Alex Casey scours the internet for the top tips to keep your pets cool in this horrendous heatwave. I don’t know about your cats, but mine are pissed off. Zelda in particular. Where her brother Link, cold-blooded Prince of Darkness, spends his blistering summer days lying in the hot water cupboard like the anarchic goth … Read more
Boutique collars, handmade toys and speciality treats packed with the best ingredients you could ask for. What’s driving the new pet economy? Jihee Junn talks to the small business owners cashing in on the pet care craze. New Zealand is a nation of animal lovers, so much so that there are almost as many pets … Read more
New research has revealed the real reason why cat tongues are so damn rough. Have you ever been licked by a cat? If so you’ll know the feline tongue feels more like sandpaper than satin. A cat’s tongue is covered in hundreds of sharp, scoop-shaped spines made of keratin that spring into action during grooming. … Read more
Dunedin-based company Runaway Play has created a new mobile game that lets you dive head first into the cat cafe phenomena. The verdict? Chill, but addictive (and very, very cute). Two decades ago, the first ever cat cafe that we know of opened in Taiwan before quickly spreading in popularity throughout large parts of Japan. … Read more
Twenty days after Winston announced it shall be Labour, the Gone By Lunchtime trio (plus one) size up the debut of Ardern, the blazing of National parliamentary guns and a goodbye to a good cat. Annabelle Lee, Ben Thomas, Toby Manhire and the land’s favourite baby podcaster discuss an embarrassing start for the new government … Read more
The world famous cat and companion to prime minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford has died, after being hit by a car. Here’s our tribute, from Toby Morris. Jacinda Ardern wrote today: “To anyone who has ever lost a pet, you’ll know how sad we feel. Paddles was much loved, and not just by us. … Read more
We review the entire country and culture of New Zealand, one thing at a time. Today, Don Rowe surveys the chaos at the 66th Annual All Breeds Cat Show. You know what they say: nothing fixes a hangover like the hair of the cat, and so I took my hangover to a cat show at … Read more
World Veterinary Day is tomorrow, 29 April. To celebrate veterinarians and the pets we love, here’s the story of Daniel, his survival, and the very special home he has with Amy Wilson-Hughes and her wife Frith. It’s 2am, and my wife’s phone is ringing. Groggy, she answers the call and places it on speaker. It’s … Read more
Rent Week continues with Alex Casey on the woes of owning a pet as a renter, and ways you can convince landlords that furry flatmates are fine. Here is a concise list of things I have managed to do inside my home as a human adult woman: 1) Tripped down the stairs holding a giant … Read more
Our in-house animal reality TV expert Tara Ward reviews Keeping Up With the Kattarshians, a reality series which is about exactly that you think. When the world turns to hell in a handcart, it makes sense that we find solace in the peculiarities of the animal kingdom. Actually, it makes no sense at all, because … Read more
Joseph Harper shirks his duty and lets his cat Zelda review a game instead. The cat was not impressed. My cats were going crazy last night. One of them sometimes gets all hopped up after eating kibbles and just wants to play and play. She enjoys the feather-wand and is especially enamoured with this officially … Read more
This week Ms. X tackles a problem familiar to every coupled-up cat-owner in the country: why does it insist on staring at us while we’re getting down to business? Hi there What do you do with your cat while you’re having sex? If we leave ours in the room it sits beside the bed and … Read more
The government endorsement of a predator-free nation is cause for real cheer. But it’s only a start, writes Gareth Morgan. The Government has formally endorsed a bold vision for a Predator Free New Zealand by 2050. They are investing $28m over four years into projects that will remove rats, stoats and possums from around a … Read more
We found the the evil goblin sabotaging Auckland’s future. It’s an adorable cat who lives in a bus stop in Northcote Point. Why is it so hard to make good things happen in Auckland? Every positive project proposed for the city seems to have to hack through a horde of perma-frowning objectors. Everyone from Mayor … Read more
It was one of the greatest things that has ever happened in a game of rugby league, but at what cost, asks Calum Henderson. Fullback Ben Barba scored two first half tries to lead the Cronulla Sharks to a 26-10 victory over the Penrith Panthers at Pepper Stadium on Sunday afternoon – the team’s 13th … Read more