Latest news with #petOwnership
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adam Levine tricked into paying 5k for teacup pig
Adam Levine was convinced to splash out $5,000 on a pet pig by Blake Shelton. The Maroon 5 frontman had just begun dating Behati Prinsloo - who he went on to marry in 2014 and has three children with - when he learned the model "really wanted" a teacup pig, but while he was unsure what the creature was, his pal offered to source one for him, even though he knew it would grow to be much bigger than the couple were expecting. Speaking on Hot Ones, Adam said: "My now-wife, then-brand-new girlfriend, she said she really wanted a teacup pig. "And I didn't know what that was, but of course the first person I would ask [would be Blake]… So I asked Blake. I'm like, 'What's a teacup pig?' He's like, 'I'll get you a teacup pig. Yeah, give me five grand.' " But after just three weeks, Adam and Behati rehomed the creature - and were stunned to see how it had developed months later. The 46-year-old singer said: "We had to give it to a little girl on a farm. We're like, 'Send us pictures! We can't wait to not be responsible for this animal anymore! Just show us pictures!' "She sends us a picture like six months later and the pig is like 400 pounds. I'm like, 'Dude, what if this animal had grown to be this big in my house?!'" The Moves Like Jagger hitmaker then confronted Blake about the size of the supposed "teacup pig", and the country star admitted he had "pranked" his pal because he knew there was "no such thing" as miniature swine. He said: "I'm just like, 'Blake, bro, $5,000 for a pig that wasn't a micro pig?' And he's like, 'You're an idiot! There's no such thing as f****** teacup pigs, you dumbass!' So that was a pretty good prank that he played on me." And to make the situation worse, Blake refused to give Adam any of his money back. Adam said: "He's like, 'No!'" Adam recently spoke of why he agreed to return for season 27 of The Voice after departing his role as a coach during season 16. He told reporters: "I honestly feel like the stars aligned. 'It was one of those moments where we started talking about it and it felt right... and it hadn't felt right until now.' Adam, who had spent nearly nine years on the show, admitted he needed a break from the relentless schedule that came with the job. He said: 'Doing it for so long, so consistently... you can definitely start to get burnt. 'I started to feel like I was kind of getting away from things that matter to me the most, like making music and playing music.'
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Owning dog or cat could preserve some brain functions as we age, study says
As Britain's population ages and dementia rates climb, scientists may have found an unexpected ally in the fight against cognitive decline. Cats and dogs may be exercising more than just your patience: they could be keeping parts of your brain ticking over too. In a potential breakthrough for preventive health, researchers have found that owning a four-pawed friend is linked to slower cognitive decline by potentially preserving specific brain functions as we grow older. Interestingly, the associations differ depending on the animal: dog owners were found to retain sharper memory, both immediate and delayed, while cat owners showed slower decline in verbal fluency. When it comes to slower cognitive decline in their owners, however, it seems that not all pets are created equal: fish and birds, while charming companions, showed no significant link. 'Pet ownership has been linked to a positive influence on cognitive functioning and cognitive decline in late adulthood,' said Adriana Rostekova, a researcher and lead author of the article, which was published in Nature. 'However, there is limited understanding of how different species of pets are associated with these outcomes.' Rostekova, who works at the lifespan developmental psychology research group at the University of Geneva, used data from eight waves of the Survey of Health and Retirement in Europe to examine the relationship between pet ownership and cognitive decline over an 18-year period among adults aged 50 and older. She specifically looked at the distinct role of owning dogs, cats, birds and fish. 'The key novelty of our study was that we found notable differences between the species,' she said. Rostekova hypothesised that because keeping fish or birds showed no meaningful link to changes in cognitive decline, the overall pattern of pet ownership may be driven primarily by having a cat or dog rather than pet ownership in general. 'Several explanations may help explain the absence of this association in fish and bird owners, despite the reports of their ownership' positive influence on wellbeing in ways that are usually associated with cognitive benefits,' she added. 'A fish or bird's short lifespan may potentially limit the level of emotional connection one is able to develop with the pet fish,' she said. 'Bird ownership may negatively affect the owner's sleep quality due to the increased noise levels, which has been shown to be associated with cognitive decline.' Rostekova added: '[It is] further possible that interaction with dogs and cats provides unique cognitive stimulation, which may be less pronounced in other, less demanding pets.' Other research has found evidence of an increase in prefrontal brain activation and stronger attentional processes and emotional arousal caused by interaction with a dog. There is further evidence of increased activation of the prefrontal cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus when interacting with cats, which is speculated to be linked to the characteristic, hard-to-predict temperament of the animal. 'There is also a possibility of increased social stimulation facilitated by cats and dogs, which may be linked to the slower cognitive decline experienced by their owners: an increased frequency of social interactions when accompanied by a dog – or for cats, a substitute for a social network,' said Rostekova. As the NHS grapples with an ageing population and rising dementia rates, experts say the findings could reshape how we think about healthy ageing – and the animals we choose to age alongside. Andrew Scott, the author of The Longevity Imperative and a cat owner (although also a dog lover), said: 'We tend to think of health as being about disease and hospitals but as we live longer and need to focus on preventive measures that keep us healthy for longer, we will discover that the health system extends well beyond doctors and hospitals. 'It is about how we live our life. What is nice about this study is it suggests a fun and meaningful way of keeping healthy and engaged. A lot of things we are recommended to do for our health aren't always fun or companionable (does anyone fast as a family?). Having a pet can be fun and if it keeps you healthy that's a great bonus.'
