Oh boy, I’m in trouble when I get home. And I should be probably be banned from this blog. But there’s still time left to celebrate if, like me, you didn’t know today was National Cat Day.
A big shout out to Anthony M., personal assistant to Vinny and Frankie, who alerted me to this very important occasion. Thanks! You can learn more about it here. Now I have to figure out how to make it up to the girls for failing to note their day this morning. I hope I still have carpets. And couch upholstery.

That was the subject line of an e-mail that wound its way to me through Teri. My answer to her was, Every. Single. Morning. Sadly, I don’t look half as adorable as the kitties and pups in these pics. (I threw in a squirrel and the occasional big cat just because I thought they were cute). Anyway, frequent P&C readers know how I think there’s few things cuter than a sleeping kitty so I couldn’t resist these. Enjoy. Just don’t fall asleep. Read more of this entry »

Now I think I may have heard everything. Got this today from the Best Friends Animal Society. There’s a “Pignorance Quiz” at the very end.

The current celebrity-driven craze for mythical “teacup” pigs as pets will result in thousands of these animals ending up at overburdened sanctuaries, shelters and rescue groups when they outgrow their purported small size, according to Best Friends Animal Society.

 To see video, ”>follow this link: 

Yvonne McIntosh, an animal care manager for Best Friends who is an expert on potbellied pigs, says she was “horrified” when MSNBC, The Today Show, New York Post and other media ran cutesy stories about supposedly tiny pigs and gushed when Paris Hilton and Rupert Gint, of Harry Potter fame, recently adopted supposed micro pigs.

“You can call them ‘teacup,’ ‘mini,’ ‘micro,’ or ‘thimble,’ but the truth is the supposedly tiny pigs do not exist,” says McIntosh who manages Piggy Paradise at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. “People who think they are buying a pig that stays small are being fooled. Unscrupulous breeders are breeding pigs less than a year old, and by the time the litter is born, the parents still are only about eight months old and far below their full size. Read more of this entry »

P&C friend and frequent contributor ilb sent me this photo today of his pooch Leo. ilb quotes Leo as saying, “This weather is totally ruining my hair…How can I go to Nassau and see my beloved Rangers with that look?” My answer is, Leo, if you’re really going to Nassau, you’ll fit right in

My colleague and infrequent P&C contributor Mike Risinit thoughtfully sent me this outstanding photo of his cat, Jessie, pondering her next move. This is Jessie, contemplating whether she can make the leap from computer table to Halloween spider dangling from the pull cord on a ceiling fan.

Mike, I’m sure the question on everyone’s mind is, did she do it?

….but I’ve once again been proven wrong. Wow! Most of us have seen photos of female animals who have taken on the care and feeding of babies who are not of their own kind. But this was surely a new one to me! And I’d never thought I’d ever have reason to say this, but baby skunks are adorable! Thanks to P&C friend and contributor Diane for this photo:

Maria Kessel, who lives in a community called Hammond Ridge in Bedford Corners, NY, sent LoHud.com some photos of a bobcat, yep, a bobcat, prowling around the nature preserve that surrounds her neighborhood. Kessel says that in the past three years, she and her neighbors have often seen large bobcats roaming around their properties. This photo was taken just yesterday.

I hope folks who live there who have cats keep them indoors!

Miles, the Siberian husky shown in the photo below, was shot and killed by a bow hunter in Blauvelt State Park Oct. 19. The dog’s owners, Dawn and Austin Bridges, want people to know about the incident to promote public safety. There is no bow hunting allowed in that park, and even though some LoHud.com readers are chastising the owner for walking the dog off-leash, so what? The bow could just have easily hit the dog on a leash, or anyone else. And the guy took off. Read the full story after the photos and the jump…

That’s Miles with the family’s other dog, Nick. Below is the whole family. Read more of this entry »

P&C friend and contributor ilb recently returned from a medical mission in Peru, where he still found the time to take these pics for posting here. All of my contributors should be so generous!! And he gave me my first Alpaca! Thanks much ilb! His commentary precedes his pics, (or picks, an inside joke between ilb and I) without all my exclaimations (my apologies for the coding I can’t make disappear)……take it away ilb:

The first 2 pic(k)s are of working animals. They are called Alpacas. It’s a domesticated version of Llama — a bit smaller. For some small change the tourist can take a picture of the girls with their Alpacas. Even small change is a big deal for some of the locals.9” title=”photo⁹” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3672” />8” title=”photo⁸” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3673” />

He was my breakfast buddy.7” title=”photo⁷” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3674” />6” title=”photo⁶” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3675” />

Some animals are lucky in Cuzco.5” title=”photo⁵” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3676” />

Some, not so much. But what was reassuring is that all stray dogs (we didn’t see too many stray cats) looked well fed. Not groomed, but most of them are hanging out close to many local restaurants, so they get their share.4” title=”photo⁴” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3677” />3” title=”photo³” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3678” />2” title=”photo²” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3679” />
Crossing the streets in Cuzco isn’t an easy proposition, seemingly the cars have much more privileges than pedestrians, let alone animals. So the dogs adapted. These dogs have nothing to do with me (well, maybe except we gave them some lunch leftovers). But they waited patiently until I started to cross and after we all got to the other side of the street, they just continued on their own.1” title=”photo¹” width=”225” height=”300” class=”aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3680” />

I’ll tell you, our pets do not know how good they have it! This pic(k) demonstrates that well. It’s the latest picture of Casey after we returned home. I hope you are comfortable, buddy!

Ilb, it looks like wee Casey wouldn’t last half a day on the streets of Cuzco! Thanks again for the effort and the great post.

Having covered the city of Yonkers many years ago as a reporter, I can honestly say this woman is right. The Yonkers Animal Shelter is just awful. Not that any shelter is the preferred home for a pet, but this place really is in a class of its own. So I’m happy to publicize her efforts to help the shelter reach its fundraising goal for a new facility. This is from Dena Domenicali of Armonk.

When we moved out of (Manhattan) 10 years ago, we got our dog, Rusty, from the Yonkers Animal Shelter.
He continues to give us great love and joy. We are now helping the shelter raise money to build a new facility. The current shelter was built 50 years ago to act as a short-term holding facility for lost dogs and cats. It is a cramped, depressing facility that was not built for the animals’ comfort or health, as adoption was not the goal.
A new, modern facility is critically needed to house the constant flow of abandoned and homeless pets that arrive, and to help showcase them for adoption to potential families. We’re more than halfway there — with over $2 million having already been raised. We need your help to reach the final goal.

FYI, this is Rusty:1” title=”Untitled¹” width=”150” height=”122” class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-3668” />

And here is another family pet, Sally, who was rescued from Riverside Park in the city.

So, P&C readers, here’s the deal. The Domenicalis are hosting a three-course, sit-down dinner with wine, and a silent auction with pet- and non-pet-related items at their home in Armonk. The event is Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m.. Requested donation is $150 per person, with all proceeds doing to the shelter. Donations are fully tax deductible. The event is sponsored by Fiduciary Trust Company.
RSVP by Nov. 20 to d.domenicali@yahoo.com. Seating is limited and only pre-paid reservations will be honored. Can’t join that evening? Consider buying a brick in honor of your pet, spouse, children or whomever. Visit www.newyonkersanimalshelter.org and click on “tribute brick.”

Speaking of animals needing adoption, check out my previous post.