They Can't BEAR To Be Apart.....

As far as lifelong friendships go, Muschi thinks her large and loveable friend Maeuschen is the cat's pyjamas. The feline, which struck up the unlikely friendship with the 40-year-old Asian bear eight years ago, now can't bear to be apart from her friend. In fact, the pair are so close that zookeepers at Berlin Zoo had to reunite them after Muschi, or 'pussy' in German, pined for Maeuschen - 'little mouse' - after they were separated.

The pair were split up last October when the bear was locked in a cage while her living space was enlarged. The distraught cat soon caught the attention of zoo keepers after she remained sitting outside the bear's cage pining for her friend. This week, keepers took the unusual step of allowing the feline into the cage with her shaggy-haired pal.

'They greeted each other and had a cuddle and now they're happy,' said Heiner Kloes, a member of the zoo's management board. 'The cat has a real fan club, mostly among our older, regular visitors.' But where Muschi, a normal black domestic cat, came from remains a mystery. 'She appeared from nowhere in 2000 and we decided to leave them together because they got on so well,' Mr Kloes said.

'They sunbathed together and shared meals of raw meat, dead mice, fruit and bread.' The enlarged enclosure will reopen in the spring.

Starving Dog Exhibit Reported As A Hoax

The story of a dog being starved to death as part of an art exhibition appears to have been falsely reported by Costa Rican newspaper The Nation, according to new sources. I reported the appalling story here last week among global outrage about the exhibit and a reported invitation to repeat the work elsewhere.

It has now emerged, however, that artist Guillermo Habacuc Vargas intended the work to be a stunt to show how a starving dog suddenly becomes the center of attention when it is in a gallery, but not when it is on the street. The work was intended to expose people for what they really are - "hyprocritical sheep". He said that in order for the work to be valid, he and the gallery had to give the impression that the dog was genuinely starving to death and that it died.

Juanita Bermúdez, director of the Codex Gallery, stated that she would not have allowed the dog to be mistreated, that it ate and drank regularly, and that it was allowed to escape back to the streets from where it was taken at the end of the exhibit. "It is conceptual art and a work that leaves a social message", she said.

The stunt provoked massive outrage on a global scale, and over a million people have signed an online petition to try and prevent another dog being starved to death in a repeat of the exhibit. Unconfirmed reports say that the artist even received death threats.

They Need Our Help

The Humane Society has a new website dedicated to the education and hopefully the eventual shut down of puppy mills. Please take a moment to click on the link below and sign the pledge on the right hand side of the page. There is a list of things we can all do to help and also some painful videos that you must watch. When you see what these poor animals go through it will inspire you to do something.

Ever since the Oprah show brought much needed attention to this horrific display of animal abuse, the word has been spreading. Perez Hilton just posted a story with this link and just this weekend I saw a protest outside of a new pet store in Beverly Hills that sells designer dogs.

I have added this link to Jake and Little Edie's list of helpful links and we've also added a banner in honor of these poor animals who have no voice. They need us to speak up for them. Please, do your part. Help spread the word.

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

It's Me or the Dog

Set your TIVO!! I have a new favorite show. Animal Planet's "It's Me or The Dog". Have you seen this show? It's the UK's version of "The Dog Whisperer". The host is Victoria Stilwell, who has some very good and easy tips on solving some of the most basic dog problems. The show is set in England and is really quite funny. I love that they all have these huge open, grassy fields to take their dogs to. Little Edie would love to have all that grass to run across!

Here is a youtube clip from an episode that featured four unruly chihuahuas and a bulldog.



Here is a link to Victoria's website and the link to her show from the Animal Planet site. I have also added her to Little Edie and Jake's list of helpful links. Enjoy!!

http://www.victoriastilwell.com/

http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/its-me-or-the-dog/its-me-or-the-dog.html

Maybe They Will Do Something Right For Once....

U.S. close to decision on polar bears

The Bush administration is nearing a decision that would officially acknowledge the environmental damage of global warming, and name its first potential victim: the polar bear.The Interior Department may act as soon as this week on its year-old proposal to make the polar bear the first species to be listed as threatened with extinction because of melting ice due to a warming planet.

