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New Rat Dissection App for iPad
Critter News
APRIL 1, 2011
rats technologyAnything to help stop the dissection of real mice in schools.
Rats Related Topics 
Can My Rat Eat That?
4 The Love Of Animals
JUNE 4, 2016
If you’re keeping rats you often need to find out quickly whether you can give them a snack, maybe something from your own meal, or you want to know whether it’s worth buying in something you think they might enjoy. … Continue reading → The post Can My Rat Eat That?
Defending Laboratory Rats
Critter News
MAY 26, 2009
Nice article about people who are committed to defending "lab rats" used for medical research. I've worked with rats and I find them charming and intelligent creatures. You see people shut down if you talk about how a rat can suffer," says Chad Sandusky, director of toxicology and research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that fights for animal rights and advocates vegetarianism.
RATS, Raptors, and Reckitt Benckiser
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 3, 2014
Mice/rats in your house or business? ” Most people don’t understand what they’re doing when they use rat poison. By the early 1980s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was aware that poison control centers were reporting 12,000 to 15,000 calls annually regarding children under the age of 6 ingesting rat poison, and rodenticides were documented as causing large numbers of secondary poisoning in wildlife. Call the pest control company.
Rats Taking Over from Mice in Labs
Critter News
DECEMBER 27, 2010
I recently fostered the sweetest little rat and I currently have two mice. And, of course, our old friend, Charles River Laboratories, will be a major supplier of lab rats. Scientific advances over the last three years have now made it feasible to easily tinker with rat genes, creating the possibility of far better models of certain human diseases, and potentially shortening the time it takes to develop medications.
10,000 Birds Launches Alley Rat Allies
10,000 Birds
APRIL 1, 2013
After all, if feral cats should be allowed to roam free without fear of poisoning, being trapped-and-euthanized, or otherwise coming to harm then why not give rats the same treatment? So we announce the formation of a new, national organization dedicated to the preservation of the rat. Ladies and gentlemen, please throw all of your support behind Alley Rat Allies ! Like cats, the rat is not native to the vast majority of areas where it thrives. Rats are cute!
Dogs and Rat Poison
4 The Love Of Animals
DECEMBER 8, 2011
Since wild mice and rats carry disease, ruin household foundations and leave a general mess everywhere… it is very wise to get rid of them as soon as possible. Many dog owners don’t realize, however, that rat poisons are extremely dangerous for dogs. Dogs eating rat poison is not an uncommon problem for dog owners. Rat poisons can be fatal even in small amounts. Symptoms of Rat Poisoning. Dogs eat rat poison because they sometimes mistake it for kibble.
Rats help save humans.
4 The Love Of Animals
APRIL 25, 2010
Recently, another powerful little nose has joined the diagnostic force: that of the African giant pouched rat. Read more about these amazing rats and the work they are doing by visiting the full article here. Rats help save humans. Long before CAT scans, X-rays, blood samples and colonoscopies, physicians used the good sense they were born with: their sense of smell. That’s because bacterias, cancers and infections create unique smells.
Cute of the day: Rat (in a hat)!
4 The Love Of Animals
DECEMBER 16, 2010
Looks like this sweet little rat is all settled in for a long winters nap. cute of the day
Humboldt Penguins in Chile Face Extinction
Critter News
JULY 19, 2012
Invading rats with bodies up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long have begun eating eggs and chicks, and some experts fear that unless the rats are eradicated, they could tip the Humboldt penguin toward extinction. rats chile extinction penguins endangered speciesFrom the Huffington Post.
