diet should be safely put together. We know plant-based diets typically lack a range of nutrients cats need and which their bodies can’t make. <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1992.tb09872.x">Previous</a> <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpn.13510">studies</a> have shown cats on vegan diets to have severe deficiency disorders affecting the muscles.</p>
<p>It may be possible for owners to provide these nutrients through supplements, but this would require an understanding of cat nutrition, or some sound advice from an animal health professional. For most of us, achieving a well-balanced diet for our felines in this way will be tricky. And let’s not forget cats are natural hunters and may well <em>like</em> the taste of meat!</p>
<p>It’s probably wise to wait before letting Felix go completely meat-free. If you feel very strongly about not feeding your cat meat, make sure to choose a commercial vegan pet diet and ask your vet about proper nutrient supplementation.</p>
<hr>
<h2>Blind peer review</h2>
<p>This article is a fair analysis of the study. It importantly clarifies the study can’t conclude that it is safe or beneficial to feed a solely vegan diet to cats in the long term.</p>
<p>The details of the diets fed to these cats were very vague; cats on a predominately vegan diet may have been receiving non-vegan foods as well, which could have provided essential nutrients, such as taurine, that may have been deficient in fully vegan diets. It also gave no detail about wet versus dry diets, which is another dietary factor that can impact health. </p>
<p>As a feline specialist veterinarian, I know too well how good cats are at hiding signs of illness until they are very advanced; owner-reported health status simply isn’t good enough to determine a cat’s health. </p>
<p>For example, one concern with vegan diets is a lack of taurine, which is essential for cats. Taurine deficiency can cause retinal degeneration and cardiac disease, both of which would not be evident to owners until the conditions were very advanced. Nutrient deficiencies can take a long time to develop and the study didn’t report on long-term feeding of a solely vegan diet. </p>
<p>I also disagree that fewer vet visits and less medication indicate better health. The authors point out that part of the study was performed during COVID lockdowns, which we know had significant effects on veterinary visits and also on some health conditions. </p>
<p>To assess health impacts of vegan diets, much longer-term studies would be needed with more complete health assessments including examination of the back of the eye, blood tests and ultrasound examination.</p>
<p><strong>– Andrea Harvey</strong></p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-let-them-out-15-ways-to-keep-your-indoor-cat-happy-138716">Don't let them out: 15 ways to keep your indoor cat happy</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213356/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
A new study has reportedly found benefits to feeding cats a vegan diet. We got an expert to look at whether the evidence stacks up.
Alexandra Whittaker, Senior Lecturer, School of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Adelaide
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/210898
2023-09-04T20:05:24Z
2023-09-04T20:05:24Z
Is it okay to kiss your pet? The risk of animal-borne diseases is small, but real
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545229/original/file-20230829-19-r94gri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C314%2C4886%2C3197&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our relationship with pets has changed drastically in recent decades. Pet ownership is at an all-time high, with <a href="https://animalmedicinesaustralia.org.au/media-release/more-than-two-thirds-of-australian-households-now-own-a-pet/">a recent survey</a> finding 69% of Australian households have at least one pet. We spend an estimated A$33 billion every year on caring for our fur babies.</p>
<p>While owning a pet is linked to numerous <a href="https://www.onehealth.org/blog/10-mental-physical-health-benefits-of-having-pets">mental and physical health benefits</a>, our pets can also harbour infectious diseases that can sometimes be passed on to us. For most people, the risk is low.</p>
<p>But some, such as pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems, are at <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/specific-groups/high-risk/index.html">greater risk</a> of getting sick from animals. So, it’s important to know the risks and take necessary precautions to prevent infections.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-bugs-can-you-catch-from-your-pets-40954">Health Check: what bugs can you catch from your pets?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What diseases can pets carry?</h2>
<p>Infectious diseases that move from animals to humans are called zoonotic diseases or <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/zoonotic-diseases.html">zoonoses</a>. More than <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3668296/#B18">70 pathogens</a> of companion animals are known to be transmissible to people.</p>
<p>Sometimes, a pet that has a zoonotic pathogen may look sick. But often there may be no visible symptoms, making it easier for you to catch it, because you don’t suspect your pet of harbouring germs.</p>
