For the woman who has everything

Yup, they're squirrel feet earrings.

Give these to someone & you'll never see them again.

(via Scribal Terror)

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(via Zooillogix)

Speaking of Christmas

This really is the best way to shop!

Relax, in your pajamas, with a cup of tea or coffee. No driving around looking for a parking space, no fighting crowds, no searching through disorganized shelves and racks, no long check-out lines.

You'll be done in plenty of time to have a turkey sandwich from yesterday's leftovers.


i-pets.com has a wonderful selection of Christmas gifts for dogs and cats. Christmas stockings for dogs and cats, rawhide treats in holiday shapes, holiday buckets and holiday baskets filled with treats, holiday theme toys.

At i-pets.com, find perfect gifts for everyone on your list with pets: friends, neighbors, teachers, and family members. Find a perfect "thank you" gift for your clients if you're in a pet related business: dog walkers, pet groomers, dog breeders.

i-pets.com Christmas gifts - no crowds, no lines, great merchandise, great prices and a flat $6.00 shipping charge on all orders to the continental US, regardless of weight or size!

If you'd like to send a holiday gift to your favorite local animal welfare agency or pet rescue group, i-pets.com will deliver your package for free.

Today's awwww

Let's eat!

Got the turkey?

Let's eat!

"Olive And Penny Tackle A Turkey" by Kim The Star Princess

"Ryker Eating a Turkey" by astrid66us

"sophie eats the turkey's heart" by theogeo

"OMG! she's eating the turkey?!" by Laura

"Turkey Neck gore 2" by Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley

"Judah dragging away her dinner" by This Year's Love

"Patsy eating turkey carcass" by tenelson

"chevy eating turkey nov 24th '06 RIP" by jkjb98

"how do i eat this thing?" by romeo'smom

"Voyage of the Meatflower" by joshbousel

"Mysti eating the turkey leg that Lance stole" by LindsayRitter

"Turkey Time!" by Ben+Sam

"tiki eating turkey" by Gabe_Katz

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

"Dad advises" by Julie Corsi

Give Thanks

Let's take a little break today, enjoying our families and friends and food.

Let's also be thankful for the internet which brings us such wonderful things as

THE PUPPY CAM

Upside down

What could be cuter than a puppy?

An upside down puppy!

There are many more at upside down dogs

Here's one from my collection:

"max and layla 092907-1" by Julie Corsi

cataplexy

Poodle-less

(via The Poodle (and Dog) Blog)

A meeting in the woods

Photography by Tanja Askani

Our tribute to the ugly Christmas sweater

This is Gabby, in a woolen ski sweater, with a band of stranded Norwegian Stars, at Flickr by abrelosojos.

This is Ginger, in another traditional Norwegian pattern, at Flickr, by bunnyprincebilly.

This is Lincoln, found at Side Salad, in dismay over having to wear the Christmas Sweater of Shame.

This is Sammy modeling his Christmas sweater, at Flickr, by mbtrama.

Found at Seagull's Nest, this is Sahara in her Christmas outfit.

This is the "Sequin Studded Holiday Argyle Dog Christmas Sweater," available at Wiggle-n-Waggle. And what says "Christmas" better than argyle and sequins?

This is Duncan, found at Parade, dressed up for his first Christmas, obviously wearing "Sequin Studded Holiday Argyle Dog Christmas Sweater."

Kimchi, found at Pet Minder, must have received this fine new sweater for Christmas.

This is Jeffrey in his Christmas sweater, at Flickr by gopal1035.

This is the "Christmas Sweater With Twinkling Star" available at Pet Bliss.

Hey look, here's the "Christmas Sweater With Twinkling Star" modeled by Roy, at Flickr by Casey T.

This is KC the Christmas pup, in her sweater, at Flickr by chokeonthatcausality.

Doesn't this pooch look thrilled? You can give your dog this same excellent outfit for Christmas, from DianaDesignsNY.

This is Miss Burundi, who was kind enough to model the sweater Katie knitted for her.

