Australians are keen pet owners and increasingly, we’re monitoring the behaviour of our domestic animals. Webcams, GPS tracking, dogs joining Skype calls … pets are becoming entangled with technology in myriad ways.
An engorged female tick on the forehead of a dog. To get this big, they need to suck blood for about four days. While this is happening, the tick is injecting neurotoxins into the bloodstream.
Rob Webster
Tick paralysis affect 10,000 dogs each year in eastern Australia, and the treatment can be very expensive. Fortunately, a new drug available is available.
In countries where many if not most households have pets, ‘no pets’ rental policies are a serious obstacle to housing security.
Mike Hoff/flickr
Landlords and property agents often apply ‘no pets’ rules even though many households see them as part of the family. Their difficulty in finding rental housing then becomes a source of great stress.
The release of the movie ‘Finding Dory’ comes with renewed calls to leave fish in reefs – a good idea in this case – but catching some ornamental fish can have a positive impact on reef communities.
More than 60% of Australian households include at least one companion animal, which are seen as family members by 88% of these.
from www.shutterstock.com
With a majority of households having pets and growing numbers living in apartments, a review of regulations on keeping animals in such communities is timely.
How good are people at interpreting a cat’s meow?
'Cats' via www.shutterstock.com
While cats – with their steely demeanor – have a reputation of being hard to read, humans seem intent on figuring out what they’re thinking and feeling.
Goldfish might look nice, but they can also spread a variety of decidedly not-nice viruses.
kaori/pixabay.com
Many pet fish end up in ponds, fountains and waterways. But before ditching your goldfish in the park, stop and think about the viruses you could also be releasing.
Dogs are important users of urban parks, but these are clearly designed for the use of people – except for a few out-of-the-way dog parks. Is that fair to dogs that have no say about living among us?
The cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) female full of eggs.
Jan Slapeta
Christmas is here again, and we’re excited for decorating, parties, and summer getaways. But before we dive into the silly season, let’s first make sure our pets are properly taken care of.
Pets are under-rated and under-researched in their positive effects on our health.
Flickr/ US Pacific Fleet
Professor, Management and Organizational Studies, Huron University College and Coordinator of Animal Ethics and Sustainability Leadership, Western University