Both sides agree that conservationists finally have the poster species they have sought to use the Endangered Species Act as a lever to force federal limits on the greenhouse gases linked to global warming, and possibly to battle smokestack industry projects far from the Arctic."

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," said Kassie Siegel, an attorney with the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity. "And then there is the polar bear."Even Frank Luntz, the political consultant who advised President Bush six years ago to focus on discrediting the science of global warming and refer to it as "climate change," has recognized the bear's potency.

In an interview on the environmental website Grist.org, he said the public has a "soft side" for the bear. Federal government scientists have presented increasingly compelling evidence that the top predator at the top of the world is doomed if the polar regions get warmer and sea ice continues to melt as forecast. Two-thirds of the population could be gone by mid-century if current trends continue, experts say.

Bears are beholden to sea ice, where they perch so they can pounce on unsuspecting seals, their primary food.Images pop up regularly of scrawny, exhausted bears dragging themselves onto ice floes looking like bones covered in sodden white rugs. So do reports of struggling bears swimming wearily in open water. It's a shocking contrast to the pop-culture image: smiling animated bears guzzling Coca-Cola in commercials, fat lounging bears drawing crowds at zoos or fluffy Polyester stand-ins adorning children's bedrooms."These are soft and cuddly, giving bears," said Anthony Leiserowitz, a public opinion researcher and director of the Yale Project on Climate Change. "We give them to each other on Valentine's Day and tuck them in with our children at night."

All this humanizing of the ferocious carnivore makes conservationists believe they have found the charismatic mega-fauna needed to transform the issue of global warming from a distant abstraction into something real, accessible and urgent.The script calls for the big white bear to play a role similar to that of the American bald eagle in the 1970s, which was at center stage in the nascent environmental movement to tighten pesticide regulations and ban the insecticide DDT.

Conservationists hope the bear will focus the nation on curtailing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases blamed for melting ice and other symptoms of a warming planet. They are eager to press this case in court; oil and gas industries and their allies fear it.Heavy industry has reason to fear.

At least one part of the environmental community believes the bear's listing would provide the leverage to stop a coal-fired power plant thousands of miles away from the Arctic.Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who is known for his skepticism about global-warming measures, asked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall last week whether listing the polar bear could be used to halt the construction of a new power plant in Oklahoma City."

The Endangered Species Act is not the vehicle to reach out and demand all of the things that need to happen to address climate change," Hall said, to Inhofe's apparent satisfaction. Andrew E. Wetzler, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's endangered species project, said Hall misunderstands the legal principles underlying the act, which was fortified by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that carbon dioxide can be regulated as a pollutant.

If the builders of a coal-fired plant needed a federal permit, they would probably have to show how its emissions would not erode the polar bear's habitat or jeopardize its survival, Wetzler said.Several conservation groups have filed a lawsuit and threatened a second one to force the listing of the bear. Already, they have sued to nullify oil exploration leases in the Chukchi Sea, set for sale Wednesday, arguing that the bear's plight got short shrift during environmental reviews.

Is This Really Possible???

Knut is turning into a 'psychopath'

Knut, the polar bear, is a "psychopath" experts warn. The world's most famous polar bear has become addicted to human company and will never mate, it is claimed. The 13-month-old polar bear is Berlin Zoo's most famous resident. But zoologist Peter Arras described Knut as a "psychopath" to The Independent Newspaper.

German activist Frank Albrecht said that animals born in captivity end up being divorced from nature and turn into hyperactive, disturbed freaks, because they become too dependent on man. He said: "Knut is a problem bear who has become addicted to human beings."

Knut caused a worldwide sensation when he was born last March. But since then he has been at the centre of a major debate about the rights of caged animals.

What's In A Name???

When was the last time you met a Rover, Fido or Mittens? Clearly, those pet names are passé. So what’s hot to replace Spot? According to Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), Max is the most popular name given to both dogs and cats for the fifth year in a row. Following are the 10 most common dog and cat names based on a recent analysis of VPI's 450,000 insured pets:

Dogs: Max, Molly, Buddy, Bella, Lucy, Maggie, Daisy, Jake, Bailey & Rocky.

