What would it take for Simon's cat to win the last delicious slice of pizza from the clutches of his human? You can almost see the wheels turning in the cat's head as he attempts one technique after the other. Finally he learns the secret, and it's likely easier than he ever could have imagined. Nice... work (if you can call it that), kitty! Via Tastefully Offensive
This is Khufu Beans, a cat owned by artist and pop culture commentator Comicbookgirl19. She loves to dress Khufu in custom costumes that look almost exactly like the original inspirations. In this case, Khufu is looking sharp in Leeloo's white strappy outfit from the science fiction movie The Fifth Element.
-via Uproxx
(Image credit: Amber Marienthal)
Bubba belongs to Amber Marienthal and her family, but he spends his days at school. He’s the campus cat at Leland High School in San Jose and Bret Harte Middle School next door. He roams the halls freely and stays from the time the first bell rings to the end of the latest sports practice.
The family initially tried to make Bubba an indoor cat, but he let them know loudly and often that he was unhappy in his confinement. Their home sits behind both Leland and Bret Harte Middle School, and Bubba became a frequent visitor to both campuses. Marienthal says she still gets calls from staff and students who see him on campus and think he's lost.
Bubba is known and loved by many at both schools, as his 600-plus Facebook followers attest. Marienthal, the administrator of her cat's Facebook page, says Bubba's fans want him to branch out into other social media.
(Image credit: Bubba the Cat at Facebook)
This year, Bubba was issued an official student ID card at the high school. So far, he has an attendance record of 100%. San Jose Mercury News has more of Bubba’s story. You can also visit Bubba at Facebook. -via Arbroath
The bath is mostly done, but the cat needs a rinse. You have to feel sorry for him, the poor bedraggled thing. At least he's cleaner than he was.
Now, cats will let you know when they’ve had enough of your shenanigans. Most will struggle, claw, and even bite. This one will flat out tell you in words you can understand. -via Arbroath
Cats are compelled to attention by metronomes. Some can’t figure out what makes it move, while others know how to start it themselves. Some cats are startled by the clicking, and some just want to kill the infernal contraption.
Here’s a collection of all those kinds of cats from MrFunnyMals. -via Tastefully Offensive
Image: Paul Fahy / Taronga Zoo
The Taronga Zoo staff is thrilled that two joeys of the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby species have recently emerged from their mothers' pouches. Wallaby mama Ruby is carrying a joey, and most recently, mother Mica's pouch has proven home to a female joey. Says keeper Tony Britt-Lewis,
“She’s still quite shy, but we’re starting to see her little face more and more. Mica likes to find a nice spot to rest in the sun and the joey will often pop its head out to look around.”
Brush tailed rock wallabies are now listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Tragically, population of the species has declined by up to 97% in the last 130 years due to hunting by human and animal predators, competition from introduced species, loss of habitat and diseases reducing the quality of their overall genetic health.
See a collection of wonderful joey photos and read more about brush-tailed rock wallabies at Zooborns.
When Oracle founder Larry Ellison bought 97% of the Hawaiian island of Lana’i, he didn’t realize that the island was covered in cats, and that his new holdings include the Lana’i Animal Rescue Center, home to 425 feral cats. Lana’i has 3200 people and thousands of cats, descendants of abandoned pets. Kathy Carroll began spaying and neutering feral cats in 2004, and founded the rescue center. Carroll knows most of the shelter cats by name. The shelter is supported by donations, including adoptions and cat sponsorships, and has become quite famous.
Last year, around 1,000 people visited the Lana’i Animal Rescue Center. It was named the No. 1 most recommended thing to do on Lana’i, according to TripAdvisor, where it also enjoys a five-star rating (the No. 2 recommendation was the Mike Carroll Gallery). The daily open houses are free, but for sale are a new batch of T-shirts, illustrated by Mr. Carroll, featuring a Hawaiian cat playing a ukulele. For a while, the Four Seasons was running shuttles to the shelter as part of its voluntourism offerings, and the shelter’s own handout invites tourists who are longing for their cats at home to “Visit a Cat Lover’s Paradise.” One Japanese ailurophile did just that and flew straight to Lana’i from Tokyo, stopping only to change planes in Honolulu. Another visitor proposed to his girlfriend underneath the “Cattic” — a three-walled porch with Adirondack chairs and a cat-sized loft where some of the more skittish cats like to hide out. He’d been carrying around the ring waiting for the right moment.
