Whether you can believe it or not, a new survey has revealed that cats have become more friendly to their owners over the past few months of lockdown.
As most cat owners will tell you, these furry creatures aren’t always known for their friendly natures, or should we just say, they don’t exactly wear their affection on their sleeves in the same as their canine counterparts are known to do, but the feline sass is part of what distinguishes cat people from dog people after all.
It seems now though that the lines of friendliness are being blurred a little.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has altered everyone’s perspectives on life and this newly-conduced survey by Direct Line has shown that our pets are no different.
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Nearly 90% of respondents to the survey who have a cat in their lives said that their feline friend had provided them emotional support since March.
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One woman who responded to the survey revealed that her 15-year-old cat named Humphrey has been a lot more affectionate during lockdown and said: “He has never been a cuddly cat and didn’t enjoy a tickle like other cats I’ve had.
“He is a friendly boy, but he’s very aloof and loved being out and about, but a few weeks into lockdown he started sitting on my lap when I’m watching TV, which wouldn’t have happened before, and now he likes coming up to bed with us. I always take the dogs out last thing and Humph now waits for me in the garden.”
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A further 51% of respondents also said that their cat has been outside considerably less during the lockdown.
Although this feline affection will have been lovely while it lasted, when it comes to cat owners heading back into work post-lockdown, don’t be expecting your cat to be clawing at your leg and begging you to stay as according to Veterinarian Dr Kate Adams, “cats will probably be very glad when we all go back to work”.
“They’ll probably be like, ‘Okay, bye guys, I want this house back to myself now.” she added.
Some things never change, do they?
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Aldi confirms ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its 1,000+ stores across UK
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that it’ll, once again, be closing the doors of all of its stores across the UK for 62 hours this year.
Christmas is always known to be one of the busiest periods of the year for the retail industry, and Boxing Day has a reputation for being the ultimate day for shopping deals and discounts in the UK – but this year, just like it has done on several years in the past, Aldi has made the decision to close all of its stores nationwide on this bank holiday.
The supermarket retailer says it wants to thank its colleagues ‘for all their hard work’ throughout the year by giving them some extra time to spend with their families.
This means that all Aldi stores will be closed on both 25 and 26 December.
That’s not all though, as stores will also be closed on New Year’s Day, and will reopen once again on Saturday 2 January 2027.
Aldi has announced a ‘special’ 62-hour closure of all its UK stores / Credit: Aldi UK
Opening hours at different Aldi stores across the UK will vary in the lead-up to Christmas, so it’s important to check the times for your local store, but the retailer has confirmed that most branches will be operating extended hours to ‘ensure customers can stock up ahead of the big day’
In the interim period between Christmas and New Year, stores will reopen as usual on Sunday 27 through to Wednesday 30 December, with reduced hours also likely on Sunday and New Year’s Eve.
Speaking on the decision to shut up shop for a full 62-hour period this festive season, Rachel Geary, who is the Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.
“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.
“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”
Featured Image – Aldi UK
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Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo and they’re so cute
Emily Sergeant
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo… and they’re really flipping cute.
Born to parents Maris and Albert in late summer, the three rock hyrax pups – only affectionately known as ‘chaos potatoes’ – have just passed their first vet check with a clean bill of health, and now weigh roughly 350g.
Hyraxes are found across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, where they live among rocky landscapes and are most active in daylight.
The litter includes two boys and one girl, and keepers at Chester Zoo have decided to give them potato-themed names – Russ, Spud, and Jackie.
Three tiny ‘chaos potatoes’ have been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Currently, the three pups are a fraction of the size of the adults, which can weigh up to 4kg, but despite their small stature, they have an unlikely relative.
Believe it or not, rock hyraxes are actually a part of the same evolutionary group as elephants, as well as sirenians, which are the family of aquatic mammals that includes dugongs and manatees.
“Hyraxes are one of those species that you have to look for, but once you’ve seen them, they are fascinating to watch,” explained Megan Carpenter, who is a Keeper at Chester Zoo.
“The pups are little chaos potatoes. They are much more energetic than their parents and sometimes get the zoomies, darting about and testing their climbing and parkour skills.
“In contrast, the adults often wedge themselves into corners and grip on to steep rock faces for hours at a time. They’re incredibly well adapted to living among rocks and are much better climbers than you might expect.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th August 2020 
