pets
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Your pet gerbil is plotting your death
Gerbils, not rats, may be responsible for the plague that wiped out half of Europe in the 1300's. If you've ever met one, this should not surprise you.
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Critical List: Keystone XL could raise gas prices; Italy earthquake threatens cheese
Counter to everything Republicans say, building the Keystone XL could raise gas prices. Please, parents, don’t buy your children trendy pets in imitation of popular book characters. In England, hundreds of Harry Potter-inspired pet owls are being dropped off at animal shelters after their owners realized that they’re expensive to care for and don’t actually […]
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Protein: An invitation to sink your teeth in
Today on Grist we’re launching a series of articles about protein. What made me want to focus on protein? Well, let's just say it started with my dog, Lucy.
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It is shockingly easy to own exotic animals in the U.S.
The depressing news from Ohio -- where the owner of a large and mismanaged personal exotic animal park let the animals loose to be shot by police, then killed himself -- has led a number of people, such as me, to wonder, "where do you even get 18 endangered Bengal tigers in this day and age?" Turns out it's easier than you might think.
New Scientist has rounded up info on U.S. exotic animal laws, from their comfortable position outside the U.S. where they can freely be appalled.
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Got trash? Put a kitten in it.
The Etsy shop Atomic Attic makes upcycled pet beds and feeding trays out of old suitcases and vintage electronics, thus making use of a cat's natural tendency to sit on any damn thing you happen to have lying around. My dog wouldn't fit in a suitcase — maybe a steamer trunk — but I love […]
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Plastic purge: The poo problem
Millions of pet dogs in the United States means a lot of poo-filled plastic bags in landfills. Here's how Hank and I figured out a solution to that nasty mess.
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Ruff part of town: Ask Umbra on dog-friendly cities
Send your question to Umbra! Q. Dear Umbra, I liked the article on pedestrian-friendly cities, but what I really want to know about is dog-friendly cities. There has to be a green message in there … or maybe just a peace and well-being message. I hate my city (Wichita) for being so pet-unfriendly. Where should […]
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Silly science: Animals make friends too
As anyone with cats already knows, animals can be buddies. Now scientists have caught up with the rest of us: “At least five types of animals maintain relationships that are comparable to human friendships,” says Discovery News. So which animals have BFFs? In addition to bats, the newest animal discovered to make long-term relationships, “elephants, […]
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Rabbit chow filters sex hormones out of wastewater
Faced with a crapload of sex hormones slipping through water treatment facilities, researchers have hopped onto a possible solution for our oversexed waste solutions: rabbit chow.