Read all about this unique cat shelter and the cats of Lana’i at Buzzfeed.
(Image credit: Andrew Dalton)
Dogs have proven they’re not just man’s best friend, because their drive to protect their pack and their calm demeanor can seemingly soothe the troubled mind of any creature.
Zoo animals are often paired up with dogs to make them feel more comfortable in captivity, and therapy dogs have a knack for comforting the sick and lonely, after a bit of training, of course.
A similar regimen is now being used to train Courthouse Dogs- dogs who accompany and comfort witnesses in court so they don't feel so traumatized while facing their attackers.
This form of canine companionship has proven especially effective with young children who have gone through tramatic experiences, and with a little help from dogs we're able to put more violent offenders behind bars.
Roger Angus Dorn, a rabbit, plays a central role in the new movie Jurabbit Park, which is directed by Roger's human, Matt Christensen. This is one of 9 photos of Roger re-enacting scenes from the 1993 film Jurassic Park. In this one, Jeff Goldblum would like for his companions to flee the fearsome Oryctolagus Rex a bit more expeditiously. You can see the other pictures in the series at Pleated Jeans.
Paralysed rabbit walks again with bunny wheelchair http://t.co/ytODA4pD8w pic.twitter.com/KJbLojhSmP
— Telegraph News (@TelegraphNews) August 18, 2015
The vet told Melanie James that she should just have Bertha put to sleep. But James had other ideas. She modified a dog's wheelchair to fit her bunny, who has been struggling to get around after a hip injury. James tells the Daily Telegraph that Bertha is putting the chair to good use:
"She sits in it maybe for a couple of hours and then she has a rest."
The device hooks onto the bunny’s back and allows her to roam freely around her home at the Ani-Mel charity in Bank Mill, Cumbria.
Her devoted owner also gives Bertha daily baths, physiotherapy, antibiotic injections and plenty of movement to aid her recovery, with the hope that soon Bertha may be able to walk again soon.
Sammy is a three-day-old miniature horse born to mother Grace, seen here keeping a close watch over her newborn. Sterling Barlow, part owner of the farm shown in the footage above and below, shows off Sammy as the little colt mostly follows his lead. Via Tastefully Offensive
It's time to wake up, furry friend!
Well, I don't blame him a bit for staying in bed. He's got a perfect snoozing spot. It's a proper futon with a mattress, pillow, sheet, and blanket. Rocket News 24 tells us about Maru, a hamster owned by Japanese twitter user @tibi241. He's content to sleep in and let the world go by.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Haifax, Nova Scotia, is throwing a retirement party for a cat. But this isn’t just any cat. Rodent Control Officer Erik the Red has been serving faithfully aboard the CSS Acadia since 1998.
"He came aboard as a stowaway," said Steven Read, shipkeeper for CSS Acadia.
The 102-year-old ship is permanently moored outside the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. While it doesn't leave the shore, it has the same problem with rodent visitors as many ships.
Erik's passion for the hunt was perfectly timed. His arrival was around the same time a building was being torn down near the ship. Read says there was a surge in the number of field mice and rats that jumped on board, but they quickly learned their mistake.
Erik is very popular with the crew of the Acadia and the museum staff as well as visitors. But at age 18, he has trouble with winters aboard ship. In retirement, he will live further inland at Read’s home. If you can attend the party, all the particulars are posted at Facebook. -via Arbroath
(Image credit: Maritime Museum of the Atlantic)
August 17th is Black Cat Appreciation Day! Black cats often get passed over for adoption, possibly because it’s hard to see their sweet expressions. I will have to give my cat Gogo some extra TLC which she is entitled to at 16 years old.
You are invited to post pictures of your black cat here in the comments, at the Black Cat Appreciation Page at Facebook, and at Furball Fables, the folks who made the above video.
A tortoise was in that most awful of positions for his kind: flipped over on his back. This is a crisis because he can't move and is vulnerable to predators.
But never mind that. There's a tasty flower to eat. Like his buddies, he focuses on the most important task at hand.
-via Laughing Squid