Green Bay Turns to Hawks to Stop Rats
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 13, 2011
Green Bay, Wisconsin, will put up nesting platforms and boxes in an attempt to lure birds of prey. The nesting program isn’t to benefit the birds but to try to contain a serious rodent problem. How cool is that? Asides
Good News for South Georgia Island’s Pipit Population
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 24, 2015
A bird species battling an onslaught of invasive rats just got a glimpse of hope. While this is happy news for any parents, and wonderful news for any threatened species (these Pipits live only on Antarctica’s South Georgia Island and number only 3,000-4,000 pairs), it’s tremendous news for those trying to eradicate rats from the island. That’s because these birds won’t breed when rats are around. News invasive species rats South Georgia south georgia pipit
“Hawk” vs. Hawk
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
Let me introduce my guest blogger, Lisa Owens Viani, co-founder of the California-based group RATS ( Raptors Are The Solution ), which educates people about the dangers of rat poisons. It takes a lot of nerve—or something that can’t be printed here—to name your rat poison after the animals that so effectively and efficiently control rodents but that are also being poisoned—as “non target” animals—by your product.
Military Used Pigs in Brain Injury Research
Critter News
APRIL 7, 2009
For an 11-month period that ended in December, researchers subjected pigs and rats to about 200 blasts, according to Pentagon documents and interviews. Tags: rats animal experimentation military pigs Lovely. Military researchers have dressed live pigs in body armor and strapped them into Humvee simulators that were then blown up with explosives to study the link between roadside bomb blasts and brain injury.
The Function of Art is to Disturb
Animal Person
AUGUST 21, 2009
Modest Mouse's "King Rat," directed by Heath Ledger "The function of art is to disturb." --George Braque What do you think?
Increase in Dutch Animal Testing
Critter News
NOVEMBER 1, 2010
The increase was largely due to new EU rules on chemical compounds, which have led to an increase in testing on rats, the inspectors said. From the DutchNews.nl. Dutch researchers carried out 592,665 experiments on animals last year, a 2.5% increase on 2008, government inspectors said on Friday. More than half the experiments were carried out for academic research and one third of those were for medical research.
Cute of the Day: Beethoven
4 The Love Of Animals
JULY 26, 2010
We think Beethoven is an adorable weather rat. Beethoven says “Hey, mom! It’s raining outside!&#. Cute of the Day: Beethoven originally appeared on 4 The Love of Animals on July 26, 2010.
Animal Research Scientists Sponsor Billboards
Critter News
MAY 5, 2011
This billboard poses the issue as an either/or.save the child or the rat. Well, you know how they are.going for the emotion and oversimplifying the issue. Certainly not showing what they do, how they are funded and how the licensing of their "altruistic" work nets them a tidy sum. Bullshit. It's not that simple. How many of these experiments are even necessary? How many of them are of the quality of checking to see whether junk food makes someone fat? Please. animal research
Do dogs get colds?
4 The Love Of Animals
SEPTEMBER 16, 2012
Not just dogs though, pet birds, ferrets, and even pet rats are all able to catch a cold from a person. It’s that time of the year again when the humans start sniffling and sneezing! If you have ever wondered if your dog can get a cold, the answer is yes ! If you have a cold, it’s best to keep your distance from your beloved pet so you don’t spread it.
Welsh Report Shows Increased Animal Research at Cardiff University
Critter News
AUGUST 2, 2010
In four years it experimented on 157,839 mice, 17,324 rats, 11,096 fish, 1,941 birds, 1,253 guinea pigs, 933 pigeons, 884 frogs, 207 cats, 54 rabbits and 18 tree shrews from the tropics of south-east Asia. Here's an article about an increase in animal experiments at Cardiff University in Wales. According to a Wales on Sunday investigation, the number of animals used at Cardiff has risen by 13 percent since 2006.
San Francisco Considers Banning Pet Sales
Critter News
JULY 18, 2010
All companion animals including dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, chinchillas, guinea pigs, birds, snakes, and lizards would be considered as pets. Pet sales would be banned altogether, except for the sale of pet fish. If it passes, San Francisco residents would have to go to a shelter or rescue group to adopt an animal. Sounds good, but I just don't believe this will pass. It would set a national precedent, even if it is San Francisco.
Do Animals Laugh?
Critter News
JUNE 5, 2009
Those patterns hint at the ancient origins of human hilarity and suggest that other social species - including apes, dogs and rats - really, truly laugh as well. I personally think that a credible laughter concept can, and already has been, extended to mammalian species as lowly as the rat.". There are researchers out there who say that they do. I certainly think they can laugh and have fun. I've seen it.
