‘If I don’t like the cats then they have to go’: navigating pet unfriendly rental accommodation

Nonhuman animals are perceived differently depending on their relative use for humans. While companion animals are anthropomorphized and assigned a high moral status, farm animals often do not receive such consideration. To investigate the development of these differing perceptions, we evaluated the depiction of farm and companion animals in German biology textbooks to identify and analyze inherent biases across nonhuman animal species. The varying moral considerations and treatment of nonhuman animals are solely determined by their species membership, reflecting a broader collective orientation toward nonhuman animals referred to as speciesism. Analyzing 35 German biology textbooks, we investigated whether the portrayal of companion animals (dogs and cats) versus farm animals (pigs, cows, and chickens) differentiates between them, manifesting in companion animal speciesism and belief in the emotional and cognitive capacities of animals (belief in animal mind). We developed a set of categories and examined differences in the frequencies of sentence allocation between companion animals and farm animals to test whether speciesism is embedded in German educational materials. The results of our tests indicate significant biases in the representation of companion and farm animals in German biology textbooks. Specifically, companion animals are attributed significantly greater intrinsic value (χ 2 = 102.36, p < 0.001, φ = 0.152), concern (χ 2 = 20.91, p < 0.001, φ = 0.069), and belief in animal mind (χ 2 = 351.22, p < 0.001, φ = 0.269) compared with farm animals. These findings expose speciesist bias in textbooks, where companion animals are portrayed more favorably, while farm animals are depicted with indifference or as mere resources. This raises critical questions about perspectives on nonhuman animals and underscores the need to reevaluate their portrayal in educational materials.

The Palgrave Handbook of Practical Animal Ethics

What is a companion animal? An ethological approach based on Tinbergen's four questions. Critical review

In Switzerland, recent changes in legislation have reformed special needs education; more children with special needs are now integrated into mainstream schools. Health professionals such as occupational therapists are not embedded in the Swiss education system, but pediatric occupational therapists are starting to work at schools, with the aim of enabling children's full participation as school students. This is bringing a change to the practice of pediatric occupational therapists. Cultural, political, and social factors differ in many ways from those of other countries where most of the current research on pediatric occupational therapists in mainstream education has been conducted. The need for school-based research that is situated within the political, structural, and cultural context of a country has been stressed in different studies. This qualitative study employed narrative analysis to explore the practice experiences and clinical reasoning of Swiss pediatric occupational therapists when working with children with special needs in the school context. Three main themes were identified in the narratives: “bringing in an occupational therapy perspective,” “focusing on school-related occupations,” and “collaborating with different inclusion players.” These represent three different aspects of the therapists' emerging practice. The participants highlight different approaches for children with special needs to enable their participation in everyday life at school through learning, playing, and being with their peers. The findings are discussed in relation to current international research and with respect to European countries with a similar political and structural context, thus complementing approaches to school-based occupational therapy.

ABSTRACTThe human–animal bond is a relational theory which describes the dynamic between humans and nonhuman animals that satisfies needs in each for companionship and emotional support, framing companion animals as valued family members. Social workers have historically ignored the central role companion animals play in the lives of their clients, adopting an anthropocentric view underpinned by human rights and social justice. However, the need for companion animal-inclusive practice features in recent social work literature. As companion animals are intricately woven into the lives of their guardians, it follows that their inevitable death brings a profound sense of loss and thus an opportunity for social work intervention. The aim of this research was to see if there was a role for social work practitioners to support grieving animal companion guardians. Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on 218 candid online responses to an article on the topic of losing a companion animal, from which four major themes were identified: strength of the bond, anthropocentrically disenfranchised grief, anticipatory grief in the context of euthanasia, and the need for professional support. This analysis demonstrates the strength of the human– animal bond, illustrates how the dominant anthropocentric hegemony disenfranchises this variety of grief and loss, describes the experience of anticipatory grief in the context of euthanasia, and identifies the need for professional support. Implications for social work practice are identified, with opportunities for social workers to exchange their anthropocentric approach for a biocentric view, provide support to veterinarians and other professionals, and to work toward challenging the social constructs, which disenfranchise companion animal loss.

The impact of companion animals on human psychological health has garnered widespread attention. Research demonstrates that companion animals contribute positively in various ways, including reducing depression, anxiety, stress, and fostering positive emotions in humans. Recent studies have revealed significant changes in the activity levels of human emotion-related cortical areas (such as the frontal cortex and amygdala) and neurotransmitter (e.g., oxytocin, cortisol) secretion due to interaction with companion animals. However, research in this domain is still in a nascent stage, with many unknowns in the cognitive neural mechanisms involved. This paper proposes that to understand the cognitive mechanisms through which companion animals affect human psychological health, we need to examine changes in emotional cognitive processing. It aims to uncover the neurological underpinnings of how companion animals enhance human psychological well-being from the perspective of brain connectivity. This approach is expected to provide theoretical support and direction for future research and practical applications in this field.

Animal Welfare in China

Purpose This paper aims to extend and enrich the concept of self-care, through demonstrating how self-care can manifest as both a relational and multispecies endeavour. Method We qualitatively examined how people understand their relationships with companion animal(s) as shaping their practices of rest and relaxation. This paper is based on a reflexive thematic analysis of 31in-depth interviews with cat and dog owners across several countries. Results Our analysis illustrates how practices of caring for companion animals and the obligations that drive them can also work to promote self-care. We draw out the ways in which obligations to care for companion animals can provide a sense of permission for and prioritisation of moments and activities that are experienced as mutually ‘care-full’. The paper reveals the role of companion animals in daily navigation and negotiation of temporal and normative barriers around rest and relaxation. Conclusions This paper emphasises the important role that non-human animals can play in everyday practices and experiences of rest and relaxation.

