Last week, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department received a call from a teenager who was worried his home was getting broken into -his dogs were barking uncontrollably and he heard scratching noises upstairs. He locked himself in a room where he though he could be safe from the intruder and called the police for herlp. When officers arrived on the scene, they heard some scratching while outside and looked up and saw the culprit -the furry criminal above. That's when they died laughing.

It turns out the owner didn't notice the dog wasn't part of the barking frenzy, which started when all the smaller dogs got jealous that they couldn't get up where their big friend was. 

We tend to think of our interpersonal relationships as far more sophisticated and complex than the relationships we share with our pets, but the two are more alike than we'd care to admit.

Both involve choosing a partner, sharing meals and affection, learning to make each other happy and discovering how to communicate those feelings words can't describe.

There are plenty of dog days during these relationships too, as we try to live in the same house without tearing each other apart and struggle to set boundaries in regards to strangers.

But as this comic by Robert Brown shows the main thing both relationships have in common is the crap- the emotional crap, the crappy gifts we buy for each other, and the times we literally come face-to-feces with each other's crap.

See Human Relationships vs Dog Relationships at CollegeHumor (NSFW)

We always love pets, but we especially love them when they are in costume. That's why we partnered up with PetsLady.com to host a contest where you could win a $100 Amazon gift card or a NeatoShop tee. You can win the gift card and one tee by fulfilling any of the entry methods in the form below. Alternatively, you can win one of three tees by submitting your pet's Halloween costume to the Pets Lady Facebook page (add it in a post to the page or as a message) -one tee will go to a winner chosen by popular vote, one will go to a costume submission chosen at random and one will be given to a submission chosen by the judges here at Neatorama and over at Pets Lady.

It's a great way to celebrate Halloween and share your adorable pet photos -and, you might even win a great prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two strange cats will fight tooth and claw over something to eat. Two cats that live together, and are possibly related, are a little more civilized. Still, they are both hungry and would like to have the milk to themselves.

(YouTube link)

Clues from the original Facebook post lead one to think these cats are in Russia. My cats don’t get milk as a rule, but they tend to firmly but politely nudge each other away from canned food if they get a chance, so I separate them in different rooms for supper. Otherwise, Marshmallow would never get her full portion. -via Metafilter

Guy Williams tried to get some video of a raccoon he spotted on the campus of Bellarmine University in Kentucky. He had been feeding the raccoon acorns and even named him Stanley. Williams set his phone down while recording video in order to get a ground-level angle. Stanley took that as an offering and grabbed the phone with his teeth and absconded with it.

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The phone continued to record as the raccoon ran off, with William’s yelling “Stanley!” Stanley dropped the phone, apparently convinced that it did not taste that good. -via Arbroath

Here we find out that a leaf blower is not just an autumn time-saving machine, but also a hi-tech dog toy. These canines want to catch the wind, or enjoy the rush of wind in their hair, or maybe attack that infernal contraption.

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Do NOT miss the dog that comes in at 1:25. The upshot is, if you have a leaf blower and a dog, you’re not going to get a lot of yard work done. -via Tastefully Offensive

It's hard for a cat lover to understand how someone could hate our feline friends, especially in their compact and ultra-cute kitten form, but there are cat haters among us- and they look just like you and I.

They often dress up their disdain for cats by claiming cats hate them or that they're allergic, but there's clearly more to the story than mere allergies or bad vibes.

The question is- can cat haters maintain their irrational hatred after hanging around a bunch of adorable kittens?

(YouTube Link)

It may never be clear why some people naturally hate cats, but while serious research continues it's good to see BuzzFeed Video messing with cat haters by conducting "social experiments".

-Via Boing Boing

When Mr. Snail scored a huge cucumber slice he thought he'd won the food lottery, and the slice made him feel like his life was finally changing for the better.

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His outlook on life was no longer quite as slimy, and he thought about settling down with a Mrs. snail and having some little snail-lings.

His life had taken on a whole new meaning, and to think his fateful future began with that slice of fruit, at least according to this recent Photoshop battle which took a romantic turn.

