cats

“When we leave home, even on a weekend, cats must be supervised”

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After months of work, stress and headaches, the second half of July has finally arrived and with it those vacations that you have been planning for months. Maybe you go to the Rías Baixas, the Canary Islands or Southeast Asia, the fact is that you will be away for two weeks and there are a loose end that you have not yet resolved: Who, when and how is going to take care of your cat? If it were a dog you could take it to a dog hotel or maybe leave it with your parents, but… And a kitten? Are there hotels for cats? Is it advisable to move them to an apartment that they do not know or is prepared for them? Better that someone go home to take care of them? Noelia Hernández, feline educator in Feline Codehas some keys. Feeders overflowing, and that’s it. If you are going to be away from home for several days (even if not many) the option of leaving your cat alone and unsupervised is not an option. Even if you leave the feeders full, a couple of bowls overflowing with water and the sandboxes just changed. “It is not contemplated even under the law,” warns Noelia Hernández, who recalls that the Animal Welfare Law (LBA) regulates the maximum time that an animal can be alone. In your article 27 (section “i”) the rule leaves the responsibilities of guardians in black and white. And one of them is to guarantee that your furry companion will not be unattended for more than 72 hours. To be precise, the law expressly prohibits “leaving any pet animal unsupervised for more than three consecutive days.” If we talk about dogs, that period is reduced to 24 hours. “Also a weekend”. Regardless of what the law says, Hernández remembers that even leaving a cat unsupervised on a weekend entails serious risks to its health. The reason: if the animal is alone and no one watches it, it is very difficult to know how it behaves, if it feeds, drinks and visits the sandbox. “A cat that spends 24 hours without going to the litter box, eating or drinking is a cat that urgently needs veterinary attention,” the expert emphasizes. He doesn’t exaggerate. In addition to dehydration, fasting can lead to hypoglycemia either hepatic lipidosis. That he does not go to the sandbox also reveals a urinary obstruction. Hence, Hernández advises that, even if we are only going to be away from home for a weekend, it is recommended that the cat not be left unattended. What if I take the cat with me? If you plan to move to a rental apartment on the coast and stay there for the rest of the summer until September, taking your minimum companion with you is an option, although you should take several factors into account. The first, recalls Hernández, is that “the cat is a territorial animal and changes in its environment cause a lot of stress.” “The car trip can be very stressful for them and there can also be a lot of risks,” he insists. At the end of the day, you may have your house ready, but… And that apartment where you are going to stay? Are the windows protected with nets to prevent falling? Are you sure there won’t be people coming and going without watching for the cat to escape? Not only that. Hernández remembers that yes the apartment is pet friendly It is quite likely that traces of other animals remain. Territorial animals. The same thing happens if we decide to remove the cat from its usual home and temporarily transfer it to that of a family member or friend who will take care of it or even if we opt for a feline hotel, that there are. Hernández advocates “assessing the risks” and remembering that cats are territorial animals. If we want to avoid stress, “it is always best to leave them in their territory.” The figure of catsitter. That does not mean that there are no options to go on vacation without neglecting the well-being of our kitten companion. Hernández remembers the figure of catsittera home cat care professional. “If they have training, they are people who also know how to maintain environmental enrichment when they get home,” explains the expert before emphasizing that idea: the ideal is not only for a person to go a couple of times a day to watch our pet and supervise the litter boxes and food, but to interact with them. “If the person who is going to come is trustworthy, we try to get the cats to know her first, to have seen her previously and to be aware of the routines and know as much as possible about them. Cats are animals of habit,” Hernández explains about her specific case. To ensure that everything is going well, another option is to use surveillance cameras in the food area and sandboxes. “A little outline”. That the person who is going to come to our house has been in contact with cats is important. Both for the animals and for the caregiver himself, who will thus handle more keys to carry out his job. “When I leave, I like to leave a small diagram of what is normal and what is not in each of my cats: how they like to play and eat, in what areas they stay and what symptoms are strange. For example, that they hide in a certain place or that they do not eat their favorite treat. The person who comes from outside does not know them.” It is about, summarizes Hernández, giving “a cheat sheet” to the caregiver so that they can quickly detect the “alarm” signs when something is not going well. “I always leave the carriers set up for any emergency and I tell the contact who comes to the house which is our reference veterinary hospital and the nearby 24-hour center in case of an … Read more

“Absolute confinement in apartments bores and stresses cats, altering their nature”