In contemporary society, humans interact with nonhuman animals in a number of ways, many of which involve the captivity of the nonhuman animals involved. Nonhuman animals trained for sport (sled dogs, horses trained for dressage, etc.), nonhuman animals confined for human entertainment (zoos, aquariums, circuses, etc.), and companion animals are all held captive by the human beings who interact with them. However, the moral acceptability of these forms of captivity seems to vary widely; this variance isn’t only a function of the conditions of the captivity itself, but the reasons, attitudes, and intentions of the captors. Martha Nussbaum’s conception of species-specific flourishing allows for what she calls ‘respectful paternalism’ in the case of nonhuman animals, and in this paper, we will explore (a) Nussbaum’s account of ‘respectful paternalism’ as an aspect of justice that governs our interactions with nonhuman animals, (b) what the ‘respectful’ aspect of that paternalism involves by examining what it means for a captor to limit the autonomy of a nonhuman animal respectfully and (c) implications for our interactions with nonhuman animals in sport and entertainment environments.

We examined attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare and rights and career aspirations in Australian and Turkish veterinary students. A representative university was selected in each country, with 190 first- and third-year students sampled in each. Survey questions addressed attitudes toward nonhuman animal welfare/rights, and intended career. Australian and Turkish students were predominately female and male, respectively, but attitudes were similar between sexes. Australian students rated keeping companion animals and hormonal desexing more acceptable, and food and rest deprivation, pain during slaughter, and using animals in experiments less acceptable than Turkish students. Keeping companion animals related strongly with students’ moral values, their decision to study veterinary medicine, and program satisfaction. More Australian than Turkish students wanted to enter clinical practice. Thus veterinary students of these two culturally contrasting countries demonstrated both differences and universalities, such as companion animal keeping, which influenced their attitudes toward animals and career aspirations.

Animals: Hierarchies of Life and Death

Interactions that animals experience can have a significant influence on their health and welfare. These interactions can occur between animals themselves, but also between animals and keepers, and animals and the public. Human and non-human animals come into contact with each other in a variety of settings, and wherever there is contact there is the opportunity for interaction to take place. Interaction with companion animals are well known, but human–animal interaction (HAR) (Hosey, 2008) also occurs in the context of farms (Hemsworth and Gonyou, 1997; Hemsworth, 2003), laboratories (Chang and Hart, 2002), zoos (Kreger and Mench, 1995) and even the wild (e.g. Cassini, 2001). This project proposes a permanent monitoring scheme to record animal-human interactions and animal-animal interactions in zoos. This will be accompanied by a survey of animal personality for welfare, husbandry, breeding programs and reintroduction purposes. The pilot project is currently based on direct monitoring of animal behaviour, use of time lapse cameras and animal personality questionnaires completed by experienced keepers. The goal of this project is to create a network between zoos to explore the aforementioned interactions to produce husbandry protocols and explore personality and behavioural traits in multiple species. We present provisional data regarding polar bear (Fasano Zoosafari, Italy), Sumatran tigers, Amur tigers and Asiatic lion (ZSL London and Whipsnade zoo) interactions with humans and conspecifics. This data is collected across a broad range of environmental conditions and outlines the monitoring protocols developed to collect this data. The first year data show the great adaptability of these species to ex situ environments, low or absent negative impact of visitors’ presence and the relevance of individual personality in these interactions.

Ghulam Abbas presents the concept of sex not in its traditional, literal sense, but within a symbolic and social context. For him, sex is tied either to a woman's feminine consciousness and identity, or it reflects the compulsion and social oppression faced by a courtesan. He transcends the idea of mere physical gratification, imbuing the theme with deep emotional and social meaning. His uniqueness lies in his portrayal of the profound relationship between sex and human emotions. He masterfully delves into the internal complexities and helplessness of his characters. Consequently, his stories compel readers to contemplate, leaving a lasting impression through their emotional depth. This article analyzes these very aspects.

In the context of subaltern narrative, the identity of the courtesan in Manto's stories is a complex and multi-dimensional subject. According to subaltern theory, those individuals or classes who are marginalized or whose voices are silenced do not find a place in the dominant narrative, and they are discussed within a socio-political framework. In Manto's writings, the courtesan is presented as part of a similar suppressed and overlooked class. Manto portrays the courtesan not only as a victim of social stigma and exploitation but also as a human being with emotions and struggles. Courtesans, who are often considered symbols of sin and disgrace by society, emerge in Manto’s stories as individuals with sensitivity, pain, and emotional depth. These stories show the lives and challenges of courtesans as part of an oppressed class, trying to find their place in a rigid social structure. Manto presents the identity of courtesans in a way that challenges the notion of them being merely women involved in prostitution. Rather, their existence reflects deep suffering, human emotions and echoes of social injustice. Courtesans in Manto’s stories are the subaltern voices that do not find a space in the mainstream social narrative, but Manto, by bringing their stories to the forefront, emphasizes that their identity and experiences are just as important as anyone else’s.

This paper explores the changing nature of companion animal-human relationships in Britain over the past 30 years. This period has seen rapid change in attitudes and practices towards companion animals, with notable advances in medical treatment, nutrition, and understanding of non-human animal behavior, as well as re-evaluations of the position of animals within the home. Based upon in-depth interviews with companion animal caretakers and professionals involved in the companion animal industry, we examined these changes in the United Kingdom. Major themes were identified: Humanization, Commercialization, Medicalization, Responsible Companionship, and Alternative Companionship. These changes have had largely positive effects on companion animal health and welfare, but also bring new expectations of the companion relationship, which humans and nonhuman animals may be unable or unwilling to fulfill. While dominant discourses of responsible companionship prevail, the process of change is ongoing and reflects emerging trends in human society towards diversification and alternative lifestyles.