Hamsters Celebrate 70 Years in the US
Critter News
OCTOBER 21, 2008
Sadly, though, some 200,000 hamsters were used for research in the United States in 2000, third behind rats and mice. Interesting article. Prior to the 1930s, hamsters were pretty much in the wild. Prior to the 1970s, virtually all were descended from one breeding pair. Now, one million hamsters are kept as pets, an increase of 41 percent since 2001. This includes the two sitting on the shelf in our house!)
Malaysian Official Says God Made Animals for Testing
Critter News
MAY 31, 2010
A Malaysian government official defended an Indian company's plans to build an animal testing medicine lab in his state, saying Monday that God created monkeys and rats for experiments to benefit humans. That's why he created rats and monkeys. This is pretty vile in my opinion. From the AP.
What Matters to Animals…
Creature Talk
JUNE 30, 2009
Someone is doing an experiment on a chimp or a rabbit or a rat. The weekend of June 13th and 14th I went to an animal rights conference in the Twin Cities called Their Lives, Our Voices. Much like last year, it was awesome. I took notes and hope to write a few entries on what I learned there. For now, I’m going to start with the very last presentation (because I forgot my notebook so I don’t have notes, but it’s still fresh in my memory!)
Rattus Rattus
Animal Ethics
JULY 24, 2007
Here is a New York Times story about the lowly rat. Rats have feelings, just as you do.) Do you suppose stories such as this will change people's attitudes toward rats? I'm being facetious. If so, will that make experimentation on them less likely
Pollinate Me! I’ll Make It Easy!
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
A plant in South Africa, commonly called Rat’s Tail but referred to by scientists as Babiana ringens , evolved a perch for birds to use while feeding. This aids the plants because they get pollinated as part of the bargain. Now if only one of the plants in New York would evolve a couch near a good birding spot… a. Asides
Appeal Denied for Six Activists Convicted Under AEPA
Critter News
OCTOBER 17, 2009
Huntingdon used mostly mice and rats , but also some dogs, monkeys, fish and guinea pigs , in its research in New Jersey. It was a 2-1 decision by the US Court of Appeals. From the Philadelphia Inquirer. Six members of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty were convicted at a 2006 trial in New Jersey of conspiracy to violate the 1992 Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The law, since revised, aimed to protect animal research laboratories from illegal, sometimes violent protests.
Deconstructing Slate's "Pepper" Series
Animal Person
JUNE 8, 2009
Engber mentions that in 1972, the USDA put into place "a special exemption for rats, mice, and birds, allowing scientists to treat them however they saw fit—in cages of any size, in experiments with any degree of pain and suffering. He concludes this segment with: Meanwhile, rats and mice are subject to some of the most extreme and invasive experiments in biomedicine. Scientists mapped out the entire mouse genome in 2002 and the rat genome in 2004.)
On "Knockout Animals"
Animal Person
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Before you answer, here are some details to inform your decision: The first "knockout animals" were laboratory rats, whose anterior cingulate cortex have been damaged/blocked so that though they might still feel pain, they do not find it unpleasant.
Bid for the chance to raise Kakapo!
10,000 Birds
JUNE 6, 2012
Bidding is on TradeMe (New Zealand’s eBay), and the money raised will go to clearing the Antipodes Islands of introduced rats ( a story we talked about before ). The Department of Conservation in New Zealand is giving you, yes you , the chance to spend two days and one night raising Kakapo chicks ! So it’s win-win really. Bidding ends Sunday in New Zealand, Saturday in the US. Asides Kakapo New Zealand Conservation parrots
Two Examples of Mice Experiments - Valid or Not?
Critter News
OCTOBER 24, 2009
However, it involved exposing rats to chemicals at levels that humans are usually not exposed to. this study was mainly about the effect of high doses of a chemical called phthalates on the number of rats born with undescended testicles, it is premature to report that stress has a part to play in reducing fertility in men. I came across these stories about two different medical experiments using mice. In this experiment, scientists tested whether lighting can cause depression.
