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Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Hey, what’s that in my food dish??
http://tippedearclan.wordpress.com/tlc/hey-what%E2%80%99s-that-in-my-food-dish/
Cheaper Brands are False Economy
Many first-time cat owners, in an attempt to hold down expenses, buy the cheapest foods they can find for their cats. This is false economy for a couple of reasons. First, studies have shown that cats eat as much as they need to get the nutrients they require. Therefore, they might eat twice as much of that generously-carbohydrate-filled store brand to get the nutrients they need in a normal feeding of premium food. Second, the continued feeding of substandard foods over a period of years will heavily contribute to, or even cause, serious medical conditions that will require expensive veterinary care. For these reasons, the old maxim, “You get what you pay for,” is particularly true where it comes to cat food.
(Source: Tips for choosing cat food – learning the basics about cat food labels)
Cheaper Brands are False Economy
Many first-time cat owners, in an attempt to hold down expenses, buy the cheapest foods they can find for their cats. This is false economy for a couple of reasons. First, studies have shown that cats eat as much as they need to get the nutrients they require. Therefore, they might eat twice as much of that generously-carbohydrate-filled store brand to get the nutrients they need in a normal feeding of premium food. Second, the continued feeding of substandard foods over a period of years will heavily contribute to, or even cause, serious medical conditions that will require expensive veterinary care. For these reasons, the old maxim, “You get what you pay for,” is particularly true where it comes to cat food.
(Source: Tips for choosing cat food – learning the basics about cat food labels)
Step up moves to curb pet dumping
Step up moves to curb pet dumping
Oct 28, 2010
I WAS upset to read Tuesday's report ('Concern over horrific cases of pet dumping'). Many people abandon their pets when they find taking care of them too costly or time-consuming. They adopt or buy pets on impulse, only to dump them when they are 'no longer cute'.
The authorities should make it compulsory for all aspiring pet owners to attend a course on responsible pet ownership. The course should educate people that keeping a pet is not very different from raising a child: There will be mess to clear and costly visits to the vet. Upon completing the course, they can be issued a licence to own pets.
It should also be mandatory for pet shops to register the personal details, such as the name and address, of those who buy pets.
Finally, the HDB should allow flat dwellers to keep cats, but make sterilisation compulsory. Besides being healthier and less prone to some types of illnesses, sterilised cats do not caterwaul. They also require less maintenance.
A little education on responsible pet ownership will go a long way towards reducing the number of abandoned pets.
Elizabeth Tan (Ms)
To response to this letter, write to the Straits Times Forum with
Your full name (as in IC), your address and a phone number. For women, please indicate Miss, Mrs or Ms. Send your letters via e-mail: stforum@sph.com.sg
Be CAREFUL of this advertisement!
Anyone who has given his or her "unwanted" pet to this advertiser, please find out what happened to the pet. If you suspected any "foul play", please contact
1)SPCA
and
2) AVA
Animal welfare / Cruelty to animals
Tel: 6471 9987 / 6471 9996
Someone on facebook commented: " I saw this ad last night and have been trying to call the number to no avail. All I get is the phone being connecting (with some Indian tune as the connecting tone)..."
If you google search the number it leads to a Mar 2010 posting by 'Nathan' under Ecg Property - http://sg.redad.com/view_print.asp?id=50060464601174753 
1)SPCA
and
2) AVA
Animal welfare / Cruelty to animals
Tel: 6471 9987 / 6471 9996
Someone on facebook commented: " I saw this ad last night and have been trying to call the number to no avail. All I get is the phone being connecting (with some Indian tune as the connecting tone)..."
If you google search the number it leads to a Mar 2010 posting by 'Nathan' under Ecg Property - http://sg.redad.com/view_p
One senses that government-related agencies and the civil service sometimes think that they are listening to the ground...........................
"One senses that government-related agencies and the civil service sometimes think that they are listening to the ground, when they may not really be doing so."
AVA has NOT responded to this letter:
How about third party checks? This will help AVA to reassure the public
Original letter
To: voices@mediacorp.com.sg
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 6:04 AM
Subject: TODAY - Possible Contravention of Animals and Birds Act by the AVA
I refer to the article "AVA Denies allegations that stray animals suffered in pound" on 30 Sep & 'Strays welfare matters" on 02 October
With the publication of these articles, various accounts of healthy animals similarly deteriorating in AVA's pound has been posted on TODAY's Voice and other internet forums. Are the preventive measures taken by AVA sufficient?
