Paw Nation

These two dogs are more than just best friends, they share a rare bond.

Ellie, a young cavalier King Charles spaniel in England, is almost completely blind. While her owner and a local animal organization are working to raise money for a vision-restoring operation, a German shepherd named Leo has taken matters into his own paws, and is protecting and guiding her.

"Ellie has cataracts on both eyes and is only aware of shadows," explains Jean Spencer, manager of Rochdale's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in an interview with the Manchester Evening News. "But Leo, who's an absolutely massive dog, has become her eyes. It's touching to watch them together. She follows him around and snuggles up to him."

Ellie was part of a litter of five puppies rescued from harsh conditions by the RSPCA, says Julie Lander, an RSPCA volunteer and Leo and Ellie's owner. "As well as having cataracts, Ellie's eye muscles haven't developed as they should have as she'd been kept in the dark. The puppies had no light or heating. I felt so sorry for her when she arrived, and knew she'd need a special home. But I also knew she would be all right with Leo, as he just loves little dogs and they took to one another straight away," Lander tells the Manchester Evening News.

Continue reading Blind Dog Has Her Own Seeing-Eye Dog

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Funny Elephant Picture - Psychadelic Pachyderm

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Exotic Pets, Funny Animal Pictures

PhotoCatcher, Flickr

"Uh, guys? Maybe we shouldn't have eaten those weird mushrooms we found."

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Himalayans 101

Evan Jacobs — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

Getty Images

Name: Himalayan

Appearance: According to TheCatSite.com, Himalayans have large, round heads and short necks with small ears and very large, wide, blue eyes on their brachycephalic faces. They are medium to large in size, and have short legs and big feet. Their pointed coats are their most distinguishing characteristic. They come in colors from lilac to blue, cream to seal. In general, they look like large, puffy Siamese cats.

History: Unlike most breeds of cat, the history of the Himalayan is concrete and well-documented, according to Himalayan Cats Online. In 1931, cat breeder Virginia Cobb and Harvard Medical School's Dr. Clyde Keeler set out to breed a long-haired, color-pointed cat. In 1936, they succeeded by combining Persians and color-pointed cats. They wrote a paper on the Himalayan, and then disbanded their program. In the 1950s, several other breeders in England, Canada and America began to replicate the process independently, and in 1957, the Himalayan was accepted by the Cat Fanciers' Association. Since then, they have only been gaining popularity.

Personality: LoveToKnow Cats describes Himalayans as outgoing and inquisitive, but one-person animals. They find a person they like and bond to that person heavily, following him or her from room to room. While they usually maintain this bond for life, Himalayans have been known to switch owners or find new ones when circumstances dictate it.

Continue reading Himalayans 101

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Maine Coons 101

Evan Jacobs — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

Getty Images

Name: Maine coon

Appearance: According to Maine Coon Cat Nation, Maine coons generally are very large, long-haired cats with shaggy coats and pronounced manes. They are most notable for their size -- males can weigh between 13 and 18 pounds, and females between 9 and 12 -- and the massive amounts of long hair that sprouts from all over their bodies, except their faces. Their shaggy, water-repellent coat sprouts from every inch of their bodies, between toes, around the neck and, most impressively, all over their peacock-like tail. Their faces are long and expressive, and they have large, lynx-like ears.

History: Although many people believe that Maine coons came about in Maine naturally, most breeders today believe that they were created when oriental long-haired cats came to Maine in its early history and bred with the shorthairs that already were there, according to Fanciers.com. They were first written about for an 1861 cat show, so they presumably had existed for a few decades before that. Although popular in the late 1800s, they fell out of fashion by around the turn of the century with the arrival of the exotic cats of Europe and Asia. However, since the 1950s, they have been undergoing a resurgence, and today are one of the most popular breeds of cat in America.

Continue reading Maine Coons 101

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Chew on This - Hero Cats, Spying Pigeons and More!

