Video: Cat House on the Kings

The Cat House on the Kings, is no-cage, no-kill, lifetime cat sanctuary and adoption center run by Lynea Lattanzia in Parlier, California. There are currently over 700 cats living on the 12 acre sanctuary and all of them are up for adoption. Watch video (via Nag on the Lake)

Video: Oktopodi - Another love story

A marvelous animation from Gobelins School of Animation in France. Watch video (via mighty wombat)

Today's ahhhh!

'Bark Mitzvah' for Elvis the Dog

Elvis the dog is one pampered pooch. His owner spent $10,000 to throw Elvis a "bark mitzvah." Check out this Web Extra video from the big night.

Blowdryer malfunction

Photo found at 45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos (via A Welsh View) Photo credit: From flickr by Amnemona

A white whale

A rare albino Southern Right Whale calf surfaces on West Australia's Flinder's Bay. The calf, believed to be 2 months old, will remain in the bay with its mother for another month while it gains strength and size before making the journey to the Antarctic for summer feeding.

Baby Squirrels Saved From Floodwaters

Floodwaters from Fay not only force people from their homes, it put animals on the move as well. One Altamonte Springs, FL, woman turned her home into a shelter for the animals. She had 150 squirrels in her kitchen. The animals were found in puddles of water after Fay's strong wind forced them from treetops. "Its fun, it's rewarding just to know that you did your little to help nature out," said animal rescuer Mary Jane Eisner. Wildlife officials said, as the water went down all sorts of critters, like mice, snakes and alligators, were left behind looking for shelter and the animals were showing up in people's front yards. Source: wftv.com

Family photos

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images

Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images

Attila Kovacs/AP Photo/MTI

This happy family is father - Orange, mother - Smirre, and their one-week old baby, who live at the Budapest Zoo Park and Botanic Garden. They are Javan Lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) also known as Javan Langur. The cub was born on August 18, 2008.

Rat meat demand grows in Cambodia

Reuters: The price of rat meat has quadrupled in Cambodia this year as inflation has put other meat beyond the reach of poor people, officials said on Wednesday. With consumer price inflation at 37 percent according to the latest central bank estimate, demand has pushed a kilogram of rat meat up to around 5,000 riel ($1.28) from 1,200 riel last year. Spicy field rat dishes with garlic thrown in have become particularly popular at a time when beef costs 20,000 riel a kg. Hungry? Here's a recipe for you: Stewed Cane Rat Skin and eviscerate the rat and split it lengthwise. Fry until brown in a mixture of butter and peanut oil. Cover with water, add tomatoes or tomato purée, hot red peppers, and salt. Simmer the rat until tender and serve with rice.

Yummy

Photo credit: Lance Iversen / The Chronicle

Looking for America's Fastest Chihuahua

Chihuahuas from across the country will compete this Labor Day weekend at the 4th annual PETCO Unleashed races, where one winner will be crowned “America’s Fastest Chihuahua.” 15 top tiny racers each won regional races in their hometowns this year, and represent Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Orange County, Orlando, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. Visit www.petco.com/petcounleashed to learn more about each finalist. The tiny racers will be brought together in front of thousands of roaring Chihuahua and baseball fans between innings of a San Diego Padres baseball game at PETCO Park on Sunday, August 31, after the game’s first inning. The PETCO Unleashed championship race will determine whether last year’s winner, 3-year-old Maddy of New York City, will retain or lose her title. The grand prize winner will receive bragging rights, a trophy, a one-year supply of Royal Canin Chihuahua dog food and a $300 PETCO gift card. Prizes will also be awarded for second and third place.

Playing in traffic

One-month-old Flannery, a baby rhino, holds up traffic at Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, Merseyside. Flannery approaches the vehicles and even stands directly between them. Concerned mom Meru keeps on nudging her curious son – who stands barely higher than a car tire – back to safety on the grass, but the white rhino calf is soon back out on the road nosing around the motors. David Ross, general manager of Knowsley Safari Park in Prescot, Merseyside, said: “The way Flannery plays with the cars really is remarkable and he’s proving incredibly popular with our visitors. This sort of behavior is quite unusual and could reflect the fact there are no other young rhinos for him to play with at the moment.” Source: The Sun

Today's awwww

Catsup?

