February 27, 2013

Caffrey, The Amazing Two-Legged Cat



Caffrey, a black Persian cat became an inspiration to thousands after his video went viral. When Caffrey was three, he lost his left hind leg after being hit by a car. He got around great with just three legs for ten years.

Then his vet discovered a malignant tumor on his left front leg. His owner, Sue Greaves, couldn't bear the thought of putting him down or putting him through extensive chemotherapy with no guarantee of success so she had his leg amputated. The vet sought out opinions from his colleagues and they all said that Caffrey wouldn't be able to walk with both left legs missing and that he would be so poor that it wouldn't be worth living.

Well, Caffrey amazed them all when he started running around on his two legs, bounding about in the garden. He defied what others thought about him and managed to lead a normal life despite having no left-side legs.






source: Love Meow

February 26, 2013

More Pet Food Recalls



There have been several new pet food recalls in the past week. Click on each one for more details.

Shelter Dog Reunited With Original Owner After Ten Years


A few weeks after losing his dog on Christmas Eve to an illness, James Carpentier found himself browsing the adoptable dogs on the Humane Society for Greater Nashua (NH) website. He soon came across a familiar face. A female Basset Hound that resembled the one he lost in a divorce 10 years earlier. This shelter dog was the same age as his former dog and had the same name. Surely, this couldn't be the same dog. "It can't be her," he said. "It's been so long."

What Carpentier didn't know was that his wife surrendered the dog to the Humane Society soon after the divorce was final. An older couple adopted Ginger and took great care of her for 10 years. When the couple was unable to care for Ginger any longer, they returned her to the Humane Society per their adoption contract.

Ginger spent three miserable months at the shelter. She was almost adopted several times, but the adoptions fell through each time. Then, by sheer coincidence, Carpentier found her on the website.

Carpentier contacted the shelter and it soon became clear that Ginger was, indeed, the same dog that Carpentier once owned. Carpentier discussed rejoining Ginger with his family and went to visit her on January 21st.

After 10 years, Ginger hadn't forgotten Carpentier. "She heard my voice. I walked up to her and she kind of gave me a couple of licks or kisses. And I was like, 'She knows who I am, she remembers my voice,'" Carpentier said.

Outreach coordinator Noelle Schuyler knew that the man and his dog had reunited for good. Said Schuyler, "She never gave us kisses. When she started licking his face, that was that moment you could tell she knew."

source: PawNation.com

February 25, 2013

Penguin Highway In Antarctica

Wow -- imagine how much more efficient our morning commute would be if we took a cue from these Penguins?! Watch as these birds navigate the "roads" of Antarctica.


source: PawNation.com

February 23, 2013

Meet The Desert Rain Frog

The Desert rain frog is a species of frog found in a coastal strip of land about 10 kilometers wide in Namibia and South Africa. This area of sand dunes often has sea fog rolling in which supplies some moisture in an otherwise arid region. The locations in which this frog is found have at least one hundred foggy days per year.

The Desert rain frog has a very unique defensive cry that can be heard in this video...




Video source: YouTube
More information about this cute and unique frog on Wikiapedia

February 21, 2013

Watch Sea Otter Dunk Basketball

Oregon Zoo keepers taught Eddie the sea otter to play basketball to help relieve his arthritis pain.



source:TodayNewsWorld

February 19, 2013

Nature's Variety Pet Food Recall

Nature's Variety Issues Voluntarily Recall of One Batch of Instinct® Raw Organic Chicken Formula for Dogs & Cats Due to Possible Health Risk



Contact
Consumer
(888)519-7387
cservice@naturesvariety.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 15, 2013 - Nature's Variety has announced a voluntary recall of one batch of Instinct® Raw Organic Chicken Formula with a "Best if Used By" date of 10/04/13. This action is being taken because pieces of clear plastic may be found in some bags and could cause a potential choking risk to pets. The source of plastic has been identified and the issue has been resolved.

The affected product is strictly limited to a single batch of Organic Chicken Formula with the "Best if Used By" date of 10/04/13. This includes:
  • UPC# 7 69949 60137 1 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula medallions, 3 lbs. bag
  • UPC# 7 69949 70137 8 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula medallions, 27 lbs. case
  • UPC# 7 69949 60127 2 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula patties, 6 lbs. bag
  • UPC# 7 69949 70127 9 – Instinct Raw Organic Chicken Formula patties, 36 lbs. case
The "Best if Used By" date is located on the back of the package below the "Contact Us" section. The affected product was distributed through retail stores and internet sales in the United States and Canada. No other products were impacted.

Nature's Variety became aware of a potential issue after receiving a consumer complaint. The source of the issue was identified and resolved. To date, there have been no reports of harm to dogs or cats.
Reed Howlett, CEO of Nature's Variety, stated, "At Nature's Variety we take quality and safety very seriously. We believe that under all circumstances, the health and safety of pets comes first."