<p>Zoonoses can be transmitted directly from pets to humans, such as through contact with saliva, bodily fluids and faeces, or indirectly, such as through contact with contaminated bedding, soil, food or water. </p>
<p>Studies suggest <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4500695/">the prevalence of pet-associated zoonoses is low</a>. However, the true number of infections is likely <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/11/3789">underestimated</a> since many zoonoses are not “<a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/notification-of-illness-and-disease">notifiable</a>”, or may have multiple exposure pathways or generic symptoms. </p>
<p>Dogs and cats are major reservoirs of zoonotic infections (meaning the pathogens naturally live in their population) caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/rabies">In endemic regions in Africa and Asia</a>, dogs are the main source of rabies which is transmitted through saliva. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-the-rabies-virus-28654">Explainer: the rabies virus</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Dogs also commonly carry <em>Capnocytophaga</em> bacteria <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/capnocytophaga/index.html">in their mouths and saliva</a>, which can be transmitted to people through close contact or bites. The vast majority of people won’t get sick, but these bacteria can occasionally cause infections in people with weakened immune systems, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/capnocytophaga/signs-symptoms/index.html">resulting</a> in severe illness and sometimes death. Just last week, such a death <a href="https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/tracy-ridout-perth-mum-dies-11-days-after-rare-bacterial-infection-from-minor-dog-bite-c-11748887">was reported in Western Australia</a>.</p>
<p>Cat-associated zoonoses include a number of illnesses spread by the faecal-oral route, such as giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis and toxoplasmosis. This means it’s especially important to wash your hands or use gloves whenever handling your cat’s litter tray.</p>
<p>Cats can also sometimes transmit infections through bites and scratches, including the aptly named <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/cat-scratch.html#:%7E:text=Cat%20scratch%20disease%20(CSD)%20is,the%20surface%20of%20the%20skin.">cat scratch disease</a>, which is caused by the bacterium <em>Bartonella henselae</em>.</p>
<p>Both dogs and cats are also reservoirs for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10122942/">methicillin-resistant bacterium <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em></a> (MRSA), with close contact with pets identified as an important risk factor for zoonotic transmission.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with curly hair being licked in the face by a Staffordshire terrier" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545415/original/file-20230829-27-mpgatg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=504&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dog saliva hosts a bacterium that can cause serious illness and even death in some people.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/girl-kissing-dog-breed-staffordshire-terrier-200987354">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cats-carry-diseases-that-can-be-deadly-to-humans-and-its-costing-australia-6-billion-every-year-147910">Cats carry diseases that can be deadly to humans, and it's costing Australia $6 billion every year</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Birds, turtles and fish can also transmit disease</h2>
<p>But it’s not just dogs and cats that can spread diseases to humans. Pet birds can occasionally transmit <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/pneumonia/atypical/psittacosis/">psittacosis</a>, a bacterial infection which causes pneumonia. Contact with <a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/pet-turtles-source-germs">pet turtles</a> has been linked to <em>Salmonella</em> infections in humans, particularly in young children. Even pet fish have been linked to a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/fish.html">range of bacterial infections</a> in humans, including vibriosis, mycobacteriosis and salmonellosis.</p>
<p>Close contact with animals – and some behaviours in particular – increase the risk of zoonotic transmission. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19398275/">A study from the Netherlands</a> found half of owners allowed pets to lick their faces, and 18% allowed dogs to share their bed. (Sharing a bed increases the duration of exposure to pathogens carried by pets.) The same study found 45% of cat owners allowed their cat to jump onto the kitchen sink.</p>
<p>Kissing pets has also been linked to occasional zoonotic infections in pet owners. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298380/">In one case</a>, a woman in Japan developed meningitis due to <em>Pasteurella multicoda</em> infection, after regularly kissing her dog’s face. These bacteria are often found in the oral cavities of dogs and cats.</p>
