The Daily Telegraph - 22.08.2019

‘Cat ladies’ are more likely to

be purring with happiness

By Sarah Knapton
Science editor

THE stereotypical “cat lady”, who lives
a solitary life obsessing over her pets to
the detriment of human relationships,
simply does not exist, a study has
shown.
Researchers who were looking into
whether pet lovers were more likely to
pick up distress signals of animals, in-
advertently discovered that dog and
cat owners do not differ in levels of de-
pression, anxiety or loneliness.
The authors from the University of
California, Los Angeles, said there was
no evidence that cat lovers were more
depressed, anxious and alone, even
though they were often ascribed such
negative personality traits.
As early as 1872, The New York Times
ran an article headlined “Cats and Cra-
ziness” in which the editors laid out the

erratic personality of the cat lover com-

pared to the more rational dog owner.

Since then, several online surveys

have suggested that “cat people” are

more neurotic, introverted, less agree-

able and less conscientious. In con-

trast, owning a dog is often viewed as

healthy and “beneficial in motivating

owners to get extra physical activity”,

the report’s authors said.

A study of Facebook updates from

users talking about their pets showed

that those mentioning cats were more

likely to be single, neurotic and intro-

verted, while dog owners had no spe-

cific personality traits that set them

apart.

However, most of the studies are

self-reported and traits were not scien-

tifically measured.

For the study, researchers clinically

assessed loneliness, anxiety and de-

pression for 261 dog and cat owners.

Divorced man

finds solace in

the many arms

of pet octopus

By Alice Vincent

WHEN a newly divorced man wants to
cheer himself up, he may, if stereo-
types are to be believed, buy a new
wardrobe, new sports car, or even a
drink for a new woman.
For one marine ecologist, the route
to happiness was rather more unusual:
he moved a large octopus called Heidi
into his living room.
Professor David Scheel,
from Alaska Pacific Uni-
versity, spent a year in
the company of a big
blue octopus, a fear-
some predator that
can grow to up to 80cm
(31.5in) long, after his wife
moved out. The results,
which led Prof Scheel
and his 16-year-old
daughter, Laurel, to
form a bond with
their slimy house-
mate, will be broad-
cast tonight on BBC
Two, as Heidi plays,
dreams and
watches TV.
Prof Scheel said
the project became
possible after “I got
divorced and the ex
took most of the living
room furniture”.
While Laurel was
in favour of getting a
dog, her marine bi-
ologist father, who
had been studying

octopuses for 25 years, eventually

moved a huge salt-water tank into the

house for a very different kind of pet.

“It’s something I had in the back of

my mind for a long time,” said Prof

Scheel, over the phone from Alaska,

where he lives. “But because it was

linked to a project it changed from

something you could think about idly

to something you could actually try

and do.”

While some keen marine hobbyists

keep smaller octopuses at home, ac-

commodating Heidi was “not a trivial

thing”.

He hoped to find out if octopuses,

long known as solitary creatures, could

have meaningful relationships.

Heidi, an Octopus cyanea, ar-

rived in the spring of 2018, af-

ter Prof Scheel took six

months to design the aquar-

ium system and plumbing.

When Heidi arrived, in a

coolbox on an overnight

flight from Hawaii where it

was bred for educational

and scientific purposes, the

animals was, in Prof Scheel’s

words “this cute little thing”.

“We had a nice routine of

getting up,” Prof Scheel said of

life as Heidi settled in. “I’d

get up in the morning and sit

down to do my email, next to

the aquarium.

“The lights would come

on in the tank and she

would come out and do her

morning grooming.

