Why do cats knead with their paws?
A behavior from kittenhood persists in many adult cats. Byron Chin/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why do cats like to pat their paws on a soft blanket? – Anonymous Do you ever see your cat shifting his front paws back and forth just before settling down for a nap? Have you heard some cat lovers talk about their feline friends “making biscuits” or “kneading
news.yahoo.comAngels of Assisi looks ahead to new year, new facility
ROANOKE, Va. – 2021 is shaping up to be a momentous year for Angels of Assisi. The animal shelter and clinic estimate their new facility on Elm Avenue and Franklin Road SW will be done by the start of 2022. Additionally, executive director Lisa O’Neill said 2020 was the shelter’s busiest year on record. O’Neill said the pandemic likely caused customers to spend more time on their pets. “The power of pets is probably greater than we thought it was,” O’Neill said “We had people who, when they got their $600 check from the government, they spent it on their animals so they could get well.”Angels of Assisi is still doing curbside-only service due to the pandemic.
Campbell County spay, neuter clinic holds record-breaking surgery day
But Thursday, the South Central Spay/Neuter Clinic made sure community cats don’t breed more lives. So, all of a sudden, you feed one cat and you’ve got 20 in your backyard,” said Reese McClanahan, manager of the clinic. Owned by the Lynchburg Humane Society, the Campbell County clinic hosted a record-breaking surgery day for nearly 150 feral cats, which is more than double of what the facility typically sees in one day. Although the clinic hosts a big event once a year, they spay and neuter 60 to 70 cats a day, 6,000 to 7,000 of them each year. The animal experts said these cats don’t typically do well in a shelter environment, so freeing the feral felines back where they were is for their best interest.
These steps will keep your pet safe if a hurricane hits where you live
A carrying crateWhen dangerous weather hits, it’s a good idea to have a pet carrying crate for your animal so you know they will be safe inside. Freeman suggests doing some pre-crate training so when an emergency strikes, it’s not your animal’s first time going in. That means having an ID on the collar, or one step further: making sure your pet is microchipped. A pet emergency kitHaving an emergency kit on hand in case something disastrous happens will save you so much stress in the long run. That’s another reason why having a pet carrier can keep your dog or cat out of harm’s way.
New Virginia law makes it illegal to tether dogs in extreme heat
ROANOKE, Va – A new Virginia law requires all dogs must be given adequate shelter during extremely hot weather. The Roanoke Valley SPCA said with temperatures nearing 100 degrees almost daily, pet owners need to be more vigilant than ever. “If you are walking an animal outside, there are some things to look out for, like excessive panting or drooling, those are all signs that maybe the animal is starting to get overheated. In addition, especially walking dogs, you have to watch about walking them on paved surfaces,” explained Roanoke Valley SPCA Communications Manager Julie Rickmond. The RVSPCA encourages anyone who may see an animal outside in extreme heat to call their local animal control office.
TNR becomes official feral cat policy in Pittsylvania County
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Feral cats are a huge burden for the Pittsylvania Pet Center. For the past decade, the county’s policy has been to round up feral cats and euthanize them. (WSLS)Later this month, representatives from the nonprofit Alley Cat Allies will hold TNR presentations in the county. “To provide educational resources on what trap-neuter-return is and what a community cat is,” Alley Cat Allies President Becky Robinson said. As of Monday, the dates, times and locations of Alley Cat Allies’ presentations had not been released.
“We were looking for someone who needed us”: Pets find new homes at mass adoption event
Angels of Assisi’s Home for the Holidays adoption event featured more than 100 dogs and cats from various animal shelters throughout the region. We were looking for the right dog, someone who needed us as much as we needed them.”Young Allieson Davis convinced her mom to adopt Egg Nog the cat from the Regional Center for Animal Care & Protection’s booth. “When I first looked at him, I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll get him because he’s so nice and cuddly,’” Davis said. However, when Richardson learned Bones’ previous owner had died, she decided to give him a new home and a new name: Christmas. “He came up to us, laid down, and laid his body up against our chest," Richardson said.
Critics find 'Cats' to be an 'obscene,' 'garish' and 'overtly sexual' adaptation of the hit Broadway show
"Cats" seemed to have it all a stellar cast, memorable music from a Tony Award-winning Broadway show and the careful guidance of acclaimed director Tom Hooper. "Oh God, my eyes," Ty Burr, a writer for the Boston Globe, wrote in his review of the film. "You've heard of the 'uncanny valley' effect?" The digital era has given us many examples of the uncanny valley, but 'Cats' is the first movie to entirely set up shop there." Currently, the film holds a 17% "Rotten" score on review site Rotten Tomatoes from 101 reviews, as of midday Thursday.
cnbc.comDog survives after muzzle taped shut and throat cut
A pup named Dani, found on the side of an Ohio road with her mouth duct-taped shut and her throat cut, is doing well, according to the Butler County Sheriff's Office. She was rushed to a local veterinarian, where a chip on the dog was found to contain information for a shelter in Cincinnati. The Butler County Sheriff's Dog Warden is investigating the case and is asking for help from the community in locating Dani's owner. Meanwhile, the community has come together to not only help find the person responsible, but give Dani a home. I'm sickened by this and would rather give to assist instead of dwelling on the negativity," one person posted on Facebook.
Taylor Swift, co-stars talk about upcoming 'Cats' movie
We'll have to wait until Friday to see the first official trailer for the "Cats" movie, but a new teaser might satisfy fans who are already eager to pounce. The clip features stars Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift and others speaking about what the project means to them. The musical is based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's long-running stage adaption of a work by another famous T.S. The movie version will be released Dec. 20 and comes from the mind of director and co-writer Tom Hooper, who helmed 2012's "Les Misrables." As one could imagine, large-scale sets and elaborate costuming were required to make humans look like cats.