Consumers feeding the affected product should discontinue use and monitor their pet's health, and contact their veterinarian if they have concerns. Consumers who have purchased one of the above products can obtain a full refund or exchange by either returning the product in its original packaging or bringing a proof of purchase back to their retailer.

Consumers with additional questions can call the Nature's Variety Consumer Relations team at 1.888.519.7387 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST. Or, questions can be emailed directly to cservice@naturesvariety.com.

About Nature's Variety®
Nature's Variety is an independent pet food company located in St. Louis, Missouri and Lincoln, Nebraska. As the maker of Instinct® and Prairie® brand pet foods and treats, Nature's Variety is passionate about providing natural and holistic nutrition for dogs and cats. Nature's Variety foods are available raw frozen diets, dry kibble diets, canned diets, and treats in a variety of protein choices. For more information about Nature's Variety, visit www.naturesvariety.com or www.instinctpetfood.com

source: FDA

A Killer Whale Gives Birth

Kasatka, a female killer whale at Sea World in San Diego, gave birth to a 300 pound calf after an eighteen month pregnancy and an hour of labor.Visitors surrounded the tank as the birth took place. This was the sixth killer whale birth at the park.



source: BBC World News 
Thanks Lou!

February 17, 2013

Meet Chris P. Bacon, An Amazingly Cute Piglet In A Wheelchair



Chris P. Bacon was born on January 13. Unfortunately, Chris was born with a rear leg deformity and his owner could not care for him...or maybe that was the fortunate part? His owners took him to veterinarian Dr. Len Lucero who decided to give this cutie a second chance at life. The good doctor made a wheelchair out of toy parts and Chris suddenly had a new lease on life. You see, although Chris is currently able to get around without his wheelchair by lifting the back end of his body off the ground and walking on his forelimbs, once he gets older and bigger, that will be an impossible task. When Chris grows some more and his body weight increases, his center of balance will shift to the rear of his body and moving around would become an impossible task and would surely lead to his demise. Now, thanks to Dr. Lucero and his wheelchair, that will never become an issue.

The video of Chris learning to use his wheelchair (below) became an instant internet hit and soon Chris was all over the news. Now he is sharing his adventures with the whole world and he seems to love the fame and attention it has brought with it.

You can follow Chris P. Bacon's adventures yourself by clicking on the links below or on his webpage, The Pig Pen

 

February 16, 2013

February 15, 2013

Wild Romance: Weird Animal Courtship and Mating Rituals

1. The Tickler
The 39 colorful avian species known as birds of paradise use their fantastic feathers to seduce females with elaborate courtship displays. The male twelve-wired bird of paradise really knows how to tickle the ladies.
In an intimate act that scientists call “wire-wipe display,” during courtship the male twelve-wired bird of paradise repeatedly brushes the female’s face with the dozen stiff feather shafts protruding from his lower torso. The female obviously finds the sensation appealing: She often approaches the male from behind to place her head among his “wires.”



  
source: BBC Worldwide


See six more strange animal mating rituals at National Geographic Weird & Wild

February 12, 2013

"Ma'am, you have an owl in your grille"


source: CNN

Congratulations! It's a boy.




The bouncing baby boy weighed in at 159 pounds, and he's already standing and spending time cuddling with his mom.

The Brevard Zoo in Melbourne announced Monday that a baby Masai giraffe was born Wednesday to mother Johari and father Raffki.
  
The calf, as yet unnamed, will stay behind the scenes until zoo workers think he is ready to live with the herd.


source:

February 11, 2013

Seal Pup Just Wants To Cuddle. This Video Is Just Too Cute!

Charlie Bird.  an Irish journalist and broadcaster, meets seals while travelling through Antarctica following the route of explorer Tom Crean's final expedition alongside Ernest Shackleton aboard the Endurance in 1914-15.



source: YouTube

February 6, 2013

Meet Hope & Stan And Learn How Anheuser Busch Normally Names Their Foals

The 2013 Budweiser Super Bowl Ad features a 7-day-old foal that our fans helped named "Hope." (A second foal born that same week was named Stan, after Stan Musial.) But how does a typical foal get named? Watch the video below to find out.



source: Budweiser YouTube page

February 1, 2013

Anheuser-Busch Asks The Public To Name Baby Clydesdale (with picture and video)




St Louis based Anheuser-Busch, for the first time ever, is asking the public to help name a baby Clydesdale.. They are, also, for the first time ever, showing one of their Superbowl commercials before the Superbowl. The baby stallion, who was born on January 16th, is featured in the new Superbowl commercial titled "Brotherhood". Anheuser-Busch announced the contest in their very first tweet. They are asking  fans to help name the young stallion via it's Twitter feed by submitting names to the hashtag #clydesdales.





source: Fox2

Budweiser Twitter Feed