<p>Young children are also more likely to engage in behaviours which increase their risk of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/specific-groups/high-risk/children.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fhealthypets%2Fspecific-groups%2Fchildren.html">getting sick</a> from animal-borne diseases – such as putting their hands in their mouth after touching pets. Children are also less likely to wash their hands properly after handling pets.</p>
<p>Although anybody who comes into contact with a zoonotic pathogen via their pet can become sick, certain people are more likely to suffer from serious illness. These people include the young, old, pregnant and immunosuppressed.</p>
<p>For example, while most people infected with the toxoplasmosis parasite will experience only mild illness, it can be life-threatening or <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/what-are-the-risks-of-toxoplasmosis-during-pregnancy/">cause birth defects in foetuses</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A little blonde girl lying on the floor kissing a large blonde dog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546103/original/file-20230904-27-lzhdw9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Young children under 5 years old are more at risk of zoonotic diseases, and also more likely to engage in behaviours that increase their chances of catching something from their pet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What should I do if I’m worried about catching a disease from my pet?</h2>
<p>There are a number of good hygiene and pet husbandry practices that can reduce your risk of becoming sick. These include:</p>
<ul>
<li>washing your hands after playing with your pet and after handling their bedding, toys, or cleaning up faeces</li>
<li>not allowing your pets to lick your face or open wounds</li>
<li>supervising young children when they are playing with pets and when washing their hands after playing with pets</li>
<li>wearing gloves when changing litter trays or cleaning aquariums</li>
<li>wetting bird cage surfaces when cleaning to minimise aerosols</li>
<li>keeping pets out of the kitchen (especially cats who can jump onto food preparation surfaces) </li>
<li>keeping up to date with preventative veterinary care, including vaccinations and worm and tick treatments </li>
<li>seeking veterinary care if you think your pet is unwell.</li>
</ul>
<p>It is especially important for those who are at a higher risk of illness to take precautions to reduce their exposure to zoonotic pathogens. And if you’re thinking about getting a pet, ask your vet which type of animal would best suit your personal circumstances.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-in-three-people-are-infected-with-toxoplasma-parasite-and-the-clue-could-be-in-our-eyes-182418">One in three people are infected with _Toxoplasma_ parasite – and the clue could be in our eyes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210898/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Animals, including the ones that live in our homes, can carry all kinds of illnesses. Most of the time it’s not a problem, but here’s what you should do to avoid getting sick.
Sarah McLean, Lecturer in environmental health, Swinburne University of Technology
Enzo Palombo, Professor of Microbiology, Swinburne University of Technology
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/212420
2023-09-04T17:37:53Z
2023-09-04T17:37:53Z
Dogs don’t see life through rose-coloured glasses, nor in black and white
<p>For a few months now, I’ve been treating six-year-old Samuel, who has the beginnings of myopia. He’s very quick for his age and often asks me questions about tests I give him, and about what I see inside his eyes. </p>
<p>But the last question surprised me. </p>
<p>Samuel knows that some people, like his father, don’t see colours well. But what about his little poodle, Scotch, he asked?</p>
<p>I’m not a veterinarian and don’t want to intrude on their domain of expertise. However, as an optometrist, I can offer some insights that might help answer Samuel’s question. </p>
<h2>Cones and rods</h2>
<p>Ambient light is composed of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/photon">particles (photons)</a>, which line up in rays. Light rays travel and strike objects. Some rays are absorbed, while others are reflected, depending on the characteristics of their surfaces and the composition of their materials. The wavelengths of the reflected rays determine the colour of the object as it is perceived by the eye. </p>
<p>Like everything about human vision, colour perception is complex. The retina, the sensitive part that lines the back of the eye, has two types of photon receptors: cones and rods. The cones, in the centre of the retina (fovea), perceive bright light and are <a href="https://askabiologist.asu.edu/rods-and-cones">responsible for colour perception</a>.</p>
<p>There are three types of cones. Each type contains a specific photo-pigment called opsin, which defines its nature. The opsin is produced under the influence of specific genes. The shortest opsin (“Cone S” for <em>short</em>) reacts mainly to blue light (420 nm). The longer one (“Cone L”) is more sensitive to orange-red light (560 nm) and the one in between (“Cone M” for <em>middle</em>) <a href="https://opentextbc.ca/biology/chapter/17-5-vision/">is activated in the presence of green (530 nm)</a>.</p>
