miércoles, 29 de abril de 2009

"The Little Teachers In Their Day"

Today, April 29, the world should say something very special

to every animal, or at least, have a good thought to them.

Much more to the creatures in these pictures...

For they came to teach one -but not without much importance-

lesson to us humans: that killing

is no longer necessary to live better.


Dante the rescued tom is a cat which is thought to be the UK's only vegetarian Cat

- and turns his whiskers up at anything but organic fruit and vegetables.

13 Apr 2009 Dante refuses to touch traditional cat food of any kind in favour of less fattening home-grown alternatives. Current favourites include melon, bananas, broccoli, rhubarb, asparagus, aubergine and Brussels sprouts, but he also has a taste for uncooked potatoes. The two-year-old is so insistent on getting his five-a-day that he even raids the fruit bowl if he's feeling peckish. Experts confirmed Dante's peculiar appetite was "extremely rare". Maggie Roberts, director of veterinary services at the animal charity Cats Protection, said: "This is extremely rare - I have never before heard of a cat that will not eat meat". "Cats are obligate carnivores, and cannot be vegetarian". Dante was abandoned as a kitten and was found close to starvation in an alleyway by owner Becky Page, 21. Becky, a child minder, tried to fatten him up with tasty treats like chicken, tuna, seafood and biscuits. But she said Dante "wolfed down" a plate of leftover vegetables which had been left near her kitchen bin. Becky, who grows her own organic fruit and vegetables at her home in Tasburgh near Norwich, Norfolk, said: "I tried feeding him meat, fish and everything else cats usually like, but he turned his nose up at all of it. "But just when I was thought nothing would work, I caught him wolfing down a plate of vegetables that I was going to throw out. "Since then, he won't go near anything fatty and prefers the things I grow in the garden". Becky, who lives with long-term partner Adam Carpenter, 26, added: "Dante is part of our family and although we have lots of other animals he is more human than any of them. "He loves attention and loves being with us so the least I can do is let him have his favourite foods. "I admit he has a very, very unique appetite - but he's certainly healthy". Sarah Medway, who runs a web site dedicated to cat behaviour, said "I have never heard of a purely vegetarian cat. Nutritionally cats need to eat meat to survive. "Unlike some other animals that can live quite happily on a vegetarian diet cats are natural carnivores and are likely to look and hunt elsewhere to eat meat". "There are certain nutrients that a cat needs that can't be obtained from plant foods". Mrs Roberts, from Cats Protection, added: "Cats Protection advises that cats be fed a complete cat food, which provides all of the necessary nutrients in the right balance".