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The Atlantic magazine ran an article (by Brett Peterson, Dec.2016 p.40) about feral and free-running cats and the damage they can do, including killing lots of birds and spreading toxoplasmosis.
It's a hard call, for nearly a third of us humans rely on cats for companionship.
Latest Hen House story

Los Alamos had a famous house goat, and we had a loving skunk for t least eight years, but turkeys---now they are a questionable pet, unless bonded to us at a very young age. Here's why...

LADailyPost-How the Hen House Turns

Sadie Sue likes to sniff where she wants to sniff. Her message is quite clear--a stiff pull at her leash. When we need to Not go that way, I pull back and explain. Thirty seconds later, the little Cuban Havanese gives up and trots on ahead in the direction I am pulling. LAdailypost

A must-read for anyone raising or training horses. Details about how to avoid making basket-cases out of these prey-sensitive, herd-social animals that need to eat slowly many hours per day. Review on the Hen House blog in the
Los Alamos Daily Post

I can't remember when I began to wonder what my animal friends were thinking. As a child—growing up with Boots, a mixed "shepherd," I assumed she knew who she was and what she wanted to do with herself. I took her sniffing for granted, without questioning why she did it so much.

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It took only three times for the scrub jay to get it. I whistles three times then set out unsalted peanut behind the rock that we had used before the squirrels took over the bird feeder, emptying it at every visit. Now the jays get their treasures to bury on demand. Stories about animal interactions and smarts continues in the
LA Daily Post

Ms Kahaki knew were I left the trowel, knew that I couldn't refuse her gentle quacking request, knew where the wet mud full of worms was.LADailyPost

The data keep rolling in--animals are conscious beings, more like us than we have admitted. So how do we adjust our behavior to account for their sentience, their emotions, even their rights? Is falconry too demanding. I find it amazing that aquarium octopuses were not thought to be interested in interacting as persons with us humans until the year 2000. Both books are easy, fascinating reads.

LADailyPost Link to the review.

Are animals conscious of their own existence? Do they realize that other living beings have their own point of view (This is called Theory of Mind.)? The new science of ethology is awaking us to a new awareness of animal sentience and consciousness. For the latest article click here. ladailypost.com

Following 40 years with birds and dogs and how our human id is challenged by the other life.ladailypost blog How the Hen House turns