Compassionate Conservation: a “woke” discipline by Ed Boks

We’ve come a long way since renowned psychologist B.F. Skinner (1974) opined that animals are “conscious in the sense of being under stimulus control”.

Skinner’s view was not much of an advance from Descartes’ (1650) philosophy which stated animals cannot reason, do not feel pain and although they are living organic creatures, they are simply automata, like mechanical robots. Continue reading “Compassionate Conservation: a “woke” discipline by Ed Boks”

Why do cats purr? by Ed Boks

Why do cats purr?

There are many questions our children and grandchildren ask concerning the mysteries of our universe.  Such as, why is the sky blue?  Why do birds sing? And why do cats purr?

While we may often fail to provide satisfying answers to these difficult questions, we instinctively know that so long as the sky is blue, and birds sing, and cats purr – all is right with the world.

One of the things we love most about our cats is the feeling of contentment we share when they climb onto our lap and begin to purr.  When cats purr we feel calmer and more peaceful – even if we don’t hear the purring, we can feel the soft reassuring vibration.

So, just why do cats purr?  And how do they generate that entrancing sound? Continue reading “Why do cats purr? by Ed Boks”