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chew on This

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

Attack Cat Saves the Day

Lima doesn't like when you mess with her mama, a point the kitty proved by defeating two large pit bulls.[via WFAA.com]
License to Coo

Indian police arrested a pigeon on suspicion of being a Pakistani spy. The pigeon escaped using a laser watch and a charming British accent.[via My Fox LA]
Twitty Kitty

A new twitter device for cats lets the Internet know what they're up to. Most common tweet: "I hate my owner."[via Mashable]
Start Spreading the Oysters

Oysters are being used to clean up New York waterways. They not only help filter polluted water, they're also great at giving tourists directions. [via the New York Daily News]
Snake Smiting Mom

A woman wrestles an eight-foot python to save her dog. Isn't it supposed to work the other way around? [via People Pets]
Frog Crossing

Thousands of frogs are disrupting traffic in Greece. Insert joke about "Frogger" here. [via New York Times]

More Pet News

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Chew on This - $20,000 Pooch, Obamouse and More!

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chew on This

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

Pricey Training

For just $20,000, you can have your own specially trained bomb-sniffing dog. We're sure he's worth the money but for that much, maybe he can do other tricks as well? Just asking.[via The Hill]
Sneaky Antelopes

Male antelopes feign danger to keep females in heat close -- thereby giving themselves more opportunities to mate. Wonder where they learned that old trick? [via Time]
Movin' on Up

Although they live in a traffic light now, these sparrows hope someday to find a posh pad in the Times Square Jumbotron. [via the New York Post]
Four More Y--Hey, What's That?

"My fellow Americans, this filibuster is just serving as a distraction from-- Whoa, is that a mouse?" [via Yahoo]
The Squirreling Has Come

In Georgia, 17,000 people lost power when a squirrel invaded a power plant, a blatant first attack in the Great Human-Squirrel War. [via AJC]

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Manxes 101

Evan Jacobs — Thu, 27 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

Sarah_Jones, Flickr

Name: Manx

Appearance: Manxes are very round cats with curves every which way, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association. Their bodies are somewhat lumpy and can even appear fat despite even when they are in optimal health. Manxes can sport a long or a short coat. They have large jowls -- larger in males -- on their face and neck that sometimes can look like double chins. They have large eyes on their rounded heads, giving them an inquisitive, kind appearance.

The Manx's most startling attribute, however, is that it can have different types of tails. This is due to a dominant gene which is similar yet distinct form of the gene found in Japanese bobtails. Because the gene is dominant, Manxes can actually have full tails (longy), no tails (rumpy), or half-tails (stumpy).

History: According to Petfinder.com, the Manx hails from the Isle of Man, located between England and Ireland. Although no one is sure, one theory is that the cats ended up on the island after a Spanish armada vessel crashed there in 1588. Whatever happened, they could not have evolved there by themselves, and had to have been brought by someone. It is theorized, however, that the mutation that resulted in their lack of tails did originate on this island, as is common to confined populations.

Thus, Manxes have always been a presence in Europe since the mutation occurred, and came to America probably in the late 1800s, although no one knows for sure. They are increasing in popularity and are somewhat difficult to obtain as breeders can't keep up with demand.

Continue reading Manxes 101

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Funny Pig Picture - Piggy Got Back

Evan Jacobs — Wed, 26 May 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Funny Animal Pictures, Farm Animals

treehouse1977, Flickr

"I like pig butts and I cannot lie..."

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Norwegian Forest Cats 101

Evan Jacobs — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

eva101, Flickr

Name: Norwegian Forest Cat , aka Skogkatt, aka Wegie

Appearance: According to Cats of Australia, Norwegian forest cats are some of the largest cats, taking four to five years to mature. They have long fur and a long undercoat, which they shed in the summer. Like Maine coons, they often develop a mane, and have a long nose. They feature large, almond-shaped, green eyes and very expressive faces.

