A Heaping Handful of Cuteness: 12 Baby Animals Who are Perfectly Palm Sized

It is really hard to not identify as an animal lover when a furry fall of adorable is staring right at you. Really though, animals seem to have the superhuman (or animal) ability to melt the ice cold facade of even the most aloof person. As Green Monsters, it is our goal to share the wonderful feeling that comes with loving animals with the entire world. Really … we’re those friends who are always posting cute cat videos or asking our social networks to donate to animal rescue organizations – but, can you blame us?!

To take a look at these adorable animals, click here: 12 Baby Animals Who are Perfectly Palm Sized


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How to Train Your Cat To Let You Sleep Sometimes

Cats sleep sixteen hours a day—but not in a row. They take naps and wake up round the clock. Their sleeping schedule is somewhat like an infant's. Whereas most adult humans like to sleep through the night. So you can see the potential for conflicts. But every conflict is an opportunity for a win-win resolution.

When cats do sleep, sometimes they use your bed, or use you as a bed, because they want to be close to you. This is endearing, but some people have trouble sleeping with a cat layed out on their stomach.

So there are two issues with which this article deals: cats awake at night, making noise, and cats asleep at night, taking over the bed.

To read more on this story, click here: How to Train Your Cat To Let You Sleep Sometimes

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We Love Shelter Pets! According To This Report, You Do Too

Shelter pets are the best! You know it, we know it and a new report shows we're far from alone in holding -- possibly also hugging and cuddling -- this belief.

The PetSmart Charities 2014 U.S. Shelter Pet Report finds that 66 percent of people considering bringing home a new pet say they would adopt their new furry friend instead of going to a breeder or other source. That's up from 58 percent in 2011.

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Watch This Firefighter Save Dog From Fire, Revive Pup Using Human Oxygen Mask (Video)

This firefighter understands that any life -- no matter the species -- is a life worth saving.

Last Thursday, firefighters responded to a burning home in Virginia, rescuing the woman inside the house, CBS6 reported. The emergency responders didn't forget her furry companion, Keiser, and carried the dog out of the home as well. Though the canine made no movement and it appeared as though he wasn't going to survive, firefighter Josh Moore and paramedic Bubby Bish decided to make a last-ditch attempt to save the pet.

Moore strapped an adult mask to its snout, administered large amounts of oxygen to the pup, and successfully saved the pup.

To read more on this story, click here: Watch This Firefighter Save Dog From Fire, Revive Pup Using Human Oxygen Mask (Video) FOLLOW US!

The Ebola Virus and Pets

DogTime recently reported on officials in Spain euthanizing a dog for being exposed to Ebola. This week in the U.S., a dog living with a Texas nurse who became infected with Ebola was placed in quarantine.

The nurse, Nina Pham, 26, was identified as the first person to contract the Ebola virus in the U.S. Pham, who was caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian Ebola victim who died of the disease, got infected through what’s been called a breach in protocol at her hospital while she cared for Duncan.

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Giant 50ft Crab Seen on Coast of Whitstable? Hoax

An image of what appears to be a giant 50ft crab on the coast of British town Whitstable is flying across the Internet, spread largely through tabloid online news sites.

The crab was apparently spotted on satellite imagery by one Quinton Winter, owner of a blog called Weird Whistable which details other oddities in the Whistable area. Winter also claimed to have seen the giant crustacean himself in “the flesh”, so to speak.

To read more on this story, click here: Giant 50ft Crab Seen on Coast of Whitstable? Hoax

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How to Raise a Piranha

Piranhas can make interesting pets with their full sets of sharp teeth and their fast and furious attack skills. Keeping piranhas is a bigger commitment than keeping other fish as pets -- they require lots of space, and they can live more than 20 years in captivity. Meanwhile, their food and water temperature needs are rather simple to accommodate.

Room to Move
Piranhas can seem cute when they're small and hiding among tank decorations much of the day, but they don't stay small. Depending on the species, adult piranha can be 12 to 16 inches long.

They come from river environments and live best in large tanks -- a 100-gallon tank suits a single adult piranha; add 20 gallons for each additional piranha. Red-bellied piranhas tend to school in the wild, so you can likely keep a few in the same tank, although they might attack each other at some point. If you're keeping a black piranha as a pet, house him alone -- he's just as likely to eat another piranha as the dinner you provide him.

Ringing the Dinner Bell
Piranhas aren't strictly carnivores, although meat is definitely their meal of choice. If you have aquatic plants in your tank, you might see your fish take a few bites here and there. They also eat fish pellets and flakes occasionally, and they can benefit from the vitamin boost these foods provide. But for most of their meals, plan on feeding protein such as krill, mealworms, earthworms or feeder fish. Unless you raise your own under controlled conditions, thaw frozen versions of these foods or buy live ones from reputable fish food suppliers. Avoid grabbing insects and worms from your yard -- they might have ingested chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, which they can transfer to your piranha.

Juvenile fish need to be fed up to four times per day, while sub-adults usually need food about twice a day. Feed mature adults about once every two days.

Home Sweet Tank
Piranhas can survive in a variety of tank conditions, but they prefer a water temperature of between 78 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit and a sandy substrate. Juveniles are especially fond of aquatic plants. In the wild, they spend much of their time hiding from predators until they reach their adult sizes. However, adults enjoy swimming among the plants as well. They also like large pieces of driftwood that offer secluded places to rest.

Keeping It on the Up and Up
Before buying a piranha for a pet, check with your local and state regulations. Many states ban piranhas because people sometimes release them into the wild; introducing non-native species can wreak havoc on your local environment. Non-native species can compete with indigenous ones for food, sometimes endangering the other species' survival. Also, state governments often don't want to risk local fisherman catching piranhas unexpectedly and potentially becoming injured. Even if you have no intention of releasing a pet piranha, always follow local regulations.

Safety First
Owning a piranha means taking a few precautions to ensure he doesn't decide your hand looks tasty for dinner. Even small, a piranha has razor-sharp teeth that can easily bite through your skin; as an adult, he can bite through bone to remove entire fingers. To prevent injury to yourself, never dip your hand in the water to feed a piranha. Also, don't place a hand with a wound, even a small scratch, in or near the top of the water -- the blood might attract the piranha, who swims powerfully enough to jump out of the water.

Clean the tank with long tools instead of putting your arm inside, and use a net to catch your fish when it's necessary to move him. He can bite through the net, so don't stabilize him with your hand. Instead, hold a second net under the first to catch the fish if he bites a hole in the first net and falls through.

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"He's a Little Stressed": 37-Pound Biggie the Cat Gets Medical Help

A troublingly overweight cat joined his thinner counterparts at the Riverside Cat Hospital as doctors hope to alleviate his constipation and potentially reduce his immense size.

The cat, aptly named Biggie, weighs a whopping 37 pounds.

"He’s a little stressed, but he’s a very gentle, nice kitty," Dr. Nichole Agarwal told NBC4 on Monday.

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