The UK hedgehog has been in the news for a while due to its dwindling population, which has fallen by 30-75% since 2000. In fact, these beloved animals are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and have been categorized as at risk of extinction in Britain. It is believed the UK now houses fewer than one million hedgehogs.
Thus, a wildlife expert is urging households to leave out between 50 and 100g of food for the prickly little charmers, as such acts of kindness could amount to the “difference between life and death.” This message is being received loudly and clearly, as sources like Wales Online and The Mirror have been dutifully spreading it.
This is a very important time of year to extend a helping treat to hedgehogs, since these typically nocturnal friends will soon be going into hibernation mode. This summer proved unfavorable to them for a number of reasons, including drought, pests, the difficulty of nabbing food from modern gardens, and humans taking over their habitats. Gardening chemicals have likewise proved a menace to the hedgehog.
Wildlife Experts Are Urging People to Leave Food Outside to Help Save Hedgehogs
Wildlife expert Sean McMenemy, the founder of Ark Wildlife, cautions that if hedgehogs do not weigh about 600g before entering hibernation, they could die. This means that each hedgehog should plump up to grapefruit size or, hopefully, even bigger. McMenemy recommends that the food be left in a space where hedgehogs will feel sheltered and unthreatened.
Country Living kindly lists the foods you can leave out for hedgehogs, in addition to specially-made hedgehog food that can be purchased online and from select pet stores:
Plain, meat-based wet dog or cat food NOT including fish varieties
Cooked, unseasoned chicken, turkey or mince (leftovers work well)
Tinned meat (in water, not brine or sauce)
Scrambled or hard-boiled eggs (plain, no salt or milk)
Crushed dry dog biscuits (in moderation and broken up)
They also note, “Always put out a shallow dish of fresh water alongside any food. And one key rule: never give hedgehogs dairy products (especially milk), bread or sugary foods, as these can make them seriously ill. Similarly, avoid fish varieties of cat food, as this can cause indigestion.”
Creating openings at the bottom of gardens dubbed “hedgehog highways” allows the adorable creatures to travel from garden to garden with ease in search of food. Hedgehogs like to eat invertebrates, so creating conditions in your yard conducive to bugs (by setting up piles of logs, for example) will help them find their natural food sources.
As we recuperate from Halloween, American families either dread or eagerly anticipate the even more gluttonous holiday that is Thanksgiving. A couple of years ago, we dutifully reported that 46 million turkeys are consumed annually during Thanksgiving meals. But watch the turkey so human that he’ll want to make you think before you gobble up another one of his kind.
Stewart the turkey lives with his loving family, which includes a variety of other animals; and in multiple videos posted by his human caretakers, his love for soccer can clearly be observed. He likes to shake his tail feathers and play with the ball, which has been cutely dubbed his “girlfriend.”
Stewart is not only a regular Erling Haaland but also a real comedian — in one video he spread his feathers, as if courting a pretty female, for a pair of Crocs. Stewart might just be the only intelligent being on the planet who finds Crocs sexy, but it’s always good when a provocateur comes along to challenge public opinion. Stewart, indeed, seems to be interested in aesthetic matters, as he appeared quite entranced by a live painting demonstration.
This Adorable Turkey Loves Playing Soccer, and the Internet Can’t Get Enough
Before Stewart, his family owned a turkey named Lawrence. Lawrence became a viral sensation for making uncouth noises with the help of his human mother… Verily, turkeys make fantastic pets, often kind and sometimes even a little too tolerant. I can add a personal anecdote: The moron running the camp I attended as a child kept a turkey on a leash for all the little brats to play with (or rather, abuse), and that turkey truly displayed the patience of a saint.
All that said, perhaps it just might be better to make friends with turkeys than to roast them. According to a recent study by The Vacationer, as picked up by the likes of FoxNews, nearly 35% of Americans apparently dislike turkey as a dish. Still, the tradition sadly persists of having turkey for Thanksgiving, perhaps more as a centerpiece, or something to be pecked around and saved for the trash, than an actual food that anyone at the table enjoys consuming.
If you let your dog lick your mouth, you’ll probably both swap plenty of nastiness, like bacteria and even parasites. But there is one particular parasite you won’t have to worry about swapping, because there’s a good chance you both share it. A team of researchers recently found there’s a parasite usually found in human mouths that one in six dogs may carry, too.
According to a study published in Veterinary Research Communications by scientists at Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Poland, our beloved doggies are harboring Trichomonas tenax. This microscopic parasite hangs out between your gums and teeth, feeding on scraps and occasionally causing gross periodontal infections.
