pets – Pain In The Bud

‘I Just Beat Your Cat Again. She Can’t Walk. We’re Done.’

This Caturday we look at how pets fare in domestic violence situations, plus a study about obesity in meat-eating and “vegan cats.”

The headline is a quote from a text a man allegedly sent to his girlfriend after abusing her cat so badly that the poor kitty had to be euthanized.

The story is grotesque, tragic, and sadly not uncommon. Between 75 and 89 percent of domestic violence victims who have pets report that their partners threatened, abused or killed their companion animals, according to research from the ASPCA and SafeHouse, a non-profit that provides direct support to victims of domestic violence.

In the incident referenced above, an Indianapolis man was arrested and charged with killing a domestic animal and torturing or mutilating an animal, both felonies. The suspect, Rashawn Bentley, originally tried to stage the violence as the result of a break-in, but was undone by his own menacing texts to his girlfriend as well as photos of the injured cat, according to the local NBC affiliate, WTHR.

Just so it’s abundantly clear how we feel about this issue: if you abuse, harm or kill a cat, you’re not a man. You’re a weak, despicable, cowardly facsimile of a man whose “flex” is taking your frustrations out on an innocent animal one twentieth your size.

You should be arrested, charged with the most severe penalties under the law – even if they’re not commensurate with the horror of the crime you’ve committed – and imprisoned for years. The other inmates should know you killed a cat. You should be removed from society, because if you think taking life is an acceptable way to vent your frustrations, there’s something clearly wrong with your brain and you are a danger to animal and human alike.

Close-up of a curious orange kitten with large, expressive eyes resting on a bed. — Credit: Mayara Caroline Mombelli/Pexels

Of course the majority of these attacks, especially targeting cats, are committed by men, but women aren’t off the hook here either. Some women do try to harm significant others by killing or abusing their cats, in straight relationships and relationships between women.

Ignore that study on supposedly healthy ‘vegan cats’

Headlines about a new study in Frontiers In Animal Science are trumpeting the supposed benefits of vegan diets for cats, who are obligate carnivores.

The media stories style the effort as a large-scale study involving more than 1,300 participants.

In reality it was an online survey that recruited cat caretakers from Facebook and recorded their subjective opinions about the health of their cats.

Everything, including reported weight, mobility, questions about potential physical problems, times fed per day, sex and neuter status, et al, was filtered through the self-selected respondents, not pulled from veterinary records. The respondents weren’t given reference illustrations or standardized criteria from which to base their subjective assessment of their cats’ weight.

There’s no way to determine if the people who participated were being honest, keeping records, guesstimating or just having a bit of fun.

To be clear, most of our criticism here is directed at the way online publications reported the results, not necessarily the authors of the survey, who chose a much more dry, cautious headline: “Impacts of a vegan diet on body weight and related health disorders in 1,305 cats: an exploratory cross-sectional survey.”

Obviously, even a jazzed-up version of that honest headline would never be used by click-chasing modern media.

Google search results showing articles about a study on lower rates of overweight among vegan-fed cats. — Notice the bottom right headline, which misinterprets a statistical analysis for “odds” of being overweight.

Ninety percent of the people who responded were female, and 71 percent were from the UK, according to the published paper.

Then the authors kneaded the data with the usual opaquely-named practices: “exploratory regression analysis” (a data-mining technique), regression models (AI-assisted statistical technique that involves comparing existing data with the result you predicted/hope to see), sensitivity analysis (changing variables to assess their impact on the overall findings), and so on.

When all was said and done, 4.1 percent of the meat-eating cats and 3.1 percent of the vegan cats were over their ideal weights, in their humans’ estimation. Meat-eating cats were also more likely to be underweight (2.3 percent) compared to vegan cats (0.8 percent).

The conclusion? The findings were “non-significant,” the researchers wrote, along with the obligatory call for more research on the topic.

We should also point out that in addition to their classification as obligate carnivores, cats require specific proteins and nutrients (taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamins A and B12) from meat-based diets that they cannot synthesize themselves and are not found in plant-based protein. “Vegan cat food” must have those proteins and nutrients added. If cats are deprived of them, they suffer slow, painful declines that result in organ shutdown and death.

Because of their evolutionary history, cats aren’t as adept at breaking down plant-based starches and their bodies don’t produce enough of a specific enzyme (amylase) that breaks down starch and complex carbohydrates.

Human ideas of morality aren’t applicable to cats. Feed them meat.

Open comments Caturday! Although not mentioned in the headlines, today’s the day for open comments: anything off-topic, marriage proposals or modeling contracts for Buddy, updates on your own cats, suggestions on stories to cover and whatever else is on your mind. Happy Caturday!

Header image credit: Pexels

What’s With These Judgmental Pet Services?