Fearless puppy scares off 3 bears in NJ back yard

A 15-pound cocker spaniel-poodle mix named Pawlee scared off a mother bear and her two cubs Sunday morning after they strayed into his owners' back yard. Whether his bark was worse than his bite, Pawlee's tactic worked just fine. These three bears got the hint and took off. "We had just let him out for the morning and he ran into the yard and started barking his head off," owner Fran Osiason said. Osiason said her 9-year-old son, Jacob, went outside to see what the commotion was about and came running back in to report there were bears in the yard. She was worried that the mother would come after Pawlee to protect her cubs, but the pugnacious pup, just 8 months old, had other plans. His barking drove the two cubs up a tree, and they eventually climbed down and hopped over a fence with their mother and retreated into the woods. Source: AP

Dog Saves Abandoned Baby

A newborn baby abandoned outdoors in winter by her 14-year-old mother was found safe in a dog pen with a mother dog and her brood of puppies near the city of La Plata. The dog's owner, Fabio Anze, found the naked baby girl on Thursday, being kept warm among his dog China's puppies. Anze called the police and the baby was taken to a hospital. Egidio Melia, director of the Melchor Romero hospital, told television and newspaper reporters that the baby was just a few hours old when she was found, and was in good health although she had some bruises. Nighttime temperatures are chilly but not freezing in the Southern Hemisphere winter in the rural area around La Plata, 40 miles south of Buenos Aires. Police said they had located the 14-year-old girl who gave birth to the baby outdoors during the night. It was not clear whether the mother left her baby in the dog's pen or whether the dog found the baby outdoors and carried it in to join her puppies. Source: Reuters

Georgia Aquarium Acquires And Displays First Manta Ray

The Georgia Aquarium is now home to the only manta ray on exhibit in the United States. The ray, named Nandi, was rescued from shark nets along the South African coast last year. Most aquariums can't house a manta ray because of how large the animal gets -- up to 26 feet across and weighing about 6,000 pounds. The graceful animal is the largest of the rays. But the Georgia Aquarium's 6.3 million-gallon salt water exhibit has plenty room for Nandi, who is about 9 feet from the tip of 1 wing to the other and still growing. Aquarium spokesman Dave Santucci said Nandi had outgrown her home in South Africa, and the Georgia Aquarium jumped at the rare chance to exhibit a manta ray. Nandi was released into the aquarium's enormous Ocean Voyager tank on Friday and has her official public debut today. Manta rays are listed as a threatened species. The mammoth diamond-shaped animal has a black top and white bottom with wings that move gracefully up and down as they swim through the water. Just three other countries house manta rays at aquariums: Japan, Spain and the Bahamas. Source: Live5News.com Photo credit: John Bazemore / AP

Fun with hamsters

Bored? Here is a list of eleven things you can do with your hamster when you're bored.

Today's ahhhh!

Cute or not? Caiman lizard

Zoological Society of San Diego

Potty Monkey

The toilet training monkey Potty Monkey is an adorable, 15" stuffed monkey in a diaper and underwear. But inside this cuddly exterior, lurks sophisticated technology designed to teach children how to use the toilet. Every 30 minutes (or 90 minutes, if you choose), the Monkey will say, "I need to go potty. Let's go potty." When you do the right thing and place him on his plastic toilet, the Monkey will say all sorts of things. For instance, he might say, "I feel proud of myself when I pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty." Or, "I really like to let the pee-pee out of my tummy. It feels so much better now." $29.99 at Stupid.com (via Presurfer)

Take the bird with you

Easily transport your bird - to the veterinarian or the park - and keep him close, safe, and secure. Hands-free, vest-style bird carrier has padded shoulder straps and quick-clip waist strap for comfort. Durable mesh fabric allows good airflow and visibility for your bird. Zippered opening at top and bottom allows access. Removable bottom tray catches messes and wipes clean easily. Includes 1/2" diameter beveled perch and two toy hanging loops. $29.99 at Doctors Foster and Smith

Video: Squeaky the herding pig

Watch video (via Make)

Today's awwww

Three-month-old snow leopard Emba at the zoo in Rostock, Germany.

Siegfried & Roy's Furry Fun

It has been four years since the pitter-patter of tiny paws were heard at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden but the sound is back, multiplied by five. In June, a litter of tiger cubs -- Svengali, the only boy, and his four sisters, Cosmo, Chakra, Star and Celestial -- were brought in when they were 5 weeks old from a Florida breeding program to help strengthen the garden's tiger bloodlines. Even though Siegfried & Roy haven't performed since Roy Horn was seriously injured after being bitten by a tiger onstage during a performance in 2003, they have continued with their breeding program and The Mirage attraction. The new tiger blood is needed to diversify the gene pool because the last cubs born were the Secret Garden's fourth generation of tigers. Forty-three big cats live at the Secret Garden, including white lions, white tigers and leopards. None of the tigers born at the Secret Garden have ever left. During 25 years, 18 litters of tiger cubs have been born at an average size of three cubs per birth. Source: Las Vegas Review Journal