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The traditional image of the domestic cat is usually that of an independent, lazy animal perfectly adapted to spending its days sleeping on the sofa in an apartment. However, the biological and psychological reality of felines clashes head-on with this lifestyle, since the expertsas El Español has reported, they point because “absolute confinement in apartments bores and stresses cats, altering their nature.” The biology. The domestic cat retains many of the instincts of its wild ancestors intact. Irene Rochlitz, from her work in the Cambridge Animal Welfare and Human-Animal Interactions group, has extensively documented what the needs are basic and non-negotiable behavioral characteristics of the species. And here it is clear that the feline requires a structured territory, areas specifically delimited for its biological needs, and constant opportunities for play and simulation of hunting sequences. The problem is that when an animal equipped with this predatory and territorial instinct is confined to the square meters of an apartment without adequate enrichment, the risks to its mental and physical health skyrocket exponentially. Our role. Animal behavior patterns indicate that the lack of stimuli in closed environments requires proactive interventions by humans. When reviewing the evidence on feline behavior in different housing environments, it is clear that it is essential to apply specific recommendations to mitigate the impacts of the confined space and not treat this as something “normal”. Your response. Chronic boredom in cats should not be interpreted as simple temporary sadness, but is a serious clinical trigger. A rigorous practical review based on scientific evidence details how indoor cats that lack adequate outlets to scratch, hunt or play end up developing severe health and behavioral problems. If the instinctive load cannot be channeled, the animal will look for escape mechanisms that owners often mistakenly classify as “bad behavior” or aggression, when in most cases they are physiological responses to a poor environment. In your health. A sedentary lifestyle and anxiety sustained over time take a heavy toll on the animal’s body, as happens in humans. Here experts emphasize that confinement, whether prolonged in a home or in a shelter cage, requires the immediate implementation of enrichment strategies to prevent medical problems. And one of the most serious and recurrent clinical consequences derived from this environmentally induced anxiety is lower urinary tract disease. In the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic offered the scientific community a unique and massive scenario to study feline behavior in the face of abrupt changes in routines and levels of confinement shared with their human owners. Here, a recent empirical study comparatively evaluated various feline metrics, dividing the analysis into three different phases: before the pandemic, during strict confinements and in the post-confinement period. This study measured the well-being, behavioral disturbances and body condition of the domestic cats involved. The results showed that, during the period of confinement we experienced, the behavioral problems of the cats increased with greater concern. But in addition, it was also observed that during these months the cats analyzed considerably increased their weight. The best strategy. When it comes to keeping a cat in an ‘enclosed’ apartment, it is important to apply different strategies so that it can be in a comfortable environment. That is why it is recommended to have elements that allow the cat to express natural marking behaviors, so there must be adequate space to scratch. Furthermore, the home territory must be structured by integrating shelters and elevated platforms, given that visual control at height is part of the animal’s intrinsic behavioral needs. Images | Erik-Jan Leusink In Xataka | It’s time to face it, cats are a problem: the first world census reveals that they eat up to 2,000 species

“We have been believing all our lives that cats are nocturnal and it is normal for them to wake us up”

