Paws for thought

Iran has issued a fatwa against domestic pets. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today

If you've ever had to deal with a rat infestation then you may have dealt with the delicate issue of relocating them without recourse to lethal traps. However, more humane attempts can just lead to feeding them an abundance of fresh cheese. This simple and elegant OneDown Rat Trap might be the answer.

But you might not want to move your resident rodents along too quickly because researchers have been training mice (as well as dogs) to sniff out the H5N1 bird-flu virus.

A more stringent approach to animal smuggling could be in order as demonstrated by one woman's audacious attempt to disguise a live tiger cub as a soft-toy.

In Iran, the Minister of Culture has banned any form of pet advertising, criticising the desire to keep pets as a blind imitation of Western culture.

Lastly, if you're a pet owner, have you thought about your best friend's impact on the environment? You can find some tips to reduce your dog's carbon paw-print here.