An 'Angel' to the rescue

Six orange tabby kittens were rescued because of the keen senses of Angel, a boxer/pit bull mix, who was recently surrendered to the Nevada Humane Society. Frank Gomez and his 9-year-old stepson, Joel Fontes, have been regular volunteers at Nevada Humane Society this summer. The pair were volunteering on Monday, walking their favorite dog. Angel, a 2-year-old dog that came to the Humane Society's shelter after her owners moved without taking her along. The walk was brisk, but was interrupted when Angel became obsessed with something in the bushes. Gomez assumed it was Angel's inquisitive personality at play and didn't take it seriously. But Angel refused to give up and Gomez discovered six 3-week-old orange tabby kittens in a box where they were abandoned. Humane society staff were summoned, but not before one of the kittens escaped from the box. After returning to the scene, Angel led Gomez to the lost kitten, who picked her up and handed her over to safety. (via L.A.Unleashed)

Meet Yoda the cat - he's all ears

Valerie and Ted Rock were in a Chicago bar two years ago when they noticed a little gray bundle of fur being passed around to the amazement of fellow drinkers - and their parental instincts kicked in. The couple immediately fell for the freaky feline and asked the owner if they could adopt him. He agreed and the couple named the cat Yoda, after the pointy-eared Jedi knight in Star Wars. Yoda's extra ear 'flaps' are separate to the base of his skull, with one placed slightly behind the other. Despite his unusual looks, Yoda's behavior - and hearing - are quite normal. Source: MailOnline

Religion can kill you!

A crocodile killed and devoured a 25-year-old man in Bangladesh who waded into a pond next to a shrine hoping to be blessed by the animal, police said on Thursday. Rubel Sheikh and his mother travelled 30 miles from their home to visit the Muslim Khan Jahan Ali shrine, where the attack happened. Hundreds of people visit the shrine every day to offer hens and goats to the five crocodiles living in the pond. Part of the ritual also involves bathing in the water. Source: Independent Online Photo credit & more detail about the Khan Jahan Ali shrine: Crocodiles in Peril

This bobcat is potty trained

Ginger has lived with Sharon Glidden since the cat was three weeks old. Sharon has trained her as lovingly and as carefully as she could considering her wild nature. Sharon happened to be alone one day when this bobcat did something surprising. Ginger the bobcat started using the toilet. "Well, when she was 6 or 7 months old, she saw me go and I got up to brush my teeth and she decided she needed to go," said Glidden. It was a little indelicate, but Sharon had to prove to her husband she wasn't crazy, so she grabbed her video camera. A couple of weeks later Ginger was using her bathroom three times a day and it wasn't a big deal anymore. Watch the msnbc video of Ginger in action. Ginger and Sharon live at Tiger Mountain Ranch in Oklahoma. Source: KOAA.com

Hangover

A mother's grief -

Eleven-year-old gorilla Gana was holding her three-month-old baby Claudio in her arms on Saturday in her compound at the zoo in Munster, northern Germany, when it suddenly died. Initially puzzled, Gana stared at the body, bewildered by its lifelessness. For hours the distraught mother gently shook and stroked the child, vainly seeking to restore movement to his lolling head and limp arms. Visitors to the zoo openly wept as they witnessed her actions. Hours passed, during which Gana continually prodded and caressed the dead child, to no effect. But still she refused to give up hope. Gently placing it on her back and slowly walking around the compound, she stopped every few paces to look back and see if her much-loved son had returned to life. 'Claudio died in his mother's arms - we think from some heart defect,' said zoo director Joerg Adler. 'On Wednesday he didn't seem well. On Friday he wasn't eating or drinking and was growing weaker. We were keeping a close eye on him but suddenly, on Saturday morning, he died.' Still think animals don't have feelings? Source: MailOnline But hold on --- This is not Gana's first experience with motherhood. Last year, she gave birth to her first baby, a female named Mary Zwo. Gana rejected Mary Zwo for six weeks. Staff at the zoo finally intervened and rescued the baby, which was taken to a veterinary hospital with dehydration and exposure. Mary Zwo was never returned to her mother and has lived at a zoo in Stuttgart with four other gorillas ever since. This time, Münster Zoo rejected the idea of stepping in to save Claudio. "There was no point in intervening again," said Mr Adler. "We cannot keep on taking away children from a mother."

