seattle animal shelter

This is where Tara and Jon's new kittens were fostered from. I must say the shelter provided them with a lovely folder full of useful info on adopting Robin and Finch. The website too is full of excellent info for the new petparent or the casual pet-loving observer.

If only I had RealPlayer (and if only RealPlayer didn't suck), I could watch their KittyCam and DoggyCam. But I can browse their extensive Dog Lover's Bookshop. Or see what the deal is on being a good miniature goat owner. Lots of things. Why don't you visit?

some other heroes of the civil war

Today I've found a webpage on Civil War mascots for you. I thought, "Oh sure, dogs; the military always has dogs," and there are a number of them, but how about Robert E. Lee's pet hen? The 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry's badger? (Holy mackerel, a badger. Not a docile animal at best.) Or Cincinnati, Grant's horse?

Have a look, it's short, sweet and interestng.

happy birthday beatrix

"Now why is Peter Rabbit on the Google logo today?" I wondered. Turns out it's Beatrix Potter's birthday, or would have been (she died in 1943 aged 77).

Peter Piper, the original Peter, was fully worth the cleverness of his fictional counterpart; according to his loving owner 'Peter used to lie before the fire on the heart rug like a cat. He was clever at learning tricks, he used to jump through a hoop, and ring a bell, and play the tambourine.' Learn more about him and see some early Peter Rabbitness here. (Courtesy of the Victoria & Albert - ah, how I long to see it once more.)

woofstock 08 tacoma

Find good homes for deserving pets and raise money for their rescuers! Do it at Woofstock 08 on Sunday August 3, Todd Field, University of Puget Sound campus, 10 AM - 4:30 PM. Donations appreciation but entry is free. Learn more here.

british poet. loves dogs. not stuffy. look out.

Do any of you know about John Hegley? I didn't till today. He' s -- well, he's a performance poet, and he publishes books of poetry, and he loves dogs very much but is not put off by their basic animal nature. At all.

Perhaps this video will give you some idea (it's one of his poems, claymation by another)


Would you like to know more about him? Boy, why wouldn't you? Luckily he's got a website all to himself.

a gallery show of fine dog art for you east coasters!

I'm off to a wedding weekend in the Oregon desert, but can't leave until I report this:

Dog Art Today dropped me a line to say that she and a number of fellow artists are featured in the Just Dogs exhibition at La Motta Fine Art in Hartford, CT. Looks like some good things going up on those walls - congratulations Moira, and to everyone included! And thanks for keeping me in the loop!

urban squirrel

Yes, here's a city pet happily eating cracked grain (bought for duck food) at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden in SE Portland this past Sunday. Look how close I got to him!

I was idly considering the whole concept of the "urban pet" as in wild creatures to befriend in city parks. To that purpose I typed in "urban squirrel" . . .
. . . and that's what I got all right: Urban Squirrel, an animated TV series on the life and adventures of Martin Squirrel XI and his semi-feral friends. I've never seen this - perhaps any of you have? The illustrations are adorable, as you'll see. Here's one.

i can get you the third most famous rabbit

But if I look at the list provided by threelittleladiesrabbitry.com, I really can't get you numbers 2 and 1. They made this lovely and exhaustive list, and just didn't get around to the top 2. That just tickles me.

But at least you can learn all the verses of Little Bunny Foo Foo, or the resume of the Energizer Bunny. Anybody got any bunnies to add? I'd love to hear.

dogscooter

That's exacty what it sounds like. Well maybe not - is it a scooter your dog rides around town? No. You ride it and he/she/they pull you. (Hey Cash! I think I see something you need!!)

This all started here in the States, with a move to Seattle and a Rottweiler named (wait for it) Rubromarginata, in 1995. The Europeans beat us to it, of course. But long story short, with at least $250 (tiny folding model) and a mutt, you could be scootering. Or perhaps riding a sulky, or a trailer.

Why dontcha go here and learn all about it?

i know i did beckoning cats before

. . . but I've just found this great site at Japanese Buddhist Statuary, and I think it needs sharing. More pix and lore on the Maneki Neko, the lucky Japanese cat.

tara and jon's kittens

Two of my friends at work have just become proud kittenparents. I've written about Tara M's serene photography before. Here's an off the cuff session with young Robin and Finch:

Kitten cuddle!

Finch is a work of art, too.

Robin is sleepy.

Look at that face. Robin, really sleepy.

my dog is primo!

If you name your dog Primo, that is. He can always be the best on the block.
Or perhaps you tell him all your troubles: call him Alfredo, Italian for "a counselor".
He brings you his lead all the time for walkies? Call him Cordell, French for "a professional rope maker".
There's no end to the super-cool elegant monikers you can stick on your mutley if you look at this list of Male French and Italian Dog Names. How about Vachel, French for "a small cow"? I'd like to see THAT dog!

a new CAT TOWN!

Oh BOY! It's only been a couple of years, but the extra-hysterical photo-caption series CAT TOWN has come up with a new episode. . . the Animal Hat Gang is still in Alaska. Talking to a cat in a Totem Pole hat.

