A young mountain lion that was strangled last month by a Colorado jogger the animal attacked was a 4-month-old orphan, state wildlife officials have revealed. According to a necropsy, the young male had weighed an estimated 35 or 40 pounds. The inexperienced hunter may have been desperate for prey when he pounced on 31-year-old Travis Kauffman on a scenic trail in Fort Collins. The mountain lion’s body, which had been partially eaten, likely by his two orphaned siblings, was recovered Feb. 4, the day of the attack. Officials saw no trace of a mother, according to the necropsy by Colorado Parks and Wildlife veterinarians, which referred to the dead male as a “kitten,” though young mountain lions are usually called cubs. “Mountain lions are solitary animals, only coming together for breeding,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Jason Clay told NBC News on Friday. “We had no signs of an adult female being anywhere near the scene that day, or in the following days, which is one reason why we think these kittens were orphaned.” Mountain lions are raised by their mothers alone. To read more on this story, click here:Mountain Lion Killed By Colorado Jogger Was Orphaned 'Kitten,' Officials Reveal
Here's a common scene for a dog owner: You're trying to eat and there is this pup that you love, staring up at you. Whining. Pawing. Looking so cute and sad. So, you cave in and share your food — it just doesn't seem possible to say "no". But before you become a sucker to those sad doggie eyes again, it's important to know which foods are actually safe for your dog to consume. Some human food is safe and even healthy for your dog, but there are lots of other foods that can be very harmful — it's not just chocolate you need to avoid. The following are the foods your dog should never eat, even when they beg and try to get the best of you. Some of these foods are incredibly toxic to our four-legged friends, and some can lead to health issues if given too frequently. Either way, we hope you think twice about feeding your pup human food after reading this list. Your dog might not thank you right away, but you'll both be better off! And, as always, when in doubt, err on the side of caution. And while these foods aren't good for dogs across the board, individual animals can even have allergies and adverse reactions to foods that are "safe". By Liz Marple To read more on this story, click here:Did You Know These 30 Foods Are Harmful To Dogs?
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Cat diseases can cause a variety of symptoms, including lethargy, weight loss, eye discharge, loss of appetite, and more. Learning to identify these illnesses and their symptoms may help you get a better understanding of the medical needs of your pet. Keep in mind, these charts provide helpful general information, but they are not intended to be a substitute for professional veterinary care. Chart of Cat Diseases, Symptoms, Treatment and Prognosis Cat illnesses can be broken down into several categories: degenerative, metabolic, cancer, infectious, or inflammatory with some overlap between the categories. Many diseases are difficult to diagnose because the symptoms overlap with other diseases. To read more on this story, click here:List of Cat Diseases and Symptoms
The effects of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystems are being felt across the world. Since June 2018, the Tsavo West National Park in Kenya has been suffering from a severe drought. The many species of animals there would have perished if not for the kindness of one man. Patrick Kilonzo Mwalua, a pea farmer, is keeping the animals alive by delivering thousands of liters of water to them every day. “It was in June last year when visiting the Tsavo that I noticed that the waterholes were dry and animals were sitting around them looking very desperate,” Mwalua told Nairobi Wire. “There is completely no water, so the animals are depending on humans,” Mwalua told The Dodo. “If we don’t help them, they will die.” To read more on this story, click here:Meet the African ‘Water Man’ Who Delivers Truckloads of Water to Thirsty Animals Daily
Like human health problems, some dog diseases, injuries and physical ailments are serious while others are not. Fortunately, the vast majority of health problems that dogs commonly experience can be successfully treated with medications, physical therapy, surgery, or other types of medical treatments. Unfortunately, since animals can’t talk, it’s often very difficult to detect what type health problems dogs may be experiencing. We have, however, compiled the following list of common healthcare problems to help you detect and better understand possible problems that could affect your dog’s health and overall wellness. If your dog is showing any of the symptoms that we have described for the various diseases and physical abnormalities listed below, it’s very important that you take your dog to see its vet at the earliest possible time. Early treatment will not only greatly improve your dog’s chances for a quick and complete recovery, but it could very well save your dog’s life. To read more on this story, click here:Dog Health: Diseases, Symptoms and Treatments
