animalphiles

Cloned kittens glow red in the dark

From AFP
South Korean scientists have cloned cats by manipulating a fluorescent protein gene, a procedure which could help develop treatments for human genetic diseases, officials said Wednesday.

In a side-effect, the cloned cats glow in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet beams.

A team of scientists led by Kong Il-keun, a cloning expert at Gyeongsang National University, produced three cats possessing altered fluorescence protein (RFP) genes, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.

"It marked the first time in the world that cats with RFP genes have been cloned," the ministry said in a statement.

"The ability to produce cloned cats with the manipulated genes is significant as it could be used for developing treatments for genetic diseases and for reproducing model (cloned) animals suffering from the same diseases as humans," it added.

The technology can also help clone endangered animals like tigers, leopards and wildcats, Kong said.

Dogs trained to "use" computers

From ANI:
Researchers at the University of Vienna in Austria have shown dogs possess the ability to classify complex color photographs and place them into categories in the same manner as humans do.

The findings are based on tests involving computer-automated touch-screens.

The researchers showed four animal subjects landscape and dog photographs, expecting them to make a selection on a computer touch-screen.

In the training phase, the dogs were shown both the landscape and dog photographs simultaneously, and were rewarded with a food pellet if they selected the dog picture (positive stimulus). Thereafter, the dogs were made to participate in two tests.

Despite being shown completely different dog and landscape pictures in the first test, the dogs kept reliably selecting the dog photographs.

It was an indication that they could transfer their knowledge gained in the training phase to a new set of visual stimuli, even though they were seeing the particular pictures for the first time.

In the second test, the dogs were shown new dog pictures pasted onto the landscape pictures used in the training phase. The idea was to make them face contradictory information—a new positive stimulus in the form of new dogs’ pictures, and a familiar negative stimulus in the form of the landscape.

When the dogs had to choose a picture from that of a new dog on the familiar landscape and that of a completely new landscape with no dog, they reliably selected the option with the dog.

The researchers said that the findings indicated that dogs were able to form a concept i.e. ‘dog’.

However, the experiment did not make it clear whether the animals recognized the dog pictures as actual dogs.

Talking about the strength of their methodology, the study’s authors said: “Using touch-screen computers with dogs opens up a whole world of possibilities on how to test the cognitive abilities of dogs by basically completely controlling any influence from the owner or experimenter.”

They further said that their method could also be used to test a range of learning strategies, and that it had the potential to allow researchers to compare the cognitive abilities of different species using a single method. (ANI)

Trying to save black cats in Italy

From Reuters:
Saturday is "black cat day", in Italy, an initiative by an animal rights group to try to stop the killing of thousands of the cats by superstitious citizens convinced they bring bad luck.

Black cats have a bad name in many countries, but nowhere more so than Italy, where a papal edict in the middle ages declared they were instruments of the devil. Black cats were thrown into the fires to join witches burned at the stake.

The Italian Association for the Defense of Animals and the Environment (AIDAA) estimates 60,000 were killed last year, to ward off bad luck but also for use in satanic rites and in cosmetics laboratories where black fur gives the best results.

"We want to halt this massacre, educate people and restore dignity to black cats," said AIDAA President Lorenzo Croce.

The group has set up 200 information points in towns and cities around Italy, where passers-by will be given literature on black cats, asked to sign a petition and urged to adopt one of the 5,000 in cat refuges.

AIDAA has also sent a letter to Pope Benedict, a well known cat lover. "It would be great if he would speak out in recognition of our initiative and say the prejudice against black cats is a lot of nonsense," Croce said.

Rats and cats working together to save lives

Some rats are hanging out with their natural enemies in order to become better disciplined in the art of mine detection. 

There are more than 100,000 landmines planted through-out Colombia, most left by leftist rebels. Rats are better than dogs for sniffing them out, because they are light-weight enough not to trigger an explosion.

The rodents are taught to freeze in front of mines, but had difficulty staying put for fear of being attacked by predators.

