It is a wet and slippery road ahead for the HIV-1 virus. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that the saliva of deer ticks contains protein which could prevent the dreaded virus from attaching to white blood cells or T cells.

The theory of evolution suggests that only the fittest survive. The proof of the existence of ticks in the erlier Cretaceous period confirms the fact that aside from being the tiniest, they are one of the fittest in the animal kingdom.

Dr. Reuben Kaufman is not the kiss-and-tell type but in his research paper published in the Journal of Insect Physiology, he divulged that the female ixodid tick increases her weight 100 times her original size after copulation.

Beware! Just because you live all year round in the city or in other highly urbanized areas, it doesn't mean you and your pets are safe from Lyme disease. That's because ticks, the most common carriers of the bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) that cause the disease, are finding their way to us.

It was, indeed, a lucky break for these animals - 12 dogs, a cat and a Burmese python – when their unfortunate plight was accidentally discovered.

Law enforcers went to 24514 Audubon Drive to arrest John Stansfield for theft and dealing in stolen property. In the course of performing their duty, they saw the pets in the house which was full of feces and urine. They were appalled by the animals' health and living conditions.

Every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder famous for affecting actor Michael J. Fox, boxer Muhammad Ali, and Pope John Paul II, among others. The disease also strikes a lot of dogs, and veterinarians at an American university are looking for ways to cure it, reports Science Daily, an online magazine.

Weighing a mere 27 pounds and needing a diaper, Cookie is suffering the worst kind of withdrawal symptom as she settles in with her new Grand Rapids, Michigan family.

One would think that it is mathematically improbable to talk about three heads and nine limbs when it only involves two cats. But a cat from Pennsylvania and another from Kedah, Malaysia defied mathematical and genetic logic when they were born with an extra limb and an extra head, respectively.

Having an aquarium at home or in the office may help us relax and unwind but researchers have found that the fish we keep as pets may have an adverse effect on natural water ecosystems. Research has shown that the common practice of “flushing down” our aquatic friends when they have finally kicked the bucket actually harms the environment. According to researchers in Oregon, the number of aquarium fish living in the wild is steadily growing in number.

They say actions speak louder than words but this may not always be the case – especially when it comes to our feline friends. As we all know, communication is a vital part of human life. For pet owners however, communication may not be that easy when it comes to their pet.

Mieshelle Nagelschneider, a feline behavior consultant, shares the most common non-verbal feline messages that have helped her clients improve their relationship with their pet, together with some suggestions on how to effectively respond to them.

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