“I always enjoyed

News

Celebrities urge EU to back

ban on elephant ‘snatching’

By Helena Horton

ANIMAL rights supporters including
Joanna Lumley, Brigitte Bardot, Judi
Dench and Ricky Gervais have at-
tacked the EU over its failure to pre-
vent baby elephants being “snatched”
from the wild to be put in zoos.
The bloc is expected vote against a
proposed ban on transfer of the ani-
mals to zoos around the world.
In a letter appealing to Jean-Claude
Juncker, president of the European
Commission, they say: “It would be ob-
scene for the EU to endorse snatching
wild baby elephants and condemning
[them] to captive misery.”
Other signatories include Pamela
Anderson, Bryan Adams, actresses
Jenny Seagrove and Virginia McKenna
and the TV presenter Nicky Campbell.
They explain that elephants are
highly social and often die in transit or
shortly after they arrive at zoos. Evi-
dence has emerged of elephants lan-
guishing alone in China, they add.
For a ban to pass, two thirds of coun-
tries must vote for it at a meeting of the
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species, which began on
Saturday. A preliminary vote showed

that 46 countries were in favour, with

18 against. The EU, which represents 28

countries, did not take part but has

spoken against the proposed ban,

which it says would restrict African at-

tempts to control elephant popula-

tions. The US voted against.

Elephants in Zimbabwe and Bot-

swana are protected against trade un-

der an international convention, but

live elephants may be exported to “ap-

propriate and acceptable” destinations.

Over the past 20 years, almost 200

mainly young elephants have been

shipped from southern Africa to facili-

ties predominantly in China.

The letter reads: “The world has

been shocked to see distressing video

and photos of terrified baby African el-

ephants being rounded up.”

Elephants, it adds, are abused hor-

rifically during capture and “suffer tre-

mendously in captivity”.

“We call on all EU environment min-

isters and the Finnish presidency ... to

reflect the position of the majority of

African elephant range states, the great

majority of EU citizens, and leading

elephant experts and support” the ban.

The letter was organised by Humane

Society International.

Marine biologist

David Scheel put a

salt-water tank in

the living room for

Heidi the octopus

iving room.

sor David Scheel,

aska PacificUni-

spent a year in

pany of a big g

opus, a fear-

redator that

w to up to 80cm

ong, after his wife

ut. The results,

d Prof Scheel

16-year-old

r, Laurel, to

bond with

my house-

ll be broad-

ght on BBC

Heidi plays,

and

TV.

cheel said

ect became

after “I got

and the ex

st of the living

niture”.

Laurel was

of getting a

marine bi-

ather, who

n studying

anddo.

While some kee

keep smaller octo

commodating He

thing”.

He hoped to fi

long known as soli

have meaningful r

Heidi, an

rived in th

ter Prof

months

ium sys

Whe

coolbox

flight fr

was br

and scie

animals w

words “th

“Wehad

getgting up

lifle as H

getg up in

dowd n to

thet aqua

“The

on in

would

morni

“I

BBC

watching her for a few minutes there

and she’d be watching me and we’d say

good morning to one another before I

had to go about my day.”

When Laurel came home from

school, she too would play with Heidi,

lightly tapping on the glass and waving

her fingers in the tank. Heidi would re-

spond, clambering up Laurel’s arm and

making her shriek by squirting water

down her sleeve.

The documentary shows how Heidi

learned to play games: holding a Ru-

bik’s Cube, pushing a floating pill bot-

tle into the airstream of the tank to

make it spin around in a circle, and

learning to use a plastic ball to set off a

light and a buzzer that would summon

him or Laurel into the room at any

time.

She would also join in the family’s

evening television routine.

“Laurel maintained that Heidi liked

comedies the best but obviously the

BBC’s Blue Planet II has to be right up

there,” said the professor.

“When we would settle down to

watch TV she would position herself

on the glass near the television for the

first 15-20 minutes before moving to

her den. She would stay where she

could see the screen, then she would

tuck herself into bed and go to sleep.”

Natural World: The Octopus In My

House, will be broadcast on BBC Two

at 9pm on Thursday.

‘When we

would watch

TV, she

would

position

herself where

she could see

the screen’

The Daily Telegraph Thursday 22 August 2019 *** 3

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