Venus and her owner, Christina, appeared on Fox and Friends this morning. Since she's an Internet sensation, fans of the "two-faced" feline can actually buy a plush toy of her. Her owner explained that she and her husband fell in love with Venus after coming across a picture on Facebook. Venus had been a stray and was living on a North Carolina dairy farm. One of the theories behind the striking look is that Venus is her own twin. Christina said she has not taken Venus for DNA tests, adding she will only if it's medically necessary. And yes, Venus has a lot of fans, including more than 222,000 on her own Facebook page. She even posted a selfie from her New York City hotel after the interview.
WACO, Texas – A dog’s touching farewell to his best friend is breaking hearts on social media. According to multiple reports, Joseph Scaramucci posted several pictures on Facebook of his pup Mattis, who was clearly heartbroken over the death of the family’s guinea pig. Otis the guinea pig reportedly died on July 28 after the family returned from vacation. Brittany Scaramucci told local reporters Mattis refused to leave his best friend’s side until his passed over the weekend. “When I went to pick up the cage and clean it up, he stayed right with me and then sat next to it and in it on the sidewalk,” Brittany said, via KFDA. “When I lifted the lid off, he made it pretty obvious that he knew something was wrong and just looked at me like ‘what is going on?’ It broke my heart.” The Scaramuccis report that Mattis is still mourning the loss of his friend of four years. “Even yesterday morning Brittany was commenting on how he wouldn’t eat,” Joseph Scaramucci added. “Mattis just seems to tolerate everything, so I was surprised.” The depressed canine probably shouldn’t surprise anyone. A 2014 study found that dogs pick up on emotions the same way humans do, so Mattis’ touching display for his dying friend was more natural than some might think.
Pets are a joy for most people. There are many benefits to owning a pet, from the pleasure you get from holding them to the exercise you get from walking them. If you are considering getting a pet, or curious how a pet may help you as you move along your multiple sclerosis (MS) path, here are some ways a pet can enrich your life. Calm your nerves Pets are more than just fun to play with. Studies have shown that they help you de-stress. If you regularly experience stress, a pet could help calm and relax you. Simply holding or stroking a pet can be calming to many people. A pet can also be someone you talk out loud to about how you feel that won't judge you. Stay active Taking a dog for a walk could be doing more than just giving you some fresh air. Dog owners who walk their pet regularly tend to do it for many years, and the extra exercise could be good for you. It's important to talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise. It's also important to consider the type of animal you get. Some dogs are more active than others, while cats tend to be more relaxed in their physical activity. Do some research and look into the type of animal that's right for you. Also consider the activity level you'd like to have, and talk to your doctor about any exercise goals a pet could help you achieve. To read more on this story, click here:The Benefits Of Living With A Pet
Dumfries,Va. - A Northern Virginia woman said she and her family are being terrorized by skunks that have recently invaded their neighborhood. Bobbi Dewitt said her family has been held hostage in their own home in Dumfries by a family of skunks for the past three days. Cell phone video they recorded shows the mother skunk and her babies hanging out near their front door, which has made it hard to avoid a whiff of their powerful stench. “I don’t know if it’s the rain that is pushing them out, I don’t know if it’s their breeding season, but whatever it is, I am just ready to reclaim my house back,” said Dewitt. She said she has lived in the Forest Park development in Dumfries for five years, but this is the first time she has noticed holes dug under her front stairs where she believes the family of skunks live during the daylight hours. But at night, they come out and wreak havoc – tearing up the trash, people’s plants and spraying anyone who dares come close. “They are spraying up under the house so when the air conditioner system goes off, it travels through the whole entire home,” Dewitt said. "So now we have to change the filters, we have to wipe walls down, we have to shampoo carpet just to get the smell out.” Meanwhile, Dewitt is taking steps to rid her home of these unwanted guests. However, she worries it will not be enough as many of her neighbors are dealing with the same nightmare. “To eliminate it, everyone is going to have to do it collectively to seal up the steps so they won’t have anywhere to live,” she said. “All I want is to be able to come and go without having to watch my surroundings and hope and pray I don’t get sprayed.” Dewitt said her homeowner’s association is still looking into the matter. In the meantime, she has contacted pest control and will spend hundreds of dollars out of her pocket to trap and remove the skunks.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who raised a lamb named "Susie" in his farmhouse in the 1960s, said Wednesday he doesn't want cats and dogs slaughtered for meat in the United States. But U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, is opposing a federal ban on the killing of dogs and cats for human consumption, while two other Iowans in Congress — Reps. David Young, R-Van Meter, and Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa City — are co-sponsors of legislation supporting such a prohibition. Grassley, a New Hartford Republican, was asked during his weekly teleconference with Iowa reporters about provisions in House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill pending in Washington, D.C., that would prohibit the slaughter of dogs or cats for human consumption. The provisions would also ban the transport of dogs or cats, or dog or cat parts, for human consumption. Grassley, a lifelong farmer, initially suggested he opposed such a ban, saying he has supported the slaughter of horses because people in some places in the world, such as Europe, may want to eat horse meat. "I don't want horse meat. I don't want dog meat. I don't want to eat cats, but if somebody wants to eat them, let them eat them," the senator said. But Grassley phoned the Des Moines Register shortly after the teleconference call to clarify his remarks. He proceeded to tell a story of how he doesn't even eat lamb meat, explaining how there were triplets in his farm's lamb flock in 1967 and one lamb named Susie had to be raised in his house. Susie lived to be 12 years old, but even when she was older, she wanted to come into the house, he said.
