Pet facts & interesting stuff

The seeing eye cat

This fantastic article recently found it’s way to us by email. Terry Burns of Middleburg Pensylvania tells of a wonderful relationship between a cat and a dog named the Libby.

Open wide, what's inside?

If dental care is so important for humans and pets, what about the rest of the animal kingdom. For those in captivity - it is just as important! Particularly now that animals are living longer as a result of advances in captive care and in veterinary medicine. Zoos and wildlife parks around the world use modern techniques to anaesthetise, clean and care for animal's teeth, just like your pet's veterinarian or your own dentist.

Hibernation or a really long sleep?

Scientists say that "true" hibernators, such as ground squirrels, practically die during hibernation. Their body temperature drops to near freezing, and their organs shut down. A ground squirrel's heart rate, for example, slows from a few hundred beats per minute to just five. Even the little nut lover's bones and teeth deteriorate, as every tissue toes the line between life and death. They do wake up every few weeks. But normally, you can poke, prod, or even eat a hibernating critter and get no response.

Do dolphins call each other by name?

Bottlenose dolphins don't just whistle, click, and screech. They call themselves by name and recognise each other's names, too. Or, so says a recent study.

A dog named "Cat of the year"!

Ginny, the Schnauzer x Siberian Husky who was once named Cat of the Year, has been eulogized for her uncanny skill and bravery for rescuing cats. Ginny once threw herself against a vertical pipe at a construction site to topple it and reveal the kittens trapped inside. Another time she ignored the cuts on her paws as she dug through a box of broken glass to find an injured cat inside. Read Ginny's tales of bravery at www.ginnyfanclub.com

Bomb sniffing dogs around the world save lives and limbs

It is difficult to imagine dogs like Rosa the Belgian Malinois, traversing dangerous country, and identifying the location of landmines that kill or maim one person and 20-200 animals worldwide every 27 minutes. There are over 700 mine detection dogs just like Rosa, working in over 23 countries around the world. Find out more about canine heroes like Rosa at www.marshall-legacy.org

'Extra' the kitten with 26 toes

Extra the kitten has been aptly named by her owners - she has 26 toes that give her a distinct advantage over her naturally climbing moggie mates. Her human family noticed there was something different with the three-month-old kitten when she started scratching more than other cats.

Why can't the rest of the world get along this well?

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.