Cats: Max, Chloe, Lucy, Tiger, Smokey, Oliver, Bella, Sophie & Princess.

“The continuing popularity of Max is largely due to the fact that it is monosyllabic and simple for people and pets to remember, yet easy to distinguish from common commands," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary officer for VPI. "Plus, it's a fitting name for an active, energetic pet."

Taking a close look at the list, today’s top pet names are more likely to sound like human names rather than traditional pet monikers. A few of the top 10 even appear on the Social Security Administration's list of most common baby names. Jacob (Jake) is the top name for boys, while Isabella (Bella) is number four for girls, and Sophia ranks ninth on both the SSA's list and VPI's cat name list.

There’s a reasonable theory to support this new naming tendency. Pets are family, now more than ever before. Consider these findings from a recent pet owner survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association; 93 percent of pet parents would risk their own life for a pet; forty percent of pets sleep in our bed; and half of us carry a pet photo in our wallet!

"The prevalence of pets with human names clearly reflects the growing human-animal bond,” added McConnell. But not all pet parents run with the pack when it comes to choosing a nom de plume for pets. Ask them how they decided on a name, and you’ll likely hear a special story.

When the Rotunda family from Parker Colorado arrived home with their new Golden-Doodle puppy last winter, three-year old Jett exclaimed, “Her name is Soupy”. “I thought he meant ‘Snoopy’, but he corrected me,” recalls Jett’s mom, Stephanie Rotunda, “We don’t know where it came from but it stuck”. Sometimes it’s name-at-first-sight.

‘Reina’ means princess in Spanish. “It had to be her name,” recalls Jennifer Almodovar of Tampa Florida. “The way she was sleeping when I first saw her—she looked like a little princess.”

Other times, pets are named in honor of people we admire. “Yogi got his name because of our love for baseball,” beams Lanie Maes of Denver Colorado. “He’s named after Yogi Berra and he’s a pug, so he has a smooshed face just like Yogi Berra”!

Regardless of your motivation, remember that you’re labeling your pet for its lifetime. It’s a good idea to be creative and thoughtful about the name you select.

Sniff out the following books to enhance your search for the perfect pet name.

“The Complete Book of Pet Names: An ASPCA Book” (Paperback), by George Greenfield

“The Big Book of Pet Names: More Than 10,000 Pet Names (Includes Celebrity Pet Names)” Paperback, by Eugene Boone

“The Best Pet Name Book Ever”, by Wayne Bryant Eldridge (Paperback)

“Happy Hound: Develop a Great Relationship with Your Adopted Dog or Puppy”, by Susan Daffron.

The Dog Whisperer

I love the show The Dog Whisperer. Cesar Millan's philosophy on rehabilitating dogs and training people is so right on. I'm always trying my best to be calm and assertive with Little Edie and to show her that I am the pack leader!! Ask her how many times a day I say "Ccchhhhhhhh"!!

Set your TIVO for a new season of one hour long episodes of The Dog Whisperer. You can also catch Cesar and a ton of cool info on his website http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/. Jake and Little Edie have added Cesar's website to their 'List of Helpful Links' so you can always check in with Cesar and his pack.

Go Fed Ex!

Just got this email and pic from Karen....

"So.....I think being pet friendly is a Fed Ex requirement (unlike the USPS...ahem....).

We have a substitute Fed Ex lady on Tuesdays who loves Cooper....she freaked out one day when she thought I said "he was no longer with us", but I was talking about something else. If she sees him in the office, she literally gets on the concrete floor and rolls around with him. It's the highlight of his day. Anyway, I hadn't seen her in a while and it happened that she came in today. I told her she'd missed Cooper because he'd been in the office the last couple of days. She asked how he was...if he was eating...sleeping, etc. She then unexpectedly dug deep into those god awful Fed Ex pants...and handed me two tiny dog treats! She said they were all natural, real lamb....etc. I took them but didn't have the heart to tell her that Cooper couldn't have them. I wanted to tell her he can only have shredded carrots as a treat, but was afraid she'd pull one out of her pocket the next time around :) "

I'm telling you, there is a reason Fed Ex has that dog on the side of their truck! And a reason why dogs love them!

