Dear animal friends, the time has finally come to consider the cat for what it really is: a proud and independent feline. Perhaps not everyone knows that the cat is very different from the dog and that its domestication cannot be considered as total.

The cat is an incredibly mystical animal, which is governed by nature and its rhythms. It is no coincidence that he loves nightlife. He can see in the night and enjoys exploring the world in a 'different' lighting.

Many times humans think that cats are similar to dogs, so they expect the same devotion and the same amount of affection. This will never be possible, as cats have a completely different natural disposition, which leads them to behave in a totally different way. We sometimes treat our cats as if they were dogs and expect them to be as cuddly as we are all the time.

Hence, human beings tend to fill kittens with cuddles and want their presence to be constant.

This is not fair and can be counterproductive for our feline friends. An interesting study by John Bradshaw, director of the anthropology department at the University of Bristol, revealed that modern cats are very stressed compared to their ancestors, as owners expect felines to live in confined spaces and cuddle for hours like they would do with a dog puppy.

The cat is an absolutely free animal, which needs large natural spaces to live a happy existence. The cat loves to climb trees, hunt small animals and run after butterflies. Unlike the dog, it needs contact with the earth. In fact, a cat can lie for hours on a haystack or on a nice fresh lawn. Bradshaw himself admits that giving too much attention to the cat is counterproductive and can give rise to stress diseases such as cystitis and dermatitis, which are increasing in the feline world.

The stressed cat licks itself continuously in certain points of the body, tends to isolate itself and to mark the territory urinating everywhere, even if sterilized. These behaviours are not symptomatic of a happy life. Cat owners must understand their pets actual needs which are freedom and a lot of autonomous space. Only by doing this, can they live peacefully, engage in favourite activities and enjoy excellent health.

Last but not least, lets analyze the relationship with technology. Do we think cats loves selfies? Well, we are wrong. Not only does the cat hate the electromagnetic waves of multimedia devices, but it also can't stand lights that are too strong such as flashes.

According to experts, the massive communication regarding kittens has led to a misunderstanding of its true nature in the new generation.

It is important that children are educated and shown how to treat cats from a young age so they can fully understand their needs. Once we have done this, coexistence can be perfect and kittens can show all their affection. Obviously in their own special way.

It is essential for us to focus on other more important aspects in our pet, such as proper nutrition and plenty of outdoor space available to move and play. We must remember that although the cat has undergone an incredible evolution over the centuries, its nature as a feline will stay forever!

We look through the regular print newspapers or online magazines every day, and the news about animals are more and more numerous and often brings us back to gruesome facts, mistreatment or even worse scenarios. As in all things in life, there is fortunately a positive side to everything, they shine with a deep love for life, and are wonderful beings who know how to give a lot of love. Here we tell you about a beautiful story about cats, so full of good intentions that it almost seems like a fairy tale, but it is actually a true story.

A story of sacrifices made with the heart by Maria Torero, a Peruvian nurse who lovingly takes care of sick people during her working hours and then continues her work at home with dedication, but for a large group of cats. Maria is the creator and leader of a wonderful project called "La Casita Gatuna"; a rest home for cats suffering from Felv which is feline leukaemia. These cats are often abandoned and are terminally ill. Nobody really wants to adopt them. Maria thought of them and took care of their needs, their suffering, the melancholy of abandonment and therefore created a home for them.

She lives with a very big family but they are all united by the misfortune of an unforgiving disease but also by an infinite love that binds them like a thin but very strong silver thread. A love that enables Maria to take care of 175 cats to whom she gives food, medicine, care, a roof and a lot of affection. Many of them also suffer from other diseases and this very strong woman copes with everything with the help of her three children and of donations. Maria's cats are serene; they doze and eat and they are surrounded by the warmth of an environment designed especially for them.

Maria wants her cats to live happily all the days they has left on earth, and relieves all their ailments with pills, injections and cuddles, giving a better quality of life. Maria tells us that she started rescuing animals when she saw the wickedness of the people at the market, arid people who chased them away by throwing hot water or bleach at them: "I started when I saw the vendors throw bleach or boiling water at cats in the market, treating them as if they were garbage".

They didn't stop to think that animals ever even had feelings. “Who suffers and feel pain, cold and hunger, like us ". Among the many pages that talk about Maria Torero, we also find a nice photo shoot where Maria's cats are portrayed, very sweet and peaceful, colourful in their cute sweaters. These pictures portray that there is still good in life and that all animals must be taken care of. Including cats sick with Felv. Thank you Maria.

 The phenomenon of pet spa is also landing in Italy.  From the big cities, the birth of these specialized centres is moving to villages and towns, becoming a reference point for those who are not satisfied with simple grooming sessions.

