The Associated Press reports that an Idaho cat entered an electrical substation, snuggled up to a warm transformer and contacted a live circuit, causing a short that blew out nine feeder lines. The cat died, but he also caused a power outage that blacked out more than 12,000 homes and businesses.
Speaking of dead cats, a dog in Britain missed the family’s dead cat so much that he dug up his grave and brought the body back into the house. The Times on Line reports that Oscar's owners woke up the next morning to discover the dog curled up beside Arthur, the late cat, in his basket.
The light was already fading when 80-year-old Martha Smith heard her dog Bo barking furiously outside her Fairburn ranch house late last Thursday afternoon.
She looked outside and saw Bo, a Border collie, facing off with a snarling mountain lion.
So Smith, who was home alone, grabbed her .22-caliber rifle, walked outside and fired a shot at the lion. She missed.
Smith went back inside and called 911, but the dispatcher had trouble finding someone from Game, Fish & Parks to come out right away and take care of the lion.
So Smith grabbed the .22 again and went back outside where Bo was keeping the lion at bay.
She walked to within about 20 or 25 feet of the lion and fired. "I got as close as I could," Smith said. "I figured he'd run. I waited until he lifted his leg to run, and I got him right in the chest where his heart would be."
Neatorama had a lot of stories and videos about cats in 2007. Here are some of the more popular ones, in case you missed them or want to see them again.
Americans now spend more than $41 billion a year on their pets, according to Business Week magazine.
This year much of that money has been spent on a wide range of exciting breakthroughs in pet care. Marty Becker, veterinarian and author of two new books, "bowWOW!" and "meowWOW" joined "Good Morning America" to talk about 2007's innovations in pet veterinary medicine.
Some of the most exciting breakthroughs: Melanoma Vaccine, Dental Disease Vaccine, New Vaccine Delivery System, and New Drug for Weight Loss among others.
Angela Marcelino rescued Maya from the Santa Clara County Animal Shelter. On June 17th, 2007, Maya returned the favor when she rescued Angela and fought off a felon and robber who was attacking Angela.
Maya is a testament to the fact that the Pit Bull breed can be hero dogs just like any other breed.
How cold was it in South Florida this week? So cold the iguanas fell from the trees.
The cold-blooded reptiles go into a deep sleep when the temperature falls into the 40s Fahrenheit (5 to 10 degrees Celsius). Their bodies turn gray, and they lose their grip, experts say.
While many of the iguanas will wake up, they could face death if low temperatures persist. Iguanas can sustain cold for four to ten hours before they have to wake up, Magill said.
According to Kenneth Krysko, a herpetologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History, losing a few iguanas "is a good thing."
"The [iguana] populations have expanded so drastically [that] when we do experience a really good cold snap, it will kill off a lot of them," Krysko said, adding that "they're not native, and they're considered a nuisance."
Back from sunny, warm Florida, which was rainy and unusually cold. Bleh.
Happy New Year!
Tons to catch up on -
Izzy e-mailed to let me know about the launch of Petside.com, a new interactive website for pets and their people. The site includes a feature called Pet Vet, a tool where cat (or dog) owners can input their pet's symptoms into the Pet Vet and get useful advice and possible diagnoses.
Monica, from Dogs Deserve Better, e-mailed me about “Have a Heart for Chained Dogs” Campaign. The group annually sends Valentines and coupons for dog treats to chained canines across the country. They're aiming to have 10,000 addresses for perpetually chained dogs. The group also needs volunteers to make the Valentines and requests donations of coupons for dog treats or dog food.
I also received an e-mail from David with a reference to A Blog About Pets which has humor, pictures, and some handy pet information.
A report from CNN, about 10 dogs that changed the world. From a Soviet dog named Laika to a dog who stood between Alexander the Great and a charging elephant.
From theGinBlog, a series of disturbing photos of a dog who stood by his companion after it was hit by a car. The dog drew in a crowd as people were amazed at the display of canine loyalty.
The Associated Press reports that an Idaho cat entered an electrical substation, snuggled up to a warm transformer and contacted a live circuit, causing a short that blew out nine feeder lines. The cat died, but he also caused a power outage that blacked out more than 12,000 homes and businesses.
" and "
" joined "Good Morning America" to talk about 2007's innovations in pet veterinary medicine.
