insects – Michael Broad

Trillions of cicadas emerge USA. Hazard to outdoor cats?

April 5, 2024 by Michael Broad

The news this morning is that trillions of cicadas are about to emerge in parts of the United States in numbers which have not been seen for at least decades and possibly centuries. This is thanks to the interesting and unusual life-cycle of the cicada. The ‘event’ is going to occur in the south-east …

When domestic cats kill insects are they causing pain to their prey?

December 7, 2021 by Michael Broad

A reliable source, Nathan Winograd, tells me that cockroaches can physically suffer. They have a central nervous system i.e. a brain and nerves, and a peripheral nervous system which connects the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body. They also have a sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for autonomous …