So, Colombian police decided to raise the rats tolerance levels by caging them with cats. The cats wore shields on their nails so they can't injure the rats, and the two species actually play together.

The nation's rat project was recognized last month as one of the five most innovative projects at a conference of behavior psychologists in Mexico, and its initial findings will soon be presented at a similar conference in Argentina.
Photo: AP

Stupid is such a harsh word

We'll just call them "least intelligent." Nearly 200 judges from Canadian and U.S. Kennel Clubs were asked to complete a questionnaire about the intelligence level of various dog breeds. The ratings were based on how many repetitions it took for a certain breed to master a new command. Petmedsonline.org compiled a list of the ten most difficult. It typically took at least 80 repetitions (or more) for these dogs to learn a new command, and they tended to obey first commands less than 25% of the time.

The ten "least intelligent" breeds are:
10: Basset Hound -  They've got great noses and can be trained to hunt for missing people, drugs, termites and more, but housebreaking and such can be a chore. Since they are such a sweet breed you may not care about a mess in the house now and then.

9: Beagle - Another breed that can be a challenge to train, largely because of their independent and willful nature.  They need to be socialized, carefully, with other pets at a very young age. On the plus side, they are great with children.

8: Mastiff - As gentle as they are massive, but equally stubborn. When training a Mastiff, try keeping the sessions short (around ten to fifteen minutes) but frequent (two or three times a day.)  Because Mastiffs are quite sensitive, you will have better results if you train using an excited and happy voice.

7: Pekingese - They are said to be one of the most difficult dogs to train. They have a very independent and dominating nature that requires firmness and consistency.  Although wary of strangers, they are very affectionate with their masters, but not recommended for young children.

6: Bloodhound - Even better trackers than Bassets, they can scent any trail, even one over a hundred hours old. But training requires a firm hand and plenty of patience. When not "working," these dogs make excellent pets as they are gentle and affectionate.

5: Borzoi - They are marked but a free-thinking and independent nature.  They aren’t as driven to please their masters as most dogs, which makes them a little bit harder to train. They make up for this in their loyalty and affectionate nature with people they know well.

4: Chow Chow - Their chief characteristic is extreme stubbornness. They have a dominant nature and require a strong hand (they have even been described as "cat-like" in nature).

3: Bulldog - Sure, they are well known for their extreme courage, dependability, and amazing guarding skills, but they require a lot of human attention.  They were bred to bait bulls and are suitable bull-headed.

2: Basenji - is most known for its unique bark, which can often sound like a human being laughing or crying.  Some even refer to the Basenji as a “barkless” dog.  They are another dog that display cat-like characteristics, often grooming themselves and/or staring out the window for hours a day. They can be a bit temperamental (A lot of human contact from the puppy stage helps with this) and harder to train than most dogs.

1: Afghan Hound - This ancient breed is known as the royalty of the species. They are sweet and sensitive but have a low "obedience level." Like a few of the other breeds on this list, the Afghan Hound has many cat-like personality traits.

Dog rescued from Kuwait may get prosthetic leg

From Associated Press:
A puppy found hobbling in the Kuwaiti desert has ended up at Colorado State University, where she might be a candidate for an experimental prosthesis that could one day help humans.

Sally, a Saluki, was spotted in the desert several months ago by a volunteer with animal welfare group PAWS and taken to a shelter in Kuwait City. It's unclear how the dog was injured.

Part of the dog's left hind leg had been severed and a veterinarian in Kuwait wanted to amputate the remaining leg. PAWS volunteer Steve Holden e-mailed his alma mater, CSU, and its veterinary hospital to ask whether that was sound advice.

CSU animal surgeon Erick Egger responded that it was, but that Sally, who he estimated was about a year old, might make a good candidate for new research on grafting prosthetics to bone, which would prevent her from losing more of her leg.

PAWS then flew Sally with Holden to Fort Collins, arriving Tuesday.