Polar Bear SOS

Global warming, caused by the build up of man-made carbon dioxide, is causing Arctic sea ice to melt at an alarming rate Over the past three decades, over a million square miles of sea ice -- an area the size of Norway, Denmark and Sweden combined -- has disappeared. This trend could prove catastrophic for the polar bear. Without protection, the polar bear could become the first mammal to lose 100 percent of its habitat to global warming.

The polar bear is considered a marine mammal -- like walruses, seals and whales -- because its main habitat is sea ice. They need that ice as a platform for hunting, for travel to denning areas to give birth, and for mating. As their sea ice melts and their food sources decline, polar bears are forced to swim further and further to ever-distant ice floes. During these extremely arduous swims, polar bears are increasingly drowning. And scientists predict that as the movement of sea ice increases, some bears will lose contact with a main body of ice and drift into unsuitable habitat, making it impossible to return.

As temperatures increase, scientists also expect that more rain will fall during the Arctic's late winter and spring. Unseasonable rains have already caused the snowy dens that shelter polar bear mothers and their newborn cubs to collapse, killing all the bears inside. What’s more, as a result of the decrease in sea ice, polar bear females may not gain enough weight to reproduce cubs with enough insulating fat, jeopardizing their ability to survive.

In the spring of 2006, three adult female polar bears and one yearling were found dead. Two of these females had no fat stores and apparently starved to death. Even worse, scientists project that by 2012 -- just five years from now -- most female polar bears in Western Hudson Bay may not be able to reach the minimum 417 pounds of body mass needed to successfully reproduce. Some polar bears have even been recorded cannibalizing other bears, including a female polar bear in her maternal den. This extreme behavior has never been observed in decades of polar bear study.

The Bush Administration's proposal to list the polar bear as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act is a crucial first step toward ensuring a future for these magnificent Arctic creatures. Yet the administration's proposal does not designate "critical habitat" for protection, even though melting habitat from global warming is the main threat to the polar bears survival.

Please help take action today by clicking on this link to the NRDC. Fill out the info so you can send a letter to the Bush administration telling them to protect polar bears and their critical habitat. Their goal is 500,000 letters. They are about 3/4 of the way there. Please do your part and please help spread the word.

http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/tell_Bush_to_Protect_Polar_Bears

Are you an Elephant or a Donkey??

I watched the debates this weekend and it got me thinking. Who the heck decided these two animals would be the mascots of the Republican and Democratic parties? I did a little research and here's what I found.....

The now-famous Democratic donkey was first associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a jackass (a donkey), and Jackson decided to use the image of the strong-willed animal on his campaign posters. Later, cartoonist Thomas Nast used the Democratic donkey in newspaper cartoons and made the symbol famous.

Nast invented another famous symbol—the Republican elephant. In a cartoon that appeared in Harper's Weekly in 1874, Nast drew a donkey clothed in lion's skin, scaring away all the animals at the zoo. One of those animals, the elephant, was labeled “The Republican Vote.” That's all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.

Democrats today say the donkey is smart and brave, while Republicans say the elephant is strong and dignified.

Whether you are a donkey or an elephant make sure you register to vote if you haven't already. You can pick up forms at your local post office or register online here:

https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/e4/nvra/

or print out the form to mail here:

http://www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx

Comments???

Since many of you have asked.....you do not need to have a Google/Blogger account to post a comment. If you wish to leave a comment regarding any of the 'posts' simply click below the post where it says "___ comments" (the number of current comments for the post will show where I've put the blank line). The fun part of blogging is that we can all read and share our comments regarding a particular post by clicking on this icon.

A new window will open and you can "choose an identity". Here you have the choice to use your blogger name (if you have a blog of your own) or you can fill in a name of your choice or if you are shy, you can be 'anonymous'.

Once you've chosen your identity and typed your comment, just hit "publish your comment" and your comment will show under the post.

Just a reminder please.........in order to protect everyone's privacy please do not use last names. First names only or alias/anonymous if you do not wish to show your name.

Thanks again for all of your kind emails and support :)