Cats that pester for food could be suffering from psychological condition
Cat owners see it as a sign of hunger and affection — their pet miaowing and rubbing against their ankles as dinner time approaches.
But according to a group of vets, it is a sign of a creature whose obsession with food has driven it to the edge of insanity.
They claimed that cats that show too much eagerness to be fed could be suffering from the newly-diagnosed condition of “psychogenic abnormal feeding behaviour”.
And the attention-seeking behaviour is a symptom called “excessive solicitation of interspecific interactions”.
According to the researchers, who set out their findings in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour, other symptoms can include “food-related aggressiveness” — taking food from other cats’ bowls — and “context-specific excessive appetite” — jumping on the table to eat from the owner’s plate.
One suggested treatment is to ban your cats from watching you eat. Gradually, they can be reintroduced at mealtimes, but should never be fed titbits from the table.
Barney Bush (birth name Bernard Bush; September 30, 2000 – February 1, 2013) was a Scottish Terrier owned by former U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush. Barney had his own official web page which redirected to an extension of the White House website. Barney was born in New Jersey and he was often referred to as the “First Dog.”
Barney’s mother, Coors, is owned by former Environmental Protection Agenc Director and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. The dog’s father is known as Kelly. Miss Beazley, the Bushes’ other Scottish terrier, is Barney’s niece through his half-brother, Clinton.
Barney died of lymphoma.
On February 1, 2013, President Bush posted this to his Facebook page, Statement by President George W. Bush on the passing of Barney Bush:
Laura and I are sad to announce that our Scottish Terrier, Barney, has passed away. The little fellow had been suffering from lymphoma and after twelve and a half years of life, his body could not fight off the illness.
Barney and I enjoyed the outdoors. He loved to accompany me when I fished for bass at the ranch. He was a fierce armadillo hunter. At Camp David, his favorite activity was chasing golf balls on the chipping green.
Barney guarded the South Lawn entrance of the White House as if he were a Secret Service agent. He wandered the halls of the West Wing looking for treats from his many friends. He starred in Barney Cam and gave the American people Christmas tours of the White House. Barney greeted Queens, Heads of State, and Prime Ministers. He was always polite and never jumped in their laps. Barney was by my side during our eight years in the White House. He never discussed politics and was always a faithful friend. Laura and I will miss our pal.
Species
Canis lupus familiaris
Breed
Scottish Terrier
Sex
Male
Born
Bernard (2000-09-30)September 30, 2000 New Jersey, United States
Died
February 1, 2013(2013-02-01) (aged 12) Texas, United States
Nation from
America
Notable role
Played self in Barney Cam I (2002) Barney Cam II: Barney Reloaded (2003) Barney and Spot’s Winter Wonderland (2003) Barney Cam: Where in the White House is Miss Beazley? (2004)
Known for
Pet of the First Family of the United States
Predecessor
Buddy and Socks
Successor
Bo
Owner
George W. Bush
Parents
Coors, dam (of Pontefract; owned by Christine Todd Whitman) Kelly, sire (of Champion Motherwell Stormwarning)
Iran has apparently sent a live monkey into space in a capsule, which was later retrieved intact.
There is however, a somber end to this story. Iranian Monkey Astronaut One grabbed a banana from the V.I.P. bowl while he was being transferred to the interrogation room. Under Iranian Sharia Law this is a Amputatable Offense (“the goat that steals the extra carrot must have a hoof chopped off”, (Mohammad-book 12-verse 8958- paragraph 4- line 2- word 8). The leading Iranian beheader and amputator, Moschsa Allibadallmohamid, performed the amputation of Monkey One. He had to be hounded by the Sharia Mullah to find the time, Moschsa was busy executing 19 men and 4 women for offenses varying from jaywalking to heroin trafficking.
The Iranians have never mentioned the conditionof Monkey One. Doesn’t look good for that simian.
Are those Iranian devils developing an intercontinental ballistic missile for their nuclear warheads!!?
What’s even more adorable than a Shetland pony? Two Shetland ponies. Better than that? Two Shetland ponies wearing massive Scottish sweaters. That’s the genius idea the Scottish tourism board dreamed up to publicize “The Year of Natural Scotland.” We haven’t been able to stop looking at these pictures, so they must be doing something right. While we wait for other countries to follow suit — Russian bears in those bushy hats? Aussie kangaroos in bikinis? — we’ll just echo the words of a commenter on the tourism board’s website. “Somebody needs a raise.”
Owner says he’s resting at home after kidney cancer treatment
Lets all hope for Tuxedo Stan as he would make a great candidate for Nova Scotia Premier.
Tuxedo Stan, the cat who gained worldwide attention when he ran for mayor of Halifax, is battling a serious illness.
Hugh Chisholm, Tuxedo Stan’s owner, said his pet is resting at home after undergoing treatment for kidney cancer at a veterinary college in Charlottetown.
Chisholm said Tuxedo Stan was admitted to hospital this week after the discovery of a large mass in his abdomen, which turned out to be a cancerous tumour on his left kidney.
Chisholm said the 2 ½ year old, black and white cat will continue treatment for renal lymphoma, a type of cancer that is not uncommon in older cats.
“His prognosis is guarded because it is an aggressive form of lymphoma,” said Chisholm.
“But he’s got a few things going in his favour. So far it only appears to be affecting one kidney and he is in generally good health otherwise and his age is certainly in his favour.”
He said Tuxedo Stan is receiving hundreds of messages of support through his Facebook and website pages.
“He’s getting comments not just from Nova Scotia but from across Canada and around the world. People in Australia, Europe and Asia.”
The cat ran in last fall’s municipal election to raise awareness about the plight of stray cats in the city.
The campaign drew media attention that was magnified after it was endorsed by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