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Those of us who have cats know that playing and meowing in the middle of the night are included in the package, but the reason why they do it is not what you are thinking. The fact that your cat decides that 5 in the morning is the perfect time to do parkour on your head is not because it wants to annoy you nor because it is a nocturnal animal. We have spoken with Noelia Hernández, feline educator from Feline Codeto find out what is behind this behavior. They seem nocturnal to us, but they are not.. The first thing to understand is that the popular belief that cats are nocturnal animals is not entirely true. “Cats are activated by the rising and setting of the sun. They are crepuscular in that sense,” Noelia tells us. The fact that some cats have peaks of activity around midnight and then very early in the morning makes us perceive them as nocturnal, especially in summer when the nights are much shorter. In reality, cats sleep at night, what happens is that they wake up much earlier than we do. It is the complaint that Noelia most often hears in her consultations: “Many times, sunrise is when they have the highest peak of activity. It is something recurrent in tutors: ‘he wakes me up too early’.” “Cats are activated by the rising and setting of the sun. They are crepuscular” An evolutionary question. The fact that the peaks of activity are at these times has to do with their natural hunting instinct. The cats They have evolved to hunt when it dawns and when it duskwhich is when their usual prey are most active. These hunting “schedules” are also why their vision has developed to allow them to see in low light conditions. what’s happening. If your cat wakes you up in the middle of the night, it is probably due to a lack of stimulation during the day, a poorly enriched environment and an incorrect play routine: “During the day we go to work, to the gym, to shop… We arrive, we do a poorly executed mini play session and on top of that completely dependent on us.” Because this is one of the problems that this behavior causes: our cats do not know how to play alone. “Many cats do not know how to resort to autonomous play, they only know how to resort to the play that we tutors give them with canes and other toys,” says Noelia. Another factor is the lack of environmental enrichment. Cats, especially those that live indoors, need a series of adaptations in the environment focused on their well-being such as offering them different smells, surfaces to scratch or allowing them to climb high. If we also add that many people have a cat and spend many hours alone, they are the perfect ingredients for early morning parkour. And let’s not forget the heat factor: “In summer they can be more active at night because it is the only time of day when you can live in general,” says Noelia with a laugh. How to avoid it. “With a well-structured sequence of games, a well-enriched environment and a good understanding of the cat’s needs, these episodes of ‘I get up at 5 or 6 in the morning’ can be reduced,” says Noelia. First, to encourage autonomous play, it is important to offer them a variety of toys and above all not to always leave the same ones, but to change them: “Toys must be rotated so that they can manage themselves at night if they need it.” Furthermore, when playing with our cat it is not about making it run after a toy like crazy and that’s it, it has to be done well. He cat hunting cycle It has five phases: stalking → chase → capture → bite/ingestion → rest. If we stay on the principle “We do not lower those hormones that have been prepared for the hunt and together with the arrival of dawn and of course, they wake us up.” To make it complete, you have to let him catch the toy and finish by giving him food or a snack. “With a well-structured play sequence, a well-enriched environment and a good understanding of the cat’s needs, these episodes can be reduced” Commitment and understanding. Being woken up by your cat at four in the morning is not pleasant, no matter how you look at it, but getting angry or punishing it is not going to solve anything (in fact, punishment will make the situation worse). get worse or cause other new problems). For Noelia, it is a matter of commitment and understanding: “There must be commitment on the part of the guardian to understand his cat, let him express his nature and give him tools so that he can channel alone autonomously when he has these types of needs, without waking up the guardian.” Image | Amparo Babiloni, Xataka In Xataka | If the question is how long can you leave your cat home alone, the answer is: less than you think.

the first public cemetery for dogs and cats

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Spain is a country of pets. According to the first official census of pets, published a few weeks ago by the Government, 15.2 million live in our country, most of them dogs and cats. With these figures we better understand the pull of the ‘Pet Economy’ and that it becomes less and less rare to find services that until not so long ago They were almost unimaginable, like public cemeteries only for animals. The first opened in June 2024, in Malaga, and its last balance suggests that the service is increasingly in demand. Since 2024 it has already provided almost 750 services. June 24, 2024. That was the day that Málaga inaugurated its pet cemetery, a center managed by the City Council through the municipal company Parcemasa and which is located in the Málaga Cemetery Park (San Gabriel). In Spain there are other places designed for cremating, burying and saying goodbye to pets, but as they insisted in 2024 from Malaga yours has something special: it is the first of its kind of public and municipal nature. “This is a pioneering facility in Spain, since the rest of the similar facilities in other cities are private,” underlined in 2024 the City Council after remembering that the cemetery required an investment of almost 1.17 million of euros. The complex is made up of a 1,000 square meter building, a crematorium capable of holding animals weighing up to 200 kilos, gardens for depositing urns with ashes and another space for tombs. The figure: 748 services. In 2024, the cemetery made headlines for its pioneering nature. Today it is because of its volume of activity. On Sunday, coinciding with the second anniversary of the complex, the City Council launched a statement with the balance of its first 24 months of activity. And the data is surprising. Since 2024, the cemetery has provided 748 serviceswhich means a little more than one a day. In total Parcemasa has managed 673 cremations, the burial of 65 pets and the farewell of ten animals that were cremated and placed in urns. The majority of pets that passed through the center were dogs (504) and cats (213), although it has also worked with birds, rodents and a turtle. “Progressive increase”. Although the balance is curious, what is important is the trend. The City Council assures that it has perceived a “progressive increase” in the activity of the cemetery. In fact, only so far in 2026 has it registered 242 services provided either in the municipal facilities themselves or through the dozen and a half veterinary clinics in Malaga with which it collaborates. The services offered also include the collection and transfer of deceased animals, celebration of farewell events or even the support of a psychological team. Their rates range from 40 euros from a basic cremation to more than 900 that the most expensive service costs: burying a large pet (more than 30 kilos) for three decades in ‘The park of memory’. More than an anecdote. That the Malaga pet cemetery has managed more than 700 services in two years is hardly surprising. The first official census commissioned by the Government shows that in Spain there are more than 15.1 million animals of companionship, the vast majority being dogs (7.6 million) and cats (5.6 million). Andalusia, the most populated community in Spain, also leads the way in the number of pets, with around 3.3 million A concept: pet-economy. We Spaniards not only have more and more pets. We also generally spend more money on their care. And that is generating considerable demand for services related to pet-economy. A recent report by EAE Business School estimates that in our country pets generate a business of 5.77 billion euros per year and drive a sector that is growing at 8.3%, generating tens of thousands of jobs. With this data on the table, it is better understood that there are insurance companies and even venture capital funds that they start to get interested for animal care or that there are other cities in Spain interested in follow suit of Malaga and provide its own public cemeteries for dogs and cats. Images | Malaga City Council In Xataka |