<p>However, each cone reacts to each of the rays entering the eye. For example, a red ball will produce a weak response from the S cone (3/10), a slightly stronger response from the M cone (5/10) and a <a href="https://opentextbc.ca/biology/chapter/17-5-vision/">strong response from the L cone</a> (8/10). </p>
<p>The brain combines the signals emitted by each of these cones to form the colour it perceives. So, in the previous example, the perceived colour would be coded 3-5-8, corresponding to what we know as red. A pink colour might have the code 4-6-6, and blue, 8-6-3. Each combination of the 3-cone signals is unique, which allows us to appreciate different hues in all their variations. </p>
<p>That is, as long as the genetic code is intact. </p>
<p>The genes associated with colour vision can be mutated or defective, in which case the person will be partially or completely impaired. The best known of these anomalies is colour blindness (red-green deficiency or daltonism).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="perception of a plant according to a colour-blind person" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=331&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544341/original/file-20230823-249-j6j8jf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=415&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Colour blindness is associated with difficulty in perceiving red and green.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>And what about animals?</h2>
<p>Colour vision, in humans as in animals, <a href="https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/animal-vision-how-do-animals-see/">has developed throughout evolution</a> and results from the needs of each species according to their environment, the prey they hunt and the threats they need to avoid.</p>
<p>For example, birds have a fourth opsin that allows them to see ultraviolet (UV) light. Humans cannot perceive this light because our crystalline (internal) lens <a href="https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2012/AugSept/Animals/Bird-Vision">filters UV rays</a>. UV rays influence birds’ behavioural decisions, including foraging and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0065345408601059#:%7E:text=Publisher%20%20Summary,light%2C%20depending%20on%20the%20species.">their choice of a mate</a>.</p>
<p>So the colour vision of birds is more complex, with the result that the pigeon, which can perceive a myriad of colours, wins the <a href="https://nuscimagazine.com/the-world-through-the-eyes-of-a-pigeon/#:%7E:text=Though%20this%20range%20of%20vision,is%20one%20of%20these%20animal">award for best color vision among all species</a>.</p>
<p>Insects also perceive UV light. This function is essential for them to spot pollen, although their colour vision is very poor. Their eyes are made up of multiple lenses (ommatidia) that perceive <a href="https://www.mpg.de/14337047/how-flies-see-the-world">more movement than colour</a>. That’s much more practical while in fast flight.</p>
<p>Most forest-dwelling mammals have only two opsins. That’s because they lost the one associated with orange-red over the course of evolution. This explains why, unlike humans, these animals don’t perceive the orange bibs of hunters. </p>
<p>Snakes, on the other hand, are more sensitive to red and infrared light, thanks to their infrared receptors. This is an advantage when it comes to spotting prey, as <a href="https://phys.org/news/2006-08-snakes-vision-enables-accurate-prey.html">they can distinguish their heat even at night</a>. </p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, it’s the monkey that’s closest to the human, with its three opsins. It is said to be trichromatic. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="close-up of a black dog's eyes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544344/original/file-20230823-19-pd8rjz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dogs only perceive yellow-green and violet-blue. Colours are perceived as paler, like pastels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Back to Scotch</h2>
<p>The vision of dogs — such as our friend Scotch — is <a href="https://ophtalmoveterinaire.com/maladies_oculaires/vision-comment-voit-mon-chien/#:%7E:text=For%20r%C3%A9sumer%2C%20the%20vision%20of,for%20his%20life%20of%20dog.">quite different</a>. </p>
<p>Unlike humans, dogs’ eyes are located on the side of the skull. As a result, dogs have a wider field of vision (250 to 280 degrees), but less simultaneous vision. </p>
<p>So Scotch’s vision of movement is well developed throughout his visual field. But his central vision is actually six times weaker than ours. This is equivalent to the vision of a very myopic person not wearing glasses. Why? Because the dog’s retina contains no fovea, and therefore fewer cones. </p>
<p>But while dogs eyes have fewer cones, they have more rods. And as an added bonus, they have an extra layer of the retina, called the tapetum lucidum — or carpet. When combined, these ingredients mean dogs see better in dim light and at night. This layer receives light and reflects it back onto the retina for a second exposure. This explains why your dog’s eyes seem to glow at night.</p>