Spas for dogs and cats in fact offer a much more complete and refined service than the traditional toilet centre. It is essentially a complete program, where the dog and cat undergo a check-up followed by proposals relating to diet and beauty treatments. If your dog or cat are overweight or need to tone their muscles, the Spa draws up a real food plan, which is flanked by toning and slimming massages and swimming sessions in the designated pools.

The whirlpool or hydro pool is dedicated to dogs, as kittens do not particularly like water, and it is implemented periodically to tone the muscles of our four-legged friend and to make them more lively and reactive.

The Spas offer a series of treatments ranging from anti-stress massage to real beauty treatments, such as masks, hydrotherapy, massage therapy and beauty-related sessions, with specialized hairdressers and a myriad of accessories dedicated to hairdressing. All this is completed by the use of dedicated perfumes and essences, which help both to relax the animals and to make them fragrant in view of social gatherings.

In Italy, the phenomenon mainly affects large cities, Milan and Rome in the lead. In the Milanese city it is possible to take your four-legged friend to the "Terme di Fido", a center located 20 kilometers from the center in the locality of Pessano con Bornago. The structure has 600 square meters of space and is equipped with a large swimming pool with whirlpool and many rooms dedicated to aesthetics and dog health.

 Also in Milan, we find the innovative “For Pets Only Beauty & Spa centre”, a real relaxation place for dogs and cats. Scented candles, relaxing paths and treatments with essential oils await cats and dogs. In Brescia, there is the “Dog's Sporting Academy”, much more than a wellness centre, as  there is a spacious swimming pool, a playground and a wellness area equipped with ozone treatments and hydro massages.

Following the Italian boot towards Sicily, we can find “La Vecchia Fattorina”, a beauty farm located in Rome that includes a professional and highly trained staff. Hairdressers, beauticians and even yoga teachers are at the disposal of feline friends and dogs, together with a veterinary specialist who is perhaps the most canonical figure within the structure.

The very luxurious “Chalet of San Giovanni Teatino” is in the province of Chieti. Although it is a structure purely dedicated to trauma rehabilitation, the centre offers hydrotherapy, massage therapy and allows you to completely renew the look of your four-legged friends.

Excessive? Unbridled luxury? Certainly. These centres offer specific services at a very high cost. On the one hand, these treatments are absolutely devoted to the health and aesthetics of animals and do not contemplate episodes of fanaticism like the latest news we had to get through live from Russia. The video was a huge hit on the web and featured a cat transformed into a bee and a dog into a dragon. With colours. Although the owner of the centre has ensured that the colours used were non-toxic and safe for animals, it would be advisable to encourage the owners to buy a beehive or to go to the island of Komodo, where there are dragons existing on earth instead of transforming your animal into one!

Respect for animals is manifested in daily gestures, in providing them with a healthy diet and in dedicating all the affection and time we can. Everything else is a surplus, which wealthy people can afford and which certainly represents a great trend in our present.

Two years have passed since the closure of the Green Hill breading centre by the State Forestry Corps, on the main charge of animal abuse. 

According to the data collected, in fact, in the Montichiari (Brescia) breading centre, numerous Beagles were used for vivisection purposes, a crime not yet recognized in Italy. However, this aspect had sparked the indignation of the animal rights activists and the investigations by the authorities which linked to the conditions to which these animals were subjected.

The number of dogs forced to live in conditions incompatible with the fundamental rights for animal welfare were exorbitant. According to official estimates, in fact, over 6 thousand Beagles died inside the structure in just 4 years. The dogs who died following the kidnapping, despite the great commitment of animal rights associations, would instead be 98.

An impressive fact, which has certainly not escaped public opinion and legal authorities.

According to what was reported by the prosecutor Ambrogio Cassiani, the accusation would not be pharmacological experimentation through vivisection, but the ways in which the animals were raised.

Sick dogs were offered no treatment to save due to the cost of antibiotics. They were simply ignored or suppressed without any second thoughts.

The battle of animal rights activists had given rise to suspicions on Green Hill with the 2012 blitz inside the farm, during which numerous cages were opened without any authorization to free the animals.

In these two years, many other demonstrations and protests have focused precisely on the fate of the leaders of the lager-breeding centre. The reports have been heard and welcomed by the authorities reaching the final sentence in the last few day.

The manager Ghislane Rondot, together with the veterinarian Renzo Graziosi, were sentenced to one year and six months on the charges of animalicide. A year was sentenced for the director Roberto Bravi, while the co-manager Bernard Gotti was acquitted for not having committed these terrible acts.

Above all, the Anti-Vivisection League benefited from this ruling, in favour of which a compensation of 30 thousand euros was ordered for the commitment in the care and adoption of the kidnapped Beagles.