We thought catnip was cats’ favorite drug, there is another plant that they like more. And it’s not because of the high

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Cats love catnip, just look at the shelves of any pet store full of toys with catnip. They sniff it, bite it, roll on the floor and even drool, as if they were entering a kind of trance. We believed that this herb was our kitties’ favorite “drug”, but researchers have discovered that there is another plant that attracts them even more. The experiment. A group of Japanese researchers set out to discover which plant attracts cats the most, catnip or matatabi (also known as silvervine). To do this, they combined three trials: free cats in a garden with fresh plants, free cats with a brick impregnated with the extract of both plants and cats in captivity with impregnated papers. The researchers recorded on video the episodes of self-anointing, which is when they rub each other and make “croquettes” near the different plants. The matatabi wins by a landslide. All groups of cats that participated in the experiment showed a clear preference for matatabi. In the case of free-ranging cats that had access to both the plants and the impregnated brick, almost all self-anointing episodes occurred with the matatabi. Among the captive cats, 15 responded only to the matatabi, three to both, and three sniffed a little but did not rub against them. The curious thing is that the chemical analysis revealed that catnip was much more powerful (it contains much more nepetalactone) than matatabi, but despite this the cats had a very clear preference. Masao Miyazaki, project leader, states in Phys that One might expect that a plant containing more active compounds, and compounds that clearly work in laboratory tests, would trigger a stronger behavioral response under free-choice conditions. But that’s not what we observed.” The Overwhelmed Smell Theory. The authors’ hypothesis is that catnip, especially when fresh, releases an excessive amount of these compounds and makes the smell too intense, hence cats prefer matatabi because it is milder. This fits with an anecdote in ‘The Gardeners’ Dictionary’ published in 1789, which observed that cats preferred catnip when it was wilted rather than fresh, which reinforces the idea that it can saturate their senses. A biological reason. Rubbing against these plants is not simply to get high, it also hides an evolutionary purpose: it acts as a defense mechanism against mosquitoes and other parasites. When you rub your face and body with the plants, they become impregnated with the substances (iridoids) that they release, acting as an insect repellent. The reason they prefer matatabi would be because it offers more reliable protection as it produces a more complex mixture of iridoids, especially when they nibble on the plant. That is to say, it is much better against mosquitoes. Image | Sergey Dvorkin, Pexels In Xataka | We have been vaccinating our dogs and cats every year all our lives. Science is seeing that it is not the most correct

There are more and more people who accumulate and accumulate dogs and cats in their homes

