Animaltalk Magazine

05/09/2025

10 cool facts about the axolotl

The axolotl is like nature’s mix of cute pet, science experiment and ancient legend – no wonder people around the world are fascinated by them!

Read more here:

These Mexican salamanders regrow limbs, never grow old and always smile – what’s not to love?

03/09/2025

Scent work

Scent work is teaching a dog how to search for a particular scent. Dogs are used for their amazing scenting abilities in all walks of life – to search for missing people, to find narcotics, to detect cancer and even to detect when someone is about to have an epileptic seizure. All this just by using their noses!

You can make scent work as easy as searching for pieces of food or finding a toy to more advanced work where you teach your dog to search for an article with a particular scent.

Read more here:

Scent work is teaching a dog how to search for a particular scent. Dogs are used for their amazing scenting abilities in all walks of life – to search for missing people, to find narcotics, to detect cancer and even to detect when someone is about to have an epileptic seizure.

02/09/2025

It’s officially spring! Time to enjoy the sun, the flowers and the warmer days. Are you and your pet ready?
Read our article to get some great tips: https://animaltalk.co.za/ready-for-spring/

21/08/2025

Did you know that family dogs play a big role in teaching children empathy, respect, and social skills? Research shows that walking, playing, and bonding with dogs can shape a child’s development in powerful ways. Experts also highlight how kids learn responsibility and care through these relationships.

Read the full article here:

Discover how children learn empathy, respect, and social skills from family dogs, supported by research and expert advice.

12/08/2025

In 2020, a three-month-old albino elephant calf named Khanyisa was found caught in a snare in South Africa. Her rescue and recovery became the focus of Diary of an Orphan Elephant, a moving documentary by Hermien Roelvert-van Gils.

From 12 August, World Elephant Day, South Africans can watch this award-winning film for the first time.

Follow HERD - Hoedspruit Elephant Rehabilitation and Development as they fight to save Khanyisa, nurture her back to health and attempt the delicate task of introducing her to the Jabulani herd.

Our article: https://animaltalk.co.za/diary-of-an-elephant-orphan-now-available-for-screening/

Watch the film here: https://watch.eventive.org/ifdelephantorphan/play/66fff0f421cfe700391c6bb8

08/08/2025

It’s International Cat Day and we’re celebrating the favourite fluffy weirdos who rule our homes and steal our hearts (and sometimes our lunch).

From murder mittens to top-tier nap skills, here are 10 reasons cats are just too cool for school 👉 https://animaltalk.co.za/10-reasons-cats-are-just-plain-cool-happy-international-cat-day/

Tag your cat-obsessed friend and tell us what makes your kitty the ultimate cool cat! 🐾

Celebrate International Cat Day with 10 hilarious reasons why cats rule our hearts and homes – from purring therapy to built-in murder mittens.

30/05/2025

It's Friday and it's Crazy Critters time. See if your pet features in this edition https://animaltalk.co.za/crazy-critters-may-2025/

29/05/2025

Grooming your cat is more than keeping her fur clean. It's also about bonding with her. Read this article on why you should groom your cat https://animaltalk.co.za/grooming-your-cat/

Most cats will spend many hours grooming themselves – but with so much grooming going on, is it still necessary for you to groom your cat? Actually, yes. Especially if you have a longhair cat. That doesn’t mean that shorthair cats don’t need grooming; they may just need less grooming. By groom...

28/05/2025

Today's Q & A: How can I determine what scares my 13-week-old puppy when I walk towards him? I’ve never hurt him in any way or even scolded him. Find the answer at https://animaltalk.co.za/q-a-scared-puppy/

Q: How can I determine what scares my 13-week-old puppy when I walk towards him? I’ve never hurt him in any way or even scolded him. A: It’s unusual for a 13-week-old puppy to be showing fear when approached, especially if there appears to be no apparent reason. Without having more information, ...

27/05/2025

Still contemplating whether you should get a dog? Here are 5 reasons why you should own a dog (if you can take proper care of him) https://animaltalk.co.za/5-reasons-to-own-a-dog/

Are you contemplating whether you should bring a new doggy into your life, or do you need to convince someone that you need a dog? Here are some valid reasons why owning a dog will bring you lots of happiness. But do keep in mind that dogs are not toys that you can play with […]

26/05/2025

Before you give your dog an affectionate kiss on the head, or allowing him to lick you in your face, you may want to read this article about zoonotic diseases first https://animaltalk.co.za/curbing-the-spread-of-zoonotic-diseases/

23/05/2025

In today's Ask Patches, Puzzled Paisley doesn't understand why dogs love playing fetch and Baffled Baxter wants to know how cats fit into small containers. These quirky questions and answers are once again so funny.
https://animaltalk.co.za/ask-patches-fetch-fetch-fetch-and-liquid-cats/

Fetch, fetch, fetch… Dear Patches Who needs to watch TV when you can just sit on the windowsill and watch your neighbours and their dogs? I swear that if I made a movie of them, it would be a blockbuster! But what I don’t understand is this: why do dogs continue to fall for the […]