On 4 May, the night will help support the work of SCAR and keep them rescuing and rehoming cats and dogs in need of a ‘second chance’.

There will be lots of fun to be had on the night from exciting trivia rounds, great live and silent auction items to win, fun games to play and lots more.

Second Chance Animal Rescue Inc. is a non-profit, pro-life community-based organisation operated by volunteers and foster carers. It operates as a registered animal shelter and combines this with foster care in the community. Each dog and cat is desexed, vaccinated, wormed, microchipped, vet-checked and temperament-assessed prior to adoption.

Tickets are $15 per person with teams of 8 or 10 people to a table. If you can’t fill a table, they’re happy to match you to a table.

For more information click here

For people with cats, concerned about kitty litter’s waste, disposal and smell, there’s now a solution that could suit you.

The first litter in Australia to be made from natural, biodegradable and environmentally sustainable corn is now on the market. Rufus & Coco’s, Wee Kitty’s clumping corn litter forms scoopable clumps that can be easily discarded – either by flushing it away or adding to compost or garden mulch. 

Non-toxic to humans and animals, it is also gentle on paws, ideal for sensitive noses as it is virtually dust free, and it will not swell up or cause blockages if accidentally ingested (which has been a concern in the past for some clay litter users).

In a Cat Litter Market Comparison test based on independent laboratory testing in August 2012, Wee Kitty absorbed four times its own weight in liquid, absorbed three times more than clay and crystal and one-and-a-half times more than recycled paper and wood litter products.

When Rufus & Coco claimed it also traps odours, within five minutes of a cat using this new litter and with no ammonia odour remaining, we thought it was time to put it to the test. So, we asked one of our Adore Animals’ supporters, Leslie from Kensington (Melbourne) in Victoria, to try Wee Kitty and let us know what she thought.

Leslie said: ‘We have two kitties, Coco and Ruby who used Wee Kitty. After initial hesitation (something new!) they seemed to have no problem delving into the litter box to have a go.

‘I found it very easy to scoop and flush. My husband also had a go and was delighted with the concept. It also kept the smell down which is always an issue with two cats. I like the idea of using an organic product to reduce our paw-print on the environment.’

And with claims it lasts up to seven times longer than regular paper, clay or crystal cat litters (a two kilo bag will last up to two weeks, based on a two to three cm layer of litter in the tray and discarding the clumps, not the whole tray of litter) if you’re not happy with your kitty litter, maybe it’s time to try something new.

Rufus & Coco Wee Kitty Clumping Corn Litter is available at Woolworths (2kg RRP $8.99) – feedback is important, so if you try it, let us know your thoughts!

A Murdoch University researcher who is investigating the threats to wild platypus populations in North West Tasmania is appealing to the general public to note their sightings of the iconic mammals in a survey.

Veterinarian, Dr James Macgregor, from the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences’ Conservation Medicine Program is gathering information about the distribution and abundance of platypuses in the Inglis River catchment.

The information collected in the survey will be related to the results of Dr Macgregor’s field study of the same area and will be compared with the findings of similar surveys completed elsewhere in Tasmania and mainland Australia.

‘Platypuses are very secretive animals and very little is known about their distribution and abundance at a catchment level,’ says Dr Macgregor, who is based in Tasmania.

‘We are looking for members of the public to let us know about their sightings of platypuses in 2012 only and also to pinpoint the water bodies where they’ve seen them, as well as the water bodies which don’t seem to have any platypuses.’

‘This will help us to understand more about this creature’s population density in the Inglis River catchment,’ he says.

Last year, Dr Macgregor and a team of researchers captured and microchipped around 100 of the semi-aquatic creatures in the Inglis River catchment; in all sub-catchments and at all levels of the catchment. They placed microchip readers throughout the waterways to detect them and other platypuses microchipped in previous studies to learn more about their movements. They aim to develop a comprehensive framework for researchers to use to properly assess the health of platypus populations all over Australia.