<p>When it comes to colours, dogs are dichromats. They perceive only yellow-green and violet-blue. Colours are perceived paler, like pastels. And some colours don’t contrast: that’s why a red ball on green grass will appear to them as pale yellow on a grey background, with little contrast.</p>
<p>So it’s possible, depending on the colour of the ball, that Scotch will not see it, and as a result, will gaze up at Samuel with a lost look. As for the infrared, he perceives heat through his nose, not through his eyes.</p>
<p>Cats are also dichromats. Their vision is therefore similar to that of dogs, but their colour palette is different — more oriented towards violet and green. Having no perception of red-green, they are essentially colour-blind. They are also very short-sighted. Their clear vision is limited to a few meters in front of them.</p>
<p>Throughout cats’ evolution, other senses came to compensate for this. Among other things, although they only perceive certain contrasts, they are <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/10/cats-eye-view/">formidable at perceiving movement</a>. Mice move quickly! </p>
<p>Every species adapts to its environment, and humans are no exception. Who knows what our colour vision will be like 500 years from now, after we’ve been exposed to more and more electronic devices and artificial colours? </p>
<p>But that’s a question for Samuel to answer when he’s older.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212420/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Langis Michaud ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>
Your faithful companion sees the world differently than you do, but it’s a mistake to assume dogs only see black, white and shades of grey.
Langis Michaud, Professeur Titulaire. École d'optométrie. Expertise en santé oculaire et usage des lentilles cornéennes spécialisées, Université de Montréal
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/211383
2023-08-24T12:33:42Z
2023-08-24T12:33:42Z
Canines go to college in this class that seeks to give shelter dogs a fresh start
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543241/original/file-20230817-13257-7h3ps.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=400%2C32%2C2332%2C1449&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Shelter animals often display problematic behaviors. Can they be retrained?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg</span></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Text saying: Uncommon Courses, from The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=375&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/499014/original/file-20221205-17-kcwec8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=471&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/uncommon-courses-130908">Uncommon Courses</a> is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching.</em> </p>
<h2>Title of course:</h2>
<p>“Canine Learning and Behavior”</p>
<h2>What prompted the idea for the course?</h2>
<p>When I was growing up, my love for animals led me to volunteer at animal shelters. But it wasn’t until I started teaching psychology that I found another way to support the well-being of shelter animals. During my first year of teaching a psychology course about learning, I realized that the course’s content could be used to train shelter dogs. </p>
<p>Since some shelter dogs display problematic behaviors, such as fearfulness, destructiveness and disobedience, they are less likely to get adopted. I wanted my students to use their knowledge, passion and care to train shelter dogs and improve their chances of finding a permanent home.</p>
<h2>What does the course explore?</h2>
<p>The course teaches students how to apply behavioral analysis and modification techniques toward the training of shelter dogs. Students work with dogs on learning to follow cues such as “sit,” “down,” “stay” and “come”; perform tricks such as “high-five,” and “roll over”; and complete agility courses made of tunnels, hoops and weaving poles.</p>
<p>The course also explores the emotional, psychological and physiological benefits of the human-animal bond, such as reduced stress, by integrating the dogs into educational and therapeutic environments. For instance, the students train the dogs to sit by them calmly for the entire duration of a lecture. This skill may be important for future adopters who work within an educational setting or need their dog to accompany them into the classroom.</p>
<p>The students also train the dogs to visit our clinical educational facility, the <a href="https://www.francis.edu/learningcommons#:%7E:text=Five%20state%2Dof%2Dthe%2D,%2Dway%20audio%2Dvideo%20conferencing.">Experiential Learning Commons</a>, which was built as a mock hospital. Within our simulated emergency room, intensive care room, patient room, maternity room and exam room, students train the dogs to walk next to simulated patients’ wheelchairs, sit by patients’ beds and provide them with affectionate and nurturing companionship.</p>
<p>Finally, the course instructs students on how to apply for grants for nonprofits, with the idea being to secure funding to support animal shelters.</p>
<h2>Why is this course relevant now?</h2>