Jen thinks guinea pigs should have sweaters, too. So she knitted one for Nicholas.

This is Hilde in her Christmas sweater, at Flickr by randyhi.

This is the "Pointsettia Holiday Dog Sweater" available at Calling All Dogs.

This is Tono in his Christmas sweater, at Flickr by Memnot.

This "Reindeer Sweater" available at Haute Dog Boutique, is a mix of knits, embroidery and appliques on the back show four of our favorite reindeer: Comet, Dancer, Vixen and Rudolph. The entire collection of reindeer is surrounded by hand-applied iridescent beads; these same beads are echoed in each of the four "windows" when used to make a pair of snowflakes. (via pampered puppy)

This kitty, found on the internet, doesn't seem too thrilled with the Christmas themed attire.

This is Perl, practicing his Christmas card pose. Found at Flickr, used with permission from chunks.

Chunks must really be into dressing the dogs. Here, he's done it again. And why not? They're cute and they look like they're having fun.

Ok, ok, Chunks, enough already.

This is the "Sequin Ornaments Dog Sweater" available at Calling All Dogs.

This is Otis, found at Parade, dressed up in his holiday attire complete with a Christmas sweater and antlers, .

This is Kato in a sweater, at Flickr, by Average Jane.

This is Ethel in her Christmas sweater, at Flickr by andrew d miller.

This is the "Blingle All the Way Dog Holiday Sweater" available at Bulldog Costumes and Clothes.

This is Sophie, found at Parade, in her new winter sweater and matching hat.

This poor doggy, found on the internet, is modeling the hooded Rudolph Christmas sweater.

This is the "Skiing Snowman Dog Sweater," available at Calling All Dogs.

No excuses!


BTW
Petfinder knows that the only thing better than a not-so-fashionable holiday sweater is an ugly pet sweater. Whether it belongs to you or your pet, send Petfinder.com your sweater photo and you may end up on a Petfinder.com e-card!

Cesar Millan Seminar in Atlanta

Cesar Millan's only 2008 seminar, will take place in Atlanta, GA. on Saturday, December 6th, at 2 PM.

The Seminar will be held at John A. Williams Theatre
at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Premium tickets, which include a Meet-and-Greet with Cesar after the show, will be on sale for $250.
Regular tickets range from $150 - $25, depending on how far they are from the stage.

The star of the Emmy-nominated hit series Dog Whisperer brings his magic and wisdom about dogs and dog psychology to this unique live special event. Fans of the show and dog lovers alike will be immersed in Cesar's world for three compelling hours, as the best-selling author of Cesar's Way reveals his secrets to happier, healthier relationships between humans and their canine companions.

Details for Cesar's only 2008 Seminar

Don't believe everything you see

Zhou Zhenglong, a 54-year-old farmer from a mountainous county in northern Shaanxi province, was awarded a 20,000 yuan bonus last year, after he produced pictures which authorities said were evidence of a South China tiger.

The pictures, which showed a tiger crouching in a forest setting, sparked an Internet furor led by experts who identified the photos as faked, and local media who accused officials of endorsing them as a means of promoting tourism in a poor region.

After months of dithering, authorities finally admitted the pictures were fake and sacked a swag of officials for their part in the scandal.

China has been rocked by a number of scandals involving official endorsement of faked photos.

In February, the chief editor of a Chinese newspaper quit after one of its photographers faked a prize-winning photo of endangered Tibetan antelopes appearing unfazed by a passing train on the Qinghai-Tibet railway.

Source: Reuters

Don't Stuff Your Pet like the Turkey

The holiday season is a time when most people indulge in the delights of the season: eggnog, pumpkin pie, turkey, stuffing and gravy.

Too often, owners and their friends want to share their food with the family pets, not realizing the dangers that exist in such behavior beyond unhealthy weight gain.

A very timely article from Petside: Don't Stuff Your Pet Like the Turkey! discusses some of the pitfalls of pets and the Holiday Season.