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It happened in Madrid, end of 2024. The authorities entered the apartment of a woman from the Chamartín district who lived with 74 cats in such unsanitary conditions that, after the rescue and despite the shelter’s efforts, several of the cats died shortly after. Although that number (74) is shocking, Madrid is just one of the many (many) cases of ‘Noah syndrome’ that the police register every year, both in Spain and in other countries. The issue makes headlines only when events as bloody as the one in Chamartín are uncovered, but the truth is that every time there are more studies which suggest that animal hoarding is a serious problem and (the key) growing. What is Noah syndrome? a disorder similar to Diogenes syndrome (sometimes both overlap) which consists of the compulsive and disproportionate accumulation of animals, which in turn results in risk situations both for the latter and for those who suffer from the disorder and their immediate environment, especially if they live in a community. In general, beyond this hoarding, it is considered that the syndrome is accompanied by two other interrelated traits. The first is that those who suffer from the syndrome end up being unable to keep their animals in good condition. It is not just about living with a disproportionate number of dogs and cats in more or less small spaces. People with ‘Noe syndrome’ are unable to attend to their most basic needs. The second characteristic is that they also do not see the problem. Although sometimes they themselves ask for help (It happened in Chamartín) usually deny their disorder, minimize it or are suspicious of those who try to help them. @rspca_official Last week, we shared a photo on social media from a recent rescue with @Dogs Trust involving over 250 poodle-cross dogs… The scale was so shocking that it led to countless allegations of the image being AI-generated💔 For the teams who worked tirelessly on this rescue and those currently providing 24/7 care for these dogs, seeing the authenticity of their hard work questioned has been deeply upsetting. We don’t need to use AI, as we have thousands of real stories about helping animals in desperate need, just like this. Sadly, this is very much real, as much as we wish it wasn’t. This is the heartbreaking reality that our frontline teams are facing more and more, having seen a massive rise in multi-animal reports involving 10, 50, or even 100+ animals at a single address. You can be a vital part of a rescue animal’s journey, please adopt ❤️‍🩹 #AnimalRescue #AI #Dogs #Rescue #Poodle ♬ Moment Of Reflection – Jhonatan Rodrigues & Piano Sky & Dee Piano Why is it a problem? For many reasons. To begin with, because often behind each case of Noah’s syndrome there is a drama. Those who hoard animals usually start doing so out of “good intentions,” such as recognizes PETA. Over time, however, its purpose is diverted and its disorder ends up leading to the opposite: “Criminal behavior with horrible consequences for animals, their families and communities.” Cats and dogs end up living cramped, surrounded by feces, and malnourished, a situation that worsens as the colony increases. And that is not difficult if their owner does not take care of castrating them. A clear example of this dynamic was recorded not long ago in England, where 250 poodles that were living cramped in the same house were rescued. When it reported the case, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) published a photo in which you can see a room full of dirty and shaggy dogs. The image is so shocking that the RSPCA began to receive criticism from people convinced that it had been generated with AI. Those responsible had to come out to deny it categorically: “The image, shocking, reflects reality.” How many people does the syndrome affect? In the statement which launched to vindicate the authenticity of the photo, the RSPCA not only insists on the drama of cases of Noah syndrome. It also leaves behind a worrying idea: its staff encounters “more and more frequently” cases of abuse in which multiple animals are involved at the same time: 10, 20 or up to a hundred. Why is it important? Because it gives us a clue about the incidence (and evolution) of the episodes that may fit into Noah’s syndrome. To be precise, since 2021 RSPCA has confirmed a 70% increase in “multi-animal incidents” in England and Wales. Not everyone can relate to the syndrome, but the data is still eloquent. “Instances where large numbers of animals are kept in one home may be linked to mental health issues, the cost of living crisis or breeders operating with inappropriate practices,” precise the organization, which warns: “Even people who initially had good intentions often see the situation get out of hand.” Is there more data? Yes. The RSPCA assures that last year alone responded to 4,200 alerts related to cases of abuse involving (at least) a dozen animals, always in the same address. And that’s just in England and Wales. The organization warns of the impact of the rising cost of living, poor breeding practices and the increase in abandonments. Beyond the public health problem that they represent, cases like this directly affect the dogs and cats involved. Even if they are rescued, they often suffer consequences that make it difficult for them to find a new home. For example, they suffer stress when they are left alone, they have a hard time adjusting, or they urinate and defecate where they shouldn’t. And beyond England? There are not many statistical or incidence studies on episodes of animal accumulation, but there are clues that indicate that the United Kingdom is not an exceptional case. In April 2025 Korea Times pointed out that the problem seems to be increasing in South Korea as well and not long ago NBC pointed in the same direction talking about the US. The … Read more

We have been vaccinating our dogs and cats every year all our lives. Science is seeing that it is not the most correct

