Paw & WildAn animal journal
For the animal-curious

A little wonder.
A little wild.

From the paws beside us to the wildlife beyond our windows. Small stories about the animals we share our world with.

Follow your curiosity
Illustration of a red fox resting in a green landscape
Look a little closerOriginal illustrations
A world worth noticing.Life with petsBirds & branchesWild neighbours

The curious collection

6 stories to explore

A note from the journal

More curiosity.
A little more care.

Not every discovery needs a long journey. A familiar footpath, a quiet corner at home or a bird on a branch can be a lovely place to begin.

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Stay for a story.

Pets

A good dog walk leaves time for a sniff

Slow down along a familiar path and notice the world your dog is exploring.

Leave room for curiosity

A tree, a fence and a patch of grass may look ordinary to you. For a dog, each can offer something interesting to investigate. Sniffing provides mental stimulation alongside the physical activity of a walk, so a pause is not necessarily a delay.

When the spot is safe, give your dog a little time rather than hurrying past every smell. A familiar route can still hold fresh discoveries.

Watch the small moments

On your next outing, notice where your dog slows down. Does one corner get a quick inspection while another deserves a longer stop? You do not need to interpret every movement to appreciate that your dog is gathering information.

Try describing what you actually see instead of guessing what each smell means. Those observations can make an everyday walk feel interesting again.

Keep the outing comfortable

Choose a suitable route, stay alert around roads and follow local lead rules. Move away from unsafe objects or substances rather than encouraging investigation. Leave a little flexibility in the schedule: the best part of the walk might be the part where you stop.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
Pets

A quiet corner, from a cat’s point of view

A thoughtful home offers places to rest, hide and watch the day go by.

Make space for a retreat

A comfortable home is about more than a favourite cushion. Cats need a quiet resting place and somewhere safe to hide when they want distance from something unsettling. A retreat gives your cat a choice about joining in or taking a break.

Look for a calm part of the room, away from a busy walkway. Keep it clean and dry, and let your cat explore it at their own pace.

Think beyond the floor

Cats also enjoy opportunities to climb and rest above ground level. A suitable raised resting place can offer a different view of familiar surroundings. Make sure it is stable and that the route up and down is secure.

In homes with several cats, provide enough separate beds, hiding places and play resources so they can spend time apart when they choose.

Notice what gets used

Observe which spots your cat returns to. Is it the quieter chair, the covered space or a higher perch? These preferences offer a useful starting point when arranging the room. A successful corner does not need to be elaborate; it needs to be somewhere your cat can comfortably choose.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
Birds

Birdwatching begins with one small observation

You do not need a long checklist to start noticing the birds around you.

Choose a familiar place

A local path, a park bench or a view from your window can be a starting point. Spend a few minutes looking and listening before moving on. The aim is not to name every bird immediately, but to notice more than you did yesterday.

Returning to the same place can make small changes easier to spot. A quiet morning and a breezy afternoon may offer different experiences.

Collect useful clues

Look at the bird’s size and shape, its main colour pattern, what it is doing and the habitat around it. These clues work together. A bird moving along a tree trunk presents a different puzzle from one floating on a pond.

Binoculars and a suitable field guide can help, but careful attention remains the most useful starting habit.

Keep a few notes

Write down the place, date and two or three details that caught your eye. A rough sketch can preserve a wing marking or beak shape without needing to be a polished drawing. Leave uncertain identifications open. The question you bring home may become the reason you look again tomorrow.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
Pets

Make room for rabbits to explore

Hopping, hiding and stretching out all belong in a rabbit’s everyday surroundings.

Start with usable space

Watch a rabbit explore and an enclosure becomes a collection of routes, resting spots and things to investigate. Rabbits need enough room to hop, run, jump, stand upright and stretch out fully. Their activity area should connect to their main shelter and remain accessible.

Think about the space left for movement after adding objects, rather than simply filling every corner with something new.

Include places to hide

Rabbits are prey animals, so secure hiding places are an important part of their surroundings. Provide options with more than one opening, allowing them to move through rather than feeling trapped.

Keep their living space protected from predators and unsuitable weather. Hiding places should complement the main shelter, not replace a secure, comfortable home.

Add interest thoughtfully

Suitable tunnels, platforms and safe objects to investigate can encourage exploration. Check items for damage and remove hazards before introducing them. Then watch how the rabbits use the space: a favourite route can tell you more than a crowded arrangement of accessories. For a complete housing plan, use detailed rabbit-welfare guidance rather than treating any single toy as the answer.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
Wildlife

The fox at the edge of the everyday

A flash of russet is a reminder that wild lives can overlap with familiar places.

Look at ordinary landscapes

A hedge beside a path or a quiet corner of a garden can hold more life than a hurried glance suggests. Red foxes live in towns as well as the countryside. In the UK, their habitats include woodland, farmland and gardens.

They are often active at night, although they may also be seen during the day. A brief sighting can turn a familiar walk into a memorable one.

Notice the whole silhouette

Pointed ears, a bushy tail and a pale underside help create the familiar fox outline. The red fox belongs to the dog family and has a varied diet that includes small animals, fruit and berries.

Try looking beyond colour alone. The way an animal moves through a landscape can be as interesting as its markings.

Keep a field note

After a sighting, record the time, place and what you observed. Was the fox crossing open ground or following a hedge? Write down the details without assuming you know its intentions. You are building a small record of encounters, not solving every mystery. Sometimes a question is the best thing to bring home.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
Wildlife

The best wildlife encounters leave room to spare

A rewarding view lets an animal carry on with its day, without an audience moving closer.

Check the place before you go

Wildlife-viewing guidance varies between parks and species. Before an outing, read the local rules about viewing distances, trails, pets and food storage. A little preparation lets you spend less time making decisions when an animal appears.

Binoculars or a zoom lens can reveal details while you stay well back. A closer photograph is not the only way to enjoy a sighting.

Let animals set the scene

Give wildlife room to move and avoid feeding, touching, calling to or deliberately disturbing animals. If an animal reacts to your presence, increase the distance. Follow designated paths and leave routes open rather than surrounding a subject.

Keep the experience quiet. Watching ordinary behaviour can be more revealing than trying to attract an animal’s attention.

Leave the place ready for tomorrow

Secure food and dispose of rubbish appropriately, including small scraps. If watching from a vehicle, stop only where it is safe and permitted. Afterwards, remember the wider scene: the habitat, the light and the animal’s movement. A few careful notes can preserve the moment just as well as a picture, without asking wildlife to change its day.

From the Paw & Wild journal. Explore more stories ↑
About the journal

Ordinary moments.
Extraordinary neighbours.

Paw & Wild is an animal journal for readers who enjoy a closer look at the lives around them.

Our stories explore everyday life with pets, the pleasure of birdwatching and thoughtful ways to observe wildlife. They are written in approachable English and illustrated with original artwork.

What you will find here

Pets: small observations about dogs, cats and rabbits.
Birds: a starting point for noticing the feathered world.
Wildlife: curiosity about animals beyond our homes.

Our editorial approach

Each story links to further reading from animal-welfare or nature organisations. Illustrations set the scene; they do not document a particular animal, rescue or first-hand encounter. These short articles offer general information, not individual veterinary advice.

For a concern about an animal’s health or behaviour, speak with a qualified veterinarian or an appropriate animal-welfare professional. Follow local guidance when observing wildlife.

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