“They fly and fly until there’s no more ocean to fly over” — a review of the book “Shearwater”
10,000 Birds
MAY 23, 2021
They were named for the Isle of Man but are no longer found there – the arrival of the brown rat ruined that home for them. (But But there is, apparently, and thanks to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, some good news on the rat front in that part of the world.).
Are We Much Better than Michael Vick?
Critter News
MAY 28, 2009
Homemakers employ deadly rat traps and poisons to rid their dwellings of vermin. In university labs nationwide, scientists inflict spinal-cord injuries on dogs and cats, inject rats with carcinogens, test dangerous drugs on monkeys, and do all kinds of evil things to guinea pigs in the name of scientific research. This is an excellent opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The author, an assistant professor of sociology at Tulane University, poses some important questions.
On "Animal Activism"
Animal Person
MAY 23, 2009
If you believe your dog has a right to a life free of torture and slaughter for no reason, then you really ought to think about extending that right to mice, rats, chickens and fish. I've used the term "animal activism" lately as an experiment. I'm trying to gauge people's receptivity to what I'm about to say. I notice that if I use "animal rights activist" or anything with the word "rights" in it, because it's loaded and misunderstood, my listener often has an immediate bias of some kind.
Pale Male Gets Around
10,000 Birds
APRIL 8, 2011
The famous Red-tailed Hawk of Central Park is apparently using his pad with a great view of Central Park to woo the women who find themselves unable to resist his rat-catching ways and wiles. New York Magazine uses a more descriptive term for Pale Male’s recent behavior but the fact that he has had a veritable harem since the demise of Lola is beyond a doubt.
Southwest Primate Center "Celebrates" 10 Years
Critter News
OCTOBER 6, 2009
And let's not forget the required sanctimonious quote from an animal researcher “Our primates are essential partners in medical progress, as are mice, rats, guinea pigs and opossums. This place is celebrating its 10th year with ground-breaking research into what makes us all fat. By destroying the health of baboons with fast food. Fast food is bad for you? Really?)
Exposing the Pharmaceutical Industry's Interest in Animal Research
Critter News
AUGUST 10, 2009
It's so much cheaper to buy, use and dispose of a bunch of voiceless chimpanzees and thousands of rats than to invest in alternative R&D. In the United States, we are in the midst of a health care debate in which the pharmaceutical industry disguises itself as a champion of the people. It is funding stealth organizations that support "patients' choices" and that assist in organized mob disruptions of town hall meetings.
Seizures In Dogs: Could Your Dog Have A Seizure?
4 The Love Of Animals
JANUARY 24, 2013
You can prevent your dog from environmental toxin related seizures and other ill effects by making sure there is no possible exposure to rat poison, snail bait, flea powder, bug spray, pesticides, lead paint and household cleaners. Although seizures are rarely fatal, they signal severe problems with the electrical activity in your dog’s brain. Seizures in dogs lasting more than five minutes are especially serious and require emergency veterinary attention.
Angry Birds, What’s Black and White and Hungry All Over, and a Little Something for the Ladies: This Week in Bird News
10,000 Birds
MARCH 1, 2017
The law of unintended consequences has tragic effects at a zoo in England, as rat poison ends up killing the Rainbow Lorikeets it was intended to protect. If there’s one common theme to this week’s bird news items, it’s their collective bizarreness: The eagle has landed—on the drone, as France trains birds to take out drones that stray into restricted airspace.
Birding Tiaozini again – sponsored by the local government …
10,000 Birds
JUNE 24, 2021
While Mike and Corey – fitting for being real celebrities in birding cycles – get invited to far-flung places such as Uganda, minor local birders sometimes at least get invited to places nearby.
Top 5 Ways to Pet Proof Your Home
4 The Love Of Animals
DECEMBER 19, 2012
And, speaking of poisons, talk to your vet before putting down any rat or ant poison, which can sicken your pet before it reaches its intended target. Take one look at the viral blog, Pet Shaming , and it’s difficult to retain any illusions about our furry friends. Love them as we may, they will make a mess of the house when left to their own devices, and they might make themselves very ill in the process.
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