Cute animal stories

[Dryhill]

Sangye's recent thread "Escape from the Basement" has resulted in a number of funny/odd animal behaviour stories being posted, so I have decided we should have a thread for such stories. Hopefully they will lighten our days and nights plus give us the odd chuckle.

I have three to start the ball rolling:-

1. I have mentioned I had two Border Collies, well to be true the youinger one was really a Border Wally. When she was off the lead she loved to run 30 - 40 yards ahead of me, BUT wanted to know what I was doing, so she would run forward whilst looking back at me. I lost count of the amount of trees/bushes/fences and other obstacles she ran into.

2. A friend had a dog that would regularly take itself down the road to the local bakers shop where he would sit just outside the shop door. The baker would put some of the previous days stale buns in a paper bag and give it to the dog, who quite happily carried the bag in his mouth back to his home. Once it was in its garden the dog would then rip the bag apart and eat the buns!

3. In Thortnon Heath (a part of south London) there was a dog who would go upto a zebra crossing (for those that do not know what this is a description follows) and sit on the pavement till the cars had stopped. When it was sure it was safe the dog then walked across the road.

A zebra crossing is pedestrian crossing point marked by black and white stripes on the road and two flashing orange lamps. Once a pedestrian has put a foot on the crossing all lanes of traffic are supposed to stop until the pedestian is safely out of the way.

Jim

[annekat]

Great idea, Jim! I got the biggest laugh out of the dog bringing the bag of buns home and then ripping it apart. I've probably got some cat and dog stories, but will have to think on it awhile....

[Al]

Great idea, Jim! I got the biggest laugh out of the dog bringing the bag of buns home and then ripping it apart. I've probably got some cat and dog stories, but will have to think on it awhile....I, too, liked the story of the doggie buns, Jim. Don't have any dramatic ones, though all animal stories are surely cute, automatically.

When we were first married, we had a cat who would fetch, much like a Labrador. Tennis balls were clearly out of the picture, but toss a peanut, and Trina would run after it, bring it back to us, and drop it at our feet, clearly expecting the game to go on forever....

Our present cat, when she was a kitten, didn't fetch peanuts, but would play "paw-ball" with them. She would wait at the top of the stairs, awaiting the toss of the nut above her head. She would leap high like a Serval and bat the thing back to us. It was an amazing thing. But she is now older and more sedate.

This is a start, at least....

Al

[annekat]

Good start, Al. It's funny how cats all have different personalities. Some are interested in things on TV and some aren't. Not many would fetch and bring back a peanut, I don't think. My cats were all feral born and rescued as kittens and are very tuned in to their environment; if you rearrange a room or bring new objects into it, they will skulk around eyeballing the changes suspiciously. One of mine is very vocal when she wants my attention, while her brother says little but will poke at me with his paw; when I'm in bed, it's a poke in the face meaning "pet me", or "get up".

I had a cat who finally figured out I didn't like her bringing birds, dead or alive, into my house as gifts. So she started bringing in objects such as sticks, wine corks, rubber gloves, and whatever else seemed appropriate. I know she wasn't the only cat to have done this. I saw a "cat burglar" featured on TV recently, a Siamese who stole all kinds of things from the neighbors and dragged them to his home. He was caught on camera with some pretty large things, and it was quite comical. His owners had a "come and claim it" event on their lawn, with several tables piled with stuff.

I'll try to think of some dog stories.

[Al]

Anne, our present cat spent her first few months on the street. She came to live with our daughter just as the latter was starting a new (human) relationship, so Poppy is our "grandcat". It is interesting to see how she has come into her environment. For the first several months, she would not eat or sleep when anyone was watching. But now she craves laps, facial massages, and other acoutrements of being domesticated. She still is offended, however, when I try to sleep in. She will stick a single claw into my lip, not enough to break the skin, but enough to bring me to consciousness.

Al

[pberggren1]

Our cat Sophie will only sit on someones lap if they are wearing jeans. She will jump up to see and if no one is wearing jeans she looks quite disapointed and walks away.

[annekat]

Our cat Sophie will only sit on someones lap if they are wearing jeans. She will jump up to see and if no one is wearing jeans she looks quite disapointed and walks away. That is funny! So you know if someone is wearing good dress attire, she will not mess it up with cat hair.

[me2]

Ha, good stories. Before I was born my dad had a golden retriever that would 'retrieve' stuff from all the neighbors. Laundry off the clothes line, kids toys, he even brought home a basketball some how. It was a small town and everybody knew and loved the dog and would just stop by his house when they couldn't find something.

I had a standard poodle that was extremely smart. She was not allowed to beg at the table but was getting mixed signals because 'some kid' was feeding her stuff under the table that he didn't want to eat. So when not allowed under the table or next to the table to beg she would sit at juuuuust the right distance from the table and breath REALLY loud , like snoring . It was hilarious.