Researchers swabbed 238 house pets and discovered these oral squatters in 17 percent of dogs and nearly 6 percent of cats. Older dogs over nine years old and those sporting thick coats of disgusting tooth tartar were the most likely to host the parasite.
Your Dog Might Be Carrying a Human Mouth Parasite, According to New Research
How are dogs getting it? Probably from us, though the researchers could not say that definitively. But that makes the most sense, especially since all the infected cats in the study were strictly indoor kitties whose main contact with the outside world was through their owners. Dogs had even higher infection rates, which makes sense considering one of their primary modes of emotional expression is licking faces.
More research is needed before a definitive cause and effect can be established, but if it can be, then these trichomonads, which churn out all sorts of gross enzymes that break down collagen and destroy soft tissue, destroying your gums and your dogs’, we still need to figure out to what extent we are sharing this parasite.
Mr. Rob “Blasko” is a Renaissance man, whose many hats over the years have included rock star, hugely successful manager, music career coach, entrepreneur, marketing wizard, and so forth. As arguably one of the finest and coolest bassists in metal, he currently lends his supremacy to Rob Zombie, though he is also revered for his involvement with Cryptic Slaughter, Danzig, Prong, and the immortal Ozzy Osbourne. However, today, we are celebrating Blasko’s heroic and tireless efforts to ensure the best lives possible for cats. As we thank Blasko for his advocacy, we hope that his exemplary devotion will inspire readers.
In 2019, Blasko became the recipient of the Advocacy Award at Kitten Rescue’s annual fundraiser and gala, Fur Ball. Radio personality Jason Ellis introduced him that glorious evening, which was attended by heavyweights, as actress Miranda Cosgrove, ex-Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, Gloria Butler, and the Black Sabbath co-founding legend Geezer Butler. The Butlers were honored with the very same award in 2016, and their ongoing altruistic deeds in service of animals have been endless. The charitable power couple actually connected Blasko with Kitten Rescue — Blasko now sits on this LA-based organization’s Board of Directors. Blasko’s friend Rob Halford of Judas Priest is yet another icon championing Kitten Rescue and proving that cats are born “Rocka Rolla[s].” As we will explore, Blasko has assumed the special role of black cat advocate, which, as he points out, fits perfectly with his dark brand.
We are thrilled to have the opportunity to catch up with the kind and humble Blasko, who proudly states, “The Fur Ball just happened [on October 3], and that was a great success, as always. So, we feel very-very happy about that. It’s a big moment for us each year. There’s obviously a stigma attached to black cats. A lot of it stems from their association with witches and black magic in folklore. The stigma carries over into other kinds of adoptable pets — black dogs tend to be the last ones adopted, which is ridiculous. One reason is that people seem to think they don’t show up well in photos, and we’re living in a social media world, where everything is all about documenting your life — the fact that’s even a consideration is difficult for me to wrap my head around. If anyone has ever seen photos of my black cat, they’re amazing. […] Cats don’t pick the color of their fur, and at the end of the day, they’re still just cats. If you want one, what color it is really has no bearing on how it interacts with humans.” Blasko’s photos prove that black cats are, in fact, dangerous, but only in their bewitching adorableness.
The lethal hired gun onstage and lifesaver offstage praises his rescue community, “We have such a big network of TNR volunteers, who trap out of the love of doing it and protecting the cat colonies in their neighborhoods. There’s so much that goes into that sort of work. It’s really commendable. I stand on the shoulders of giants in that regard. Kitten Rescue and Heaven on Earth, the other rescue I work with, are non-profit organizations that rely on support from the community — foster families and donations. It’s very important that people support them, whether from a financial standpoint or a volunteer standpoint, because cats do come to us in various stages. Sometimes, they can be rehabilitated and are ready for adoption, and sometimes they end up just at the rescue forever, which is fine in some cases.” These organizations take it upon themselves to treat the medical afflictions of the cats they rescue — Blasko has mentioned leukemia as an issue they sometimes encounter.
Blasko continues, “On the rescue side, you see a lot of things, and it really gives you some insight into the general state of humanity, and it can be really depressing when you look at how animals can be neglected, and mistreated, and abused. It makes you very angry. People will just roll up to a shelter in the middle of the night with cats in a box and just leave it at the front door. You have to be very thankful that there are shelters and rescues that can take those abandoned and misused animals in. […] When it comes to it being spooky season, there are a lot of rescues that won’t even adopt out black cats in October because people do stupid stuff. That is also completely frustrating and infuriating. At Kitten Rescue, we vet every adopter pretty thoroughly.”
