Owner: Urban Critters URL:http://urbancritters.spaces.live.com/ Join Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 20:46:46 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Urban Critters is a blog about animals - generally urban pets, but sometimes not. It's sometimes commentary, sometimes activism, sometimes educational. People with pets or people who love animals should find something here to entertain or inform them Site statistics:Click here
Toto on Companions for Live blog post today 2008-03-18 14:22:06 I couldn't help myself - I was posting a piece on how cat owners have fewer heart attacks than non-cat owners on the Companions
for Life blog and I decided to use Toto's Caturday photo for it. As my friend Ros always says, "If I had to describe what a CAT was to someone who'd never seen one, I'd show them Toto because he's the quintessential CAT".
And yes, yes he is. :-)
HSUS grants help shelters deal with influx caused by economic downturn 2008-03-27 01:17:16
The Humane Society of the United States Launches Grant Program to Help Families Care for Pets during Tough Economic Times
WASHINGTON (March 26, 2008) — The Humane Society of the United States has established a fund to address the hardships that the current economic downturn
has visited on its voiceless victims. With accounts of people leaving their pets behind as they are forced out of their homes due to foreclosure, and shelters reporting increases in the number of families who can’t afford to keep or feed their pets, the nation’s largest animal protection organization heeded the call from shelters and rescue groups for assistance.
The HSUS will administer grants
from this fund to animal shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies to help establish and expa
Toothless Toto 2008-03-30 23:26:11 Poor Toto - his annual trip to the vet this year really knocked him about.
First of all, because I now live across the lake from my vet (about 15 miles), the trip has become a bit of an ordeal with a minimum of two very well timed incidents: there's the stress-induced poo about a mile from home - luckily just before we hit the freeway, which gives me a chance to pull over and clean up (if I didn't no doubt I'd pass out halfway across the 520 bridge from the noxious fumes. Then, right on the off-ramp on the other side of the lake, the car sickness hits and he pukes EVERYWHERE - some forethought means paper towels and plastic bags have been strategically placed though, making my quick detour into a well-placed gas station an easy clean-up point. Strangely, there are never any poo or
Ode To A Burrito -- Chipotle Mexican Grill -- Humane Meat | Fast Company 2008-04-01 19:17:25 Fancy that - a fast food restaurant that cares about humane raised meat. Now if only Chipotle
CEO Steve Ells can inculcate that philosophy throughout his parent company (McDonalds) and, by extension, drive a humane-raised ethos through the fast food industry! If I hadn't given up meat and if I weren't currently on a diet, I'd be out there happily munching through a 1,000+ calorie Chipotle burrito RIGHT NOW (because let's face it - they're GOOD, and if you're going to eat meat, eat HAPPY meat). Read this article here: Ode To A Burrito -- Chipotle MexicanGrill
-- Humane Meat | Fast Company Meat eaters! Insist that those happy meals are made from happy animals! Support Chipotle! Don't accept abusive factory farming practices or second rate burgers and burritos!
What your dog does when you're not home 2008-04-09 20:23:40 Michael sent me this and I have to share it - too cute! I watched it a couple of times to be sure it wasn't just looping but no, doggie is having fun - over and over!
What your dog does when you're not home Video: What your dog does when you're not home
There will always be someone younger, skinnier and cuter... 2008-04-11 19:44:03 Knut, the polar bear hand reared at the Berlin Zoo, is facing a PR crisis.
Knut - I'd be pissed off too
As a "burly" one year old, Knut has some serious cute-stakes competition in Flocke, a four month old hand-reared polar bear cub who made her adorable public debut with live TV coverage at Nuremberg Zoo on Tuesday.
Flocke - enjoy it while it lasts...
And as if that weren't ignominious enough poor Knut has triggered outrage, controversy and been branded a "senseless carp murderer" by the German public after fishing live carp from his moat and killing them in front of visitors - imagine that, a polar bear killing fish!!
Could you get any more superficial and ridiculously over-sensitive?!