[annekat]

My sister used to sneak peas under the table to the cats, because she hated them. One cat would always jump on the kitchen counter, and my mother had a bugle she would blow at him to make him get down. He was a tabby with a striped tail. One time she saw a striped tail out of the corner of her eye, so grabbed the bugle and blew. It turned out to be a raccoon! This was in the middle of San Francisco, near the park.

[annekat]

Some friends of mine had a dog, Alfie, who was utterly fascinated with bobby pins (a specific kind of hairpin). If you would put one on the floor, he would just sit there and stare at it for quite awhile.

[Al]

It is interesting what a profound influence a non-human creature can have in our lives. Here is a kind of "eulogy" I wrote after a member of the family died. "Cute" isn't quite the right description of Roscoe, but, well....

Thoughts on Vitality and Mortality, Occasioned by a Pet’s Passing
…Then we bore our penultimate cat—Samantha remains—to his appointed hole in the warm
and receiving earth.

As our small cortege passed the driveway, en route to Roscoe’s rhododendron-shaded repose,
wheeling in the other direction was the recycling truck. It was pick-up day in our neighborhood.
Emblazoned on the truck, yellow-on-green, were the instructions, or hopes: “RECYCLE
REUSE RENEW”. Yes, I thought, that is, in some way, the fate of us all—indeed, the transititory
fate of all matter.

So, a living thing is just a collection of molecules? A collection, certainly, but “just…”? To raise
a point that Erwin Schrödinger himself, with his musings about the nature of life—not to mention
that famous cat of his own—would surely appreciate, it is all about the organization of
those molecules: Most collectives do not make life; a few, turbulent with just the right amount
and kind of energy, do, gloriously and riotously.

Roscoe, that great, riotous orange tabby and no foaming quantum brute, will purr among us
no more, nor warm our laps nor sleep at our feet nor welcome our many returns. His chemistry
is, now, forever altered, now to be part of a much greater chain, or pageant, of life.
We laid his bodily molecules, then, shrouded with his favorite wool blanket, into the shallow
yet abysmal pit. We gave him to the clay and its ecosystem, and we commended him to a profound
and very topical eternity.

Not that he, lately incarnated as a family pet, would be forgotten, of course. There are stories…:
Roscoe was the litter’s largest, gangliest, and klutziest. There was the time when he
hopped onto the toilet, not realizing that the lid was not down…and the time he attempted to
leap past a client at an open window, catching the luckless fellow’s large coffee in the
process…or the time he tried to enter though that same window as I was working late one
night, not noticing that, this time, the window was closed, and all I noticed was the thud and
the scrape of claws against glass as a wild, confused feline face disappeared toward the sidewalk
below…or the time that he attempted to leap onto the telephone stand, from where there is a
commanding view of the kitchen, but, falling short, instead landed on the water dish, sending
its contents spraying into the far reaches of the room, or the time that he, running full-tilt
toward the downward steps into the hall, was ambushed from a side door by his brother; startled,
he instead launched himself mightily, crashing like Evel Knievel, against the wall on the
far side….

Clumsy, and with a heart of gold—for his family. For catly challengers, he was, typically and
unapologetically, a beast of turf. (Francis Bacon talked of “tribal idols”, in discussing constraints
to human mental processing. Roscoe’s idols were, unquestionably and unquestioningly,
of the Tribe of Cat.) As late as May of his last full year, his eighteenth, Roscoe attempted to
deal with an interloper, driving his ancient frame from its (by that time) nearly useless hips to
galumph and shuffle purposefully, and not-quite futilely, across the back yard in emotionally
hot, though physically tepid pursuit. Roscoe’s always-imperfect symmetry may have finally
failed him though, as ever, he burned very bright. But now, if the metaphor of Cat Heaven can
be reified, he is once again the large, powerful animal of his youth, and has surely, satisfyingly,
marked his new territory. That evening, before and in the opposite direction from sunset, a
brilliant orange celestial glow came upon us, of a kind I had never before seen. It only lasted a
few minutes; yet the three of us who remained, Stephen, Eileen, and I (Amy had returned to
Olympia), marveled at it. Undoubtedly, there is a prosaic meteorological explanation. Howbeit,
it is consoling to think of it as a sign of safe arrival: Perhaps God is presently, as it were,
scratching him behind his oversized ears.

But we can, as well, note the symbolism without toting the metaphysical baggage. Recycle,
reuse, renew. For our family this has been a year of endings, of death. For me personally, this
includes the untimely demise of the main part of my career: assassinated and buried, even
though rigor mortis has not yet, and may never, set in. We, like Persephone, are creatures of
the seasons—of, that is to say, renewal: All rivers run to the sea, it is so. But the sun will again
rise, and again, and, through all its risings, upon joyous new flows from perpetual headwaters.

