Baffling Routine in UK:Sgt Podge

Sgt Podge in the UK has now forced his owner to pick him up after a night's prowl.

Apparently, he found a woman who fed him sardines and decided that he should continue his trick-or-treat rounds on a nightly basis to snag more goodies. The next morning, his human mum picks him up at the exact location within the exact time (give or take 10 minutes).

Can we say, "Spoiled?"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/7092301.stm

Pet Antics: Pip's Butt

Often, when we're walking up the stairs, Pip will lead and stop -to show us hit butt. It's actually very cute and he'll thwap his tail back and forth. I took still shots then pieced them together in an animation program -pretty easy.

You Wild Thang

You Wild

Morph yourself into an imperiled animal of your choice and enter the YouWild.org Hall of Fame. This will help raise awareness and protection of endangered wildlife and the habitat it needs to survive.

Voted by Reader's Digest as America's Best Wildlife Charity, YouWild.org offers a fun way to learn about imperiled wildlife and hope to encourage folks to help save these beloved critters and protect our vanishing wild places.

Designer Kittens

Starting at $22,000, you too can have a designer pussycat. The Ashera, a mix of an African Serval, Asian Leopard and a domestic cat, is a popular designer kitty.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/01/lifestyle/
designer_cats/index.htm?
postversion=2007110212

For now, I think we'll stick with our domestic tabbies.

Humor: Mean Kitty

I found this the other day and thought it was incredibly charming.

Why Do They Have to Be So Cute??

Chardonnay (nickname: NayNay) is the quintessential cute cat. I've grown up with dozens of cats -all of 'em good cats and pretty cats, but I swear someone from Hogwarts charmed this cat.

We need to put a CatCam on him to show you some of his cute antics -wait, perhaps the cam should go on me! I've always said that I wish I kept a camera on my belt that snapped photos of the cute moments -fleeting as they are.

Take a look at this CatCam -hilarious!!

Studio Cat

Pip, the solo studio cat sleeping with his head positioned in the fax.



I wish I could say that all of my cats were studio cats... Alas, this isn't the case. There are hierarchy issues among the pride that has forced Pip to become isolated until he can accept his position at the bottom of the poll. Let's just say, he's got "Little Cat Syndrome."

I don't think "solution" is working as he's been in my studio since October, out for a week in December (it was Christmas, after all), back in for a few more months, out for the month of May, and now in again. Also, this make-shift solution belies the facts:

1) is the amount of hair that I have to deal with in my studio -it's becoming a real nuisance;
2) he simply needs to be king of his own domain.

We think he's got Ocicat in him and not knowing much about that breed, it's obviously different than your common brown nose tabbies. After months in isolation, he isn't changing his ways. He immediately runs to Chardonnay and tries to make him his wife. While NayNay is a male, we laughing joke that he plays all the girl parts -I guess Pip thinks that's okay, too. Argh. Sadly, I think Pip needs a new home with no other 4-legged dependents running around.

It's too bad, because Bacchus used to be a Mama's Boy and he's depressed because he no longer gets to be sitting close to me while I work. Now when he needs anything, he runs to Andrew. (*sniff)

UPDATE: I'm reading Cat vs. Cat and it looks like we may be able to resolve our issues after all. Patience I've got, it's the potential upheaval that may be problematic with house guests.

Does your kitty look like Adolf?

Kitlers... while a warped, but appropriate call for those who secretly feel their little feline has a Hitler mustache, this site is for you.

I scrolled thru many a kitty and found this one alarmingly close. Sure, the mustache should be a little bigger, but compared to the rest, he's got the classic Adolf comb-over... poor cat.

The Cat That Looks Like Hitler
http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/

My cat Chardonnay, however, would be part of the Aryan race.

A Labra-foal?

You've heard of Labradoodles, right? Well, riding on the tails of hybrids, I thought it would be fun to create our own hybrid of dog and horse.

If you're not hip to that idea, then you might warm up to a Shetland pony who thinks he's a dog. He doesn't canter thru fields, but chases sticks and licks bones.

The video is oh-so-cute.

-Reuters

Human Zoo Cages

In Australia, humans and a pscyhologists are caged together. It is hoped the research will increase the well-being of apes kept in enclosures.

Reuters Video

Stem Cells Helping Muscular Dystrophy in Dogs

"Two dogs that were severely disabled by the disease were able to walk faster and even jump after the treatments."

How cool is this? Need I say more?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_he_me/stem_cells_dystrophy

Party for Animals: October 8

Humane Society Legislative Fund is announcing a drive: Party for the Animals day this Sunday, October 8, with less than one month away from the 2006 midterm elections. All parties can dial in to the nationwide conference call on October 8 at 7:30 p.m. EST and hear from advocates working to pass state and federal initiatives to advance animal protection issues.

