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Word power: (un)common sense on cats as pets, in Australia (with cat-connected Namibian & Tunisian bonus content)

Published November 15, 2023 by Pelidoug

Word power: (un)common sense on cats as pets, in Australia (with cat-connected Namibian & Tunisian bonus content)

 

 

 

“Our” world is so oversaturated with sensationalism, misrepresentation, haranguing, intolerance, name-calling, “cancelling”, “virtue signalling” and the “100% this versus 100% that” school of argumentation.

It has become an increasingly rare pleasure to read a measured and sensible newspaper article, devoted to a highly contentious topic.

The relevant piece was published this week in the Australian edition of The Guardian.

Fully cognisant of cats’ devastating impact on Australian wildlife, it addresses this question:

can we have cats (as pets) in a sustainable and ethical way?

You may be surprised to know that the answer is yes, albeit yes, if…

read moreWord power: (un)common sense on cats as pets, in Australia (with cat-connected Namibian & Tunisian bonus content)
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European surprises(#8 in single-image teaser series: reigning cat, Alberobello)

Published October 22, 2023 by Pelidoug

European surprises(#8 in single-image teaser series: reigning cat, Alberobello)

 

 

 

For an observant “stranger in a strange land”, local signage often proves a rich source of amusement and/or misunderstanding – sometimes, the latter, therefore the former.

The pictured sign ensures that monolingual English-speakers do “get” the intended message; nonetheless, you are looking at the winner of my personal award for “our European trip’s most amusing signage”.

Many tourists walk the feline monarch of Alberobello’s street.

Almost all are obedient, so the king – or queen – usually sits on his/her “throne”, undisturbed.

Q: Why do tourists from all over the world flock to this small town in Puglia, southern Italy?

read moreEuropean surprises(#8 in single-image teaser series: reigning cat, Alberobello)
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European surprises (#7 in single-image teaser series: raining cats)

Published October 21, 2023 by Pelidoug

European surprises (#7 in single-image teaser series: raining cats)

 

 

Almost everywhere we went in southern Italy, cats were abundantly evident.

Generally, they roamed freely, and were neither belled nor tagged.

Their state of health was hugely variable; it was often impossible to know whether an individual was a “feral” or (notionally, at least) a “domestic” cat.

I suspect that the above circumstances have more than a bit to do with another surprise, at least to us: that birds are usually strikingly less evident/abundant/diverse on southern Italian streets than on West Australian ones.

read moreEuropean surprises (#7 in single-image teaser series: raining cats)
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