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
People aged 60 or over: tell us about your pets and what they mean to you
Whether you have a two-month-old puppy or an ageing cockatoo, we're interested in finding out more about people over the age of 60 and their pets. What type of pet do you have and how long have you had them? Is it your first pet or have you owned several over the years? We would also like to know what your relationship with your pet is like. You can tell us how about your pet and what they mean to you by filling in the form below. Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
People aged 60 or over: tell us about your pets and what they mean to you
Whether you have a two-month-old puppy or an ageing cockatoo, we're interested in finding out more about people over the age of 60 and their pets. What type of pet do you have and how long have you had them? Is it your first pet or have you owned several over the years? We would also like to know what your relationship with your pet is like. You can tell us how about your pet and what they mean to you by filling in the form below. Please include as much detail as possible Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
My toy cockapoo grew into a giant beast: What owners must know before buying designer dogs that are meant to be just 10-inches tall
There's no feeling that quite compares to bringing home a pet pooch for the first time - but some owners have got a lot more dog more than they bargained for. People who splurged hefty sums to purchase a miniature Cockapoo - the designer dog crossbred from the Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle - have ended up with a huge canine lumbering around the house. Miniature cockapoos are specifically bred with toy poodles so that, in theory, they are small in size. Adult dogs are meant to be 10-12 inches tall and weigh 10-12lbs, but instead of having a small, teddy-bear lookalike, a string of owners have been left with huge dogs weighing several stone. When UK-born Kitty Morse, who now lives in the Netherlands, purchased a black cockapoo from a breeder in Cheshire, she expected a medium-sized fluffy dog. The pooch was advertised as a 'Gorgeous F1 all black Cockapoo puppy', alongside two snaps of the adorable pooch. However, the dog, though he's no less adorable, quickly transformed into a canine triple the size with wavy hair. Similarly, TikTok user Ria, 21, who goes by @jazzmariax, wanted a 'small' dog and so settled on purchasing a cockapoo. Fast forward seven months later, and the pooch was the quadruple its size at the time of purchase. 'They said he was going to stay small,' the content creator added in the post's caption. Elsewhere, owners Liam Griffin and Tiffany Kingdon, from Coventry, purchased 'miniature cockapoo' Winnie for £2,000, and expected her to weight no more than stone. At the time of purchase, Winnie was 11 weeks old and weighed 4.6kg, but soon enough, she defied the couple's expectations and grew to a whopping 32kg by the time she was just one. Liam told The Sun, 'We love her to bits but it's a good job we've got a house with a garden. I don't know why the breeder passed her off as a miniature dog. It was very irresponsible.' The breeder's blunder didn't appear to be so innocent either. Liam added, 'The guy asked us to send him some pictures but when we tried, they just bounced back. It seems he used a burner phone for the sale of the litter of pups and then moved on.' After speculating over Winnie's breed, Liam and Tiffany settled on a DNA test, which revealed her to not be a miniature cockapoo at all, but a Poodle and a Irish Setter Cross. Meanwhile, Charlotte Fallowfield appeared on This Morning earlier this week to tell the story of how she got her hands on her sweet pooch Waffle. She was over the moon when she brought home her miniature cockapoo puppy, but as soon as he started growing, alarm bells started to ring - and she soon realised that he wasn't the breed that they originally wanted. Charlotte expected Waffle to weight six to 11kg and 25 to 38cm tall. But Waffle - who is a Sproodle - weighs between 22 to 32kg and is 45 to 55cm in height. A Sproodle is a mix between a Springer Spaniel and a Poodle. Charlotte told the presenters: 'Due to my allergies, I wanted one that was slightly hypoallergenic, one that was small enough that he wouldn't injure me, we saw him advertised online and went to meet him and just fell in love with him straight away.' Co-host Ben Shepard asked, 'You did think something was a little bit off, didn't you?' Charlotte explained: 'We asked to see him with the mother and puppies, we weren't given that chance.
