My daughter, Shannon, entered her cockatiel, “Buddy”, in a fund raising contest to raise money for The Humane Society’s annual Spay Day event. The idea is to “buy” votes and cast them for your favorite pet contestant. (Shannon hopes you’ll vote for “Buddy”.)

It’s for a good cause and couldn’t be easier. Just click on the photo, cast your vote by filling out the form (minimum contribution $5, tax deductible) and know you’re helping a worthy cause. Ready? Heeere’s “Buddy”!

What is Spay Day?

Spay Day is The Humane Society of the United States’ and Humane Society International’s annual event to inspire people to save animals’ lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats. Spay Day officially takes place on the last Tuesday of February - but events will be running all through the month! The 15th annual Spay Day will be February 24th.

Why enter a bird to support spaying and neutering? They don’t spay or neuter birds…do they?

‘Cause he’s loyal and cute. And she doesn’t have a cat :-)

When Simon promised another ‘toon by Christmas, I expected another “Simon’s Cat” episode. So when he released this spinoff, I assumed it was something for the RSPCA and that another “Cat” would be forthcoming. Guess I was wrong. But this is still pretty funny…

As promised last week, here’s another of Simon Tofield’s “Simon’s Cat” video series. (If you missed the first two episodes, you can view “Cat Man Do” and “TV Dinner” in previous posts. Those of you owned by cats will enjoy them all.

Remember Simon Tofield’s hilarious animated ‘toon, “Cat-Man-Do”? I posted it last year and helped contribute to its more than 5 million views on YouTube. Well, he’s added a couple more along with a line of “Simon’s Cat” t-shirts. I still think the first film was the funniest, but if you have cats, I know you’ll recognize yours in all of them. Here’s one you’re bound to appreciate. I’ll post another next week, and expect a brand new one by Christmas.

Heather sends this informative, short quiz reasoning, I suspect, that since most of us will be enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner in a couple days, we should know something about the critters we’re about to devour. What’s to know, you ask? Well, take the quiz. You may discover you don’t know jack about turkeys and learn something new in the process. Gobble, gobble!

This photo from friends John & Deb Phair of their dog “Sophie” made me chuckle. Sophie is a beautiful Coton de Tuléar, usually meticulously groomed. I fell in love with her the moment I first saw her. Well, who knew? She’s not only a little princess; she can rough it in the wild with the big dogs, too!

“You sorta get dirty fishing but it gives me some quiet time.”

Many of you enjoyed the last collection of animal images (Animal Kingdom 1), so here’s another, this one including African and marine wildlife. Enjoy!

Have you been following the saga of the tubby tabby found prowling a patio in South Jersey? Weighing in at 44 pounds—just 2 pounds shy of the 1987 Guinness World Record for overweight cats—it was taken to the Camden County Animal Shelter where employees dubbed the furry feline “Captain Chunk” until a closer examination brought about a name change to “Princess Chunky”. But wait. There’s more.

Princess Chunky began making the media rounds, including interviews yesterday by Fox New York and MSNBC, and TV spots on “Good Morning America” and “Live with Regis and Kelly” where a veterinarian examined “Princess Chunky” and pronounced her… a him!

But here’s the sad part of the story. It turns out that the portly pussycat had belonged to an elderly woman who lost her home to foreclosure and had been unable to find a new home for her kitty. Oh, and his name is actually “Powder”.

All the media attention has resulted in several serious offers to adopt “Powder”, so it’s likely he’ll go to a loving family. But I have to wonder about someone who would abandon a pet. Sure, the owner lost her home. And maybe she doesn’t have transportation or know anyone willing to help. But what prevented her from calling the shelter? Fortunately, things worked out. This time.

It’s been a while since I posted a gallery of critter images. Barbara sent this collection, some cute, some artistic and some downright funny. Enjoy!

Davey sent a wmv version of this a couple years ago and I’d posted it on my AFP website. It apparently was shown on Good Morning America in August ‘06 and is due a reprise. If you live in a metered water area as I do, you’ll see this in a whole different light…

Are you ready to kiss - or be kissed? Is there a special someone that you’d like to kiss? If you haven’t yet experienced that first kiss, it can be a daunting challenge! Is it the right time? Is anyone watching? Does your partner even want to? Is your breath fresh? And the big question: Should you use some tongue?

There’s lots of advise available, often conflicting. Many advise that, assuming your prospective kissee is willing, you just “go for it”…

Click to read more ...

