news 2020

New research reveals widespread contamination of English rivers with pesticides commonly used as flea treatments Researchers at the University of Sussex have found widespread contamination of English rivers with two neurotoxic pesticides commonly used in veterinary flea products: fipronil and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid.

Maine Coon demonstrates the eye narrowing technique (credit: Prof Karen McComb, University of Sussex) The new study, 'The role of cat eye narrowing movements in cat-human communication' , published online in the Nature journal Scientific Reports , has shown for the first time that it is possible to build rapport with a cat by using an eye narrowing technique with them.

The mystery of why zebras have their characteristic stripes has perplexed researchers for over a century. Over the last decade, Professor Tim Caro at the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences has examined and discredited many popular theories such as their use as camouflage from predators, a cooling mechanism through the formation of convection currents and a role in social interactions.

One in four people acquired their puppies before the advised age of eight weeks old, according to new findings from Dogs Trust's pioneering dog welfare study 'Generation Pup'. The 'cohort' study follows a generation of puppies over the course of their lifetime, to investigate how factors such as environment, social interaction, diet and exercise can impact their development in later life.

A team of scientists at the University of Glasgow has identified a cat in the UK that was infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Researchers from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) in partnership with the Veterinary Diagnostic Service (VDS) of the University's School of Veterinary Medicine made the discovery as part of their joint research programme in which they have screened hundreds of samples for COVID-19 infections in the feline population in the UK.

Should we be concerned about the coronavirus spreading to cats' Not yet, says Dr Sarah Caddy in this article for The Conversation, even after a concerning report from Belgium. After reports of two dogs testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Hong Kong, the most recent news to cause alarm among animal owners is that of a cat in Belgium with apparent symptoms of the virus that causes COVID-19.