by Barbara George ~ Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist While many cats will feel comfortable with people by this time, they may still need some help in new situations. Cats that are not yet socialised need more time and effort. This is a process that time – as defined by the cat! Each cat and situation is different, and every cat […]
Trees are much better at creating clouds and cooling the climate than we thought
Hamish Gordon, Research Fellow in Amospheric Science, University of Leeds and Cat Scott, Research Fellow in Atmospheric Science, University of Leeds The pre-industrial atmosphere contained more particles, and so brighter clouds, than we previously thought. This is the latest finding of the CLOUD experiment, a collaboration between around 80 scientists at the CERN particle physics […]
Invasive alien plants in South Africa pose huge risks, but they can be stopped
Two-thirds of the Cape’s 9000 plant species are found nowhere else on earth, and no less than 2000 of these species are threatened with extinction by invasives. Alarmingly, over two-thirds of the Cape’s protected areas are invaded by aliens, and the forest, grassland and thicket biomes also have extensive invasions. Stephen Cousins, PhD student in Conservation Ecology, […]
Socialising an Older or Timid Cat – Physical Interaction
by Barbara George ~ Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Having gained a certain amount of trust in us, it is now time to move forward to being able to touch the cat. At first this is just a touch, until he is comfortable and trusts that we will not hurt him. Being able to touch, and later hold, groom […]
Ancient DNA changes everything we know about the evolution of elephants
Julien Benoit, Postdoc in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand For a long time, zoologists assumed that there were only two species of elephant: one Asian and one African. Then genetic analyses suggested that the African Elephant could be divided into two distinct species, the African Forest and African Savannah elephants. Now a new elephant […]
Socialising an Older or Timid Cat – Initial Interaction
by Barbara George Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Establishing trust means putting the needs of the cat first, and patiently keeping our desire to jump in, hug and cuddle to ourselves. Restraining our desires and feelings of no progress are well-rewarded when he chooses to be our friend. Initial interaction is the getting-to-know you stage, where he learns about […]
Dogs with Skin Issues
ASPCA Your dog’s skin is an indication of her overall health, so it’s important to keep it in prime shape. When a skin problem occurs, your dog may respond with excessive scratching, chewing and/or licking. A wide range of causes – including external parasites, infections, allergies, metabolic problems and stress, or a combination of […]
The northern white rhino should not be brought back to life
Jason Gilchrist, Ecologist, Edinburgh Napier University A geriatric semi-captive rhino died in Kenya recently. “Sudan”, a 45-year-old northern white rhino was put to sleep as vets decided, after months of ill health, that his condition had deteriorated to the point where the levels of pain and quality of life were unacceptable. From a conservation […]
Socialising an Older or Timid Cat – Containment
by Barbara George ~Tellington Ttouch Behaviourist Kittens learn their social skills from mother and siblings between the ages of 7 to 12 weeks of age. For any number of reasons, not all cats have this opportunity. Older cats, or cats that have had less – or bad – contact with people, can be less social than we […]
Large crack in East African Rift is evidence of continent splitting in two
Lucia Perez Diaz, Postdoctoral Researcher, Fault Dynamics Research Group, Royal Holloway A large crack, stretching several kilometres, made a sudden appearance recently in south-western Kenya. The tear, which continues to grow, caused part of the Nairobi-Narok highway to collapse and was accompanied by seismic activity in the area. The Earth is an ever-changing planet, […]