Flocke is cute as a button, I'll give her that but where Read more:always
Delectable Dollop Indeed! 2008-04-15 18:50:39 This is simply the most ridiculously adorable kitten I think I may have ever seen. Described on cuteoverload.com as a "delectable dollop" and I couldn't agree more! And in inimitable style, the owners of this kitten that poos rainbows have capitalized - god, I wish I could read Japanese!
Click here for more so-cute-I-could-puke pics!
Planes AND cats! 2008-04-17 22:01:20
Sweet! Two of my favorite things together! What a coooooooooool cat this is! And I gotta say - that little "squeak, squeak" of a nice landing is one of my favorite sounds too...
Innovation in animal shelters - awesome! 2008-04-17 13:26:06 This is an EXCELLENT idea - an animal shelter that doesn't look like a penitentiary! So much more positive than those awful cages most shelters keep their pets in and I'm sure it's helping with adoptions too, by appealing more to a person's vision of themselves at home with a pet. They can see these animals in more homely surroundings and imagine them as part of the family. I also think that the surroundings allow the pets to show their real personalities too, rather than the stressed, depressed reactions many of them exhibit in a standard shelter environment. Way to go, ladies, this is an AWESOME idea!!
Animal shelter turns into lap of luxuryFeb. 5: Designers have turned an otherwise depressing animal shelter into a place where cat and dog lovers can visit abandoned or unwanted pets tha Read more:Innovation
, awesome
Spike in demand for mini-hedgehogs | NEWS.com.au 2008-04-18 19:14:39 OK these little guys are definitely high-scorers on the cute-o-meter that's for sure! I think it's funny how the UK article references how 'convenient' they are as pets because they sleep all day and wake up when you get home from work. I do worry, though, about what happens when they're not these adorable baby hedgehogs anymore and they get dumped in the hedgerows to fend for themselves. These are bred in captivity and are not the same as the native hedgehogs - I see two possible bad things happening: either they overrun the native population and muck up the ecosystem, or they become easy pickings for foxes and stray dogs or cats. Either way it's not good. People really need to think through the consequences of these pet fads a little more. But damn, they're cute little buggers! Spik Read more:Spike
, demand
Girly stuff!! 2008-04-23 17:53:03
I can be as girly-girl as the best of them but ever since I first read the horror stories of cosmetics companies testing shampoo in rabbits' eyes, I've struggled to find any kind of rationale to support beauty at all costs. But where to find information about animal-friendly products? To be honest, while it has some great info on cruelty-free shopping, the PETA website can be a little too preachy and self-righteous even for me.
So you can imagine my squeal of joy when I found this Animal Friendly Makeup blog!!!! Yay, now I can find recommendations on shampoos, makeup brushes, cosmetics and more so I can indulge my girly instincts cruelty free!
ALL my girlfriends - you have no excuse! There ARE awesome and affordable animal-friendly alternatives - check out this cool blog and bookma Read more:Girly
, stuff
Cat in the Dog House 2008-04-23 14:36:21
Nanner is in the dog house today because he peed on the bed last night. Right before bedtime! Right up near the pillow! Little bugger.
Don't think you're so cute, buddy! You are a Bad Cat!
Thank god for Nature's Miracle. Read more:House
Lucky cat has 8 lives left 2008-04-21 15:00:14
Watch him as they push him off - he manages to right himself in the air and even though he "rips right through the blanket" he's totally fine and runs all the way back home! He's a beautiful guy too, check out those HUGE eyes!
Lucky cat has 8 lives leftApril 21: An Albuquerque cat named Negro spent three days trapped on a high-voltage power pole before being rescued. KOB's Jeff Maher reports.
The inverse relationship between statement inanity and human intelligence in relation to cat proximity 2008-04-24 18:55:48
So there was this thread on the cats discussion group at work today (yeah, you thought we worked long hours in the software industry - now the truth is out: it's really just that we have to work late at night to make up for all the time we waste talking about our pets with co-workers during the day). Someone clearly decided they had too much time on their hands and not enough work, so she challenged the cat lovers to share the most syrupy, cutsie, puke-inducing things they say to their cats when they think nobody's looking (or regardless of who's looking, whichever).