<p>This course creates a collaborative and reciprocal partnership between a university and the community in which it is located. Focusing on the care for shelter dogs, it allows for faculty, students and a shelter’s staff and volunteers to exchange knowledge and resources. As such, it uses an instructional approach known as <a href="https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/elective-classifications/community-engagement/">community engagement</a>.</p>
<h2>What’s a critical lesson from the course?</h2>
<p>Working alongside our animal shelter community partners, and under the direction of my co-instructor, talented dog trainer <a href="https://www.marigoldholisticpetcare.com/">Megan Mills</a>, students learn that they can make a true and visible impact on society, one dog at a time. </p>
<h2>What materials does the course feature?</h2>
<p>Michael Domjan’s “<a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/868352362">The Principles of Learning and Behavior</a>”</p>
<p>Cynthia K. Chandler’s “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Animal-Assisted-Therapy-in-Counseling/Chandler/p/book/9781138935914">Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling</a>”</p>
<p>“<a href="https://shop.elsevier.com/books/handbook-on-animal-assisted-therapy/fine/978-0-12-815395-6">Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy</a>,” edited by Aubrey H. Fine </p>
<h2>What will the course prepare students to do?</h2>
<p>Students will learn to use psychological learning principles to work effectively with shelter dogs – and this knowledge can later be translated to other domains of their lives. I believe that by training shelter dogs and learning to write nonprofit grant proposals, my students will develop into ethical and responsible citizens – both locally and globally.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211383/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Shelter dogs get a new shot at life through a college course that teaches them how to be faithful companions once again.
Shlomit Flaisher-Grinberg, Associate Professor of Psychology, Saint Francis University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/211722
2023-08-21T12:29:03Z
2023-08-21T12:29:03Z
Want to help Maui’s animals after the wildfires? Send cash, not kibble
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543371/original/file-20230818-19-6ttzir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=95%2C65%2C1877%2C1173&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thousands of Maui's cats, dogs and other companion animals went missing or were injured.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP6ZxDvC7tepKhGO2UWy5cLDmL0L5PV6wfDlY0WSkbsRY3_OiNgumDCk393f2YDyA/photo/AF1QipMr5LqFGyjcNOYUv31VXiSCOOvZVZZp_OtKlidz?key=djlQUUZEY01KbkdMMnNRRnhHWkY5Y1N0a0NtclNB">Maui Humane Society</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>An estimated 3,000 pets were still missing more than a week after <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-maui-wildfire-pets-829c40f3d0bd05ed3587bab620f04474">deadly wildfires ripped through Maui</a> in August 2023 and left thousands of people – many of whom had companion animals – homeless. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sarah-Deyoung">The Conversation asked Sarah DeYoung</a>, who has conducted research in Hawaii and studies what happens to pets after disasters, to explain why rescuing companion animals is a high priority following wildfires and how donors can help animals and pet owners recover from this disaster.</em></p>
<h2>What happens to pets after a catastrophic fire?</h2>
<p>When disasters strike, people often evacuate with their pets, as long as it’s possible for them to quickly grab their dogs, cats or other kinds of companion animals. However, you may not have time to gather your animals during a quick-onset event like a wildfire, or your animals might be hiding.</p>
<p>This is especially true for <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/specialsections/sonoma-county-volunteers-reunite-cats-with-their-owners-after-tubbs-fire/">cats, because they can be skittish</a>. There are other complications, such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-03/navy-starts-bushfires-evacuations--in-mallacoota/11838424">evacuation by boat</a> – which makes it harder to bring animals along. When owners flee without a leash or carrier, their animals might bolt at any stopover or shelter. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, companion <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/Camp-Fire-cat-rescue-Foster-City-firefighters-Bay-13393478.php">animals can become injured</a> or <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html">perish during fires</a>. Many animals will also be lost and displaced.</p>
<p>Owners will spend weeks, months or even years after a fire searching for their missing cats and dogs. It can be challenging to identify and match pets with their humans because burn injuries can change the animal’s appearance, they may not have a microchip, or the owners themselves may have died in the fire.</p>
