Guinea pigs are my favourite starter pets for children. My own children kept a small group of these: Lively, Tufty and Frisky. Guinea pigs are friendly, communicative, engaging, adorable creatures, and they are relatively easy to keep. When they have been well socialised since young, they are easy to handle, and they enjoy being petted. They live for 3 – 5 years: longer than hamsters and shorter than dogs or cats, and it’s a good length of life for a childhood pet. For a child, they can be a helpful way to teach about the joy and responsibility of owning a pet.
Social media can be a useful way to get a sense of what issues are concerning the general public. I’m not a huge social media creator, but I do post regular short videos to TikTok, and most of those videos are watched less than a thousand times. So when one of my videos soared to fifteen thousand views last week, I paid attention. What was it that was getting people so engaged?
AS a child, one of the highlights of my month was the arrival in the post of the National Geographic magazine. My aunt had given me an annual subscription as a birthday present, and I loved reading the articles about geography, history, nature, science, and world culture, as well as looking at the magnificent glossy photos. Sadly, the internet has had a major impact on the magazine, and it’s no longer for sale in newsagents.
?Eating food and drinking water are essential needs for life to continue. They say that for humans, with no food and no water, the maximum time the body can survive is about one week. With water only, but no food, survival time may possibly extend for up to 2 to 3 months, but with immense body weight loss and considerable suffering. It’s likely that similar numbers may also apply to animals.
LAST week, a ban on owning XL Bully dogs came into effect in the UK. This means that it is now illegal to have this type of dog over there. If you are caught with one in your possession (even if the dog is in your home at all times), you will be arrested, the dog will be euthanased, and you will be given a large fine or sent to jail.