As Blasko cautions us, cats are not toys, and the privilege of ownership should not be approached without a great sense of responsibility, “This is a real commitment. It’s important to consider that it is a decision that will impact a cat for a lifetime, which can be upwards of 20 years. Anyone who is a cat owner will really have to adapt to their cat’s idiosyncrasies. I was having dinner with some friends last night — the majority of them are cat owners, so we were talking about getting the covers pulled off of you at 3 in the morning and getting our toes bitten and scratched so that we’d wake up and feed our cats treats and stuff. If you lock them outside the door, they’ll scratch and meow… I think it’s hilarious, and I find it cute and endearing. I get a kick out of getting up in the middle of the night to feed my cats. But there are people who don’t realize what they’re signing up for. Cats can be pretty self-sufficient, as long as you put down a litter box, clean it out every once in a while, and feed them. But the point is they do get sick. They are clumsy sometimes. They can get hurt. They are finicky. They do scratch stuff up, right? Occasionally, they’ll have accidents, depending on their age, temperament, surroundings within the house, etc. So, if you’re a good person who’s looking to adopt a cat for October, and you’re doing it as a novelty thing, you have to remember that there will be many more spooky seasons that this guy is going to be around for.”
jackie daytona courtesy of blasko
Blasko addresses the pressing, and sometimes physically suffocating, issue of Halloween costumes for cats, “Some cats are cool with it and like to dress up. Some cats like adventure. Most really don’t though. It’s kinda mean to do those things. Touching more upon the safety of cats, I kinda think most cats that were adopted as pets should really be indoors all the time. Especially during this time of year, people can be cruel. But I understand that certain cats have the instinct to go outside, and there are certain situations where there is a yard, and people do have cats that go in and out. Generally speaking though, those are ones that kind of came that way. We had a cat that was an outdoor cat first and then just came into our house. It wasn’t feral or anything, it was just meandering, and that cat was always an indoor-outdoor.”
Looking past Halloween, we must highlight that each November, Kitten Rescue does their best to guarantee that the community keeps their feline allies in mind on and around GivingTuesday. With the donations gathered solely from that annual occurrence, Kitten Rescue is able to pick a different shelter each year and save all the cats scheduled to be euthanized. This entails, as always, doing their best to restore the health of rescuees. Blasko did inform me that 88 cats had been saved as a result of the 2023 edition of GivingTuesday alone. Blasko beams, “It’s always a great moment to be able to talk about how many of these cats that would have been killed were able to be adopted. On average, we rescue and adopt out over 2,000 cats a year.”
Kitten Rescue has displayed great preparedness in stepping in during wildfires. Blasko reflects, “You can read of the amazing things as well as all the very depressing things that have happened during something as catastrophic as fires that are leveling thousands of homes and communities, right? It’s tragic. And there is loss there, but we like to celebrate the wins if at all possible. There were some real wins in that we were able to take in as many cats as we could and either hold them while their owners were unable to go back home or because they were completely displaced. We’re a real community-based organization, and when things like that happen and everyone pulls together, it does rekindle some of your faith in humanity.”
For those among us willing to become cat parents, Blasko explains how we can meet and test our compatibility with potential besties, “There are a lot of pop-up events. Usually, they happen at PetSmart or something. Kitten Rescue and Heaven on Earth can be open to the public, and you can make an appointment to come and see the cats. We also supply cats to a number of cat cafés — I feel they are always really good environments to see who might be a good fit for adoption. At the cafés, you can play with the cats and see if they gravitate towards you as well as how they interact with other cats and people. There’s Tail Town Cats, which is in Pasadena. There’s Crumbs & Whiskers, which is in Hollywood on Melrose [and also in Washington DC]. And then, there’s Catfe in Santa Clarita. But those aren’t the only ones that we supply to. There are great cat cafés all over the world, and I’ve been to them in Japan; London; Monterey, Mexico; everywhere. Whenever I am on tour, one of the first things I do when I wake up in a city is look up where the cat café is in closest proximity to the gig or hotel. I always try to visit when I can, just to see how their operations run. One of my favorites is The Catcade, which is in Chicago — I have friends that operate it, and it’s a really great location. Supporting all of these things is of tremendous value, and we appreciate it all.” Blasko adds, “We pop up at [Halloween and horror convention] Midsummer Scream every year in August, and we do some great merch for that.” Blasko used to sell “Black Cat Social Club” merch for charity himself.