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Wildlife officials say a man who fought off a young mountain lion on a northern Colorado trail killed the animal by suffocating it. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the man was running alone near Fort Collins when the lion attacked him from behind after the movement apparently triggered its hunting instincts. The runner, whose name hasn’t been released, fought off the cougar, hiked out of the area after Monday’s attack and drove himself to a hospital. He suffered facial cuts, wrist injuries and puncture wounds to his arms, legs and back. To read more on this story, click here:Mountain Lion Killed By Jogger After Attack During Run
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It can be embarrassing when you run into a neighbor while you’re both walking your dogs and all your dog wants to do is smell the other dog’s butt. Relax a little; that’s normal dog behavior. If you pull on the leash to get your dog to stay away from the other dog’s butt, you might cause a fight to break out: by pulling your dog, you might make him look threatening to the other dog. Powerful Sense of Smell Humans can’t completely understand all the information a dog gets from smelling another dog’s butt. At least 33 percent of a dog’s brain is designed to process smells, as opposed to about 5 percent of a human’s brain. A dog’s sense of smell is so powerful that he can tell, for example, whether the dog before him in the veterinarian’s examination room was afraid, just by the smell the previous dog left behind. They Can't Shake Hands Dogs sniff butts to greet each other, much as humans do by shaking hands. Dogs have anal glands just inside their rectums, which produce a strong odor. Dogs can find out all sorts of information just by getting a whiff back there. They can find out the sex of the other dog, whether the dog is in heat, what the dog ate lately and whether the encounter is likely to be a friendly one. Because the smell is unique to each dog, butt sniffing is the best way dogs have to identify each other. It Calms and Grounds Them When a dog already knows about the other dog from a prior sniffing, he still smells the other dog every time they meet. Two dogs who live together typically smell each other’s butts when they come in from outside. So butt sniffing has another purpose: it’s also a dog calming mechanism, according to Kevin Behan, a Vermont dog trainer and author. Anytime something new happens—especially something stressful—dogs tend to sniff each other’s behinds. It satisfies the urge to do something, and it grounds them. Dogs Might Get into Trouble Some dogs, when meeting another dog for the first time, are enthusiastic sniffers. But the dog being sniffed might not take too kindly to all that focused attention. Whenever your dog is meeting another dog, be attentive. If the butt smelling is an unwelcome gesture, it’s time to separate the dogs.
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Every species has its own way of communication. I have often wondered, How do cats communicate with each other? Cats use a complicated method of communication. There are three ways they tend to “talk.” They sometimes converse with humans in the same manner. According to the ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats , humans are so focused on speech, we sometimes don’t pick up on a feline’s subtler expressions. How Do Cats Communicate With Each Other? Three ways of communication between cats are: 1. Vocal: Your cat uses vocalization to tell other cats (or you) what she needs. Different pitches, as well as the intensity and volume of her meowing, reflect her different emotional and physical requirements. Loud meowing indicates anxiety and fear, while less intense meowing is her way of showing confidence and contentment. Sounds include murmurs (purring), vowel sounds (meowing) and high-intensity growls and howls. 2. Body Language: To interpret a cat’s subtle body language, you need to consider the combination of all her features and movements. Understanding her moves (of the eyes, ears and tail) along with her body position can tell you a lot about what exactly is on her mind. Cats take on different postures for different situations, either in the presence of other cats or humans. But I’ll simplify things by saying that basically these movements break down into two categories: “Come closer” or “Go away.” Rolling over and showing her tummy is her way of issuing a “Come closer” invitation. A female cat in heat may use this tactic to let her male mate know she wants to get physical. On the other end of the spectrum, arching her back, puffing up her stiffened tail, baring her teeth, unsheathing her claws — that all basically means, “Go away! I will fight if I have to.” 3. Scented Markings: A cat’s main form of communication is through scents. If you have more than one cat, you may see them butting heads or rubbing their cheeks together. This natural rubbing occurs only when the cats are comfy with each other. According to The Cat Bible, facial glands release pheromones containing personal information about the cat’s age, weight, health and reproductive status. Cats use scents (ranging from urine and feces to scents released by paw pads or the facial glands) to leave messages to other cats. Scents are used to mark territory, to threaten or to announce a cat’s presence.
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