Life, then, not only recognizes life, but, drawing from the wellsprings of the universe, organizes
itself, and reorganizes itself, as well. It is thus beautiful, because it is, and, more, because we
make it so.

A. G. Swanson
29 July, 2006

1579

[annekat]

Aww.... Al, that is a wonderful tribute to your old pal, Roscoe, who, to me, looks cute in the picture. I've always liked orange cats and never been blessed with one, yet.

[me2]

Thats a better tribute than I'll get. What a great cat. My mom has an orange cat that was feral at her house. It attacks people out of the blue. I named it 'Killer' . We don't know if its a he or a she, no one wants loose a hand trying to find out.
And even Killer will be missed some day.

[Al]

Thats a better tribute than I'll get. What a great cat. My mom has an orange cat that was feral at her house. It attacks people out of the blue. I named it 'Killer' . We don't know if its a he or a she, no one wants loose a hand trying to find out.
And even Killer will be missed some day.
I've heard, Kirk, that Orange tabbies are almost invariably male--like 95 percent of the time.

We also had a "killer" cat. He was very emotional, anyway. Whenever we were gone overnight, we knew we would be in for it when we returned. Cory would wait until we were asleep (though we learned feign sleep until he go it out of his system), then attack. After he was swatted off the bed, he would come back for a second round. After that, he would be pacified. But we still had to be careful when guests were around. One visitor laughs to this day, remembering when that cat hopped on his lap. As he remembers it, we yelled in unison, "DON'T MOVE"! That animal was, all his life, like Dr. House, MD: a curmudgeonly pussycat.

Al

[me2]

Ha, thanks Al. I'll pass the information on to my 85 year old mom. I'm thinking that 95 percent odds is good enough to give up on verification. Killer is now a 'he'. Make it so. No one will argue.
'House' would be a good alternate name for 'Killer' but my mom might not get it the way we do. So 'Killer' it is.

[annekat]

I've heard the same thing about orange cats, and I think it's probably true.... all of them I've known have been male, except for one, and her name is Alice.

[Al]

I've heard the same thing about orange cats, and I think it's probably true.... all of them I've known have been male, except for one, and her name is Alice."Cheshire Alice"?

Al

[Dryhill]

Whenever we were gone overnight, we knew we would be in for it when we returned.

Al

Some friends of mine had a Dalmation and he did not like being left for more than a couple of hours. One day they had been out shopping which had taken longer than they had planned, they got back home to discover that William had gone into their bedroom, "killed and disembowled" their feather duvet. Not content with that he had then dragged the dead duvet into every room in their bungalow, it took them hours vacuuming up the feathers (think on it, switch on the vacuum and the exhaust air puts the feathers up into the air).

Jim

[annekat]

"Cheshire Alice"?

Al I don't know if Alice was named after that Alice, but it is possible. But she isn't really a Cheshire Cat type, doesn't sit around grinning. She's a sweet and demure little thing, but rugged, spends a lot of time out in nature, and friendly to me though I rarely see her. She's getting up there in years, as they all do, but last I heard, was doing well.

[Al]

Some friends of mine had a Dalmation and he did not like being left for more than a couple of hours. One day they had been out shopping which had taken longer than they had planned, they got back home to discover that William had gone into their bedroom, "killed and disembowled" their feather duvet. Not content with that he had then dragged the dead duvet into every room in their bungalow, it took them hours vacuuming up the feathers (think on it, switch on the vacuum and the exhaust air puts the feathers up into the air).

Jim
So there is a reason, Jim, that they are called Damnations....

Al

[Al]

I don't know if Alice was named after that Alice, but it is possible. But she isn't really a Cheshire Cat type, doesn't sit around grinning. She's a sweet and demure little thing, but rugged, spends a lot of time out in nature, and friendly to me though I rarely see her. She's getting up there in years, as they all do, but last I heard, was doing well.I can sympathize, Anne. Being, er, sweet and demure but rugged has not prevented me from getting long in the tooth either....

Al

[Al]

Here is an interesting one.

Watch Shanthi, an Elephant, Play a Harmonica : Discovery News (http://news.discovery.com/animals/elephant-harmonica-120503.html#mkcpgn=emnws1)

I could have done without the human soundtrack, though....

Al

[drz]

I like the animal stories where an animal will seek out help or get help or save a person. Some examples of my favorites are the mother deer who went to a house and raise a ruckus till they followed her and she lead them to a hole in the ground where her fawn has fallen into and couldn't get out. Another one was where the deer stopped a farmer in the field driving his tractor and lead him to a fence where her fawn was tangled up and couldn't escape. The pot belly pig who ran out into the road and laid down till someone followed it to the house where the owner was passed out from heart attack. The dolphins who save a person from drowning or from a shark attack. The gorilla that protected a child that fell into the gorilla pen and held it and caressed it till help could come and rescue the child and then led all the other gorillas way so child could be rescued. The gorilla that welcomed the man that raised him before he was returned to the jungle and the gorilla allowed his whole family to touch and caress his former foster parent when they reunited many years later in the jungle. I like watching these kind of videos and reading these kind of stories. And of course there are hundreds of stories about dogs saving or rescuing people in trouble.