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When you have a pet in your care, visits to the veterinarian are mandatory almost every year to receive a check-up and also a vaccination reminder to be completely calm about its health. However, there are some voices that already suggest that we are overvaccinating too much in our country, since applying vaccines year after year is not only unnecessarybut it can pose a risk to the animal. A new paradigm. To understand the problem, we must look at the guides of the World Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (WSAVA) and the Latin American Committee on Vaccinology in Companion Animals (COLAVAC-Iberia). Both institutions have updated their guidelines with a clear message wanting to abandon systematic vaccination schedules and opt for personalized medicine. Two groups. Now the guidelines are to differentiate vaccines into two large groups, the first of which is the “essentials” which are those of distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus in dogs, and panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus in cats. On the other hand, there would be non-essential ones, which would correspond to leptospirosis. Here, science suggests that essential vaccines generate much longer immunity than we thought, making animals have defenses against these pathogens for a long time. For example, after vaccination in puppies and their first booster, the animals maintain levels of protective antibodies for at least three years, and in many cases it can last up to 9 or 14 years. This means that if we vaccinate every year we are literally ‘pouring’ immunity where there is already a good amount of it. A legal labyrinth. If science seems to have it so clear… What is happening in Spain? Here, most of the autonomous communities only provide that the rabies vaccine is mandatory, making vaccination against parvovirus or distemper only recommended because they logically cause fatal diseases. If we focus on numbers, a recent study Regarding the national protocols, a devastating fact stood out: only 28.6% of the vaccines available for dogs and 42.9% for cats are “adequate” according to WSAVA standards. And the reason is that the industry markets combined vaccines; That is, to give the dog the annual leptospirosis vaccine, the veterinarian uses the viral one that includes parvovirus and distemper, forming overvaccination. A personal solution. To avoid needlessly pricking the animals, what is proposed is that, instead of blindly setting a reminder, a blood test is performed to determine the amount of protective antibodies in the blood. In this case, if the animal has adequate levels, it is not vaccinated that year, and if not, it should be vaccinated. The problem is that this is more expensive than directly giving the vaccine, so the most convenient, fastest and cheapest option is chosen. More personal. The conclusion here is that experts point out that a booster should be applied to essential vaccines every three years, preserving the rabies vaccine, which is the only one legally required and whose deadlines comply with local legislation. Images | freepic.diller on Magnific In Xataka | We have been using our pets to relieve our anxiety. And now the stress is on them

Cats always land on their feet. And science has been trying to understand an inexplicable phenomenon for centuries.

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Cats are fascinating animals, also for science that, for centuries, has tried to answer the question: How do they always manage to land on their feet? Although studies have been done trying to solve itit is not known with certainty how they achieve it. A recent experiment by Japanese researchers has shed some light on this feline mystery. In a recent study published in The Anatomical Recordthe researchers took a different approach than had been followed until now. The experiment consisted of two parts, on the one hand to thoroughly analyze the flexibility of the cat’s spine and on the other to observe several cats performing this correction in the air. For the first part, they performed mechanical tests on the spinal columns of five cat corpses. In this way they measured the maximum resistance and range of motion of the spine before breaking. What they discovered was that the cats’ spine is very flexible in the upper area, where the thoracic vertebrae are, turning 360 degrees. The lumbar part is more rigid and robust. For the second part, they recorded two live cats being released at a distance of 90cm from the ground. The recordings were analyzed frame by frame and compared with the data obtained from their observations. The difference in spinal flexibility fits with what was observed in the videos: the cat turns its front paws first (your most flexible area), so first look at the ground and then adjust the rest of your body (the least flexible area). The experiment also observed an interesting detail and that is that in most tests the cats turned to the right. Specifically, the first cat turned this way every time, while the second turned to the right six of the eight times it was dropped. In case anyone is worried, the bodies were donated and to record the falls they put a cushion underneath so they wouldn’t get hurt. The falling cat problem It is a problem that arose in 1894, when French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey showed in a video that cats were able to right themselves in the air without external help. Since then there have been different hypotheses that have tried to explain the exact mechanics of this stunt. Falling cat, by Étienne-Jules Marey, 1984. Source: Wikipedia There are two main models to explain this spin in the air. The first is “tuck and turn” which proposes that cats rotate the upper and lower halves of their body executing movements at the same time and in opposite directions. The second is “legs in, legs out.” This model states that cats adjust their fall trajectory by first stretching their hind legs and then collecting them again, making a successive turn with the front and then with the back part of the trunk, so that They adopt the correct position while still in free fall. Another less supported hypothesis is the “tail-propeller” hypothesis, according to which the animal can reverse the direction of rotation of its body by moving its tail in the opposite direction, as if it worked as a propeller. However, tailless cats can also do this movement, so although it may help, it is not essential. The new study supports the “legs in, legs out” model hypothesis, but the researchers caution that the problem still cannot be considered solved and more research will be needed. The plan is to build mathematical and three-dimensional models with more data. In statements to New York TimesGreg Gbur, physicist who is an expert in falling cats (oh really), states that science has tried to simplify into “a single correct way that cats land on their feet, but nature is not concerned with simplicity.” In Xataka | Walking cats on a leash is fashionable. We have asked an expert in feline behavior and she is clear about what she thinks. Main image | Gemini, own edition