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The Photoshoppers felt it was time for Mr. Snail to put aside his swinging bachelor days, so they used the cucumber slice as a catalyst for a gastropod love story.

And then those dastardly digital manipulators threw a monkey wrench in Mr. Snail's life story, and he lost half his slice in the divorce.

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Destitute, drunk and dreaming of the days when he was a happy papa snail with a sweet Mrs. by his side, Mr. Snail was left wishing he'd never found that cucumber slice in the first place!

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See Snail Eating Cucumber Sparks Photoshop Battle, Internet Creates Better Love Story Than Twilight here

(Image credit: FedEx)

Whether it’s delivering polar bears to zoos or prize horses to the World Equestrian Games, FedEx rules the animal-shipping kingdom. David Lange, director of charter operations, reveals how they do it.

Since 2000, FedEx has shipped 12 pandas to zoos. How much did it cost?
It varies. We sell the entire airplane. Whether you want to move one ton or 80 pounds, you buy the entire airplane. Shipping an animal is different from shipping a box. Trying to translate a cost per pound for an endangered species, it’s hard to make a comparison.

What kinds of supplies do the pandas need?
We usually carry a breeding pair, so two enclosures with bamboo, water, apples—a couple thousand pounds of supplies. When we’re carrying horses we bring water and hay. One time, we carried 10 or 15 tons of tack and hay and feed.

Sarah was at PetSmart in Raleigh, North Carolina, a few days ago. Banfield Veterinary Hospital was also there with pets to adopt at the same time. One of them was this tiny kitten, who was picked up during the rains that hurricane Matthew brought to the region. Someone made him a tiny little sweater to keep him warm -out of a sock! It certainly flatters him.

Sarah considered adopting him, but a family with children snapped him up immediately. He and his sweater went to a nice warm home. You can read her account of the kitten in several images of text at Twitter. -via Buzzfeed

(Images by Sarahfu via Twitter)

Coyote Petersen (previously at Neatorama) says he doesn’t want to wiggle his fingers, and then wiggles his fingers to illustrate. This video is full of contradictions. He goes to the Steve Kroschel Wilderness Center in Haines, Alaska, to interact with an animal that was raised in captivity. The short-tail weasel is supposed to be a terribly ferocious animal, yet it is tiny and adorable and avoids human contact.

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In this episode of the web series Breaking Trail, Peterson acts as if a weasel will rip his flesh, but the cutesy music tones down the sense of danger. It’s easy to be startled by the jumpy little creature, though, especially once you’ve heard its reputation! -via Laughing Squid

Possum the cat may not fit the traditional definition of cute, or even the less-traditional definition of the word, but she sure has a sweet personality. But looks aren't everything and what Possum lacks in looks, she makes up for in personality. She's so sweet that Stephanie, her owner, claims she even purred while getting her shots and tried to cuddle with the vet tech.

While Stephanie feels hurt when she hears people say mean things about her funny-looking baby, Possum remains delightfully oblivious to how people talk about her. If you agree that Possum's delightfully different appearance makes her special, you can follow her on Instagram.

Via The Dodo

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? You never really believed that a rabbit would stop in the middle a race and rest, only to end up losing from overconfidence. Well, here’s a real-life recreation of that race that confirms what happened. I think this might be in Thailand. The hare’s assumed potential speed is no match for the tortoise’s determination and persistence. Slow and steady wins the race! -via Uproxx

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Tortoises are fairly fearless and love to annoy cats. That’s probably for the same reason people annoy cats- because their reactions are funny. Several tortoises of varying sizes show their chutzpah in this compilation video. A tortoise knows he can stalk with impunity and just draw arms and legs inside the shell if the cat tries to fight back. For we humans, it’s a win-win, because we get to laugh at both the tortoise and the cat, get a video clip of the encounter, and step in to break things up if the situation gets truly dangerous. -via Tastefully Offensive
 

Tania Hennessy is an artist in Vancouver who fosters kittens for VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association). Her passion is taking pictures of kittens, which we can all agree is a wonderful thing to do. One of her projects is called Emoji Kittens, where real kittens interact with emojis.

You can see this one in motion at its own webpage: Doughnut Kitten.