<p>Like people, animals that survive fires may experience <a href="https://now.tufts.edu/2020/01/31/animals-under-extreme-stress">trauma and stress symptoms</a>, such as regressing on housetraining or other issues for days and weeks after the fire. The pets may need quiet time and support to recover from their stress. They may also need to be treated for burn injuries or <a href="https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/wildfire-smoke-and-animals">lung damage from inhaling smoke</a>. Some animals may not <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6383809/Heartbreaking-images-animals-injured-California-wildfires-killed-44.html">survive their injuries</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1691494571287490570"}"></div></p>
<h2>What are the extra challenges on an island?</h2>
<p>Islands have limited space for the boarding and care of displaced animals. For example, during the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-2018-eruption-kilauea-was-big-global-scale">2018 lava flows</a> on Hawaii’s Big Island, in which over 2,000 people evacuated, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000383">logistics for people and animals presented unique challenges</a>. </p>
<p>People who lose their housing for any reason may need to board their pets. Unfortunately, nearly all of Hawaii’s animal shelters are already at full capacity due to the state’s <a href="https://www.hawaiianhumane.org/helpie_faq/pet-animal-overpopulation/">pet overpopulation</a>, leaving little space available during emergencies.</p>
<p>Smaller animal sanctuaries may take in animals temporarily, but they also have limited space and staffing. Because of these challenges, <a href="https://stepuptosave.org/foster/">animal-foster networks</a> become key during and after disasters. Truly stray animals – cats, dogs and other animals that belong in homes but live on the streets – can also be <a href="https://www.delawarepublic.org/delaware-headlines/2022-10-03/local-animal-shelter-rescues-animals-affected-by-hurricane-ian">flown to other places</a> for adoption. </p>
<p>But before that happens, it’s critical to first make every effort to reunite lost companion animals with their owners. </p>
<h2>Is aid for animals worth it when people are suffering?</h2>
<p>Many people love their animals and see them <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2019.1598661">as part of their family</a>.</p>
<p>In Hawaii, during the 2018 lava flows, I heard many people call their pets their “keiki” – the Hawaiian word for children. Losing pets is often devastating.</p>
<p>Improving animal welfare will ultimately also help people because of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13753-023-00496-9">bond between humans and animals</a>. People experience <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.2752/175303708X305765">psychological distress</a> when their pets are killed, injured or lost. Additionally, if people cannot safely evacuate with their pets, <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/11/8/20950253/wildfires-hurricane-katrina-pet-evacuation">they might refuse to leave</a> during disasters. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Dog standing on a cot in a makeshift shelter." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543372/original/file-20230818-17-6ttzir.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Some shelters allow people who have been forced to leave their homes or who have been left homeless to stay with their pets.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipP6ZxDvC7tepKhGO2UWy5cLDmL0L5PV6wfDlY0WSkbsRY3_OiNgumDCk393f2YDyA/photo/AF1QipPWGGszZmPE1LMPcHCy1Q7OmJsynUdpfOcU_wok?key=djlQUUZEY01KbkdMMnNRRnhHWkY5Y1N0a0NtclNB">Maui Humane Society</a></span>
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<p>That’s why emergency shelters should allow people to stay with their pets if possible. Hotels or other providers should also consider temporarily waiving pet fees and relaxing their restrictions on companion animals to reduce barriers for displaced people and their pets. </p>
<p>People who lose their animals in a fire may experience <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fjts.20403">depression and other mental health issues</a>, which is one of the many reasons why mental health care is essential for the communities that experience disasters.</p>
<p>If a companion animal has died in a fire, it helps the owners to get confirmation that the death occurred because of their need for closure. Some pet owners and community members construct shrines, memorials or other structures to memorialize the pets that died in the disaster. After the 2018 Camp Fire in California, people in the scorched town of <a href="https://www.actionnewsnow.com/news/pet-memorial-unveiled-in-paradise-to-remember-thousands-of-animals-lost-in-the-camp-fire/article_e39a265c-c438-11ec-9d0b-77491c7bcd55.html">Paradise constructed a memorial for the animals they lost</a>.</p>
<h2>Are there long-term problems for animal recovery?</h2>
<p>In a place like Maui that gets many visitors and has a high percentage of vacation rentals, there will likely be challenges in terms of displaced local people finding rental units that accept pets. Many available housing units might have <a href="https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2021-10-01/pet-friendly-rental-housing-comes-restrictions-hard-find">restrictive pet policies</a>.</p>