[Sangye]

This is my favorite animal-human reunion video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozXwG-bAf1k&feature=related

[Sangye]

Here's more footage


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5vRPKIS5UM

[drz]

I love these kind of stories. Hard to believe that these animals can be so gentle and still survive in their natural surroundings. Most or many places are making illegal to own such animals as pets since most people do not have facilities or resources to provide a decent living situation in captivity.

[Debbie C]

I remember seeing that reunion a long time ago but never saw the whole story.What a great feeling that must of been feel them to be reunited like that...great story

[Dryhill]

The sad thing about that footage is the name at the end, George Adamson. Back in the 1950's George killed a lioness that attacked him, after killing the lioness he realised thnat it was suckling and after hunting about he found three cubs. Two were sent to zoos and the smallest was kept as a pet by George and his wife Joy. There are three books (Born Free, Living Free and Foreever Free) and two films about Elsa the lioness and her eventual release into the wild and about Elsa's cubs. What is interesting is that the husband and wife actors who played Joy and George gave up acting and took an active role in releasing similar pets back into the wild.

The sad thing is both Joy and George Adamson were killed, in seperate incidents, by animal poachers.

[Debbie C]

When I lived in Fl. I had 2 german shepherds and the one loved playing ball ALL the time..we had a large pool and he had a basketball and would lay at the edge of the pool and drop the basketball in,knodge it with his nose and waited till it drifted to the middle of the pool and jump in and get it then start all over again,he would do it all day if you let him. The other one that I was told was a wolf was a digger. She dug a hole next to the pool so deep I could fit a 2x12 board down it and still was deeper, then he had a place all dug out around down there to lay.I never knew what happened with all the dirt! I was afraid it was gonna cave in on her. I just love all animals, I go down to our local dog pound when I'm up to it and walk the dogs just so they can get out for awhile, it's so sad that people have them for years and just drop them off like their nothing..its really heartbreaking because they are so scared.

[Sangye]

The sad thing about that footage is the name at the end, George Adamson. Back in the 1950's George killed a lioness that attacked him, after killing the lioness he realised thnat it was suckling and after hunting about he found three cubs. Two were sent to zoos and the smallest was kept as a pet by George and his wife Joy. There are three books (Born Free, Living Free and Foreever Free) and two films about Elsa the lioness and her eventual release into the wild and about Elsa's cubs. What is interesting is that the husband and wife actors who played Joy and George gave up acting and took an active role in releasing similar pets back into the wild.

The sad thing is both Joy and George Adamson were killed, in seperate incidents, by animal poachers.
That's really interesting. I remember reading and watching Born Free as a kid.

[Sangye]

When I lived in Fl. I had 2 german shepherds and the one loved playing ball ALL the time..we had a large pool and he had a basketball and would lay at the edge of the pool and drop the basketball in,knodge it with his nose and waited till it drifted to the middle of the pool and jump in and get it then start all over again,he would do it all day if you let him. The other one that I was told was a wolf was a digger. She dug a hole next to the pool so deep I could fit a 2x12 board down it and still was deeper, then he had a place all dug out around down there to lay.I never knew what happened with all the dirt! I was afraid it was gonna cave in on her. I just love all animals, I go down to our local dog pound when I'm up to it and walk the dogs just so they can get out for awhile, it's so sad that people have them for years and just drop them off like their nothing..its really heartbreaking because they are so scared.
Thank you for taking care of the dogs, Debra. I used to do that, too. That's how I found my dog Lotus Blossoms-- the black one.

[Al]

This is my favorite animal-human reunion video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozXwG-bAf1k&feature=relatedI'd seen this before, but it still moves me every time...!

Al

[Al]

Here's more footage


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5vRPKIS5UM...I had not seen this expanded version, though. Thanks for sharing it!

Al

[Al]

Dunno whether this is "cute", but it does show the humanizing side of animals: Cats bringing out the soft side of inmates | Local News | The Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018135930_prisonpets04m.html)

Al

[Dryhill]

I have just remembered something amusing about the two Border Collies I used to have. We had been out on a walk and came to a long stretch of single track private road that was very securly fenced on both sides. As usual the two dogs were off their leads, when we came across a ram on the road. Quizzie and Freya immmediately ran forward to investigate the situation, the ram moved into the middle of the road and stomped its front hooves (or whatever rams feet are called). Being good sheep dogs they unanimously decided this was something "dad" should deal with and came back to me. The ram moved towards us so my very brave friends decided to ensure that nothing could attack me from the rear by staying about ten feet behind me.