‘We know what many of the threats to platypuses are but we have little idea of how they actually impact platypus populations,’ says Dr Macgregor. ‘For example, the emerging platypus fungal disease mucormycosis, which has only been found in Tasmania, causes nasty skin lesions and can be fatal.’

Endemic to Eastern Australia, it’s hoped the study will find information on normal platypus health, such as their longevity and reproductive health, as well as the factors which lead to sickness and death.

Members of the public who would like to take part in the platypus survey will need to fill out a questionnaire which is available from Wynyard Veterinary Clinic, or by contacting Dr Macgregor at  platypusproject@hotmail.com.

 Completed questionnaires are required by April 30, 2013.

The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Garth Stein.

If you ever wondered what your dog may be thinking, then this novel may give you a surprising insight.

It’s not easy to write from the point of view of a dog, but it seems Garth Stein has mastered it. His novel about a dog named Enzo (who’s impossible not to love) is heart wrenching and powerful while remaining down-to-earth (just like Enzo) accessible. If you’ve ever loved a dog and had that true connection with one, expect to be moved with laughter and tears. And if you happen to also love racing cars, you’re in for a wild treat.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a lovely reminder about our faithful four-legged friends and how in so many ways they can teach us what’s important.

Monsieur Cadichon – Memoirs of a Donkey.

Countess de Ségur.

For a book written more than 150 years ago, Monsieur Cadichon – Memoirs of a Donkey is still remarkably relevant today.Of course, the language is different and some of the terms aren’t exactly what we would nowadays term PC but, the moral lessons to be taught to the next generation, told through Cadichon the donkey are as relevant as ever.

These memoirs were written by the Countess de Ségur in France in 1860, the same author that wrote the Fleurville Trilogy. Cadichon is a cheeky, lively (some may say, naughty) donkey in need of growing up and he does this throughout the book. Each chapter builds on his story but is almost a story within itself, and so would make good bedtime storytelling for children. Ideally suited to reading with an adult to explain some of the terms and differences between then and now.

As it’s told from a donkey’s point of view, it nicely reiterates the importance of treating animals with respect and care, and as far as Cadichon is concerned, there’s reward in that – for animals and humans.

This survey is for interest only and takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Submissions are anonymous. Results may be used by Dr Jo in her work …

If you’re interested in participating, click on this link

In the largest worldwide bird count ever, bird watchers from 101 countries, including Australia, made history in February in the first global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC).

From 15 to 18 February, 2013, bird watchers from around the world set new records, counting more than 25 million birds on 116,000 checklists in four days. They also recorded 3,138 species, nearly one-third of the world’s total bird species. The data will continue to flow in until today (March 1).

Building on the success of the GBBC in the United States and Canada for the past 15 years, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada opened the count to the world for the first time this year, powered by eBird, a system that enables people to report birds globally in real-time and explore the results online. Bird watchers are invited to keep counting every day of the year here.

‘This is a milestone for citizen science in so many respects – number of species, diversity of countries involved, total participants, and number of individual birds recorded,’ says Cornell Lab of Ornithology Director, Dr John Fitzpatrick. ‘We hope this is just the start of something far larger, engaging the whole world in creating a detailed annual snapshot of how all our planet’s birds are faring as the years go by.”

‘People who care about birds can change the world,’ says Audubon Chief Scientist, Gary Langham. ‘That’s why this year’s record-setting global participation is so exciting. Technology has made it possible for people everywhere to unite around a shared love of birds and a commitment to protecting them.’