We had the full spectrum from the unsurprising Schnookums, Snugglebear and Sammy Wammy Snookie Pooh to Puddin' Cat, SpazzyJazzy and Norm-sicle. We had people (who I'm sure look perfectly normal sitting next to you in a Read more:statement
, human
, intelligence
Do pandas make you smile? YES, yes they do! 2008-04-24 14:52:41
I'm shamelessly re-posting here - I have to admit I woudn't have seen this if it hadn't been for that addictive-as-crack site Cute Overload - and then I read the NPR article and watched the video and smiled like a loon all the way through - their cute little eh! eh! noises!! their little diaper-bottoms!! their nom-nomming!!! So yes - this is an appropriate post for Cute Overload, and yes (David Gilkey is right) - Pandas do make you smile. :)
Caturday 2008-04-26 17:22:02 Finally, a sunny Caturday in Seattle. What to do?
1 - sleep in
2 - smell the flowers
3 - nap in the sun
4 - find your center
5 - All that relaxing helps keep you beautiful!
Pierre the penguin dons a wetsuit 2008-04-29 14:49:28 I love it when a plan comes together! This geriatric penguin wasn't in danger of being laughed out of the penguin enclosure because because he was going bald and had no feathers for insulation, so he looked funny and he couldn't swim with his mates. Now he looks stylin' in his new jacket, can swim it up with the best of 'em AND his feathers are growing back! I love penguins... Pierre
the penguin dons a wetsuit | NEWS.com.au
Rajah - just because he's beautiful! 2008-04-30 19:46:31 Here's a pic of my friend Rani's dog Raj - she adopted him after he'd been dumped TWICE. We can't figure out why anyone would have dumped such a gorgeous, sweet-natured dog - but it's Rani's gain because he loves her with all of his doggy heart!
It's National Volunteer Week this week 2008-04-30 19:40:27 If you don't already, why not consider volunteering? There is such a huge need for volunteers that ANYTHING you can do can make a huge difference - you don't need to have hours of spare time every day to do your bit, or a super predictable schedule - because I'm busy and my time commitments are all over the map, one thing I do in spare minutes here and there is blog for a non profit called Companions for Life. It's something I can do in the evenings or on weekends - hopefully it's useful in helping to get out their message of "No More Disposable Pets" (could I have asked for a more appropriate volunteering opportunity?!) and it takes a bit of the load off the rest of the team so they can continue to focus on education and shelter outreach.
Lots of places have opportunities on Read more:National
, Volunteer
Montana Dog Owners Find Wild-Animal Traps Put Pets in Harm’s Way - New York Times 2008-05-01 15:43:40 1. Fur trapping - do not want! 2. Wildlife traps in general - do not want! 3. Pets inadvertently killed by wildlife traps - do not want! (Dogs on leashes so they don't get caught in traps - WANT) Footloose Montana
, a nonprofit organization teaching people how to free pets inadvertently caught in traps set for wild fur-bearing animals - WANT! Montana Dog Owners
Find Wild-AnimalTraps
Put Pets in Harm’s Way - New YorkTimes Read more:New York Times
Speaking of Volunteering 2008-05-01 12:09:42 You can make a couple of phone calls today - that's all, sum total of about 3-5 minutes of your time. Here's a mail I got today from the Humane Society - I made 3 calls this morning which took about 6 minutes total. The people on the other end of the phone were all polite and took my message, along with my zipcode. It was painless and I hope my call, along with those of everyone else who takes the time to call, will make a difference.