When I eventually worked out where the ram must have come from (a comparitively small gap in the fence) I herded the ram towards the gap and after a bit of effort got it to go back into its field. Whilst I was getting the ram to go through the gap, my two dogs slipped round behind me so that when we continued our walk I was between them and the ram!

Jim

[annekat]

I'll try to make this as amusing as it was at the time, despite some negative family things that were going on. In the 1970's my dad left my mom for a woman who lived around the corner from us with her kids and dog, her marriage having dissolved around the same time. Her dog, Bandit, a black and white cockapoo type, was one of the great dogs of the world, and my dad came to love him dearly, but his one annoying trait was barking too much, or yapping, maybe I should say. We all lived in Davis, CA, where there is a great veterinary school at the Univ. of CA. My dad moved to another part of town and married his new sweetheart, who brought Bandit with her. Maybe a year or two later, they moved to Sacramento, about 15 miles away, but trips were often made to Davis for various reasons including my dad's work. On one of these trips, Bandit was along, and somehow got out of the car and vanished. He was lost! He couldn't be found, so my dad returned home, and no doubt did all the things we do when a pet is lost. Some days or weeks later, of all places, Bandit turned up at my mother's house, in his old neighborhood of a few years before. My dad drove over from Sacramento to pick him up. He appeared to have been well cared for, but it soon became apparent that something was different! Bandit could no longer bark, but could only make a guttural sort of sound out of his windpipe. It was noticed that he had a scar from an incision on the front of his throat. His voice box had been removed! In a town with a vet school, we could only surmise that it had been done by someone there or at a local vet's office. His barking had apparently driven someone crazy. In retrospect, this seems rather cruel, sad, and uncalled for. But Bandit went on to live a long and happy life as a revered member of the family, and will never be forgotten.

[Debbie C]

I'll try to make this as amusing as it was at the time, despite some negative family things that were going on. In the 1970's my dad left my mom for a woman who lived around the corner from us with her kids and dog, her marriage having dissolved around the same time. Her dog, Bandit, a black and white cockapoo type, was one of the great dogs of the world, and my dad came to love him dearly, but his one annoying trait was barking too much, or yapping, maybe I should say. We all lived in Davis, CA, where there is a great veterinary school at the Univ. of CA. My dad moved to another part of town and married his new sweetheart, who brought Bandit with her. Maybe a year or two later, they moved to Sacramento, about 15 miles away, but trips were often made to Davis for various reasons including my dad's work. On one of these trips, Bandit was along, and somehow got out of the car and vanished. He was lost! He couldn't be found, so my dad returned home, and no doubt did all the things we do when a pet is lost. Some days or weeks later, of all places, Bandit turned up at my mother's house, in his old neighborhood of a few years before. My dad drove over from Sacramento to pick him up. He appeared to have been well cared for, but it soon became apparent that something was different! Bandit could no longer bark, but could only make a guttural sort of sound out of his windpipe. It was noticed that he had a scar from an incision on the front of his throat. His voice box had been removed! In a town with a vet school, we could only surmise that it had been done by someone there or at a local vet's office. His barking had apparently driven someone crazy. In retrospect, this seems rather cruel, sad, and uncalled for. But Bandit went on to live a long and happy life as a revered member of the family, and will never be forgotten.
Its weird how animals can find their way back after so long and far away,but OMG how cruel someone was to do that.

[annekat]

Its weird how animals can find their way back after so long and far away,but OMG how cruel someone was to do that. Yes, it does seem cruel... however, my dad, being a doctor, had the impression it had been done properly, and I'm sure he was anesthetized and all.... and Bandit didn't seem any worse off for it and was just thrilled to be home. Then there's also the fact that I may be reporting some parts of the story inaccurately..... or maybe he even had a medical condition that required the larynx removal. I think my dad always thought it was the barking, but no one really knows.

I also have a cute lost cat story from my mom's childhood that doesn't involve any sort of cruelty or questionable behavior. But I'll have to make an effort to get the details straight before telling it.

