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Cat meditation video 'the ultimate stress buster'
cat with person meditating
The video's feline cast is made up of homeless cats and kittens being cared for by the Blue Cross.

Rescue cats featured in unique mindfulness video
 
An animal charity has teamed up with mindfulness experts to deliver what they believe is the ultimate stress-busting routine - an at-home meditation video featuring clips of rescue cats.

Meditation is widely thought to be beneficial to human health. Research also suggests that watching cat videos and listening to purring sounds can reduce stress. With this in mind, The Blue Cross has launched the world's first meditation class with cats.

Put together with the help of experts at the Mindfulness Project, the six-minute video class, 'Karma Kitties', combines the essential principles of mindfulness with imagery and sounds of rescue cats purring, playing and snoozing. It encourages the viewer to focus on the sensations, thoughts and emotions evoked by the animals.

Alexa Frey, co-founder and director of the Mindfulness Project, said she was excited to get involved in the unique venture. "There's so much research showing the calming influence of cats on humans and so it marries really well to the principles of mindfulness.

"We hope the class brings calm and tranquility to people across the country and encourages people to bring a rescue cat into their lives."

The video was trialled at a one-off event in London, where it proved popular with cat lovers. Christina Moore, 30, said she felt "incredibly happy" after watching it.

"Everyone loves cat videos, me included and as this combines the cuteness of cats and helps with my wellbeing, it's definitely something I want to get involved with," she added.

The video's feline cast is made up of homeless cats and kittens being cared for by the Blue Cross. The charity hopes it will not only be therapeutic for humans, but also raise awareness of the plight of rescue cats.

Laura Boyle, rehoming centre manager for Torbay, said: "This year, we have seen so many kittens and cats come to our centres in need of a new home. Owning a rescue cat can bring enjoyment, happiness and fulfilment to both owner and pet, so we hope this video will have benefits to both pets and people."

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.