Lil’ champ courtesy of blasko
Blasko previously told me, “Cats are very metal.” Now, he obligingly responds to my request to please expand, “There seems to be a natural unity between cats and metalheads. I can’t completely explain it, but I’m fascinated by it. There really are a lot of people in metal that love cats, have cats, appreciate cats, and that’s a great thing. Recently, I lost a cat, and I was out in the crowd at a gig, and people that I did not know came up to me and expressed sincere condolences. When someone recognizes me from Instagram, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, I love your cats; I love that you post pictures and videos of your cats.’ It’s common for people to come up to me and not talk about bands that I’ve been in or am in but cats.”
Our cat savior of honor remembers his recently-lost black-and-white companion, “When I adopted him from a place called AGWC Rockin’ Rescue, his shelter name was Wilbur, but I changed it to Captain. He was with me for a really long time, and it was unfortunate to see him go. However, I look at it like this: We gave him a great life from a life that wasn’t so great, so the last two-thirds of his life were as great as they could be. Right now, I’m still grieving, but there are a lot of homeless cats out there that need pet parents, and so I believe it’s my responsibility to find more. No one can replace Captain, but, at the end of the day, there is an empty space here for a cat that needs a second chance, and we’re very good cat parents.” Blasko and his wife still lovingly care for two other striking heart-stealers, whom the former describes as “super codependent and very human.” Blasko notes of cats in general, in line with earlier remarks, “I appreciate their willingness to be independent, their attitude… But they still need us, so there’s a real connection there. They can be real friends.”
Wilbur courtesy of blasko
Of his ambitions, Blasko reveals, “I have the fantasy of opening my own cat café one of these days. I’ve got a great idea of what mine could be like… But it’s just too restrictive. I give anyone who has ever opened a cat café all the credit in the world, because it is so much work.” Hopefully, down the road, we’ll see Blasko’s dream come to fruition. Blasko further shares that he met Alexandra Crockett, who authored the famous Metal Cats (2014), and that he’d be eager to participate if she ever assigns herself the task of a follow-up. In my estimation, a “Black Metal, Black Cats” book, featuring some of the “grim and frostbitten” Lords of Cuteness, is long overdue. I would also love to see Blasko and pals record a cat-themed album.
Blasko has truly demonstrated brilliance in raising awareness through social media, which he views as a gift that should be used to spread positivity. Especially in our age of AI cat videos, it’s refreshing to follow real cats and their bipedal caretakers. Blasko runs the LA Big 5K each year and, at the appropriate time, includes a link for donations in his Instagram bio — he advises us to check Instagram for those aforementioned pop-up events as well. In closing, Blasko emphasizes, “The internet is a good resource. I think if you have questions, and you don’t understand what the adoption process looks like, or where the best places are to meet and potentially adopt in your area, look it up, and go check it out. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you, but make some effort if it’s something you’ve been thinking about. There’s a lot of information and resources on kittenrescue.org. If you are in the Atwater Village area, then visit Kitten Rescue.”
(Follow Blasko’s main Instagram account here, Kitten Rescue here, and Heaven on Earth here, or you will be promptly fed to rabid dogs.)
When you hug, hold, squeeze, and pet your cat, you’re probably vaguely aware, maybe just in the back of your mind, that you’re actively trying to improve your quality of life by engaging in a pleasant activity. But something might be happening on a deeper, hormonal level that boosts not only your mood but your cat’s, too.
According to research published in iScience by a Kyoto University team, previous studies on whether cats actually make our lives better have been a bit of a mixed bag. There’s enough science to strongly suggest that dogs offer health benefits that stick around for quite a while. But research on cats’ health benefits, like the animals themselves, is complicated and inconsistent.
To figure out why cat ownership’s perks are harder to pin down, the researchers tracked 19 human and cat pairs for a month using Bluetooth tracking beacons and urine samples to check in on any biological effects.
Your Cat’s Brain Chemistry Could Be Affecting Your Mood, New Research Suggests
They found that simply owning a cat doesn’t magically turn your brain into a blissful utopia. But something fascinating is happening, and you need to be in close physical proximity to your cat to reap the benefits.
The study found a direct hormonal link between humans and cats: higher oxytocin in cats correlated with lower cortisol and fewer negative vibes in humans. Oxytocin is the hormone associated with bonding, and cortisol is the hormone that triggers stress.
In other words, the more your cat feels your bond, the less stress you’ll feel in turn. The researchers found such a close connection between the two that a cat’s oxytocin levels tracked an owner’s bad mood more closely than the owner’s own biochemistry did.
This is, of course, a good example of small-sample-size theater, and it all amounts to correlation rather than causation, but excuse me for snuggling your kitty just a little bit more tightly tonight.
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