[drz]

Where would we be without our faithful (http://www.care2.com/causes/grieving-pit-bull-refused-to-leave-dead-companions-side.html), furry companions? In addition to the love and courage (http://www.care2.com/causes/hero-pit-bull-drags-unconscious-owner-off-railroad-tracks.html) they bring to our everyday lives, animals can also be a source of tremendous inspiration. In China (http://www.care2.com/causes/chinese-pitch-in-to-clear-tiger-snares.html) this month, one remarkable stray dog earned the cheers of thousands when it completed an amazing test of endurance, speed and strength.The scrappy little canine, called Xiao Sa, ran nearly 2000 kilometers in a cross-country bicycle race lasting 24 days. Bow-WOW!Xiao Sa joined the cyclists in Sichuan province after Zhang Heng, 22, offered her some food during a pit stop.“She was lying, tired, on the street,” Zhang told reporters, according to website DogHeirs.com (http://www.dogheirs.com/elleng/posts/1243-loyal-stray-dog-follows-cyclists-for-24-days-and-nearly-2000-kilometers). “So we fed her, and then she followed our team.”Once Zhang and his friends realized Xiao Sa wouldn’t quit, they embraced her as a race mascot. Zhang also began microblogging about Xiao Sa’s determination. When some of the human racers needed a break from the road, Xiao Sa kept on running. They estimate that she ran between 50 and 60 km each day.“Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it,” said Zhang. “[Her] perseverance moved us a lot.”Exceptions were made whenever the route got too steep or dangerous. Zhang strapped a special carrier to the back of his bicycle and made Xiao Sa hitch a ride whenever conditions became unsafe for paws.Xiao Sa’s inspirational story soon spread across China and the world, attracting 40,000 Weibo followers and even earning the remarkable stray a spot on Chinese television (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xleppadHLGM&feature=player_embedded).Now that the race is over, Zhang hopes to adopt Xiao Sa. “I would like to take the dog home and take care of her,” he said, calling Xiao Sa his buddy and friend. “She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home.”

Read more: Bow-WOW! Stray Dog Runs Cross-Country Bike Race in China | Care2 Causes (http://www.care2.com/causes/bow-wow-stray-dog-runs-cross-country-bike-race-in-china.html#ixzz1wAp15mnI)

[drz]

I got a cute and interesting email that I would share here but don't know how to do it. The first part is pictures of a polar bear that wandered into a a persons camp to play with his dog sled team. The bear came every night for a week just to play with the dogs and to get a hug from them. The second part is about kola bears begging hikers and bikers for a drink. It showed pictures of one going to a home where it went in and crawled in the bowl water they gave it to drink and sat there there taking a bath. Really cute pix. Will try add it here if I can.162416251626

[Debbie C]

I love those pix..thanks for sharing

[Al]

Our daughter has always had a soft spot for other living things. For her birthday, my wife found a terrific little book for such softies: Unlikely Friendships (http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Friendships-Remarkable-Stories-Kingdom/dp/0761159134), but Jennifer S. Holland. There are 47 stories, a couple of which have found their way onto this forum. The others are just as remarkable.

Al

[chrisTIn@]

Wow! Wonderfull Al! Maybe I'll order it too (am a bit of a softie myself :wink1:).

[drz]

Sounds like a great read and worth checking out. I love these kind of stories.


Our daughter has always had a soft spot for other living things. For her birthday, my wife found a terrific little book for such softies: Unlikely Friendships (http://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Friendships-Remarkable-Stories-Kingdom/dp/0761159134), but Jennifer S. Holland. There are 47 stories, a couple of which have found their way onto this forum. The others are just as remarkable.

Al

[Al]

Sounds like a great read and worth checking out. I love these kind of stories.One of the stories, in fact, is about the sled dog and the polar bear. You might also be interested in the cat and the crow (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel/all-videos/av-7093-7308/ngc-the-cat-and-the-crow/).

Al

[Debbie C]

That was kinda of a sad story. Those people should not have seperarted the crow and the cat. They still could of feed it but they kept them apart for four years, how long was the crow supposed to stay around to play with his friend he couldn't get to ??!! To me they were mean .

[Al]

That was kinda of a sad story. Those people should not have seperarted the crow and the cat. They still could of feed it but they kept them apart for four years, how long was the crow supposed to stay around to play with his friend he couldn't get to ??!! To me they were mean .Didn't get that idea, Debra. The couple did bring in the cat at night, but Cassie and Mo could play together all day--and did, for several years. (Crows are not nocturnal; they are territorial during the day--probably for "marketing" reasons--but roost at night.) Crows live an average of 7-8 years, so it is likely that Mo just got old and died.

Crows and Ravens, by the way, often get the rap of being garbage eaters and even vermin. But they are actually extremely intelligent, endlessly fascinating, and very playful birds. I once watched a hundred or more crows catching the afternoon thermals against a west-facing cliff. The warm updrafts would propel them over a chestnut tree at the top--a sort of corvid roller coaster. Then they would circle around for another go. They did this for at least 45 minutes. I have seen ravens dive into the branches of a large fir tree in the summer, possibly trying to dislodge a squirrel. That winter, the same birds dove into the snow-covered branches, apparently for the sheer joy of having the powder explode all over them, as they moved on to a different branch when the first was emptied of its load.