Forty years ago, feline hyperthyroidism was virtually nonexistent. Now it’s an epidemic — and some scientists think a class of everyday chemicals might be to blame. Most days, the back room of the Animal Endocrine Clinic in Manhattan is home to half a dozen cats convalescing in feline luxury. They lounge in their own individual “condos,” each equipped with a plush bed, a raised perch and a cozy box for hiding. Classical music plinks softly from speakers overhead. A television plays cat-friendly videos — birds chirping, squirrels scampering. Patients can also tune in to the live version: A seed-stuffed bird feeder hangs directly outside each window. One afternoon in April, a jet-black cat named Nubi assumed a predatory crouch in his condo as a brawny pigeon landed on a feeder. Dr. Mark Peterson, the soft-spoken veterinarian who runs the clinic, opened the door to Nubi’s condo and greeted the 12-year-old tom in a lilting, high-pitched voice. “How are you?” Peterson asked, reaching in to scratch his patient’s soft chin. Nubi, who typically is so temperamental that his owner jokes about needing a priest to perform an exorcism, gently acquiesced, To read more on this story, click here:The Mystery of the Wasting House-Cats
Did you know that the presence of guinea pigs in a room can increase social behaviors in children with autism? Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia recently published a study demonstrating a significant measurable increase in talking, smiling, laughing, looking at faces, making tactile contact and social approaches when children with autism and their peers played with 2 guinea pigs in a classroom. Sooner or later, most families of children with special needs begin to think about adopting a pet for therapeutic reasons. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to every type of pet. Sometimes a pet is not logistically possible, but any pet has the potential to enrich family life. Here are ten of the most popular pets for beginners, along with the pros and cons for each one. If your family wants to adopt any type of pet, large or small, consider a rescue organization such as those listed on petfinder.com. To read more on this story, click here:How to Choose the Right Pet for a Family with Special Needs
Greenfield, WI - Scott Schach, like many homeowners, had spied coyotes around his home a few times over the years. The dog-like predators can be jarring to see wandering around your yard, but they also tend to keep to themselves. That’s not what happened this time, when Schach found himself locked in a battle with two coyotes who attacked his dog Princess on his own property in Greenfield, Wisc., The Journal Sentinel reported.
Princess
“At first, I didn’t even know that it was coyotes. I just heard the ruckus,” he told WISN. Then he said he realized what was going on: Two coyotes had descended on his 90-pound German shepherd, Princess — and Princess was in trouble, the station reported. Schach plunged right into the fray. He kicked and punched at the coyotes, but they were caught up in the frenzy and didn’t flinch. He tried something else. “Somehow I got a hold of one of their tails, turned around (and) she bit my arm, got a hold of her leg and I just flung her, just gave her a fling, she bounced off my pickup truck, went up the front windshield into the night and that’s the last I saw of that one,” he told CBS 58. Princess hadn’t been able to take both of them, but with only one left, she got the upper hand. Schach told WISN he turned to find Princess pinning the other coyote down as it whined and yipped at her. He told her to let it go. “She let go and sat down, and the other one took off up the driveway, up the road,” he told the station. That was the last he saw of either coyote. Police said the dog came away with no injuries and the fight only lasted about half-a-minute, the Journal-Sentinel reported. “I was just scared. I was scared for her. I had a buddy of mine up in Greendale that lost a dog a couple of years ago to coyotes. And I was just worried about her being all bit up and such,” Schach told CBS 58. Schach told WISN the bite he got during the scuffle didn’t actually break any skin, and that he comes out with a baseball bat these days just in case. The Humane Society says coyotes have become used to humans because it is easy to find food around populated areas. But if you see “brazen” coyotes wandering fearlessly through your yard, you should take some precautions and encourage them to move along. The best method is to haze them repeatedly, according to the Humane Society. That means yelling at them, chasing them away, throwing small rubber balls or cans at them, or spraying them with water. Eventually, they will learn they are not welcome in that area.
