Puppies playing like there’s no tomorrow

September 22nd, 2006

Put four puppies together while mom is sleeping and what do you get? A silent battle with squirming, playful biting, licking, rolling, snorgling…


How to trim your cats toenails

September 21st, 2006

cat nail quickTime to trim your kitty’s toenails. But while some cats don’t seem to mind when you’re trimming their nails, others just plain don’t like it. And they are not at all shy about letting you know how they feel by squirming and scratching. Following these suggestions for a proper nail trim might help you give your cat a not-so-arduous manicure. Tips below, a full picture by picture guide can be found on Vetmed.wsu.edu.

* Start young. The earlier you start clipping your kitty’s claws, the better used to it she will be. Frequent trims when your cat is young will help diminish any fear. Have your veterinarian show you how to do it the first time.

* Learn the anatomy. Within the center of each toenail is the blood and nerve supply for the nail called the quick. Most cats have light colored nails so you can see the quick, a pinkish area in the middle of the nail. Cutting into the quick will result in pain and bleeding.

* Use the proper instruments. There are a variety of nail trimmers available at pet stores or your veterinarian’s office. Human nail trimmers generally do not work – unless your pet is a young kitten with soft clear nails.
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Meet Joshua the allergy-free cat

September 20th, 2006

Allergy-free cat Joshua
If you love cats but they make you sneeze then Joshua could be the pet puss for you!

The 18-month-old feline has been specially bred so that he doesn’t set off allergic reactions in people like coughing, sneezing and itching.

Cat allergies are caused by a protein in the cat’s skin and saliva, but an American company has bred animals that don’t make this protein.

Joshua is ready to be sent to a new home but will cost about £3,000 ($5,650).

The company who bred him said that one of the reasons people give cats up for adoption is because they find they are allergic to them.

It hopes the new breed of non-allergy cat will lead to a drop in abandoned animals.

Previously animal charity the RSPCA criticised breeding cats like this, saying they could develop health problems later in life, repored CBBC.

Stray dog inhabited by Israeli soul?

September 19th, 2006

A Dog\'s Life: The Autobiography Of A StrayA stray dog which refused to budge from the home of a recently deceased rabbi has finally moved on after a “redemption ceremony” at an Israeli cemetery.

The dog, pictured in Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper Monday, showed up at the house of the late Rabbi Nahman Dubinky.

Rabbis expert in Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, concluded the animal could be possessed by a tortured soul seeking redemption. Ultra-Orthodox Jews traditionally do not keep dogs as pets.

“Sometimes the souls of sinners, such as adulterers or people who slept with non-Jews, enter the body of a dog,” Rabbi Yitzhak Basri, a Kabbalah scholar, told Israel Radio.

“It is known that when a righteous man dies, the souls of people in need of redemption come to him so they can be healed as a result of his death.”

Basri said Rabbi Dubinky’s family, along with a quorum of 10 mourners, carried out a “redemption ceremony” at a cemetery on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.

“Afterwards, the dog did indeed leave the house,” he said. Or maybe, just maybe, it was because of all the noise they were making?

Homeless cocker spaniel joins cast of musical Annie

September 18th, 2006

Embroidered American Cocker Spaniel Polo ShirtA homeless 10-year old caramel-blonde cocker spaniel bested 11 other shelter dogs in an audition on Thursday, winning a walk-on role in a New York musical production of “Annie” in December.

Whiskey, who was surrendered by its owner four months ago, dutifully posed for the cameras, eagerly chased a cookie when asked to, and even gave Marissa O’Donnell, the 12-year-old actress who plays “Annie”, a big surprise kiss.

That was all Whiskey had to do to win over the judges, members of the media, and about 100 onlookers at the Madison Square Garden where the auditions were held.

“He was actually my first choice because he’s not restless and he’s quite friendly and not afraid of people,” O’Donnell said. O’Donnell, a native New Yorker, will play the title role in the musical, which returns to the New York stage in December for the first time in 10 years.

“Annie” features the adventures of a young orphan girl in finding a family that will take her. Sandy, the main dog in the musical, is played by Lola, picked up from the Connecticut Humane Society.
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A day in the life of a family of shorthair cats

September 15th, 2006

An American shorthair cat family. Today one of the three kittens tries to explore inside the room for the first time. Age: 3 weeks old. Kawaii!


A life in the day of two kittens

September 14th, 2006

Isn’t this relaxing? Such is a day in a kittens life.


Do-it-yourself: sleepy dog edition

September 13th, 2006

Little dog tucks herself in for maximum adorable yet sleepy effect.


Guide dog Tom wins Hero award for leading his blind owner away from the UK bombings

September 12th, 2006

Guide dog Tom saves blind owner
A guide dog has won a special award for leading his owner to safety after the July 7th London bombings in 2005.

Tom, who is four years old, was in London with his owner Mike Townsend at around the time the bomb went off on a bus in Tavistock Square.

Looking Out for SarahThe black Labrador cross was awarded the Heroic Guide Dog of the Year award because he managed to lead Mike to away from the noise and panic. Afterwards Mike said: “I feel I owe my life to Tom.”

Tom was one of several guide dogs to win special awards at the Guide Dog of the Year ceremony on Thursday. Another winning dog was Logan who lives with his 19-year-old owner Carl.

Logan helps Carl, who is blind and has some problems with movement, with day-to-day things. His special talent is using his nose to guide Carl to CDs so he can easily find them and pick them up.

Cat rescued from Veterans Stadium becomes best pet of 2006

September 11th, 2006

Cat best pet of 2006One of a litter of two-week-old kittens rescued from Veterans Stadium before the crumbling arena was imploded in 2004 has been rated best pet of the year by a cat lovers’ group.

Linda Hanna, of Drexel Hill, was taking the formerly feral brown-and-white tabby, Hagrid-of-Hogwarts, to Louisville, Ky., on Wednesday to receive best household pet for 2006 honors at an American Cat Fanciers Association awards ceremony.

Purebred cats are judged on strict standards of appearance, but those in the pet category, like Hagrid, named for a character in the Harry Potter books, are judged on overall physical condition, cleanliness and how they interact with judges.

Hannah, 57, a West Chester University professor, got a call from a friend when workers preparing for the stadium demolition found the kittens. She set up a nursery, bottle fed them every few hours, and ended up keeping two, Hagrid and a sister, Hermione-of-Hogwarts.

They have traveled to 39 states and four Canadian provinces for cat shows, and Hanna said Hagrid appears to perform just for the attention. Prizes will include rosettes, a listing in the association’s yearbook and a cat statuette. “He’ll reach up and pull the rosette down, as if to say, ‘It’s mine,”‘ Hanna said.