Cute or not? Peruvian Hairless puppy

The owners of a four-month-old puppy called 'Machu Picchu', a Peruvian Hairless Dog, have offered it to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama. Obama has promised his daughters a new pet for the White House but one of them is allergic to most breeds. The owners of the Peruvian Hairless Dog say it is perfect for kids who are sensitive to dogs.




Photos: REUTERS/Mariana Bazo

Keep your hands off the pandas

A college student in southern China was bitten by a panda after he broke into the bear's enclosure hoping to get a hug.

The student was visiting Qixing Park with classmates on Friday when he jumped the 6.5-foot (2-meter) high fence around the panda's habitat, said the park employee, who refused to give his name.

The park in Guilin, a popular tourist town in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, houses a small zoo and a panda exhibit. It was virtually deserted when the student scaled the fence surrounding the panda, named Yang Yang, the employee said.

He said the student was bitten on the arms and legs. Two foreign visitors who saw the attack ran to get help from workers at a nearby refreshment stand, who notified park officials, the employee said.

"Yang Yang was so cute, and I just wanted to cuddle him. I didn't expect he would attack," the 20-year-old student, surnamed Liu, said in a local hospital, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Source: CNN

Redecorating?

DOG - Arm Chair from Jimmie Martin

This silver leafed arm chair can be ordered with any colored specification for the frame including traditional wood finishing, gilded or silver finish.There are different types of fabrics or art work to suit your desired taste. This particular arm chair also has "Swarovski" crystals on parts of the painting.

Darn, the prices aren't listed!

(via The Long and Short of it All: A Dachshund Dog News Magazine)

Video: French Bulldog Puppies

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Today's awwww

Long-lost 'Furby-like' Primate Discovered Again

A team led by a Texas A&M University anthropologist has discovered a group of primates not seen alive in 85 years.

The pygmy tarsiers, furry Furby-like, or gremlin-looking, creatures about the size of a small mouse and weighing less than two ounces, have not been observed since they were last collected for a museum in 1921.

Over a two-month period, two males and one female were trapped on Mt. Rore Katimbo in Lore Lindu National Park in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The scientists used approximately 276 mist nets to capture the creatures, then attached radio collars to their necks so they could track their movements.

Source: Science News

14-year-old Helps Solve Avian Mystery

At 14 years old, Spencer Hardy has solved an avian mystery and discovered significant evidence for the only bird other than a penguin to incubate its eggs on glacial ice.

Hardy's geoscientist father, Douglas, was stationed in southeastern Peru at the Quelccaya Ice Cap in the Andes for long-term research on climate change. He was studying glacier melting rates when his son, in sixth-grader at home in Vermont at the time, identified White-winged Diuca Finches (Diuca speculifera) from his father's photographs taken from the site. Spencer started to realize that these birds could be responsible for mysterious nesting sites his father had found scattered along the edge of a glacier.

Like penguins, these small birds endure brutal nesting conditions for weeks on end — low oxygen, bitter cold, heavy snow and high winds. Despite these circumstances, they still nest exclusively on the glacier, the father and son report in the September 2008 issue of the Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

Source: US News

Suicide by tiger

A cleaner at the Singapore Zoo who jumped into the white tiger enclosure yesterday was killed by the animals as a horrified crowd looked on helplessly.

Malaysian Nordin Montong, 32, was set upon by two of the three big cats in the enclosure at around noon.

His colleagues later told zoo staff that the contract worker, who had been working at the zoo for about 41/2 months, had been behaving strangely minutes before the incident.



Source: Straits Times

Oh, this is just TOO gross!

Doctors in Arizona thought a Phoenix-area woman had a possible brain tumor, but it turned out there was something else penetrating her brain – a worm.

Doctors removed the worm and don't believe Alvarez will have any lingering health problems. No one knows exactly where she picked up the worm –- doctors said worms can come from eating undercooked pork or spread by people who don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom, according to the report.

Source: Fox News

Rats! They're back!

The Pied Piper's services might be needed again in Hamelin, northern Germany - because the rats are back.

An abandoned allotment site on the edge of town has become a haven for rats, with plenty of discarded food and rubbish lying around.

