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Whilst I love this time of year; bonfires, fireworks and kicking huge piles of golden leaves…spare a thought for the pets and wildlife in this season.
Before lighting up your bonfire, have a look to make sure some hibernating hedgehogs haven’t made a home there. Ideally, if you can, build the bonfire on the day to prevent animals from setting up camp there.
Also the RSPCA has some great advice for pet owners to cope with the scary noises of bonfire night.

Photo : Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

Lion are more likely to attack you just after a full moon scientists have found. Using the data from 500 lion attacks, they found that most attacks occurred when the moon is waning, just after full moon. As lions use the cover of darkness to hunt, this lack of moonlight aids their chances of attack. Scientists also found attacks were more likely to occur in the rainy season when the clouds obscured the moonlight, also helping the lions.

Today begins the animal charity RSPCA Week! This vital organisation help rescue animals all over the country every year…but they need our help. Find out what’s going on near you and see what you can do to get involved. I’ll be popping down to the London Pet Show (for the rabbit show jumping and pig agility!) where they will have a stand giving out useful pet info and advice.

The RSPCA are looking for more people to help with their Pet Retreat campaign. They receive hundreds of phone calls from people trying to escape domestic violence with the extra problem of how to look after their pets. Pet Retreat provides a temporary foster home for their pet, so they know they are safe and cared for while they sort their lives out. Then, when they’re ready, their pet is returned to them! But at the moment, there are only 80 foster families in the country. Find out more on their website and see if you could provide a lifeline for not just these pets but their owners too.

Scientists have found that the rare Sunda Clouded Leopard has two subspecies; for Borneo and Indonesia. The species was only discovered in 2007 and this recent news means zoos and wildlife researchers must be careful with any breeding programmes. It’s thought the different species evolved after being separated by rising sea levels after the last Ice Age. The big cat remains on the endangered list as they need large hunting areas which are currently threatened by logging and plantations.

Amidst all the tragedy in Australia at the moment, it’s nice to see a heartwarming story. These animals were both found abandoned outside a factory in Melbourne and have now formed a strong bond at their shelter. The 5 year old terrier is suckling the 8 week old kitten as if she were her own.
Photo : Rex

After yesterday’s news that scientists are concerned not enough is being done for particular conservation…it seems they are going to extreme lengths for one species! Experts in India have developed a technique to monitor tigers that’s almost as good as using cameras : tiger poo and paw mapping.
Tigers are nocturnal so are especially difficult to track but by using this new technique, population numbers can be monitored quicker and so help us understand if/how conservation programmes are working.
Photo : Alamy

Scientists have been studying cats and how they manage to lap milk up so efficiently and elegantly (as opposed to dogs slobbering!) They analysed slow motion footage of cats drinking and found that all cats, big and small, act in the same way.
As the tongue extends, the tip curls over so only the top of the tongue touches the milk.
Instead of using suction as humans and dogs do, the cat’s tongue doesn’t disturb the water surface, but some liquid sticks to it. As the cat retracts its tongue rapidly, a water column is created by the drop in pressure.
Who knew your pet moggy was actually highly advanced in physics!

Catch a sneak preview of some Scottish Wildcats caught on camera for the BBC’s Autumnwatch which will be shown tonight. The species have a distinctive striped coat and blunt tail and are extremely elusive, with the crew only finding them after a few hours in the dark around midnight! The nocturnal animals are thought to be declining in numbers with only around 400 left in the wild.
Find out more on Autumnwatch tonight on BBC2 at 8pm.

Beautiful advert from Ikea at the moment…what 100 cats would do if they roamed a homeware store on their own. The director let the cats free into the Wembley shop and simply filmed them as they made themselves at home…
Brilliant video showing how they did it :