The Animals and Birds Act, under Prevention of Cruelty to animals, 42(d) states that it is an offence
“by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act, causes any unnecessary pain or suffering or, being the owner, permits any unnecessary pain or suffering to any animal; “
For example, refer to the contention on healthy animals being infected while at the pound. AVA has stated they are housed singly but it may not necessarily be out of the infection zone of another sick animal nearby.
Are there any regular third party checks or inspections to assess the condition of animals held at AVA? The records of corporate organisations are audited and errors can be detected even after an extended period of time. This helps in accurate assessments and making improvements.
However, since AVA will not keep animals around for more than a few working days, there is no way to back-check on their treatment during that period. With the current stress on operational transparency, especially that of government agencies, this is a grevious loophole. AVA should engage in open practises to quell possible rumors and clarify their professionalism to the public.
Mr Roger Chow
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
CWS: Straits Times "Concern over horrific cases of pet dumping"
http://www.catwelfare.org/drupal/node/3400
Submitted by veron on Tue, 10/26/2010 - 11:31
Straits Times | Oct 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
New Zealand: People turn to pets for support
Published: 12:09PM Wednesday October 20, 2010
Source: ONE News
An American professor believes more and more people are using pets for social support.
There has been a sizeable increase in pet ownership in New Zealand over the past few decades and James Serpell from the University of Pennsylvania said there are now about twice as many dogs and cats per person as there were 20-30 years ago.
Serpell told Breakfast this morning that urbanisation has led to the increase as people move into the city and animals "become less the workhorse and more the family pet".
He said other factors include couples having fewer children, more people living alone, higher divorce rates and more transient friendships.
And Serpell said people's health depends very much on the social support they have from others. He said people look to friends and relatives to support and care about them in times of need.
"People are inviting pets into their homes to replace what they're missing in terms of more traditional kinds of social support," Serpell said.
"As we progressively urbanise so our need for pets increases."
Read http://www.thornapplemanor.com/residents/neighborhoods.htm
"The three plagues of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom account for the bulk of suffering among our elders"
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mama Cat is proud to live in a cat-proof home!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Love them. Keep them safe.
Mama Cat is proud to live in a cat-proof home!
The sufferings of an abandoned cat called Spring
Spring, a siamese-x female was found in a neighbourhood where almost all the cats are neutered, except for the recent new "abandonees" and where there are caregivers constantly looking out for "new" cats. She is in an advanced state of pregnancy. Last week she gave birth to 4 kittens, who looked small and premature. 3 of the kittens died and Spring has bleeding from her womb. She was rushed to a vet clinic and her last surviving kitten was fostered. This kitten passed away this morning.
Spring improved yesterday but turned bad again today. The vet planned to do an Xray this afternoon.
Fosterer, Tony, wrote, "This is the kitten belonging to Spring..The tiniest I have seen. It only arrived yesterday, weak but able to take milk. Spring is the mother cat that is now under the care of Mettacats."
All methods of culling involve cruelty and are a misuse of funds
Send this to your town council to STOP THE POISONING OF PIGEONS!
http://www.pigeoncote.com/vet/recovery/recovery.htm#RECOGNISING
CULLING
All methods of culling involve cruelty and are a misuse of funds because all they achieve are a temporary gap asking to be filled by other pigeons moving in from surrounding areas. After a cull, more food is available to those remaining; hence more pigeons are fit to breed and less succumb to infant mortality. With these advantages they can replenish their numbers at an astonishing degree, to again be the scapegoats for inefficiency, and victims of misguided priorities and wasted resources.
A given pigeon population will level off to a density rate that the food availability can sustain. When that point is reached, less robust pairs will not reproduce and natural losses tend to stabilize flock numbers. So basically, if left alone the flock will not grow ad infinitum, but regulate itself without the unnecessary savagery of drugs, falconry, traps and guns.
If their presence is justifiably unwanted, the only sure (and most humane) way to deter feathered opportunists is to reduce the amount of refuse we produce and net off roost sites. As long as mesh is maintained no pigeon should suffer, and the flock will be stronger and more resistant to disease. This solution is cheaper, permanent and does not employ armies of mercenaries who poison the public's mind with ill-informed scare-mongering propaganda merely to ensure an easy salary.
Too many people accept this ridiculous disregard for life and money, because they choose to believe 'experts' who have a vested financial interest in promoting deplorable myths about these birds.
