Tag Archives: cats

AN “EXPLOSION” of abandoned cats has prompted a West Clare animal sanctuary to issue an appeal to owners to take greater responsibility for their pets.   Dr Rhona Lucas who runs An Cat Dubh Sanctuary said that since the lockdowns eased, she has been inundated with abandoned cats, often in need of urgent care. “In the month of September, I took in 46 cats,” the 78 year-old outlined. “It has been a shocking year for admissions. I’ve actually been too frightened to count the total number of cats taken in this year.” Rhona said that the problem of abandoned and straying cats is particularly severe, but that she is also taking in more dogs than usual, as well as other animals. “It seems that many people got pets during the lockdowns while they were at home,” she said. “Now they’re back in the workplace and sadly many pets are being abandoned. Normally, I would have a busy summer and then a …

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) members dressed as giant pink and blue “condoms” and holding signs that read, “Dogs and Cats Can’t Use Condoms: Spay and Neuter!” descended on Ennis today (Monday). Their message? Five homeless dogs are euthanised every day in Ireland, and the only way to manage the cat and dog overpopulation crisis is to have animal companions spayed or neutered. “Hundreds of thousands of unwanted cats and dogs suffer on the streets of Ireland every day, and most will never finding a loving home”, says PETA director Mimi Bekhechi. “Dogs and cats can’t wear condoms, so PETA is calling on guardians to take responsibility and spay or neuter their animal companions.” PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – notes that every year in Ireland, thousands of unwanted cats and dogs enter animal shelters, and many of them are euthanised because there simply aren’t …

Clare 4-22 Kilkenny 2-19 No, it’s not a mistake. Clare scored 4-22 on their way to a comprehensive win over hot favourites Kilkenny in the semi-final of the Allianz hurling league at Semple stadium in Thurles this Sunday afternoon and they were fully deserving winners on the day. Three first half goals rocked the Noresiders who simply could not handle John Conlon in front of goal. Adding to the celebrations for the Clare fans was the return after a two year absence of Podge Collins and the return from injury of Tony Kelly, both of whom made valuable contributions on a day when theyre were many Clare stars. Kilkenny manager Brian Cody readily acknowledged “the better team won and there are no arguments about that” There were few people, certainly outside the Clare camp, that would have predicted an eleven point half time lead for the Banner side but that was the position with Clare 3-12 to 0-10 in front …

TO the ancient Celts, the year had two ‘hinges’. These were Beltaine (the first of May) and Samhain, (the first of November), which is also the traditional Celtic New Year. These two days were the most magical, and often frightening, times of the whole year. The Irish and Scots Celts began celebrating Samhain more than 2,000 years ago. Samhain marked the time cattle were brought in from their summer grazing to their winter fold. By that stage, the harvest was done and food stored. The gods were petitioned to protect the cattle during the long, hard winter. Samhain is also the night of the Great Sabbat for the witches (Ban-Druidh, in Scots Gaelic). On Hallowmas, all the witches of Scotland gather together to celebrate, prophesy and cast their spells. Tradition has it that on this night, they can be seen flying through the air on broomsticks with black cats, ravens or horses on their wild Hallowmas Ride. Some say the …

THERE are lots of myths that have existed around pets and these are just a few. * A wagging tail means a happy dog: Dog body language is very complex and a wagging tail is only part of a very big picture. It can mean the dog is happy but it can also indicate anxiety, fear and sometimes aggression. So look at the whole dog. * You should let the dog have one litter before you spay her: Absolutely not. Dogs don’t have the same maternal feelings that people do and the drive to have puppies only comes around when the dog is in season. Pregnancy may cause complicated health issues and can mean expensive trips to the vets. Thousands of unwanted puppies and stray dogs are killed in Ireland each year and if you let your dog have ‘just one litter’, you may be adding to the problem. * Neutering my dog will change him: The earlier it is …

While there are thousands of species of plants and flowers, only a small percentage of plants are truly dangerous and poisonous to your pet. Make sure you know which plants are most deadly to avoid your dog or cat from getting ill. Autumn Crocus: There are two crocus plants, one that blooms in the spring (crocus species) and the other in the autumn (colchicum autumnale). The spring plants are more common and are part of the Iridaceae family. These ingestions can cause general gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhoea. They should not be mistaken for autumn crocus, part of the Liliaceae family, which contain colchicine. The autumn crocus is highly toxic and can cause severe vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver and kidney damage and respiratory failure. If you are not sure what plant it is, bring your pet to their vet immediately for care. Signs may be seen immediately but can be delayed for days. Azalea: In the same family as …

INTERNATIONALLY renowned wildlife cameraman and TV personality, Gordon Buchanan will give an illustrated talk at Glór on Wednesday next. Perhaps best known for his BBC One series The Bear Family and Me and The Polar Bear Family and Me, he is also a regular contributor to BBC’s Springwatch and Autumnwatch series. In recent years, he has made a name for himself as a filmmaker specialising in big cats. Filming lions and hyenas at night in the Serengeti in 1999 led to him making two films for the BBC’s Natural World series. His Glór appearance will be an evening of exciting personal recollections, inviting the audience into his world of weird and wonderful wildlife, including the footage of his encounter with a hungry polar bear. This terrifying segment of the series has been viewed millions of times on YouTube and will be recounted on the night. Speaking about that incident, he says, “We wanted to have a way of getting close …

MOST of us are too busy organising our own affairs to even consider Hallowe’en and the misery caused by fireworks. Each year, we are asked to keep our pets indoors or locked away safe and, each year, veterinary practices all over Ireland are full of dogs and cats that have become victims to fireworks, bonfires and their own terror. Pets are terrified of the noise and can be driven to extreme behaviour. Some will go off their food, hide for days under the bed or in other small spaces. Some will bite and growl at their well-meaning owners trying to comfort them; this can result of the poor dog being thrown out into a much more terrifying environment. Some dogs are so frightened that they run off to get away from the noise and get lost, many ending up in the dog pound or, worse, under a car. There is help at hand but, to give your dog the best …