Feast your eyes, hurr hurr hurr.

mouse rescue

How many of you saw the Disney cartoon "The Rescuers"?
Did you know that was based on a series of books written by the dry, wry British novelist Margery Sharp? Yes, the elegant white mouse Miss Bianca came from the same pen that wrote many brisk novels of postwar England.
You should read the Miss Bianca novels. I did, at least the first several anyway, but then I grew up reading all kinds of funky Brit lit pretty much by accident (and a childhood spent partially in the "colonies"). Here is the list of Rescuers tales:

The Rescuers (1959)
Miss Bianca (1962)
The Turret (1963) (This might have been my favorite)
Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines (1966)
Miss Bianca in the Orient (1970)
Miss Bianca in the Antarctic (1971)
Miss Bianca and the Bridesmaid (1972)
Bernard the Brave (1977)
Bernard into Battle (1978)

Unfortunately Disney seems to have bogarted almost everything about them, so I can't find any illuminating links about their original glory. Hie thee to the library.

And here is a lovely site on Margery Sharp.

dogs rock in brazil

Did you see the Rock'n'Roll Dog Show in Rio de Janeiro? Held in honor of International Rock'n'Roll Day, July 13. Check it out on YouTube. Not great video quality but you get the idea.

In Sao Paulo there's a statue in memoriam to all German Shepherds everywhere.

sharing an unusual dog poem

I confess it: I'm not up on my contemporary poetry (case in point: I'm typing this to the accompaniment of Outkast's "Rosa Parks"). But today I stumbled across this piece by the American poet A. E. Stallings, An Ancient Dog Grave, Unearthed During Construction of the Athens Metro. (Stallings lives in Greece.) This is something evocative and calling forth sweetness without tugging at the usual strings, as you'll see.

It is not the curled up bones, nor even the grave
That stops me, but the blue beads on the collar
(Whose leather has long gone the way of hides)
The ones to ward off evil. A careful master
Even now protects a favorite, just so. . .

Rest of the poem here. And spare a thought for the shade of that long-ago pet.

inside the kuching cat museum

Wow! Thanks to You Tube, we can finally get a peek inside the Kuching DBKU Cat Museum in Kuching, Malaysia:



Lucky cat museum people. I wish I had a real live pet museum.

oh dear (spoiler: historic but sad)

Here is Julian Hawthorne, son of Nathaniel, writing of an incident he witnessed in his childhood. Unfortunately a recent litter of kittens goes unwittingly to itty bitty kitty heaven:

We had a cat, and the cat had had kittens a day or two before. Aunt Lizzie
came into the nursery, where Una and I were building houses of blocks, and sat
down in the big easy-chair. The cat was in the room, and she immediately came up
to my aunt and began to mew and to pluck at her dress with her claws. Such
attentions were rare on pussy's part, and my aunt noticed them with pleasure,
and caressed theanimal, which still continued to devote its entire attention to
her.But there was something odd in the sound of her mewing and in the intent
regard of her yellow eyes. "Can anything be the matter with pussy?" speculated
my aunt. At that moment my father entered the room, and my aunt rose to greet
him. Then the massacre was revealed, for she had been sitting upon the kittens.
Their poor mother pounced upon themwith a yowl, but it was too late. My dear
aunt was rather a heavy woman, and she had been sitting there fifteen minutes.
We all stood appalled in the presence of the great mystery.

Poor Aunt Lizzie. Just before relating this story, Julian had relayed an incident in which he had booted this well meaning but maladroit relative soundly in the stomach. This from Julian's Hawthorne and His Circle, chapter 1.

that monty python rabbit

Great Scott, it had a title - The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog. You do remember that wee fluffy bunny? In case not, the clip from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is here. And still mighty sweet after all these years, I want you to know.

The Wikipedia entry on the KRoC is a riot. Did you know an inspiration for the creature was a carving on the facade of Notre Dame in which a knight flees from a rabbit? (It's near the entrance, I'm told.) And that the woman who owned the actual rabbit "actor" was peeved at the amount of Kensington Gore they poured on Bunny? And that "Kensington Gore" is a name for stage blood? I swear I learn something new and weird every day. Wikipedia here.

scrub that bat!

Is your pet bat less than flitter fresh?
Perhaps you should wash the little fella.
Does this idea give you pause? Goodness, why? This article will spell it all out for you.

Plus an interesting British page on bats here.

kitty in the sky

I discovered that in the month of April the constellation Leo is high in the southern sky. In its mane is a sickle of six stars, the brightest and most imposing of which is Regulus. The name is a diminutive for "rex," which is of course a word for "king". Did you know another star in that sickle is a double? That would be Algeiba, which is said to be beautiful.

Near Leo there is Leo Minor and Lynx. No Housecat or Siamese, though a 17th century astronomy enthusiast liked to say there was a cat in the heavens. Read all about this nifty twinkly stuff here.

-- And Museum friends - your friendly curator is off for the long July 4th weekend to do some family business, so if I can post I will - otherwise back Monday or sooner. Stay well and happy till then!

and a beagle baby

Yeah! Thanks to my sister in law we now have dee-lightful pictures of the is he or isn't he? pocket beagle pup my brother has yet to name. (One of my brothers. I have many.)