If you live in Raleigh, you can join the already formed party on NCState's Campus:
http://www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/parties/index.cfm?e=wolfpack

Or can join your own local party by finding your city & state here:
http://www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/findparty/index.cfm

Of course, if you can't make it, you can always contribute a donation to the organizer of your local party so that she can make her goal.

Loss of Pet

Unfortunately, it's inevitable, the loss of our beloved pet -the little guy who was a part of our family for so long.

Here's a grief resource to help you understand the process as well as factors of complicated grief, including euthanasia.

http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/famtoc.htm

H. Katrina Pet Remembrance Day - August 28

Hurricane Katrina Pet Remembrance Day - August 28

North Shore Animal League is planting a tree in remembrance of the pets lost and rescued in Hurricane Katrina.

You can take a photo journey and donate here:

http://www.nsalamerica.org/feature/katrina_year/remembering_katrina/

Are You a Young, Technologically Savvy Pet Owner?

If so, Purina is doing a good job of keeping you and your pet fed. From serious discussions on podcasts to whimsical barktones, Purina is just a paws reach to keeping you mobile.

While cellphone wallpaper isn't necessarily news on the frontlines of marketing, I think Purina dialing into the hands of grandpa's grandkid is definitely a good way of keeping the traditional connection of family and pets leashed.

Purina
http://www.purina.com/downloads/Podcasts/Index.aspx

June 11 - Party to Protect Animals from Disasters

When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast last year on August 29, many evacuees faced a horrifying choice: abandon your animals and live, or stay together and face life-threatening risk.

Hurricane season officially started June 1, so passage of the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act is a critical priority for the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), the lobbying arm of The Humane Society of the United States.

Party on June 11: Host or Attend
Join thousands of people in more than 45 states (and in Ontario, Canada) coming together to fight for this important cause as party animals.
http://www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/

Host: http://www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/hostparty/index.cfm
Attend: http://www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/findparty/index.cfm

I don't have the space to host such an event in Raleigh -does anyone have space on such short notice? I'd be happy to send out APB to my friends.

Darwin Hybrid?

The other day, I happened to notice a fat squirrel with extra fur, thicker tail, and a wonderful racoon face.

Am I witnessing a hybrid? Or perhaps just one who hasn't shed his wintercoat yet?

Who's Not Supposed to be on the Counter?

After weeks of being consummed by tradeshow preparations and finally being physically gone for 8 days, Bacchus couldn't contain his good behavior any longer. Baccha-the-Hut exposes his charms on the kitchen counter after our return from NYC and we didn't argue since he's such a good cat that hams it up each chance he can.

Notice the paw in motion: he's kneeding the air.

Early in bed early in the next morning after our return, I found him curled up inside Andrew's arm purring loudly and both paws were kneeding the air. Talking, purring, kneeding... and I was too exhausted to go get the camera.

God what a huge belly.

Disaster Preparedness

Disasters can strike anytime, anywhere. If you think you will never have to evacuate unless you live in a flood plain, near an earthquake fault line or in a coastal area, you may be tragically mistaken. It is imperative that you make preparations to evacuate your family and your pets in any situation. In the event of a disaster, proper preparation will pay off with the safety of your family and pets.

For your files: The Humane Society has created a list for Disaster Preparedness for Pets.
http://www.hsus.org/hsus_field/
hsus_disaster_center/disaster_preparedness_for_pets.html

It's about time.
Now folks are 'officially' welcomed to bring pets during evacuation. Last week the House voted 349 to 24 to approve the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, requiring state and local disaster preparedness plans to take into account the needs of people with pets and service animals.

More tips:
1) Take photos of you and your pet 'together.' This is proof to get reunited should you get separated.
2) If you feel you need to run an errand during an emergency and believe you'll only be a few minutes, take your pets with you. You never know if you'll be permanently separated due to a fallen tree or worse.

More tips in NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/01/us/nationalspecial/01pets.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Leader of the Pack http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif- NYTimes Article

An insightful interview with Cesar Millan in NYTimes Mag today (05.07.06). Millan is the author of Cesar's Way, producer of tv show, "Dog Whisperer," and founder of the Dog Psychology Center in LA.

Millan's contention about people projecting their own neuroses is one I've been saying for several years. Dogs, like children, pick up on frentic energy and respond in kind. Thus, if a person is neurotic, so is the pet. Unfortunately, most people are not in touch with their own bodies to understand how they might constructively change their stance or response to any given issue. When this happens, pets and children don't know how to appropriately react since their owner/parent doesn't know how to play the part of alpha.

I know when I'm finished with tradeshow prep, I'm going to TIVO "Dog Whisperer" and picking up Millan's book. Hopefully, we can save this world from going to the dogs. They're the one's sitting on sofas ruling the house -and the senate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/07/magazine/07wwln_q4.html

Update Millan's Web Site: cesarmillaninc.com