From the HSUS mail:
Today is National Call-In Day for Downed Farm Animals! The recent Humane Society's undercover investigation of the treatment of cows at a California slaughter plant has sparked renewed attention to the downer issue, with several Congressional hearings and bills introduced. Now it's essential to keep Congress focused on the issue and Read more:Speaking
Disposable pets mentality also kills wildlife 2008-05-03 20:01:58
I just wrote a post for the Companions for Life Blog, mentioning a story that ran in the Dallas Morning News on Thursday last week that let people know a hard truth - that the thousands of animals euthanized every year at shelters like Dallas Animal Services are - by necessity - simply disposed of like trash.. AS trash - bagged and carted off twice-daily to the local landfill.
My disgust at the rampant and callous indifference of human beings that results in the conditions that make such actions necessary is boundless. That MILLIONS - not just even hundreds or thousands... MILLIONS of animals are put down in the US every year because the shelters and humane societies trying to stem the flood of unwanted animals just can't cope with the influx.
Because so many people are irresponsi Read more:Disposable
, wildlife
The Dogs of Crissy Field and other awesome ways to enjoy your pets 2008-05-06 21:20:15 I don't know any pet owners who don't rival first time parents in their enthusiastic photo-documentary of every adorable minute of their pets' lives. I have thousands of photos of Toto, for example - like this one here:
AWWW isn't he TOO CUTE? I'm in love with his paws :-)
My point here though, is this - why are all your photos sitting there on your PC when you could be doing awesome
things with them?! I use Windows Live Photo Gallery - OF COURSE - which you can download for free, that allows me to easily order prints of my favorite pictures with a couple of clicks. I can put Toto on a coffee mug, for example, or a calendar, or I can print totally personalized greeting cards.
I've been thinking about photo books lately though - I love the idea of making a book to commemorate a sp Read more:Field
, enjoy
They Shoot Horses Don't They 2008-05-06 19:08:57 I gave up watching horse racing years ago when I saw a horse go down with a broken leg in the middle of the Melbourne Cup.
Any sport that involves so much money is bound to have its share of abuses - from the hellish temperatures horses have to race in during summer in many countries, to the doping, the cruelty (why they have to beat the damn horse so much while it's running just makes me MAD - and that's the tip of the abuse iceberg), the over breeding (and in-breeding), racing horses too young, racing too many horses on a track... the list goes on and on. Oh, and then there's the gambling thing - a legal vice that costs addicts their homes and more.
I know these animals are born to run. I know they enjoy it under the right conditions. I do not agree with horseracing (or any spor Read more:Shoot
, Horses
Yes I do support spay/neuter legislation 2008-05-10 17:26:40
Because I believe that rampant breeding of companion animals by uneducated or irresponsible pet owners, as well as unregistered breeders (do I hear "puppy mills"?) is a major contributing factor to the pet overpopulation crisis that is resulting in millions of unwanted animals being euthanized in shelters every year.
That's why I was happy to help Companions for Life set up an online petition to garner support for their efforts to lobby the Dallas City Council to introduce spay/neuter legislation to try and address the problem in Dallas.
And that's why I'm asking y'all (heh, heh - I had to use that - I'm posting in support of a Texan animal welfare group after all) to sign the petion too - let me make it easy for you: CLICK HERE!
Why aren't they being evacuated?? 2008-05-13 19:05:37 When I read the following news article, my first thought was "why the hell are people risking their lives repeatedly visiting a volcano-evacuated town to feed the abandoned pets, instead of visiting once to rescue them?!" It doesn't make sense to me. Food Mission For Pets In Volcano Town (SKyNews.com) Updated:07:25, Tuesday May 13, 2008 Some 450 dogs and 350 cats left behind in a south
This post stolen straight from www.cuteoverload.com 2008-05-14 12:14:41 Because it doesn't need any adjusting. It just needs to be shared as broadly as possible so you all can be Happy Pandas too, just by looking at these awesome photos! All appropriate recognition to CNN and cuteoverload.com... enjoy! "After that devastating earthquake, that's some good news, People. News via CNN .This can only mean more snow rolling in preparation for the Olympics." Su pl Read more:stolen
Recommend Site To A Friend