The groomer has “a zero-tolerance policy for repeated matting,” as if people choose to have their cats age and struggle to groom difficult-to-reach places. If a cat has previously had a matting problem, the groomer can charge a “double” matting fee or refuse service.

Bud’s got a spot of matted fur again, so I’ve been looking at local groomers.

It’s in the same place it was last time, a few inches up from his tail in a spot he can’t seem to groom as well as he used to. Part of that’s because he’s pushing 13 years old, and I’m sure part of it’s because he’s slightly overweight.

There’s a cat-only groomer not far from me, which seemed like a good option until I read the details on the groomer’s site.

They don’t offer stand-alone mat removal and insist it can only happen after a “spa treatment,” as if it’s based on a finely tuned scientific approach and Bud’s gonna sit there calmly and enjoy being fussed over.

Fine. Whatever. They want to up-sell a service and I want to take care of my cat.

But wait! There’s an extra fee for cats above a certain weight. Bud’s comfortably below it, but there’s also an extra special fee for “difficult” cats, and he’ll definitely incur that one. If I don’t drop him off exactly on time or collect him immediately, there’s another unspecified “small fee.” Appointments must be canceled a week ahead of time or there’s another fee.

Then I read this:

“Matting is 100 percent preventable and [grooming business name] has a zero-tolerance policy for repeated matting.

Repeated matting will result in doubled-matting fees or denial of service.”

Seriously? Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I don’t just like my cat, I love him.

I’d do anything for him. The point is, I take care of the little dude. He is emphatically not neglected, and I’ve tried other things like regular brushing and the Furminator. He hates it, and I don’t blame him. It can’t be comfortable having metal teeth tugging at your hair, no matter how gently pressure is applied. Like all cats, he’s subject to the physical reality of aging, and he’s not a fan of being handled, so I do what I can within reason and within his tolerance.

That’s why I was able to keep the mat from returning for almost two years, and it’s why I am seeking the help of ostensible professionals. Of course he’s a pain in the Bud about being handled and clippers/shavers. I wouldn’t consult a professional if it were easy.

A gray cat sleeping comfortably on a plaid blanket. — Napping after a demanding day of eating and lounging.

I want to get his matted fur completely removed with minimal fuss, without judgment and without the possibility of half a dozen additional fees arbitrarily tacked on until I’m paying $350 to get rid of a mat.

Update: After he woke up from a nap and was extremely relaxed, I got in there calmly and quickly and cut the matted fur off myself, then trimmed until he started to get annoyed. I can always go back and get what’s left of it later when he’s chilled out again, and I’ll try some dry shampoo to hopefully get rid of any oils that may have built up and could cause matting again. I have no doubt this will be an ongoing problem since his tolerance for gentle brushing is about 20 seconds, but at least I took care of 95% of the problem relatively easily and, most importantly, he seems very happy not having the matted fur on his back.

The lesson here? Don’t prejudge your potential customers and write website copy as if you’re a custody court who’s going to reprimand me for allegedly being a bad caretaker before you meet me and understand what the situation is.

I get that groomers probably see some people who genuinely neglect their pets, but a key part of honest human communication is to avoid judging people and avoid allowing past experiences color your approach. It could cost you customers, as it did with this groomer.

For The First Time, Americans Are Adopting More Kittens Than Puppies

Americans live differently than they did even a decade ago, and those lifestyle changes have changed what they look for in companion animals.

About a decade ago, Americans were adopting almost twice as many puppies as they were kittens, continuing a long tradition of dogs wearing the favored pet crown in the US.

Now households have only .94 puppies for every kitten, according to researched firm Packaged Facts, and it’s not because people are adopting more cats. Instead, people are adopting fewer puppies and dogs.

The reasons are complex but boil down to larger trends in our society. People have less disposable income, live in smaller homes, and travel more. Dogs have to be kenneled or brought along on trips, which presents additional logistical challenges, while cats are rarely taken on short trips and vacations. As highly territorial animals who thrive on stability, cats do better staying at home where things are just how they like them, with familiar sights, sounds and smells.

Yet despite the significant shift in the adoption ratio, the pet products market hasn’t adjusted, Packaged Facts CEO Robert Granader writes in the Washington Post. Most services, including grooming and boarding, are aimed at dogs, as are special retail items, accommodations and conveniences.

“There are dog parks, dog beaches, dog-friendly hotels, dog-friendly restaurants, dog bakeries and even dog airlines,” Grenader writes. “Cats are largely left out. They get leftover boxes from Amazon deliveries.”

A gray cat's head peeking out from a cardboard box with the text 'Share your #ChewyDelivery with us @chewy' printed on it. — “We get the boxes. I like boxes!”

