Larry The Cat Versus President Trump?

Even though he served as the “Chief Mouser” of Number 10 Downing Street since 2011, did Larry the Cat managed to successfully put a damper to Trump plans where London protesters failed?

By: Ringo Bones

Ever since serving as Number 10 Downing Street’s “Chief Mouser” after being recruited from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home for his exceptional mouse hunting skills since 2011, Larry the Cat has kept the official residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain free from furniture and document destroying mice for almost a decade now. And yet, back in June 4, 2019 - the intrepid feline has managed to do what thousands of London based protesters has set out to do – to put a damper on the U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s packed itinerary during his official U.K. state visit.  

By hiding under the underside of “The Beast” – the president’s official armored limousine, it seems like Larry the Cat is not shy at expressing his disdain against President Trump. Maybe Larry the Cat is no fan of white supremacists who do not give a rat’s ass on the less fortunate. Given that President Trump is too fat to reach down under The Beast to shoo the cat away by himself, it looks like Trump finally met a pussy that he can’t grab by himself.

The Passing Of “Grumpy Cat”: A Sad Day For Cat Lovers?

Described as having the face that has launched a thousand memes, does the passing of “Grumpy Cat” spell a sad day for cat lovers everywhere?

By: Ringo Bones   

                                                                    

During the early days of social media, cats had become the world’s most liked animal and back in September 2012, the internet’s “greatest cat” became a viral success. Sadly, after seven years of living in the internet limelight, her death was announced on Twitter back in Friday, May 17, 2019. Tabatha Bundesen, Grumpy Cat’s owner said “We are unimaginably heartbroken to announce the loss of our beloved Grumpy Cat.” “Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome.” She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at the home in the arms of her mother Tabatha.

Grumpy Cat, whose real name is Tardar Sauce, was born with feline dwarfism which, her owners said, probably accounted for her distinctive facial features and small size. During Grumpy Cat’s heyday, even the then US President Barack Obama was not immune to the charms of Grumpy Cat.

3D Organ On A Chip: The Future Of Cruelty Free Drug Testing?

Primarily developed to increase the accuracy of drug research in the lab, could a 3D Organ On A Chip also point to the future of cruelty-free drug testing by reducing the use of lab animals?

By: Ringo Bones

The newfangled device, which incorporates cells inside a 3D transistor made from a soft sponge-like material inspired by how cells in nature are structured, now allows scientists the ability to study cells and tissues in new ways. By enabling cells to grow in three dimensions, the device more accurately mimics the way that cells grow in the body. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge say their device could be modified to generate multiple types of organs – a liver on a chip or a heart on a chip, for example – ultimately leading to a body on a chip which would simulate how various treatments affect the body as a whole. Their results are reported in the journal Science Advances.

Traditionally, biological studies were – and still are – done in petri dishes, where specific types of cells are grown on a flat surface. While many of the medical advances made since the 1950s, including the polio vaccine, have originated in petri dishes, these two-dimensional environments do not accurately represent the native three-dimensional environments of human cells and can, in fact, leas to misleading information and failures of drugs in clinical trials. “Two-dimensional cell models have served the scientific community well, but we now need to move to three-dimensional cell models in order to develop the next generation of therapies,” says Dr. Roisin Owens from 

Cambridge’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology and the study’s senior author.

Cambridge University’s 3D Organ On A Chip could also spell good news on the reduction of the use of lab animals which could eventually lead to cruelty-free drug testing. Remember how Canadian scientists Fredrick G. Banting and his team discovered insulin back in 1921? They extensively used dogs in their lab to find out how insulin works and how it could be used to treat Type-1 diabetes in humans and unfortunately, it resulted in the deaths of many dogs.

A Museum That’s Going to The Dogs?

Is the American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog a museum that’s actually “going to the dogs”?

By: Ringo Bones

The American Kennel Club officially opened its Museum of the Dog back in February 8, 2019. Located in Midtown Manhattan, the newly designed space will house art from famous dog artists such as Sir Edwin Landseer, Maud Earl, Arthur Wardle and many more. It also has a two story glass vitrine that encases rare porcelains and bronzes, in addition to a library where users can learn about their favorite breeds. The museum’s first exhibition will be entitled “For The Love Of All Things Dog” and contains select works from the AKC’s own collection and that of the museum.

There is also a “Meet the Breeds®” touchscreen table that allows visitors to explore breeds features, traits, history and representations in the collection although this only involves the 193 officially recognized breeds by the American Kennel Club. There are also several other digital experiences that bring audiences into the history of the Museum and its mission. The Museum also has an app where users can interact with the exhibits with “Arty” a virtual dog / tour guide throughout the museum. This creates a new user experience for kids and kids at heart.

The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog was founded in 1982 and was originally housed in The New York Life Building located at 51 Madison Avenue as part of the AKC Headquarters. In 1987, the Museum was moved to West St. Louis County, MO. The AKC was instrumental in founding the Museum and believes in its mission to protect and to share the amazing works of art donated by participants in the dog sport over the last 35 years. The new Museum is now housed at the Kalikow Building at 101 Park Avenue.

Low Carbon Footprint Dog Food: Wave of the Future?

Given that the human race’s meat consumption forms a significant chunk of humanity’s carbon footprint would a low-carbon footprint dog food made from flies offer a viable solution?

By: Ringo Bones

As far back as 2007, scientists have calculated that if Americans reduced their meat consumption by just 10-percent, the resulting net reduction in carbon footprint was estimated to be as much as taking 20-million cars off America’s roads. Given the result, would eating food that results in a lesser carbon footprint to produce – i.e. eating insects – be better for the environment?

Believe it or not, a startup company in the UK has started selling dog food made from insects back in January 10, 2019 in what is expected to be another step towards reducing humanity’s carbon footprint. Yora – named after an Amazon tribe – is based in Brighton on the southern coast of England. The startup company has started sales of a dry kibble, as in ground meal shaped into pellets that most of us are familiar with – for pet food created from the larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) combined with UK-grown oats, potatoes and herbs. The flies’ larvae are reared by a protein nutrient company Protix in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. The kibble is available at £14.99 per pack. The company says it hopes to launch a “wet” version of their dog food later in the year.

Even though they’ve been around for almost forever, as of late, insect-based food, for both humans and animals, has been catching on in the UK. In November 2018, Salisbury’s – the second largest chain of supermarkets in the country – became the first major UK grocer to sell barbecued crickets as snacks. Environmental experts have for long recommended insects as an alternative and sustainable food source that could help end global hunger and reduce the damaging effects of meat production. And according to The Holy Bible’s Book of Leviticus, locusts are Kosher so religious restrictions of consuming insects are not quite taboo. Insects also contain proteins, fats, minerals and amino acids. Forty percent of the protein content by weight in Yora’s kibble, for instance, comes from black soldier fly larvae. At least 1,000 insect species are eaten globally, most of them in developing nations.

The manufacturers of Yora’s kibble hope that their product is a small step in reducing the global carbon footprint. Our pets currently consume around 20-percent of the meat and fish worldwide and pet food is estimated to be responsible for a quarter of the environmental impacts of meat production. Given that most dogs and cats I’ve owned so far have eaten almost anything – i.e. from geckoes and praying mantises frequenting our designated pet walkways in our local parks – Yora’s fly larvae kibble would probably tastes as natural to the dogs and cats currently in my care.