According to legend, in 1284 Hamelin - called Hameln in Germany - was infested with rats but a Pied Piper lured them out of town by playing a pipe.

He later lured the children out too - but the town still celebrates the tale.

Source: BBC

Two faced kitty

This two faced kitten was born Wednesday in a vet's surgery in Perth, Western Australia, after its mother experienced complications during the birth.

The kitten eats out of just one mouth because of a cleft palate but both mouths meow simultaneously.

The kitten was one of three in the litter - its siblings were born without any deformities.

Picture: Matthew Poon

Source: Telegraph

Demarcation

Bark Beetles Kill Millions of Acres of Trees in West

On the side of a mountain on the outskirts of Montana’s capital city, loggers are racing against a beetle grub the size of a grain of rice.

From New Mexico to British Columbia, the region’s signature pine forests are succumbing to a huge infestation of mountain pine beetles that are turning a blanket of green forest into a blanket of rust red. Montana has lost a million acres of trees to the beetles, and in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming the situation is worse.

The black, hard-shelled beetle, the size of a fingertip, drills through pine bark and digs a gallery in the wood where it lays its eggs. When the larvae hatch under the bark, they eat the sweet, rich cambium layer that provides nutrients to the tree. They also inject a fungus to stop the tree from moving sap, which could drown the larvae. That fungus stains the wood blue.

“The Latin name is Dendroctunus, which means tree killer,” said Gregg DeNitto, a Forest Service entomologist in Missoula, Mont. “They are very effective.”

Source: New York Times

Baylor Law Commencement Includes Juris 'Dog'tor' Degree

Skeeter Jones graduated from Baylor Law School but will never take the state bar exam or address a jury.

He doesn’t seem to care, however, and is content with just being scratched behind the ears or playing with an empty, plastic Coke bottle.

Skeeter, a playful service dog, received his honorary Juris “Dog”tor, making him the first nonhuman to be conferred a degree from the institution.

Actually, Skeeter is a service dog, who assists Amy Jones. A skiing accident in 2002 left Jones a quadriplegic, and she uses a wheelchair. In 2004, Jones was paired with Skeeter, a black Labrador retriever, whom she describes as a “wonderful help.”

Source: Baylor University

(via Legal Blog Watch)

Thanks, Leslie!

Breaks are good!

Jennifer Meyer recently visited my blog & left a comment on a post which I followed back to her blog, J.L.Meyer Illustrations, where I found this very charming illustration.

Although I went SOUTH, and it isn't officially winter yet here in Chicago, that palm tree sure makes me wish I never came back! (34 degrees in Chicago today)

We've been tooling around in Florida and the Bahamas since November 7th - not much to report, except massive quantities of sunshine, margaritas, more sunshine, sandy beaches, more margaritas, too much food, some Coronas, more sunshine, some more margaritas, a little sunburn, and a little shopping.

Oh well, back to the grind ...

Cute or not? Black-crested macaque

—Photograph by Stefano Unterthiner/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Today's awwww

Art by Lisa Black

Fixed - Fawn

The Lisa Black Portfolio

(via bioephemera)

Catamount

Cute or not? Baby Echidna

Echidnas and the Platypus are the only egg-laying mammals, known as monotremes. The female lays a single soft-shelled, leathery egg twenty-two days after mating and deposits it directly into her pouch. Hatching takes ten days; the young echidna, called a puggle, then sucks milk from the pores of the two milk patches (monotremes have no nipples) and remains in the pouch for forty-five to fifty-five days, at which time it starts to develop spines. The mother digs a nursery burrow and deposits the puggle, returning every five days to suckle it until it is weaned at seven months.

(via cellar)

Photo credit: battyden

Legwarmers for dogs

Would your dog like these?

They're called Knotty Legs & are sold on Etsy, by knottybabywear

Photo credit: Summer

Photography by Richard Todd

More great photos at Richard Todd's website.

'Walter Reed' for combat dogs opens

Some 2,500 dogs are working with military units.