Noting that homeowners are twice as likely to adopt dogs than renters, Granader points to decline home ownership, higher mortgages and stagnant wages as additional contributors to the dog adoption slowdown.

Of course that also means dogs will have fewer opportunities to find homes, and will lead to a ripple effect on shelters and euthanasia rates. Unless economic and societal changes revert, the trend is likely to hold.

“This isn’t a story about cats replacing dogs,” Granader wrote. “It’s about Americans becoming more like cats: living in smaller spaces, valuing independence and preferring to be left alone.”

Of course the story includes common misconceptions about cats. Grenader claims cats are “quieter” and find it “easier to live by themselves.”

“A cat barely notices you’ve left the house,” he writes.

Granader may not have much experience with cats, as those of us whose feline overlords wait by the door for us to return and vocalize regularly can attest the species is not necessarily quieter or less attached. They may pretend they are unbothered by our absence, but that’s feline stoicism and weirdness, not a reflection of reality. The idea that domestic cats prefer solitude is also an old myth.

As for the impact on products, services and choices, the market will go where the money is, and it’ll take a few years for the effects of declining dog adoptions to fully realize in consumer spaces. In other words, don’t expect your local pet shop to switch an extra aisle over to cat gear next time you pop in.

Lastly, we would not rule out the possibility that this is all the result of some feline scheme whose foundations were laid years ago. Cats are remarkably lazy but equally innovative when properly motivated, and they’ve always been sure they should possess the crown.

The photo of Buddy in his new box was taken on Saturday. Looking pretty good for a little dude pushing 13, eh?

Header image credit: Pexels

Top Cat Names of 2026: Luna And Milo Are Most Popular, Buddy Ranks 22nd

Where does your feline master rank in the newly published list?

Luna and Milo are once again the most popular cat names in the US.

The annual list was published this week by US News and World Report, which tallies the most popular names from more than 3.5 million pet insurance policies.

Luna and Milo have had quite a run, appearing as the top names or within the top five since at least 2020. Lists from Canada and the UK are usually different, with names like Poppy, Jasper, Millie, Alfie, Smudge and Daisy, but Milo and Luna feature prominently in those lists as well, often appearing in the top 10.

Buddy, a name suspiciously absent from some lists, slides in at number 22 in the US News list.

Bella, Oreo, Simba, Cleo, Oliver, Charlie and Nala remain popular names, while Catticus The Destroyer, Buddy’s name for himself, is nowhere to be found.

Table displaying the top 100 cat names, ranked from 1 to 50, including names like Luna, Milo, and Bella.

Golden Retriever Decides Burglar’s A Friend, Tries To Play With Him (VIDEO)

Guard dog? That wasn’t in the job description!

No one will ever accuse Nash of being a great guard dog.

The golden retriever made headlines this week after security cameras showed the friendly pup responded to a home intruder by grabbing a chew toy and, tail wagging excitedly, trying to make friends with the man.

Dante Rowley was on a trip when he received an alert from his home security system in San Diego that someone had entered his home. As he tapped into the secure feed, he and his fiance watched from Chicago as Nash cautiously observed the intruder ingress through a second-floor window, then decided the man was there to play with him.

The man quickly made himself at home, taking off his shirt and shoes before opening the fridge and helping himself to its contents. He even belched in satisfaction before sitting down to eat another snack, apparently a small carton of yogurt.

Rowley alerted police and San Diego officers arrived within minutes, but the footage shows that even as the intruder began to take nervous glances through the front windows, Nash kept trying to play with him, bringing him a variety of toys.

Nash wasn’t done making friends. When the police entered through the front door, the amicable pooch greeted them enthusiastically as well, and tried to enlist the officers in some fun and games.

“Nash,” Rowley admitted, “is the worst guard dog.”

“Usually, when he sees new people, he runs over and jumps all over them and is just on them 24-7,” he told the New York Times.

Dogs like Nash don’t “do a background check” before deciding to play with people, Cornell veterinary professor Katherine Houpt told the newspaper.

“The dog wanted someone to play with, and the burglar is as good as anyone,” she said. “It’s a breed that’s often friendly and, apparently, the owners made sure he was socialized with people. So he doesn’t think something awful is going to come in the door, but something fun, a playmate.”

Buddy the Cat reviewed the footage after he was asked to share his expert opinion and sniffed derisively as he watched Nash attempting to make friends with the intruder.

“Useless mutt!” the imperious gray tabby said. “Look at him! I’d be like ‘Listen, burglar man, I’m a tiger and I’m gonna, like, maul you and stuff if you don’t get outta my domicile immediately!’ Then obviously he would be really scared and would run because I’m intimidating and meowscular.”

The suspect, John Cline, 57, was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary, a felony. It wasn’t immediately clear if he’d retained an attorney.