<p>In my <a href="https://tupress.temple.edu/books/all-creatures-safe-and-sound">research</a> with <a href="https://criminaljustice.illinoisstate.edu/faculty-staff/profile/?ulid=akfarme">Ashley Farmer</a> of <a href="https://tupress.temple.edu/books/all-creatures-safe-and-sound">Illinois State University</a>, we found that people sometimes surrender their pets after disasters because they can’t find temporary housing that allows dogs or cats, or due to <a href="https://www.redfin.com/blog/apartment-pet-policy-breed-restrictions/">breed restrictions</a>. A wave of animal surrenders causes already full shelters to become overcrowded.</p>
<p>There will be a need for some of those surrendered animals to be adopted or fostered for a longer period of time to ensure that there is enough room in local shelters. People will also need help as they continue searching for their missing animals.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two purple pet bowls amid burnt-up rubble" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543328/original/file-20230817-33902-72rx4j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Animal rescue teams leave bowls of food and water out as they search for missing pets after wildfires.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bowls-of-food-and-water-are-left-out-for-missing-pets-in-a-news-photo/1228499994?adppopup=true">David Ryder/Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>What’s the best way to help?</h2>
<p>In the college classes I teach regarding disaster response and recovery, I often emphasize the difference between intentions and impacts when it comes to volunteering, donations and other relief efforts. </p>
<p>Animal lovers in other places will often want to donate big bags of kibble, canned food, chew toys, dog crates and other physical items. As an animal lover myself, I can appreciate their great intentions and eagerness to help.</p>
<p>But shipping those <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/disaster-relief-donations-that-dont-bring-relief-1/">items may not be helpful after disasters</a>, and in fact, those donations may even be harmful. While conducting research in disaster zones, I’ve seen animal shelters get inundated with donated pet food that expired before it could be consumed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=329%2C261%2C7256%2C4583&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man hands a big bag of pet food to someone wearing a 'volunteer' t-shirt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=329%2C261%2C7256%2C4583&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/543346/original/file-20230817-13257-nxwazt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Volunteers sort donated pet food at the Maui Humane Society on Aug. 15, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/volunteers-sort-out-donated-pet-foods-at-the-maui-humane-news-photo/1601916118?adppopup=true">Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Unless local animal shelters have robust distribution systems, the logistics of dealing with massive amounts of donated supplies can become overwhelming. It’s much more effective for donors who want to help companion animals and their owners after disasters to give organizations like the <a href="https://www.mauihumanesociety.org/">Maui Humane Society</a> money. Those funds can pay for urgently needed goods and services, including spay and neuter surgeries and flea treatments. </p>
<p>My research team has seen that people in locations far away sometimes want to adopt a “disaster pet.” While some animals might be relocated from the islands eventually, the best way to immediately help is to give money to groups supporting people and their pets. This increases the chances that the people and animals who are already bonded to one another can stay together. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that animal shelters and other organizations that support pets and their owners after disasters will still need help months after the media has moved on. In other fire events, such as the Tubbs and <a href="https://www.alleycat.org/six-months-after-camp-fire-hundreds-of-cats-rescued">Camp fires in California</a>, animal organizations used the recovery phase as a time to trap and neuter feral cats, and then return them to the communities where they were living. Simultaneously, those organizations can keep on helping to reunite missing pets with their owners. </p>
<p>Finally, I believe it’s important to be compassionate toward people who lost pets in the Maui fire since they may be in mourning for quite a while. Losing a beloved cat, dog, rabbit, goat or turtle <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-losing-a-dog-can-be-harder-than-losing-a-relative-or-friend-68207">can be devastating</a> at any time. During a disaster, the loss of a pet amplifies the overall horror of the event. Similarly, reuniting with a missing disaster pet can also be a symbol of hope and recovery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211722/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah DeYoung received funding from the National Science Foundation to study companion animal evacuation from 2017-2019. </span></em></p>
Animal shelters and other organizations that support pets and their owners after disasters will still need help months after the media has moved on.
Sarah DeYoung, Disaster Researcher and Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.