Like soldiers and Marines in combat, military dogs suffer from war wounds and routine health issues that need to be treated to ensure they can continue working.

Dogs injured in Iraq or Afghanistan get emergency medical treatment on the battlefield and are flown to Germany for care. Now, if necessary, they'll fly on to a new $15 million veterinary hospital for four-legged military personnel opened Tuesday at Lackland Air Force Base.

To treat the trainees and injured working dogs, the new hospital has operating rooms, digital radiography, CT scanning equipment, an intensive care unit and rehab rooms with an underwater treadmill and exercise balls, among other features. A behavioral specialist has an office near the lobby.

Source: Chicago Sun Times

(via Full Frontal Natalie)

Happy Cows

The California Milk Advisory Board and its ad agency, Deutsch/Los Angeles, have launched their most elaborate Happy Cow campaign yet.

The campaign's centerpiece is an "audition" process involving no fewer than 10 cows from around the world. Each cow is vying to become the California Milk Advisory Board's next Happy Cow, taking a place alongside previous Happy Cows Diane, Janice and Sadie.

You can look at the cows profiles and audition tapes by visiting realcaliforniamilk.com

Art by Fred Einaudi

hunger - oil on canvas - 16 by 20 inches

More at The Paintings of Fred Einaudi

(via coilhouse)

Pets and Seasonal Depression - Winter Weather Tips to Keep Your Pet Active and Healthy

Although you might be dreading harsh winter weather, it also can bring the blues for pets. According to a study by the veterinary charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), similar to humans that suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, one in three dog owners sees a downturn in their pets’ moods during colder and darker months throughout the year.

While humans have the opportunity to vacation in a warmer climate or take prescription medication, the solution for helping your pet can be as simple as providing a high quality diet and regular exercise. Stacy Peardot-Goudy, an award-winning agility trainer and Nature’s Variety Pet Nutrition Council member, suggests these tips to keep your dog or cat healthy this winter:

• Stair work – If you have a house with closed stairs, play fetch by throwing a toy up the stairs and having them run up and back down for a great work-out.
• Rotation Diet – Offering different forms (kibble, canned, raw) and proteins (meat, fish, poultry) such as the Nature’s Variety Rotation Diet, will keep your pet interested in eating and help with better behavior – which can help with being inside more often. Be sure to notice the amount of food you are feeding, since a pet is often less active in winter. By following a rotation diet, you pay more attention to what you are feeding your pet and decrease your chances of over-feeding.
• Obedience routines – Bring out the training books and work with your pet to improve basic skills such as heel work, turns, sit and stay. It will keep your pet mentally activity, which is just as important as physical activity, and increases pet/owner interaction.
• Hide and seek – Create a treasure hunt for your pet around the house by hiding treats in different places. This is an interactive game to get your pet moving and encourage them to explore their surroundings. Utilize your pet’s meal as treats by using kibble or a Nature’s Variety frozen raw medallion and calculate this into your pet’s daily feeding.
• Indoor pools – If you have access to an indoor pool or pet rehabilitation center, swimming is a great physical activity for dogs that is easy on joints. Start with short sessions and build up the duration and intensity of the swims.

Stacy Peardot-Goudy has been involved in the sport of agility since 1988 and has earned hundreds of agility titles along with her canine teammates. She also owns and operates C Spot Win Agility school, hosting training seminars and camps in the US and internationally.

(Thanks, Jill)

1600 pandas

According to a 2004 statistic there are only 1,600 pandas left in the wild. It's easier to visualize how few that number really is when you can see them all together in one place:

WWF-France, in celebration of its 35th anniversary, is running a campaign to raise awareness for natural environment preservation by parading 1,600 paper made panda models across the country.

The parade started in July 2008 at Paris City Hall; followed by a few other locations across France

(via Neatorama)

Sign? What sign?

Best Wild Animal Photo of 2008

Stalking India's Hemis National Park, a snow leopard lives up to its name in U.S. photographer Steve Winter's award-winning National Geographic magazine image.