While humans can be fitted with a prosthetic limb to be strapped on, dogs don't take to them well. Egger wants to try an "ingrowth" prosthesis.

One concept involves inserting a metallic implant at the bone, attaching an artificial limb to the implant, and then allowing bone to grow around it.

"The real critical part that will make it work or not is whether we can get soft tissues like skin and muscle to grow into the metal that extends into the body," he said.

Veterinarian Robert Taylor in Denver has been working on the concept, which perhaps one day could be transferred to humans, Egger said.

It could be a month or two before Sally gets her new leg, he said. He is looking at ways to raise funds to pay for materials, which he estimates could cost about $5,000.

The origin of domestic house cats

A new genetic study shows house cats around the world can trace their origins to lybica, a wild cat that roamed the Middle East 100,000 years ago.

Stephen J. O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute says, "house cats -- which includes fancy breeds and feral cats -- those cats all form a genetic group that is virtually indistinguishable from ones in the Middle East."

"So, domestication, for sure, took place in the Middle East where those cats live today," added O'Brien, coauthor of a paper appearing in this week's online edition of the journal Science.

The research goes beyond mere curiosity about where Fluffy comes from. Cats are a model for some human genetic diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease and retinal atrophy.

The researchers found wildcats, with DNA identical to domestic cats, in Israel, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

By studying the mitochondrial DNA of 979 domestic and wildcats from Europe, Asia and Africa, the researchers concluded that the origins of the species -- what O'Brien calls a feline Adam and Eve -- developed between 130,000 and 160,000 years ago. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from mother to offspring.

Warming weather means more kittens

Think about climate change and bundles of kittens aren't what pops into mind. But a pet rescue group says global warming is a factor in an influx of cats and kittens into animal shelters nationwide.

Pets Across America reported a 30 percent increase in intakes of cats and kittens its shelters and similar spikes have been reported by other groups.

PAA says warming temperatures are extending the cat breeding season. “Cats are typically warm-weather, spring-time breeders,” said the group’s president, Kathy Warnick. “However, states that typically experience primarily longer and colder winters are now seeing shorter, warmer winters, leading to year-round breeding.”

Studies have shown that global warming is altering the breeding seasons of other animals, such as migratory birds and penguins.

One possible solution to stem the tide of cats is to make sure pets are spayed or neutered.
photo: stock.xchng

West is best for dogs

Men's Health magazine says western states are the best places for dogs. In a survey of dog-friendly items like free-roam parks, vets, shelters and more - nine of the top ten cities are in the West.

Colorado Springs, Colorado earned the top spot thanks to its abundance of outdoor activities and top-notch boarding and daycare facilities. Bonus - it has the highest maximum fine for animal cruelty at $500,000.

Portland, Oregon placed second, with the most dog parks per resident, including one that's 4,000 acres.

Other top cities include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tucson, Arizona; and Seattle, Washington. The worst surveyed were Jacksonville, Florida; Washington, D.C.; and Detroit, Michigan.

For a complete list, check out the full article in at menshealth.com.

Designer cat goes for $22,000

If a domestic short-hair, or even a silky Persian just isn't enough cat for you, check out the designer feline being offered by a Wilmington, Delaware company called Lifestyle Pets.

The Ashera was developed by crossing two exotic feline bloodlines - the African serval and the Asian leopard cat - with a regular old domestic cat. The resulting cat has leopard-like spots and contrasting tiger stripes and weighs about 30 pounds. A news release from Lifestyle Pets says Asheras are intelligent, great with kids and can be walked on a leash.

The price tag is a steep $22,000 - and you'll have to wait up to a year after ordering, unless you want to pay a hefty premium on top of that.

Be warned, however. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the Ashera may be nothing more than a virtual hairball. The founder of a company linked to the designer pet did prison time in Great Britain after pleading guilty to charges of false accounting in connection with a business involving flights in hot-air balloons. The newspaper's call to the publicist for Lifestyle Pets was not immediately returned.