The “my cat is fat” problem is so common that the industry has come up with an idea: “Ozempic for cats”

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In just a few years, drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro have gone from being discreet treatments for diabetes to become a great social phenomenon. His promise—lose weight through a simple weekly injection—has opened a new chapter in human medicine. Now, this pharmacological revolution is beginning to expand beyond people: cats could be the next to receive an adapted version of these treatments. Goodbye fat cats. Okava Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco company dedicated to chronic diseases in companion animals, has started a pioneering clinical trial called MEOW-1whose objective is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of OKV-119, a subdermal implant capable of releasing exenatide—a GLP-1 agonist—sustained for months in overweight or obese cats. The intervention aims to simplify a treatment that, in humans, usually requires weekly injections. Here, everything comes down to a single gesture. “You insert the capsule under the skin, and six months later you come back, and the cat has lost weight. It’s like magic,” says Chen Gilor, the veterinarian responsible for the study. speaking to the New York Times. A pioneering study. Okava’s interests did not arise out of nowhere. Prior to MEOW-1, the company evaluated prototypes of the implant in two preliminary studies. A work published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science demonstrated that the OKV-119 implant could be easily implanted and removed, that it was well tolerated, and that its plasma levels of exenatide correlated with weight reduction in healthy cats for more than one month. Subsequently, research published in BMC Veterinary Research delved into this line: they implanted five cats with the designed prototype for 84 days, what they observed is that during that period stable levels of exenatide were maintained and four of them reduced at least 5% of their body weight, along with a lower caloric intake. These results motivated the move to a trial in real obese cats, which Okava plans to run this summer. According to the companyMEOW-1 will be the first formal feline weight loss study based on GLP-1 agonists. How does the implant work? OKV-119 uses the NanoPortal platformdeveloped by Vivani Medical. According to scientific studiesthis technology uses: a titanium reservoir, a membrane with nanotubes that regulate the passage of the drug, and a system designed to ensure a constant and prolonged release without pronounced peaks. Furthermore, this type of administration allows us to overcome the main difficulty associated with GLP-1 in veterinary medicine: lack of adherence. Studies indicate that giving repeated injections to a cat is complex, stressful and can drastically reduce the continuity of treatment, ithe same as what happens in people with injectable drugs. The implant seeks to solve that problem with an approach one-and-done: a subdermal insertion in a veterinary office, without daily intervention by the caregiver. According to The New York Timesthere are veterinarians who already use human GLP-1 agonists off-label in diabetic cats, but its cost and need for frequent administration limit its use. Hence the relevance of a device that could keep the medication active for half a year. But only in cats? Although MEOW-1 focuses exclusively on felines, Okava and Vivani have confirmed an expansion of the project to dogs, another species with obesity rates greater than 50% in the United States. The company states that its goal is to reproduce in dogs the metabolic effects observed in cats: improved insulin sensitivity, reduction in fat mass and greater energy efficiency. With the expectation that these changes may even promote healthier aging. With both markets, the commercial potential is evident. According to estimates collected in Xatakathe global human obesity drug sector could exceed $100 billion by 2030. Veterinary medicine would be a new frontier. Feline obesity is a global epidemic. The interest in an “Ozempic for cats” is not a whim. It is an answer to a growing problem. A review published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery places the prevalence of feline overweight between 40% and 63%, although it continues to increase. When you ask veterinariansthe same patterns almost always appear: cats that live exclusively indoors, very little movement, food available all day, too many treats, sterilization and a very common problem: many owners are not aware that their cat is gaining weight. The consequences are not minor: insulin resistance, diabetes, joint problems, urinary diseases, anesthetic complications and liver disorders, in addition to a reduction in life expectancy. And the latest evidence goes even further. A proteomic analysis that evaluated 288 proteins in cats with obesity found important changes in inflammatory processes, in the complement system, in coagulation pathways and in lipid metabolism. In other words, feline obesity affects the entire organism, it is not just a “fat cat.” Many open questions. Although MEOW-1 is moving forward with positive expectations, mass adoption of an “Ozempic for cats” is far from a fact. The first unknown is the price. In humans, GLP-1 cost several hundred euros a month, and it is not clear whether a semi-annual release veterinary implant will really be affordable for the majority of caregivers. Cost could become the main barrier to entry, especially considering that feline obesity is a common problem, but not always perceived as a health priority. The second uncertainty has to do with the available scientific evidence. So far, studies on OKV-119 have been preliminary and with extremely small samples (between 5 and 15 cats). They work, yes, but we still don’t know what will happen on a large scale, or how animals with diseases or in varied home environments will respond. Finally, there is the question of scientific independence. For now, all published studies on OKV-119 come from teams linked to Okava or Vivani, the companies developing the implant. There is no independent, large-scale evidence, and this matches a pattern already observed in human GLP-1where much of the initial research is driven by the industry itself. A new era in feline medicine? The questions surrounding this new milestone in the treatment of feline obesity are piling up: will these preliminary results be enough to justify regulatory approval? Will caregivers change … Read more