Other key preliminary findings include:

• Top 5 Most Reported Species (reported on highest number of checklists): Northern Cardinal; Dark-eyed Junco; Mourning Dove; Downy Woodpecker; House Finch
• Top 5 Most Common Birds (most individuals reported): Snow Goose; Canada Goose; Red-winged Blackbird; European Starling; American Coot
• Finch Invasion: A massive number of northern finch species moved into the U.S. including the Common Redpoll, reported in a record 36 states. Scientists believe these periodic movements are related to natural fluctuations in crops of conifer cones and other seeds in Canada.
• Hurricane Sandy: The weather system that caused Sandy’s landfall also blew some European birds to North America, and evidence of this is still showing up in GBBC results. The colorful, crested Northern Lapwing was reported in Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts during the GBBC.
• GBBC First: A Red-flanked Bluetail has wintered at Queens Park, Vancouver, and was also reported for the GBBC’s first record ever. This British Columbia bird has been drawing birdwatchers from all over the U.S. and Canada hoping to see this rarity. This little thrush is one of the only birds in the world with a striking blue tail and is native to Asia: the other GBBC report this year was from Japan.

For more information, visit the birdcount site.

You may remember that we published a book to help the animal victims of the fires – if you want to know how this money was spent, see the following articles:

• Response Units are Bushfire Ready & Black Saturday Help
• Project Leadbeater’s Possum & Leadbeater’s Possum Project complete
• Donation to QLD Rescue

We have a very special offer on this book at the moment, teaming up with online store Dr Pet to bring you $128 worth of value for $27.50 .

As a further incentive, in our crazy promotion number two, we’ve teamed up with photographers Dione Molnar, Peter Gibney and Anna Clemann authors of Pet Tails. To check out these specials click here.

Australian designed, this lead by Rufus & Coco is super-functional and good looking, but it also has two very important safety features that we love.

Firstly, it’s reflective, so obviously it’s great for night-time safety. Secondly, it has karabiner-type clips on both ends which means that when you need to tie your dog up to pop into a shop or grab that essential morning coffee, you don’t have to unclip them first, or shorten the lead if you are one of those ‘tying a knot in the leash’ type of folk.

With the Rufus & Coco lead, all you do is secure the lead around a suitable (non-moving) object and then refasten the karabiner onto another clip in the lead. Because it has karabiners at both ends, you don’t have to unclip your dog (keeping them safe all the time) or have a ridiculously short lead.

As an added bonus – convenient and economical – the leads are available at Woolworths for just $20. Excellent!

Do you agree? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Rufus & Coco lead (or any other product you wish to tell us about) …

An article in the current issue of Journal of Mammalogy explored the dietary habits of the African elephant. Researchers investigated what plants this animal selected, what parts of a plant it consumed, and how its choices varied with seasonal changes.

Previous studies suggested that the larger the animal, the less selective it might be in its diet, due to lower nutrient requirements per unit of body mass. Accordingly, a large animal would be more capable than a smaller one of digesting high-fibre content and potentially toxic chemical contents of some plants. Thus the African elephant, the largest extant herbivore, should be willing and able to consume a broad variety of plant species.

This study looked at the dietary patterns of more than 80,000 elephants in the Chobe National Park of Botswana. While its size and hindgut digestion do enable the African elephant to exploit a large assortment of plants, it seems to occupy a rather distinct niche from other animals in its actual choices.

During the wet season, elephants ate only 30 per cent of the woody species available for consumption. In the hot, dry season, this increased to 50 per cent. While the elephant might eat shoots and leaves during the wet season, it prefers stem, bark, and roots, making up 50 per cent of its diet in the cool, dry season and increasing to 94 per cent of it consumption in the hot, dry season.

It’s not so much the choice of plant species that separates the elephant from other animals, but the selection of plant parts. The African elephant concentrates on the bark, stem, and roots rather than foliage or fruit of plants. These choices reduce the elephant’s overlap of food selection with other animals.

The food choices of the African elephant can leave a large footprint. But rather than eliminating most of the woody plant component, elephant feeding habits may cause a compositional change among the woodland species due to their neglect of certain types of plants and favor of others.

From: Selective feeding by a mega-herbivore, the African elephant, Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 93, No. 3, June 2012.