Let's hope turtle soup wasn't on the menu

About 60 newly hatched sea turtles lost their way during their ritual passage to the sea and marched into an Italian restaurant instead, a conservation worker said on Monday. The baby turtles -- which ended up under the tables of startled diners at the beachside restaurant -- were probably thrown off track and lured by the eatery's bright lights, said Antonio Colucci, who was called to help rescue the group. "They saw the artificial lights and took the wrong route," said Colucci, who works on a turtle monitoring project for the conservation group WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). "The diners were at first quite curious and then someone alerted the coastal authorities." The stranded turtles, which had hatched on a beach in the southern Italian region of Calabria, were released into the sea. Photo: Paulo Siqueira / Reuters Source: Yahoo news

Monkeying around in Tokyo train station

Dozens of policemen with nets took two hours trying to catch a rogue monkey that played an excited game of chase through rush hour crowds in a Tokyo train station this morning. The animal was first noticed at 9.40am hopping around near the electronic ticket gates in the Shibuya Station in the middle of the Japanese capital. Not content with its place by the gates, however, it darted downstairs towards the entrance to another train line before scaling a pillar and flitting between the ticket machines with officials in hot pursuit. Bored with the game, it climbed onto an information board and dozed for a couple of hours while commuters and railway staff looked on. Police cleared the area and surrounded the information board with green netting, they hoped to pounce on the animal as soon as it leapt from its perch. But when it finally jumped down, it slipped through the police cordon, darted into the crowd and disappeared - apparently out of the station. Source: Telegraph

Britain's pedigree dogs plagued by disease

A documentary, "Pedigree Dogs Exposed," will be shown on BBC One at 2100 BST on Tuesday 19 August. The BBC documentary says an investigation has found that pedigree dogs are suffering from genetic diseases following years of inbreeding. The program shows a prize-winning cavalier King Charles spaniel suffering from syringomyelia, a condition which occurs when a dog's skull is too small for its brain. The study also features boxers suffering from epilepsy, pugs with breathing problems and bulldogs who are unable to mate or give birth unassisted. It says deliberate mating of dogs which are close relatives is common practice and the Kennel Club registers dogs bred from mother-to-son and brother-to-sister matings. In a related story, the MailOnline reports that the BBC could stop showing the Crufts dog show after the documentary exposed the diseases and deformities suffered by many of Britain's 5 million pedigree dogs. Mark Evans, the RSPCA's chief vet, said: 'When I watch Crufts, what I see is a parade of mutants. It's some freakish, garish beauty pageant that has nothing, frankly, to do with health and welfare. We've become completely and utterly desensitised to the fact that breeding these deformed, disabled, disease-prone animals is either shocking or abnormal.' Eamon Hardy, the documentary's executive producer, said: 'In light of this programme, the BBC will request a meeting with the Kennel Club to discuss the implications and potential impact of the film.'

Was it tapeworm salad?

Anthony Franz had started to eat healthy, but the salmon salad he ordered for lunch from Shaw's Crab House in August 2006 wasn't the best choice, according to a lawsuit filed Monday. Franz says he became violently ill for several days after eating that salad and later "passed a 9-foot tapeworm." A pathologist determined the giant tapeworm only has one source -- "undercooked fish, such as salmon," according to court papers. The lawsuit against Shaw's Crab House, 21 E. Hubbard, and its parent company, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, claims the restaurant's staff was negligent in serving him undercooked fish. Franz, who was not available for comment, wants more than a refund. He's seeking $100,000 for his pain, suffering, lost time from work and "lost enjoyment of life." Carrol Symank, vice president of food safety for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, said he is confident the tapeworm did not come from the restaurant. "We have done a thorough investigation and we're confident the restaurant is not the source," he said. Source: Chicago Sun-Times

A Two-Headed Turtle Is Stolen in Brooklyn

An animal shelter's mascot — a rare two-headed turtle — was taken Sunday evening from the Hamilton Dog House, an animal shelter and pet supply store on East Third Street in Brooklyn. Sean Casey, owner of the rescue and store, said it must be specially fed by hand — or the two heads will fight over the food. "We just want the turtle back," Casey said Monday. "We're worried about his health." Concerned customers have donated more than $1,000 as a reward for returning the reptile unharmed. Photo: Sean Casey Animal Rescue Source: New York Times

Great cat toy

G.J. Caulkins at Mighty Wombat says Tater the wonder cat has discovered the greatest cat toy in the whole world.