History: CFA Norwegian Forest Cat Breed Council notes that the Norwegian Forest Cat's history is mostly already told in its name. The cats were first seen around 4,000 years ago living in the forests of Norway. Like other feral cats at the time, they domesticated themselves.

They lived quietly in Norway until the 1930s, when cat shows gained popularity, drawing attention to the breed. After that, there was an increasing focus on breeding Norwegian forest cats and saving enough "pure" specimens to keep a living breeding population. It wasn't until 1993 that the breed was accepted by the Cat Fanciers Association for full championship status, making one of the world's oldest cats also, in a way, one of the newest. In their native country, Norwegian forest cats are known simply as Skogkatts. In the U.S., they're given the loving nickname "Wegie."

Continue reading Norwegian Forest Cats 101

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Orientals 101

Evan Jacobs — Mon, 24 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

demented-pixie, Flickr

Name: Oriental Shorthair/Longhair

Appearance: To put it simply, an Oriental cat is a Siamese cat without points, says TheCatSite.com. Like the modern Siamese, Orientals have elongated bodies, long skinny limbs, and a wedge-shaped head with large ears. They can be solid-colored, tabby-patterned, or bi-colored. They can be either short-haired or long-haired, and even in their long-haired form, they are easy to groom and maintain.

History: According to Petfinder.com, Orientals share the exact same origin as Siamese cats. The first were written about in Siam (now Thailand) in a work called "The Cat-Book Poems" from somewhere between 1300 A.D. and 1700 A.D. The manuscript described cats with Siamese bodies but with a variety of colors. In fact, it was only in the 1920s when Siamese breeders determined that only pointed Oriental cats could be referred to as Siamese.

In the middle 20th century, British breeders combined Oriental cats and Siamese cats with British shorthairs and British blues to create litters of cats with more interesting colors. American breeders quickly followed suit and the modern Oriental cat was born. The Cat Fanciers' Association accepted the breed in 1972.

Continue reading Orientals 101

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Chew on This - Kind-Hearted Ravens, Creepy Kangaroos and More

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chew on This

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

P-U-oogle

America runs on Dunkin. Google, however, runs on cow pies. (At least, at some point, it might.) [via New York Times]
Empathic Birds

Ravens console each other after a loss. And no, we aren't just talking about the football team. [via Wired]
Hunting For Little Blue Pills

A shelter dog needs to take daily Viagra to live. Even more surprising, local men have been willing to share their stash. [via NBC]
Kangaroo Perv

Remember that dog that needs Viagra? Well, this lecherous kangaroo certainly doesn't need it. [via (U.K.) Times Online]
Curb Your Dog or Hide

In Baltimore, they're going CSI on anyone who doesn't pick up after their dog. [via Chicago Tribune]
Cats Smell Like Danger

Scientists are figuring out exactly why Jerry the mouse was so intent on filling Tom's cat dish with dynamite. [via (U.K.)BBC]

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Chew on This - Happy Hounds, Slow Squids and More!

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chew on This

Rounding up our favorite animal stories, photos, and videos on the web each week!

Whale Surprise

A gray whale is seen outside of the Pacific for the first time in 300 years. Experts say it's either lost or on a road trip. [via USA Today]
Animals Do Smile

A recent study has shown that animals use the same facial muscles to show pleasure that humans do. Great news for dog comedians. [via ABC News]
Colossal Wimp

Scientists speculate that the largest invertebrate ever known to exist and possibly the true mythical Kraken is actually kind of laid-back. [via (UK) BBC]
Not So Foxy Fox

The latest cute animal to adorably get its head stuck in something is a fox. But don't worry; all is well. [via (U.K.) Daily Mail]
I Can Haz Endangered Species?