Europe has signed the first agreement to protect dogs and cats. Breeders won’t like it

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The Animal Welfare Law It came into force in Spain two years ago. Among its measures, the law prohibits individuals from breeding and selling pets, allowing only registered breeders. Now, it is the European Union that wants to put an end to abusive breeding. what has happened. On November 25, the Council and the European Parliament reached an agreement provisional agreement which establishes a series of stricter rules for the dog and cat trade. It will affect both breeders, pet stores and shelters. The agreement still has to be endorsed, but a date has already been set for the standards to be met: 2028. Why it is important. It is the first agreement on animal welfare at community level. Until now, the only European regulation that affected pet animals was the one that regulated movements between member countries, but the fact that the fight against abusive breeding is being prioritized is further proof that animal welfare is at the center of public debate. Starting point. It is estimated that the cat and dog purchasing market moves 1,300 million euros a year and 60% of purchases are made online. In Spain, the Animal Welfare Law expressly prohibits direct sales over the internet and requires breeders who advertise in magazines or other media to include their registration number, but in many other EU countries there is no regulation in this regard. animal welfare. Establishments must meet a series of requirements to provide well-being to the animals they house and which will be aimed at covering the diet, physical environment, health, behavior and mental state of the animals. Some of these requirements are: The environment will have good quality, which means that it is comfortable, that they have enough space and a good temperature. The animals will be safe, clean and healthy. Disease or injury prevention measures must be applied. It is prohibited to have dogs or cats in spaces (cages, showcases…), except for transport. It is prohibited to keep dogs tied for long periods. Dogs and cats must have access to the outdoors to exercise and socialize. They must receive water and food in sufficient quantity and quality. Establishments must have sufficient competence to care for dogs and cats, including an understanding of their biological behavior and ethological needs. At least one caregiver per establishment will have to receive official training in animal care. They must ensure veterinary visits at least once a year and record the results. When selling or adopting an animal, the recipient must be made aware of responsible ownership. Breeders. The regulations focus especially on the breeding and reproduction of animals, with a series of requirements that aim to end harmful practices such as mutilations or inbreeding. They are the following: Age limits will be established for the dogs and cats used for breeding, as well as a frequency between litters. Consanguinity will be prohibited, that is, breeding between parents, descendants, siblings or grandparents will not be permitted. If a female dog or cat has undergone two cesarean sections, she should be removed from breeding to protect her health. The creation of hybrids through crossing with wild species, for example dogs and wolves, is prohibited. Mutilations such as cutting ears, tails or removing nails cannot be carried out. It cannot be used to breed dogs or cats with extreme traits. For example, very short noses or “flat faces” typical of breeds such as the French bulldog or the pug. Mandatory identification. All dogs and cats sold or given up for adoption must be microchipped and registered in the national database. Starting in 2028, breeders and shelters will be obligated, but within ten years it will be mandatory for all dog or cat guardians. In Spain, microchipping is already mandatory for both species. The novelty introduced by this regulation is that the databases will be interoperable at the European level. Who it doesn’t affect. There are exceptions and againthe regulations will not affect hunting dogs, guard dogs or cats that live freely in rural areas. The FAADA Foundation regrets this decision and states that “it will leave some 18 million cats and 2 million dogs in the EU without adequate protection.” There is also an exception regarding the prohibition of consanguinity. It will be allowed when it is to “preserve local breeds with a limited genetic pool.” Small establishments will also not have to comply with the rules except for the identification of animals with a microchip. To be considered a small establishment, they must meet these requirements: Breeders who have a maximum of three dogs or cats and produce a maximum of two litters per year. Pet stores that have a maximum of three dogs or six cats. Animal shelters that have a maximum of ten dogs or twenty cats. Images | Pexels In Xataka | Yes, the neighbors on the tenth floor can have chickens at home even if they don’t want to. The Animal Welfare Law says so

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