Brittany Maher-Kirk’s mother found an advent calendar for cats that contained cat treats. She bought it and mailed it to her daughter’s cat, Ted, in London, UK. When the delivery came, Maher-Kirk wasn’t home. When she tried to retrieve the package from the post office, she was denied because she didn’t bring Ted’s ID. Maher-Kirk explained that Ted doesn’t have any ID; he’s a cat. Maher-Kirk called the head office later to complain, and was invited to come down there.

The workers did express disappointment that she didn't bring Ted in with her, but she explained that the adorable feline suffers from feline immunodeficiency virus, which requires him to stay indoors.

"I did offer to show them pictures of Ted, but they said that they believe me, as no one could make it up," she stated.

The postal staff explained that they were not obligated to hand the package over, but they did in the end. Ted is reportedly enjoying his advent calendar treats.

(Image credit: Brittany Maher-Kirk)

(Photo: Mike Chesworth)

Some Latin American cultures celebrate a girl's fifteenth birthday with a quinceañera--a party that welcomes a girl to womanhood.

In dog years, 15-year old Angel of Phoenix, Arizona was already long past adolescence. But it was only recently that she had her own quinceañera.

...and filed under stories that make you smile is this one that happened last Sunday in Kilorglin, Ireland. When Suzanne Gibbons saw that a donkey was stranded in a flooded river and was in desperate need of help, she put the word out on a local animal rescue Facebook page.

Thankfully, a man named Mike Fleming came to the rescue in his boat. Gibbons, who is unable to swim, was relieved to see Fleming pulling the animal to safety with a rope and a life preserver. 

But Gibbons and Fleming weren't the only ones who were happy about the rescue. The donkey burst into an ear-to-ear grin that could make even the coldest of hearts melt.

Read more about the donkey and see a number of heartwarming pictures of the rescue and the smiles afterward here.

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a dog agility tun, take a minute to watch Tex the border collie win the Masters Agility Championship. That’s how it’s supposed to be done. Then watch Zeus, the adorable English mastiff do it.

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An admirable effort for a 200-pound canine. He knows what to do, but he’ll be darned if he’s going to be in a hurry about it. If he had another inch on his legs, he could’ve just stepped over the barriers instead of jumping. I was afraid he’d get stuck in the tunnel. Zeus is a crowd favorite, and rightfully so. -via reddit

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YouTuber Dan Zaleski uploaded this sweet video of a zoo visitor who showed an orangutan a "magic trick" that made the contents of a cup seem to disappear. The reaction of pure enjoyment from this intelligent creature is a reminder of its being a sensitive and observant species, so like us in many respects.

Via Tastefully Offensive

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YouTube user Simona Brozova uses her account in part to introduce viewers to her Akita Raion and Jujube, her bunny. These animals are quite the friendly pair. In these videos, Raion is mellow and sleepy, and Jujube, if not napping with her canine pal, is playful and sweet as she determines which canine crevice is best for a temporary nest. Via Tastefully Offensive

 
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At 9 months old, Xena is still a puppy. She wants to play! Alas, her big sister Kiko prefers to nap. As Kiko clings to her dream of a pleasant rest, Xena becomes increasingly assertive in her quest for play.

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-via Tastefully Offensive

A trio of young African civets enjoy a bowl of porridge with milk. They go at it wholeheartedly, while the cats are more fastidious. Well, the cats relish the milk, while the civets plow through it to get to the porridge on the bottom. Riverbank Fisher lives in rural Ghana and has civets living in his large walled garden. They are his pets, but stay outdoors. He says civets tend to destroy furniture.

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A later video of the same civets shows how they have grown and become affectionate. Riverbank Fisher said he had to cut back on the milk when they started to get too fat! -via Tastefully Offensive

Enjoy this lovely scene of a toddler out for a walk on a snowy day with the family cat. I think the cat wants the child’s attention.

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Body slam! Orange cats are like that. If I’m outside gardening, mine thinks the only reason I could possibly be out there is to pet him. He also annoys the neighbors and passers-by until they pet him. I hope he doesn’t find a toddler he likes. Oh, there’s also a version of this video with commentary.  -via reddit

Kelly Angel at the webcomic Anything About Nothing waited six months after saying goodbye to her beloved dog Jay before she was able to write a tribute to him. But when she did, it was perfect.   

Most people will tell you their dog is the best dog. They're probably right, I know I was.

These panels are only a small portion of the story, which will leave you teary, yet happy that Jay had such a great life. See the full-size version at Taptastic.

A mother cat has two kittens. In this sequence brought to us by Ignoramusky, her dog friend offers to occupy the kittens for a while so the mother cat can take a break. Before it’s over, the dog is teaching the kittens to play pat-a-cake. At least that’s one interpretation.

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Another interpretation is that the mother cat is showing the kittens how to slap a dog in the face. I prefer the more pleasant explanation. You notice after the kittens get bored and wander off, the dog and cat have their own little play tussle.  -via Tastefully Offensive

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This adorable giant panda cub, a resident of Adventure World in Wakayama, Japan, is keeping his keepers on their toes and, occasionally, at a loss to stop his sudden whims about rolling down hills. Who can blame this little guy for entertaining himself? Rolling can be fun! Via Tastefully Offensive

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They say Santa has his eyes and ears everywhere in the world, spying on humans when they're sleeping and awake to help the big guy formulate his naughty and nice lists.

These agents are said to be elves, but Saint Nick's a crafty old codger and he knows that people can spot his elves a mile away, so he has started using other less conspicuous agents, such as cats.

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They see you when you're bad or good, or when you're sitting in a recliner laughing at your friend who's passed out on the ground. Sometimes they report their findings to Santa, sometimes they simply deliver a slap to the offender!

-Via Cheezburger

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Every human parent knows this experience. To your kid, bathtime is playtime. To mom and dad, it's a chore that needs to be done expeditiously, then crossed off the to-do list.

At The Hide in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, baby elephant wanted to wallow in his mud bath. Mommy elephant wanted to get washed and back on the move. Mommy elephant had to use the strength of her trunk to keep the baby on task.

-via Nothing to Do with Aborath

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This wonderful footage features two red panda cubs, one male and one female, who were born and reside at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn, New York. A subspecies known as Stayan's Red Panda, the pair is native to the Eastern region of the Himalayas.

Births of this adorable species, enabled by a breeding program, are greatly welcomed due to being listed as endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature. Their endangered status is due to habitat loss caused by deforestation. Tragically, the population of the species has declined by 50 percent over the last 18 years. Via Zooborns