In England, a naughty bunch of cats are being equipped with bells to warn the endangered birds they've been sneaking up on. [via BBC]

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Funny Goat Picture - It's So Typical

Evan Jacobs — Fri, 14 May 2010 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Funny Animal Pictures, Farm Animals

notfrancois, Flickr

This goat is shamelessly reinforcing goat stereotypes, and setting back the Goats' Rights Movement by at least three months.

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Funny Animal Picture - Piggy on the Prowl

Evan Jacobs — Thu, 13 May 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Funny Animal Pictures

badlogik, Flickr

Go ahead, walk away. It's your loss. There are plenty of ladies who would love to go out with me.

More Funny Pictures

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Russian Blues 101

Evan Jacobs — Wed, 12 May 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cats

Arria Belli, Flickr

Name: Russian Blue

Appearance: Russian blues, according to Which Blue Cat is That, are the skinniest variety of blue cat. Although they have thin arms, legs, and body, they are not lanky like a modern Siamese. They have very short, dense, blue coats that gives them an evenly distributed light blue tint to their entire body. They have small, wedge shaped heads with wide-set triangular ears and wide-set green eyes.

History: The Cat Fancier's Association tells us that the history of the Russian blue is hazy and mysterious. It is thought that they hail either from England or one of the Scandinavian countries. They first came to the U.S. in 1949, and through the next couple of decades, they were bred without a breed standard, becoming a true, homogenous breed in the 1970s.

Personality: According to Hesseldal Russian Blue, this breed is a "true cat," exhibiting the personality of its ancestors. It is affectionate but cautious, playful yet fierce, stubborn yet loyal. It is a cat that is distrustful of strangers, but once it has accepted you, will remember you forever. Still, because these cats bond so strongly with people, prospective owners should consider adopting a Russian blue only if they can provide the extra attention these cats require.

What Owners Say: Paw Nation Facebook friend, Sabrina Cesas, says that, "Ours was very friendly; he always wanted to be in your lap. He wasn't too hyper or crazy, just a very chill cat. He definitely had an attitude too, like he was the boss. Best cat ever!"

If you are interested in adopting a Russian blue, it is best to do plenty of research. Talk to owners and go to an adoption site such as Petfinder.org, or reputable breeders.

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Funny Dog Picture - Falling Out of Bed

Evan Jacobs — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Dogs, Funny Animal Pictures

Living in Monrovia, Flickr

Sit. Good dog. Stay. Good dog. Sleep in a weird and apparently uncomfortable position on a perfectly good dog bed while your stuffed animal rests rigidly on your back.

Good dog.

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Paw Nation

Funny Bird Picture - Back from the Beauty Shop

Funny Sheep Picture - Rebel

Funny Bear Picture - Hitch

Funny Horse Picture - Paparazzi

Blind Dog Has Her Own Seeing-Eye Dog

Funny Elephant Picture - Psychadelic Pachyderm

Himalayans 101

Maine Coons 101

Chew on This - Hero Cats, Spying Pigeons and More!

Attack Cat Saves the Day

License to Coo

Twitty Kitty

Start Spreading the Oysters

Snake Smiting Mom

Frog Crossing

Chew on This - $20,000 Pooch, Obamouse and More!

Pricey Training

Sneaky Antelopes

Movin' on Up

Four More Y--Hey, What's That?

The Squirreling Has Come

Manxes 101

Funny Pig Picture - Piggy Got Back

Norwegian Forest Cats 101

Orientals 101

Chew on This - Kind-Hearted Ravens, Creepy Kangaroos and More

P-U-oogle

Empathic Birds

Hunting For Little Blue Pills

Kangaroo Perv

Curb Your Dog or Hide

Cats Smell Like Danger

Chew on This - Happy Hounds, Slow Squids and More!

Whale Surprise

Animals Do Smile

Colossal Wimp

Not So Foxy Fox

I Can Haz Endangered Species?

Funny Goat Picture - It's So Typical

Funny Animal Picture - Piggy on the Prowl

Russian Blues 101

Funny Dog Picture - Falling Out of Bed