Meanwhile animal charity Blue Cross is warning pet owners to keep cats indoors, away from gritter salt and antifreeze which can be fatal for them.

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But as we keep pointing out, markets are more like cats than like dogs.

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London-based Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said it had 91 cases of people who could not afford to keep their dog or cat this year, compared to 42 in 2010.

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Stories of big cats in the UK go back to the 1960s and 70s when it was legal and fashionable to keep exotic animals as pets.

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