The last couple days have been emotionally taxing. Unknown to us, “Georgio”, our straight eared Scottish Fold cat, had developed dental problems. Those of you with pets will identify with how you feel when they have health issues.

We noticed a change in his mood a few days earlier but failed to connect the dots. By Sunday, he’d become solitary and lethargic and we knew something was wrong. Our vet agreed to see him right away, determined that he had some dental problems and scheduled him for surgery yesterday.

To make a long story short, he had five teeth extracted - his four canines and one other - a big payoff from the tooth fairy who, it turns out, is a feline herself (but that’s another story). Poor little guy, he must have been miserable. The vet gave us some oral pain medication we’ll squirt in his mouth every morning and some antibiotics we’ll give him for three of four days. Assuming he eats, drinks his water and uses his litter box, he’ll just need a follow-up exam in a week or so.

It’s amazing how these magical, jellicle little creatures, like children, become such a big part of our lives, a part of us, and when they hurt, so do we.

We’ll worry all week.

This would be pretty amazing if real. What we’re apparently seeing is a rather stupid surfer/amateur stunt guy “fishing” for a great white shark off his board, then being “towed” by the hooked shark passed other surfers. Do I believe it? Well, let’s just say I’m dubious. I have to ask myself, if I was a surfer and a great white shark swam right by me towing another surfer, would I just watch as these guys appear to be doing, or would I walk run on water to reach shore as quickly as possible? In addition, it looks like a wake in front of the shark as though it’s (ahem) “chasing” an RTV or jet ski. Hmmmm… And the shark appears to be swimming parallel to the shore in shallow water… and leaving a wake. Hmmmm… Now, I wasn’t there, but…

With the memory of Barbaro’s death after last year’s Preakness still fresh in our minds, Saturday’s Kentucky Derby spectators saw for themselves the sordid truth about what racing really means for the horses involved, as the filly Eight Belles collapsed, her front ankles broken, and had to be euthanised on the track.

Her death may have seemed humane, but the agony she endured running her final race most certainly was not. And while the trainers, jockeys and owners may weep their crocodile tears today over Eight Belles’ euthanasia, they will be back on the track tomorrow, putting other horses at risk.

Although their bones are not yet fully developed, Thoroughbreds begin their racing careers as 2-year-olds. Compounding the risk to their young bones, they are raced on hard dirt surfaces like the one at Churchill Downs. And as Eight Belles’ two broken front legs showed Saturday, the combination is deadly.

Despite the wealth and glamour associated with Thoroughbred racing, there exists a dark underbelly that most of us never see. For the horses, life isn’t much different than it was for the ancient Roman gladiators. Some live, some die, but most end up broken, cast off, or sent to Europe to be killed for the dinner table. It’s a dirty business, not much better than dog fighting.

I hope people finally come to their senses and recognize that Thoroughbred horse racing, as it’s conducted today, is barbaric and in need of immediate and drastic reform. It should be a no-brainer that these magnificent animals should not be trained or raced until age three when their bones are fully formed. Equally obvious should be the need for cushioned tracks like those used in California. And the number of races a horse is allowed to run per season should be limited, another no-brainer. Finally, whipping should be disallowed. If no one is allowed to whip, the playing field remains level.

It’s rare to find me on the same side of an issue as PETA, but that’s exactly where I stand on this one, at least as regards the need for reform. They’re calling for the Kentucky Racing Authority to institute sweeping reforms that would stop much of the suffering. Story

They’ve made it simple. Complete this form email to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority to insist that they take immediate steps to prevent future tragedies. It’s a simple gesture requiring little effort on our parts yet making our voices heard. It’s the right thing to do.

Today marks the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby, affectionately known as the Run For the Roses and considered by many to be “the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

The classic American horse race, the Derby is the oldest consecutively run Thoroughbred race in America. It is run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Preceding the Preakness in mid-May and the Belmont in early June, it’s the first jewel of the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred racing. Won by only eleven horses since 1919, Triple Crown winners include memorable names like Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Whirlaway and Affirmed.

The first Kentucky Derby was run May 17, 1875, before a crowd of 10,000 from around the city, state and surrounding areas. A field of fifteen three-year-olds ran a one and a half mile course with the race won by H.P. McGrath’s Aristides. The following year, the distance was shortened to the present mile and a quarter…

Click to read more ...