Al

[Debbie C]

O.K. Al, the way I first looked at it the cat was looking outside the door at the bird and then there was a picture where they had a leash on the cat...so I just thought they seperated the two. As long as they were still able to play then it was a cute story !!!!
I know crows can be very mean...where I live, in the park, there are alot of hawks and if a crow sees one it will call out for other crows sometimes there'll be about 50 just after 1 hawk.
Which reminds me has anyone looked in on the owls lately...I did yesterday for the first time in ages and the one was right up into the camera.....UGLY !!!!

[annekat]

I looked in on the owls and was impressed at how they are starting to look like the adults, with those iridescent feathers. But every time I look, the light doesn't seem ideal, and I haven't gotten a good look at their faces. But if you say they are ugly, I believe you! I think the adult barn owls are beautiful, and these guys shouldn't have too much farther on their journey to become adults.

[Dryhill]

One day our cat was chasing a squirrel round the garden, the squirrel shot up a small tree, the cat shot up the tree close behind. In desperation the squirrel jumped onto the top of the privet hedge and ran across it, the cat jumped onto the top of the hedge, but due to it being heavier sank into the hedge and could not get out.

It must have taken my parents, neighbours and myself at least five minutes before we stopped laughing enough to help the very annoyed cat. Cats can often put on a very superior aloofness when they are not pleased with their human(s), sadly for Smudge it just made things seem even funnier that time.

Jim

[Dryhill]

If you can start the day without caffeine,

If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,

If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,

If you can conquer tension without medical help,

If you can relax without alcohol,

If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,


Then You Are Probably

The Family Dog!

[Al]

...If you can take criticism and blame without resentment....If you can conquer tension without medical help....

Then You Are Probably The Family Dog!



Woof...?

Al

[annekat]

One day our cat was chasing a squirrel round the garden, the squirrel shot up a small tree, the cat shot up the tree close behind. In desperation the squirrel jumped onto the top of the privet hedge and ran across it, the cat jumped onto the top of the hedge, but due to it being heavier sank into the hedge and could not get out.

It must have taken my parents, neighbours and myself at least five minutes before we stopped laughing enough to help the very annoyed cat. Cats can often put on a very superior aloofness when they are not pleased with their human(s), sadly for Smudge it just made things seem even funnier that time.

Jim That is funny! I'm a cat lover, but I can't help but think the cat deserved what it got. And I'm glad the squirrel didn't get caught.... either it was smart or it was lucky.

[Fran]

Jim, Love your ' If ' post. I really miss my two dogs but can't persuade my husband to have another but enjoy all the animal stories and watching the eagles - that'll have to do for now !!

Fran

[drz]

A link to an article about the elephant whisperer:

Wild Elephants gather inexplicably, mourn death of “Elephant Whisperer” | Delight Makers (http://delightmakers.com/news-bleat/wild-elephants-gather-inexplicably-mourn-death-of-elephant-whisperer/)

[chrisTIn@]

Great, wonderfull story, of the Elephant herd and the courageous whisperer...
Thanks for sharing this. :smile1:

[Lightwarrior]

A link to an article about the elephant whisperer:

Wild Elephants gather inexplicably, mourn death of “Elephant Whisperer” | Delight Makers (http://delightmakers.com/news-bleat/wild-elephants-gather-inexplicably-mourn-death-of-elephant-whisperer/)

Very Moving, the story was captivating to say the least.

[drz]

I don't think this story is a hoax like many of them, example being the shark following a man around after he freed it from a fishing net. The fact there is a book about his story lends credibility to me. If true, it is very impressive to me what he did and amazing how the elephants came to mourn his passing.



Very Moving, the story was captivating to say the least.

[Lightwarrior]

I don't think this story is a hoax like many of them, example being the shark following a man around after he freed it from a fishing net. The fact there is a book about his story lends credibility to me. If true, it is very impressive to me what he did and amazing how the elephants came to mourn his passing.

Well, I've read and heard other stories of how elephants mourn the death of a member of their herd, so this is very believable to me.

[Debbie C]

Its amazing how the elephants knew from so far away that the man had passed. But I believe and thanks for sharing!

[Dryhill]

Well, I've read and heard other stories of how elephants mourn the death of a member of their herd, so this is very believable to me.

Some years ago I saw an animal programme where an elephant died, about a week later the herd returned to the same place and an elephant went and picked up a bone from the carcase of the dead elephant. The interesting thing was the bone carrying elephant had been friends with the dead one and carried the bone for three or four days. It would seem some form of grieving thing.


Its amazing how the elephants knew from so far away that the man had passed. But I believe and thanks for sharing!

Elephants can communicate using infrer-sound. A lot of animals can hear sound up above our hearing range, but elephants can make a noise (and hear it) well below our ability to hear. High pitched sound is fine in open areas, but is absorbed by trees, plants and of course hills, but low pitched sound travels more easily through things and can therefore be heard many, many miles away (possibly as much as 30 miles).

