The definition of sentient is simply “able to perceive or feel things”. Today most of us would probably also say that animals are able to feel emotion, form attachments and have distinct personalities. Yet for many decades the idea of animals feeling emotions or having personalities was dismissed by behavioural scientists.
Love them or hate them, it is hard to get away from pets. And even if you don’t own one yourself, you are likely to come across them (or things they have left behind) regularly.
As interest grows in self-sufficient, sustainable communities, and fears over Europe’s reliance on gas imports increase, more and more people are considering moving “off-grid”.
I was as skeptical when I loaded Rodney, my cat, into his carrier to take him down to the holistic veterinary clinic where a psychic was seeing animals. I was having some problems with Rodney that my regular vet couldn't help, and I figured, why not give the psychic a shot? I had found a human being who could talk to a cat...
When people who have never had a dog see their dog-owning friends mourn the loss of a pet, they probably think it’s all a bit of an overreaction; after all, it’s “just a dog.” However, those who have loved a dog know the truth: Your own pet is never “just a dog.”
Animals seem to be natural healers. In the Healing Power of Pets, Dr. Marty Becker explores many health benefits of having animal companionship. He cites studies showing that people who have animal companions also tend to have lower blood pressure, less stress...
Growing food in cities became popular in Europe and North America during and immediately after World War II. Urban farming provided citizens with food, at a time when resources were desperately scarce.
Every year, the NEC in Birmingham, England, becomes a magnet for dog lovers, as more than 22,000 canines assemble for Crufts. Founded by travelling dog-food salesman Charles Cruft in 1891, Crufts has become one of the world’s largest and most prestigious dog events.
I trampled clumsily through the dense undergrowth, attempting in vain to go a full five minutes without getting snarled in the thorns that threatened my every move. It was my first field mission in the savannahs of the Republic of Guinea. The aim was to record and understand a group of wild chimpanzees who had never been studied before.
Millennial women in their 20s and 30s have decided to stay single a lot longer than women did in the past. And instead of kids, they have pets. And many of those millennials are looking for pet-friendly workplaces.
Most shoppers—a whopping 83 percent—regularly visit between four and nine chain stores within a year to purchase groceries, a new study shows.
Just as many people are trying to eat less processed food to improve their health, some dog owners are turning away from conventional pet food.
Pet owners will often swear their beloved pooch or moggie does wonders for their wellbeing, and now we have empirical proof.
There has been a trend in recent years, both in literature and in life, for Scandinavian concepts that are encapsulated in a single word. Now, the new buzzword on the block is “dostadning” – a hybrid of the Swedish words “death” and “cleaning”.
Years ago, we believed that we weren’t animals and that animals were here solely for our use. Indeed, a cow was just a walking burger, steak of Sunday roast, keeping itself fresh and tasty ready for when we were hungry.
Gardening is a great way to relax, be one with nature and get your hands dirty. But lurking in that pleasant environment are some nasty bacteria and fungi, with the potential to cause you serious harm. So we need to be vigilant with gardening gloves and other protective wear.
This was the moment I realized that I was treating pet obesity all wrong.
Young zebra finches are intrinsically biased to learn certain patterns of sound over others—and these patterns mirror the ones humans use, experiments show.
Ironically, for me, becoming an animal communicator coincided with shifting away from my previous vegan lifestyle. I have had my own deep journey with this question, and perhaps the understandings I have reached with the help of the animals may be helpful for others who are struggling with this issue.
There is a significant increase in the risk of chocolate poisoning in dogs over the festive period, our latest study reveals. Chocolate contains a caffeine-like chemical called theobromine that is toxic to dogs (and cats) because they cannot metabolise it as quickly as humans do.
Dogs have significantly more neurons in their cerebral cortex—”little gray cells” associated with thinking, planning, and complex behavior considered hallmarks of intelligence—than cats, researchers report.
In 2016, the FBI started to track animal cruelty, including neglect, torture and sexual abuse, because of disturbing connections.
The weather is getting warmer, and gardens are coming alive with bees, flies, butterflies, dragonflies, praying mantises, beetles, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.