How Being a Cat Parent Improves Your Health: Top 5 Benefits
Being a cat parent helps keep the doctor away! Here are five ways how sharing your life with a feline friend can improve your health and well-being — physically and mentally. Cats are cute and cuddly companions — but they also offer their human companions numerous health benefits. From reducing stress to lowering blood pressure, sharing your life and home with a cat can positively impact your physical and mental well-being. Let’s explore the top five health benefits of living with cats, and why our furry felines are much...
Get ’em Home Challenge winning strategies for helping long-stay pets in animal shelters
This post originally ran in 2019. Mark your calendars for the next Challenge in April 2024, the Open Arms Challenge. In order to find adopters for pets with long shelter stays and compete in the Get ‘Em Home Challenge, Young-Williams Animal Center in Knoxville, TN, developed progressive programming that involved many different areas. Their plan involved the creation of a field trip program, an innovative foster-to-adopt program, marketing pets heavily on social media, increased use of play groups and training for dogs and cats who...
Family Falls in Love with Stray Kitten, Who Later Receives Serious Diagnosis
This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Submit your own rescue story here. Your story just might be the next to be featured on our blog! We found him one summer night, and he had me twisted round his little broken tail within seconds. We figured someone had dumped him next to our place. CAT. PHOTO: PIXABAY / MOSHE HAROSH We took him in and it was like he always belonged. We already had two other cats and were not keen on adding a third, but he obviously had other plans and within days, he was a member of our family. FEED...
Chimpanzees and Bonobos Recognize Friends Decades After They’ve Seen Them
Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest animal relatives, sharing more than 98% of our DNA. We’re thought to have split off from a common ancestor at least 6 million years ago, but we share common traits. Those include a high level of intelligence and communication through hand and limb gestures. A new study finds our long-term memory may be another commonality. Research recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences investigated whether or not bonobos and chimpanzees recognized old acquaintances that they...
Scientists Marvel at Half-Male, Half-Female Bird Found in Colombia
In the vibrant forests of Colombia, a rare avian spectacle has captivated scientists and birdwatchers alike. A green honeycreeper with an extraordinary condition known as bilateral gynandromorphy has been observed, presenting a unique opportunity to study this rare phenomenon in avian species. Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Doug JansonThe green honeycreeper is a small, brightly colored bird native to Central and South America. What is Bilateral Gynandromorphy? Bilateral gynandromorphy is a biological condition where an organism displays male...
120+ Pets Facing Euthanasia
Dec 18, 2023 24 pets facing euthanasia are arriving at APA! now as their originating shelter was presented with a potential eviction. The 90+ remaining animals in the No Kill shelter hold the same fate if they can’t be moved to other places. Here’s how you can help: The more fosters can sign up, the more pets we can place into homes to ensure they don’t face euthanasia. If you’re able to open up your home to one of these pets in need, please apply to foster here. It costs $7,000 just to bring these pets into our...
Christmas Trees With Photos Of Pets Who Have Passed Away Discovered Along Trail In Canada
Pet owners in Canada are honoring their beloved dogs and cats that have crossed the Rainbow Bridge in an inspiring and touching way. Hiker, Courtney Carson, was strolling along the 4.6-mile Mosquito Creek Trail near North Vancouver, British Columbia, when she discovered a pine tree with photos of dogs and cats hanging on it. She posted a video on TikTok of the tree and wrote, “went for a walk and found a Christmas tree dedicated to people’s pets that have passed.” @jourtsworld *emotional damage* #brbcrying #taylorswift...
Research Uncovers Cats’ Hidden Talent for Playing Fetch Just Like Dogs
Cats, long celebrated for their independent and mysterious nature, have been surprising their human companions with a rather unexpected behavior: playing fetch. Traditionally associated with dogs, this playful activity is not just for our canine friends. Recent research reveals that cats too enjoy a game of fetch, often on their own unique terms. Photo: PexelsCats often engage in solitary play, amusing themselves with toys or everyday objects. Instinctive Play: Cats’ Natural Tendency to Fetch The conventional image of a pet playing...
Dog Hit By Car And Dropped At Shelter In The Middle Of The Night Needs Your Help To Walk Again
Roughly 10,000 dogs are involved in car accidents each year, resulting in death or severe injuries. A six-month-old Labrador retriever was hit by a car near Oceanside, California, and needed immediate medical care. Instead of being rushed to an emergency animal clinic, she was brought to the local shelter’s night drop off box and left in extreme pain with a note telling staff that she was hit by a car, and they were unable to care for her. California Labradors Retrievers and More Rescue took her in and discovered she has a severely...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Austin Pets Alive! courses, housing rights webcast and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Dr. Kwane Stewart is CNN’s Hero of the Year!Dr. Kwane Stewart, veterinarian and co-founder of Project Street Vet and a Maddie’s Fund® grantee, has been named at the 2023 CNN Hero of the Year for his incredible work with pets and people. As CNN Hero of the Year, Dr. Stewart will receive $100,000 to expand his work. During his acceptance speech, he promised to… Learn More Short and digestible online courses for animal organizations...
