Animals have feelings too…but Parliament doesn’t seem to think so

Last week MPs, debating the EU Withdrawal Bill, voted to reject a clause recognising animals as sentient beings. It was a somewhat marginal vote, at 313 to 295, undoubtedly one of many quiet decisions being made behind parliamentary doors, but it caused a storm among animal rights groups. You could be forgiven for thinking that the news of such a vote is a hoax: it seems an archaic conclusion and, for my part, I’m a little dumbfounded. The definition of sentience is a capacity to feel or perceive, and to suggest any animal doesn’t fit that description shows a level… View Post

Underground, overground, wonderful tree…

  I’ve loved trees for as long as I can remember. They’ve always had an air of magic for me – and yes, that might be because I spent the first seven years of my life believing they contained flourishing communities of masterfully hidden fairies… But that sense of mystical wonder has never quite disappeared. Even now I can’t help but marvel at the sheer magnificence of an ageing oak: they seem to defy all logic whilst simultaneously being the most natural thing in the world. I think many of us take trees for granted, especially if – like me… View Post

Can you be a crazy cat lady without owning any cats?

This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. I’ve had a few pet cats and, until recently, was the proud ‘mother’ of two beautiful girls who – by my own admission – I spoiled rotten. For two years we enjoyed cat-selfie heaven in a house on the edge of the woods. They ate a luxury diet, roamed the great outdoors, slept in comfort and had more toys than most toddlers. And in demonstration of their gratitude they kept my lap warm, endured hours of pandering and baby talk, fetched me gifts and never scratched a single piece… View Post