Kitty endures a cycle in the washing machine and lives to meow about it

January 29, 2013 by 2 Comments
Natasha the kitty endured an entire cycle in the washing machine and lived to meow about it.

They say cats have nine lives. If it's really true, Natasha the kitty used one on an adventure in the washing machine. She survived an entire wash cycle, and came out fluffier in the process.Natasha,  a six-month-old Siberian Forest kitten, has always been curious about the washing machine, her owner Daryl Humdy told Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI). He didn't think being curious about the washing machine meant the cat would ever get into the washing machine. But one day last year, Daryl's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Animal health, Animals in the news, cats 2 Comments

Vote for the most unusual pet insurance claim in the 2012 VPI Hambone Awards

September 6, 2012 by 589 Comments
Baxter fell from the 11th story window and lived to meow about it. He's just one of the nominees for the 2012 VPI Hambone Awards that honor the year's most unusual pet insurance claim. (Photo: VPI nominees)

Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. is getting ready to award the 2012 Annual Hambone Award, and  you get to pick the winner!Named after a dog that ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator, the VPI Hambone Award has since been presented for three equally unusual claims. Past winners include Ellie, a Labrador retriever who gobbled up an entire beehive and its thousands of inhabitants; Lulu, a hungry bulldog who swallowed 15 baby pacifiers, a bottle cap and piece of a basketball; … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Animal health, Animals in the news, cats, Dogs, Wildlife Tagged With: , , , 589 Comments

Summer Top 10 Reading List – dogs, dogs and a little mystery

June 5, 2012 by 3 Comments

As summer nears, we bloggers here at Patheos have been asked to share our summer reading lists. Let me tell you, when you're talking about books, you're talking about my biggest love.I try to average a book a week every year; sometimes I make it. Sometimes I don't. But I always have several dozen books next to my bed, either in various stages of reading or in the "to read" pile. And I'm always adding more.So let me whittle my bedside pile down to a few books I'd love to read this summer, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Animal health, Animal history, Books, cats, Celebrities, Dogs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Pet foods recalled due to Salmonella outbreak at Diamond Pet Foods

May 5, 2012 by 3 Comments
Diamond Naturals Lamb Meal & Rice dry dog food tested positive for Salmonella, as did Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food and Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food.

It's been a busy day here at The Funny Farm as I've been trying to keep up with the recalls of dog (and now cat) foods associated with Diamond Pet Foods.It started last month when the company recalled their dry Lamb Meal and Rice formula after a bag tested positive for Salmonella.Diamond Puppy Formula dry dog food and Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult Light Formula dry dog food also tested positive. Other recalls soon followed as a precaution.Right now, the pet food recall i … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal health, Animals in the news, cats, Dogs, Recalls Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Hollywood plays host to the 26th Annual Genesis Awards, Saturday March 24, 2012 (Updated with winners)

March 23, 2012 by 55 Comments
Ian Somerhalder will be presented with the Wyler Award at the 26th Annual Genesis Awards.

Tomorrow night, the Humane Society of the United States and Hollywood will honor the major news and entertainment media who over the last year have produced "outstanding works that raise public awareness about animal issues" with the 26th Annual Genesis Awards.The list of nominees includes (full list at the end) features films like "Dolphin Tale," "Rio," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," and "War Horse" as well as talk shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show."Dancing With The Stars" judge Ca … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal health, Animal rescue, Animals and entertainment, Animals in the news, Bears, Birds, cats, Celebrities, Dogs, Elephants, Farm animals, Movies, Music, Ocean mammals, Politics, Television, Wildlife Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , 55 Comments

Man ticketed after taking cat for a jog, then tethering it to a rock

March 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Video: Cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy explains how to read a cat's body language I've venture a guess that most cat owners don't leash up their kitties and take them out for a walk in the neighborhood. Not that it can't be done. But as a man in Boulder, CO found out this week, if the cat doesn't want to go for a walk, you'd better take him home.According to DailyCamera.com,19-year-old Seth Franco, of Lafayette, CO, went out for a jog in Waneka Lake Park and took his cat with him. When … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, Animals and the law, Animals in the news, cats Tagged With: , , , , Leave a Comment

Cat and dolphins playing (video)

February 22, 2012 by 4 Comments

This video is "an oldie but goodie," as my cat-crazy friend Beth Adams Pitoniak said when someone shared it on her Facebook wall. And I saw it and and decided to share it, too!I was at Theater of the Sea once a very long time ago; I love dolphin shows. But this is even better than any tricks a dolphin can perform. Just goes to show that God's creatures have a lot to teach us about getting along, despite our differences!Watch more cute animal videos! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal behavior, cats, video Tagged With: , , , , , , 4 Comments

State police raid Wyoming County, NY SPCA following charges of animal abuse

February 15, 2012 by 2 Comments
Click the image to read the story at the BuffaloNews.com.

Just a week ago we were talking about animal cruelty and puppy mills, and in an ironic twist the New York State Police today raided the Wyoming County SPCA following allegations that "hundred cats were living under inhumane living conditions and funds were being improper handled." Police also raided an adoption center run by the Wyoming County SPCA in the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, NY.According to the BuffaloNews.com, Erie County SPCA spokeswoman Gina Browning, who is assisting with the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal rescue, Animals in the news, cats Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments

American dogs and cats obese; owners don’t see the problem in front of their eyes

February 7, 2012 by 3 Comments
The 5th annual Pet Obesity Survey revealed that our pets are getting fatter - and fatter!

The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) has released the results of their fifth annual veterinary survey, which found 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats to be classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. That equals 88.4 million pets that are too heavy, according to veterinarians.As with humans, some of the common weight-related conditions in dogs and cats include osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems, kidney disease, and s … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animal health, Animals in the news, cats, Dogs Tagged With: , , , 3 Comments

Most popular – and wacky – pet names for 2011

January 4, 2012 by 2 Comments
top pet names 2011

Bella, Bailey, Max or Charlie - chances are if you have a cat, dog or bird, that's what you call your pet. At least that's what Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), the nation's oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, found when it went through its database of more than 485,000 insured pets to determine the top pet names of 2011.The list shows a trend towards names that double as human names, from Max and Charlie to the "Twilight"-themed Bella. Of the nearly half a million pets … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Animals in the news, Birds, cats, Dogs Tagged With: , , , , , , 2 Comments

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