So it is quite possible that a message had been passed to all interested elephants.

Jim

[annekat]

It never crossed my mind that it could be a hoax, although it did seem so amazing that the elephants would know of the death without being there. But I've read other things lately about animals having abilities we never dreamed of and way more intelligence than most of us give them credit for, and I figure, it is just like human beings to have underestimated them throughout history.

[Al]

It never crossed my mind that it could be a hoax, although it did seem so amazing that the elephants would know of the death without being there. But I've read other things lately about animals having abilities we never dreamed of and way more intelligence than most of us give them credit for, and I figure, it is just like human beings to have underestimated them throughout history.Anne, I think it is so much easier to feel smuggly superior, and to justify a good deal of cruelty, when we posit consciousness and higher emotions and the ability to plan into the future only to ourselves.

Al

[drz]

Another happy duck story:

Banker Saves a Dozen Ducklings From a Ledge---ABC News - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=9hnbmml8fOY&hd=1)

[Dryhill]

Many, many years ago I was on a walk in the Malven Hills (in Gloucestershire), with my wife and a friend, when we came upon a fox that was standing in a ditch watching us. We were amazed that it did not run away, even though we were getting closer and closer, then we realised that the fox was trapped by some wire. It turned out that there was a small hole in a hedge which someone had tried to block up with some electric flex (about 10 - 13 amp cable), and somehow the fox had got some of the flex caught in it's right-hand rear leg - and I do mean IN it's leg.

We were miles from anywhere and mobile phones had not yet been invented so I decided that if we could distract the fox I could get in the ditch with it and cut (I had a sheath knife) the flex to allow the fox to be able to move. Our very bright and intelligent friend decided the best way to distract a very scared, wild fox was to stroke its head ...... after seeing our friends hand only had one puncture wound and that it was bleeding freely, I decided he could wait for a bit before we took him to hospital and that I would try to help the fox by myself.

I got in the ditch and was able to move a lump of old tree which was causing the fox to have to stand, the fox immedaitely lay down and just watched me as I got hold of it's leg and started cutting the wire on both sides of it's leg. All told I took about four to five minutes to cut the cable and at no point did the animal growl, snap or try to bite me. When I had cut the fox free, I patted it on its back and told it to go and off it shot through the hole at a goodly rate of knots.

I had cut the flex leaving a length about six inches long still partially buried in the leg. As the wire did not seem to be very deeply buried I thought that the fox would gnaw at it and get it out, or it would fester and fall out. While I was working on the fox I did wonder if I was making matters worse, but it would take ages to find a phone and get some proper help but seeing how fast it ran off I think I did the right thing.

Oh it turned out our friend was (and still is) so scared of needles neither my wife or I could convince him to go into the hospital for an injection.

Jim

[Al]

...told it to go and off it shot through the hole at a goodly rate of knots.....Great story, Jim. Bur really: Knot hole...?!

Al

[Dryhill]

Great story, Jim. Bur really: Knot hole...?!

Al

Al, you caught me out there. :thumbsup:

Jim

[Al]

Al, you caught me out there. :thumbsup:

Jim

With wire, you sly one....

Al

[drz]

Just walked to local park to watch egrets in rookery on the lake. Saw geese feeding on grass and one lone duck browsing the parking lot and road looking for something to eat. He was different colored and looked like an abandoned pet duck with clipped wings and one all messed up. I stood and watched him for awhile and he came up to me and started pecking at my pants and shoes like trying to eat them. I watched him for several minutes and then decided to leave and walk back home. After about a half block a truck stopped to tell me the duck was following me and asked if I was taking my pet duck for a walk. The duck gave up after a block but now I wonder if it had been trained to get food by pecking at pants legs and shoes from its former owners or maybe as way of begging for handouts since many people go there to feed the ducks and geese. They can get quite aggressive about begging for food. I will bring some food along next time and see if it is still there. I don't think our local animal shelter accepts ducks but many crippled birds and others live at the levee since river is heated by local power plant and they sell bags of corn to feed the birds in the winter.

[Sangye]

Awww, poor little ducky! You might call a local wildlife rehab center to see if they can check on it, drz.

I love that you have close access to nature.

[drz]

I have gone back to the park the past two days and brought some bread to feed the duck if I saw it again. One time there were lots of geese feeding in the grass and begging for food but no ducks. There were some ducks swimming in the lake but the ones I could make out were wild mallards and wood ducks. I never knew before how noisy those egrets and cormorants are when they are settling in for the night. I like the graceful look of the egrets when gliding in to land in the trees.

[Al]

http://www.wegeners-granulomatosis.com/forum/images/attach/jpg.gif I think this qualifies as cute. This deer is napping outside my window.

Al

[Psyborg]

This one is just awesome :)

Sand Box - YouTube (http://youtu.be/i2iG9NQk9mI)