#OddlyAnimal: Feelings Of The Catty Kind

 

Comfort Zone For Iraq Cats

Basra’s cat-lovers have found a haven for their favourite pets, says a report.

Veterinary student Ahmed Taher Maki has turned his home in the southern city into what he believes is Iraq’s first cat hotel. For as little as 5,000 Iraqi dinars ($4.20) a night – or half that for long stays – the guests can enjoy beds, regular meals, health checkups and a mini playground, all under the cooling purr of an air conditioner, says a Reuters report.

Maki said he was hoping to encourage more people to adopt cats in the city and give them a place to leave their pets when they are away on a trip

Cat’s Out Of The Bag For Club

If you let a cat on the field of play, then you better be aware that it can land you in a soup, says a report.

Turkish soccer club Besiktas recently ended up in trouble with European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, after a cat sneaked on to the pitch during their Champions League match against Bayern Munich, says a Reuters report.

UEFA opened the disciplinary proceedings against Besiktas after referee Michael Oliver had to stop play in the second half when the feline slipped past security at Vodafone Park in Istanbul.

The cat leapt on an advertising hoarding before landing on the pitch and ran up and down the byline for a while before escaping back into the stands. UEFA said that Besiktas had been charged with “insufficient organisation” under Article 16 (1) of its disciplinary rules for allowing an “animal on the field of play”.

A Stomping Lesson From Big Moose

If you want to stomp someone’s feet, then don’t try it with a big member of the animal kingdom, says a report.

A man was injured north of Anchorage, Alaska, after a moose that he had just kicked stomped his foot in return, state officials said, according to an AP report. KTVA-TV  reported that the man escaped major injuries in the encounter with the moose and her calf.

“It sounds like the moose were on a trail and in this case, it sounds like the guy was trying to go through them,” a spokesman. “That’s never a good idea.”

The two moose left the area after the man had his foot stomped.

Animal Poo Offered As Souvenir

A zoo in the US offered animal droppings as souvenirs to visitors there, according to a report.

Some visitors to the Detroit Zoo were presented with free buckets of 2.3 kg of animal manure, dubbed Detroit Zoo Poo at an event which showcased how the zoo recycles waste, says an AP report.

Buckets were given to the first 1,000 visitors to the zoo’s anaerobic digester educational display. The digester converts 500 tons of animal manure and other organic waste each year into methane-rich gas to help power the zoo’s animal hospital.

Alligator Scare In US State

Homeowners in Florida got a scare when an alligator was found in a swimming pool, says a report.

The big alligator was splashing in a backyard swimming pool and it took a trapper to drag it away. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office posted images of the floating alligator, saying it measured 3 metres long.

With temperatures warming, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission warned that the state’s estimated 1.3 million alligators were becoming more active — and should be treated with “caution and respect.”

Bull On The Run Shot

A bull meant for slaughter in an US town tried to escape but was brought down finally by police, according to a report.

The 270-kg bull bound for the butcher escaped its trailer and led authorities in Maine on a 1 ½-hour chase before it was fatally shot by the police chief, who said it posed a threat to onlookers, says an AP report.

The bull broke loose from its trailer in Skowhegan and ran around a few buildings before jumping in the Kennebec River. Police authorities tried to catch the bull by luring it with a steer, but were unsuccessful. The police chief shot the bull when it climbed a riverbank and started acting aggressively toward a group of 50 onlookers.

However, the dead bull slid back into the river and floated downstream, and then down the falls at a dam and disappeared.

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