This is how the former minister Michela Brambilla, who immediately commented for the defence of animals responds: "The Brescia sentence is a great victory, a milestone of extraordinary importance. It recognizes the existence of the crimes and therefore the principle according to which, even in the context of maximum economic exploitation and for purportedly scientific purposes, animals must be respected and protected, as required by law".

However, there was no shortage of protests by the defence lawyers of the accused, Luigi Frattini and Enzo Bosio, who declared that "there have been no violations and if some rules were not respected, only an administrative sanction would be triggered". In addition, they noted that the kidnapping decision left 50 employees in the farm unemployed.

In any case, the news represents an important victory, which could represent the first step to obtain greater recognition of animal rights.

However, the associations continue to fight with great strength to abolish the practice of vivisection.

Source: http://brescia.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/15_gennaio_23/animalicidio-condannati-3-dirigenti-green-hill-10ff8998-a2e0-11e4-9709-8a33da129a5e.shtml

If we speak of Pet Therapy, it is necessary to mention the Niguarda Hospital in Milan. In this large and important Milanese hospital there is the Spinal Unit; a particular department where very special doctors work. We refer to them as pets.

Their names are Happy and Angel, and they deal with physiotherapy. They are two magnificent honey and chocolate coloured Labradors. Two experienced human pet therapists lead these two exceptional animal doctors. The unusual medical team, thanks to an incredible synergy, records surprising results.

In this medical unit, patients in wheelchairs wait in the gym every day for the arrival of the two "doctors", who have assisted their patients for 10 years now. Happy and Angel are accompanied by Patrizia Spada, the responsible pet therapist of the Dog4Life Association, as well as Alessandra De Fronzo with the Belgian shepherd malinois Alinghi and Enzo Panelli, the first pet therapist in a wheelchair with his sweet black Labrador.

This unique group of therapists take care with constancy and love of the numerous victims of motor vehicle or sports accidents as well as accidents in the workplace. The physiotherapy applied aims to restore the mobility of the trunk and limbs. The exercises that benefit all patients are simple, games which provide great help, day after day, to patients with mobility problems.

They games range from the launch of the ball to that of the Frisbee; to the placement on the ground of treats hidden under overturned cups, and last but very important the paragility path. Each exercise is meticulously designed to reactivate the muscle groups and strengthen them with the interaction of perfectly trained, highly intelligent dogs which are able to create a relaxed atmosphere of affection.

The physiotherapist of the ward Liliana Panigata explained: “This is an integrative therapy that accompanies the regular medical courses, but has the advantage of promoting socialization and creating a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The dog, with its spontaneity, communicates with them without prejudice, without filters and without seeing the disability in those in front of them. In addition, the patient gradually acquires self-esteem and autonomy in learning how to lead and give commands to an animal. Fatigue becomes pleasure and sweetness dissolves any resistance".

However, this is not the only department where we engage trained animals in daily exercises and rehabilitation therapies. This wonderful practice is spreading more and more, with great benefits for immobilized people. Pet Therapy also bears witness and justice to all animals, underlining their importance and the great wealth of fidelity and love that they know how to give in exchange for just a simple caress...

The everyday news inform us of unpleasant situations regarding animals, mistreatment, abuse, and barbaric killings. It almost looks like some human being are unable to have some love and respect for our friends; fortunately, this is not the case for everyone. A recent study conducted by AstraRicerche for Agras Delic, on the relationship between "Us and pets" highlighted that 68% of Italians consider their pet as a member of the family. Concisely, our country can be included in the list of "good" while many other nations do not shine for humanity and respect for animals.

The President of AstraRicerche, Enrico Finzi explained: "68 percent of Italians, including non-owners of dogs and cats, declare that they know people for whom four-legged friends are in effect a family member”

They are treated "as if they were children, the pet becomes part of people's daily lives with a much higher level of interaction and affective involvement than those found in the past" .

Finzi went on to explain the in-depth analysis of the research conducted: "We are even witnessing a reversed relationship, based on the psychological and emotional assistance that animals provide to humans”.

Precisely because it is a fundamental manifestation of affection and care, the choice of pet food is addressed from the organoleptic point of view, to provide the same satisfaction and happiness that we derive from good food.

 At the same time, "the product must not only promote good health, but also contribute to maintain the psychophysical well-being of the animal”

In our homes, pets are treated with care and affection, the owners buy quality food for them, take them regularly for health checks to their trusted vet, fill the house with toys and accessories to make their life more comfortable and pleasant and they choose places for holidays where animals are allowed.

There are people who criticize these attitudes or find them ridiculous. Certainly, they are individuals with a low degree of moral depth, love in all its forms and respect for life. They clearly don’t appreciate the gift of having a pet in their life.