Today's awwww

Photo: Meredith Davenport/Reuters

But, what will the neighbors think?

Rising supermarket prices are persuading hundreds of families to turn their back gardens into mini-ranches stocked with miniature cattle. Registrations of the most popular breed, the Dexter, have doubled since the millennium and websites are sprouting up offering “the world’s most efficient, cutest and tastiest cows”. For between £200 and £2,000, people can buy a cow that stands no taller than a large German shepherd dog, gives 16 pints of milk a day that can be drunk unpasteurised, keeps the grass “mown” and will be a family pet for years before ending up in the freezer. The Dexter, a mountain breed from Ireland, is perfect for cattle-keeping on a small scale, but other breeds are being artificially created to compete with it, including the Mini-Hereford and the Lowline Angus, which has been developed by the Australian government to stand no more than 39in high but produce 70% of the steak of a cow twice its size. Source: Times OnLine Photo: Fort Dodge Messenger, Dan Thompson/AP

Different kinds of labs

(via For Your Entertainment)

Cute or not? Baby lemur

Little Froggy Magnets

Mini Frog Magnets Hop to it and brighten your bulletin board, fridge or other metallic surface! In hot lime green, these bug-eyed cuties are created from sturdy plastic and measure approximately .75" x .5" and come in a set of 6. $5.95 at Patina

Automatic Locking Pet Sensing Door

This is the patented pet door that automatically unlocks its flap only when a pet with a "smart key" approaches, giving your dog or cat unlimited freedom of passage while prohibiting unwanted animals from gaining entry. The smart key attaches to a pet's collar and transmits a coded signal that activates a spring release in the door, allowing your pet to push through the flap. Approximately 15 seconds after your pet moves beyond range, the door automatically re-locks. $249.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer (via the green head)

Video: Persistent dog

Watch video. (via Neatorama)

Video: monkey vs. dog

Watch video. (via Scribal Terror)

The world's biggest moth?

My friend Jake caught this monster moth in Crestwood, Illinois, in August, 2008. His daughter, age 8, is holding it. This has got to be the most ginourmous insect we've ever seen! Does anyone know what this is? Here's another look ... Yes, yes, we let it go after pictures were taken. Photos: Julie Corsi

Today's ahhhh!

Free kibble for shelters

Mimi Ausland, a 12 year old girl from Bend, Oregon, wanted to help feed the hungry dogs at her local animal shelter. Mimi created Freekibble.com whose primary mission is to provide good, healthy food to dogs and cats in shelters working so hard to see that none of them go hungry. To help provide food for shelters, play Bow Wow Trivia. All you have to do is click on an answer, and every day you do, 20 pieces of kibble is donated to Animal Shelters to help feed their hungry dogs. Play Bow Wow Trivia every day - the more you play, the more kibble for the dogs! (Zootoo.com has very generously committed to partner with Mimi by donating all the kibble generated from freekibble.com.)

Teens can help eliminate puppy mills

According to Deborah Howard, President of the Companion Animal Protection Society (CAPS), “more than 90 percent of pet shops obtain their puppies from puppy mills” that completely disregard the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the animals they mass produce each year. “Puppy mills exist solely for profit, with the dogs treated like puppy-producing machines that turn feed into puppies,” said a CAPS undercover investigator. “The animals are often treated with a minimal standard of care with little or no concern for their well-being.” It’s not uncommon for pet shop puppies to be treated for upper respiratory infections, ear and eye infections, and parasites once they arrive at the store or their new home. Now teens can learn more about the conditions found in common puppy mills and spread the word about the horrors of puppy mills by registering to become a teen activist at www.caps2point0.org. By being young activists fighting the puppy mill industry teens can educate consumers to help end the horrific plight of the pet store puppy.

Banana breath

How cute is this? Baby baboons eating bananas at the National Zoo in Havana.

Blue dog

Sixty bodypainters from around the world converged on the German city of Mainz for the Fifth International Bodypainting Festival. Although the other models were human, one lucky dog got in on the action. Photo: Torsten Silz / Getty Photo Source: Spiegel online

Here's the ultimate fish story

When Peter Hodge learned he had terminal motor neurone disease, he requested his remains be mixed in with the special groundbait he used to catch fish in his local river. The 61-year-old, from Puriton, near Bridgewater in Somerset said he wanted to swim with his favorite fish in the spot where he spent 40 happy years angling. After his death last month he was cremated in a wicker fishing basket coffin, and his ashes were mingled with 30lb of fish food. "He wanted the fish to gobble him up so he could swim up and down the river after his death." Source: Telegraph