What any honest vet will tell you is that feral pigeons are no more a risk to human health than any other bird or animal species and it is doubtful than any outbreak of ill-health has ever been traced to pigeons. Another common myth is that pigeon's droppings corrode buildings, but these droppings are neither acidic nor alkaline and cannot corrode building materials. But pigeons are a convenient visible target for anyone who would rather pin the blame on them rather than the sulphur dioxide of car exhausts and acid rain.
Monday, October 18, 2010
BB helps humans to overcome their fear of cats (ailurophobia)
Oct 18, 2010, at 9:13 PM,
Hey! Hope you're doin well :) I wanted to share something with you which I hope will put a smile on your face.
My best friend said to me today.. "I used to be afraid of cats.. But because of Bengalboy, I'm not any longer."
Similarly, I had 2 friends who overcame their fear of cats because of bengal boy. :)
- Dian
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Dogs may help children with allergies
Dogs may help children with allergies
Published: 3:28PM Thursday October 14, 2010
Source: Reuters
Source: NZPA
Life with the family dog will give young children hours of loyal companionship, cherished memories - and, in some cases, possibly even better health.
A study in the Journal of Pediatrics says that children with a family history of allergies may be less likely to develop eczema, an allergic skin condition, if they live with a dog when they are younger than one year.
But living with a cat may increase those odds, though only among children who are sensitive to cat allergen - substances in pet dander, saliva and urine.
Given the complexity of the situation, it is hard to give parents specific advice about pets, said Tolly Epstein, an assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio, who led the research team.
But as far as eczema goes, a number of studies have shown there is a consistent relationship among dog ownership and lower risk, she added.
"It may be that these children develop a tolerance, but we don't know that for sure," she said.
The study involved 636 children enrolled as infants in a long-term study of environmental exposures and allergy risk.
All were considered to be at increased risk of allergies because they had a parent with a history of asthma, nasal allergies or eczema.
When the children were younger than one year, researchers visited their homes to collect dust samples.
The children also underwent yearly exams, including a skin-prick test to see whether they'd become sensitised and their immune systems were producing antibodies after being exposed to allergens such as pet dander.
Overall, 14% of the children had eczema at age four.
But that rate fell to nine percent among the 184 children who'd had a dog in their home during infancy.
Of the 14 children who were sensitive to dog allergen and lived with a dog, only two - 14% - developed eczema.
That compared to 57% for dog-sensitive children who didn't have a dog at home during early life.
The situation with cats is harder to call.
Epstein's team found that there was no clear relationship between having a cat in the house during infancy and an increased eczema risk among children overall, but that the picture changed with children sensitive to cat allergens.
Among 13 such children who lived with a cat during infancy, 54% developed eczema by age four compared to 33% who did not have a pet cat.
The rate of eczema fell to 11% for non-sensitive children even when they did live with a cat.
Epstein noted that her study was looking specifically at the development of eczema and not other conditions, such as asthma.
She also said the results applied only to children with parents who have allergies, and little is known about how a family pet could affect children at average risk.
Another disappointing "template" and passive reply from the AVA
Anyone who still has energy to "whip" the AVA into more animal welfare action instead of just KILING/CULLING strays in its premises with taxpayers' money, give your feedback on this reply by clicking here.
Cat People Are People, Too
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/cat-people-are-people-too/?src=me&ref=homepage
In her more flowery days, Drew Barrymore reflected that “if I die before my cat, I want a little of my ashes put in his food so I can live inside him.”
In her more flowery days, Drew Barrymore reflected that “if I die before my cat, I want a little of my ashes put in his food so I can live inside him.”
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Article put monkeys in a bad light
Complaint about the New Paper here: http://tnp.sg/sendmail/0,4137,TalkToUs,00.html?
The Electric New Paper :Article put monkeys in a bad light
13 October 2010
I REFER to the article 'Monkey grabs food from pram in a flash'.
The experiment that was carried out by The New Paper staff - placing bananas and peanuts in a pram near the forested area on Rifle Range Road - was unnecessary and regrettable, as it is already an established fact that monkeys will be tempted by food in their path.
It is precisely this treatment that fosters unnatural behaviour - a dependence on humans for food and a boldness in demanding food. That is why the authorities have fines in place for people who feed the monkeys.
The article overall put the animals in abad light, through no fault of their own. Asaresult, it does little about promoting kindness and respect of wild animals in their natural habitat.
More information on human-macaque communities along the urban jungles of Singapore can be found online at www.spca.org.sg/humanmacaque.html
DEIRDRE MOSS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION
OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
Friday, October 15, 2010
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