On October 30, 2008, "Snowstorm Leopard" was named best overall photo in the 2008 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which is organized by the Natural History of London and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

As few as 3,500 snow leopards remain in the wild.

(See more snow leopard photos by Winter.)

Source: National Geographic

This doesn't sound relaxing to me

An Israeli health and beauty spa is offering a snake massage for its customers.

Ara Barak claims her pet snakes make the ideal masseurs as their slithering causes a massage sensation when placed on a person's skin.

Ms Barak said she discovered her pet's 'therapeutic value' after noticing her friends became more relaxed after holding them.


No, thanks.

Source: Daily Mail

(via Life in the Fast Lane)

Four Chacoan peccaries debut at LA Zoo

In less then one week, four Chacoan peccaries were born at the Los Angeles Zoo! The first peccary was born on Thursday, September 11 and the litter of three followed suit five days later on Tuesday, September 16, 2008. The four newest additions to the Zoo’s herd are currently on exhibit with their parents.

Like hogs, peccaries have a well-developed snout used to root out bulbs, roots, tubers and rhizomes of a variety of plants. Occasionally, peccaries also eat small mammals and reptiles. Unlike the domestic pig, the peccary is a slow and dainty eater; they do not devour their food rapidly.

Native to Bolivia, Argentina and Paraguay, the Chacoan peccary was thought to be extinct until 1972, when Dr. Ralph M. Wetzel of the University of Connecticut, found the species still existed in Paraguay.

(via L.A. Unleashed)

Cute or not? Baby Ferruginous Pygmy-owl

Learn to improve your dog's behavior

Cesar Millan is highly respected for his unique insight into dog psychology and shows us how we can lead our dogs to behave and obey through our own confident energy, body language and positive reinforcement.

In this Cesar Millan's Mastering Leadership series, Cesar gives you the tools to understand your dog's instincts, and how use them to develop and reward good behavior. The result is a healthier, more rewarding relationship for both of you.

Volume #1: People Training for Dogs
Cesar explains how your own calm assertiveness can have your dog willingly and happily respecting your command. He shares his persuasive and at times humorous insights on dog (and human) behavior.

Volume #2: Becoming a Pack Leader
Dogs don t relate to us as humans. They relate to us as dogs. By working directly with actual cases in home settings, Cesar illustrates the importance of becoming their dog's pack leader.

Volume #3: Your New Dog: First Day and Beyond
Many people choose a dog based on the breed. Cesar explains how the breed merely represents a set of skills, and that all dog behavior can be improved with proper energy and body language.

At Cesar Millan | Be the Leader of the Pack, you can purchase the DVD series as part of a special offer which also includes The Illusion Collar and a Bonus DVD: The Essential Toolkit.

SPECIAL OFFER:
Special "blog only" coupon code that can be redeemed for $25 off the purchase of the DVD set during the next two-weeks.
Place your order at: www.leadlikecesar.com and use coupon code “25off”.

Decor for dog lovers

Are you a true dog lover who wants to make a statement at home?

Do you want to treat your canine best friend to something special and out of the ordinary?

Osborne and Little fabric design company has launched a dramatic tongue in cheek design called Best in Show as part of their Walk in the Park Collection. It consists of silhouettes of favorite dog breeds flocked in black on to a cotton and silk ground of creamy white or mid-brown.

Let you imagination go with this one - you could even use the paper to decorate the dog's house.

McCain Leads Ohio's Litter Box 'Kitty Caucus'

To put it in a tasteful way, a vote in Ohio is determining which White House hopeful is the pick of the litter. The ballot boxes are cat litter boxes in the 2008 ''Kitty Caucus'' being conducted by the Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus and local radio station WBNS-FM, known as Mix 97.1.

The presidential preferences of the animal shelter's feline residents are being determined by their ''votes'' dropped into a red box for Republican John McCain and a blue one for Democrat Barack Obama.

The radio station's Web site calls the Kitty Caucus ''a political movement that really counts.''

Perhaps thankfully, the site doesn't go into detail about how the votes are being counted. But it says McCain was leading Thursday by a close 50 to 49.