Unfur-Gettable: Puppy With Green Fur Born In Sardinia

ROME (Reuters) - Italian farmer Cristian Mallocci could not believe his eyes when Spelacchia, one of his eight dogs, gave birth to a green-furred puppy.

The tiny dog, immediately named Pistachio, was part of a five-dog litter born on Oct. 9, all with white fur, the same colour as their mixed breed mum. Except him.

To read more on this story, click here: Unfur-Gettable: Puppy With Green Fur Born In Sardinia

Scientists Have Found A Rare Half-Male, Half-Female Songbird

(CNN)It may not be one in a million, but it's pretty close.

Researchers have discovered a rare songbird that is male on one side of its body, and female on the other.

It's being described as a "once in a lifetime" discovery.

The last time the Powdermill Nature Reserve at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History found another was 15 years ago, and it's only the fifth to be discovered out of the nearly 800,000 birds that the nature reserve has seen.

To read more on this story, click here: Scientists Have Found A Rare Half-Male, Half-Female Songbird

Dressed to Impress: Florida Police Dog Wears Uniform and Tie for His Official K-9 Badge Photo

The good boy often makes appearances on the Orange County Sheriff's Office's social media feeds

Say cheese!

On Thursday, the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Florida shared with followers on social media the brand-new official badge photo of their furry K-9 member Chico.

The steadfast pup, dressed in a decorated law enforcement uniform, looks directly at the camera for the picture as he poses for the shot in front of an American flag.

"K-9 Chico posed for his new ID badge today. He even wore a tie for the photo," the department wrote alongside the picture on Instagram.

To read more on this story, click here: Dressed to Impress: Florida Police Dog Wears Uniform and Tie for His Official K-9 Badge Photo

A Piglet Had A Newborn Photoshoot And The Pictures Will Make Your Day

If there is one thing that all of us need these days, it’s a little break from the bad news we are hearing. Between the coronavirus pandemic, social unrest, and natural disasters, we are ready for a big smile and happy heart.

We are pleased to be able to bring that to you, thanks to a baby piglet named Dynamite. When her pictures were posted online, they went viral for all the right reasons.

To read more on this story, click here: A Piglet Had A Newborn Photoshoot And The Pictures Will Make Your Day

The Year's Best Wildlife Photos Reveal A Super-Chill Monkey, A Rare Siberian Tiger, And An Ant Clinging To A Beetle's Leg

• The London Natural History Museum's annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition awards photographers who highlight the fragility of Earth's wildlife. 

• This year, the contest drew over 49,000 entries from photographers in 25 countries.

• The winning images, announced this week, show a serene proboscis monkey, an iridescent squid, and a clownfish with a parasite for a tongue.

Sergey Gorshkov was determined to find a Siberian tiger. He knew it wouldn't be easy. The species is known to live only in sections of Russia and China and was hunted almost to extinction in the 20th century. In the wild, only about 540 of the tigers remain, and they're spread across vast territories.

To read more on this story, click here: The Year's Best Wildlife Photos Reveal A Super-Chill Monkey, A Rare Siberian Tiger, And An Ant Clinging To A Beetle's Leg

Why is My Older Cat Refusing to Use the Litter Box?

DEAR JOAN: One of my cats is a 15-year-old male that was feral. We’ve had him a good long time in the house, and, finally, after 10 years, he isn’t spending most of his time under a bed because there was a noise.

He has never had a problem holding everything until he could sneak out to the litter box in the dark and do his business. Then all of a sudden about two months ago he started peeing on the bath mat in one of our bathrooms. This was usually at night.

We started keeping the door shut, but he then started using the carpet in my office as his private commode, both peeing and defecating on it sometimes. I tried using some repellent that contained methyl nonyl ketone (didn’t want coyote pee smell, too) on the carpet with little or no effect on his behavior. I ended up discarding the carpet and now keep the door closed.

To read more on this story, click here: Why is My Older Cat Refusing to Use the Litter Box?

An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap

(CNN) — People are going nuts for an Ohio woodworker's latest creation: A bar that caters to neighborhood squirrels.

Michael Dutko, a 35-year-old hobbyist, has been creating art and household items from wood for most of his life, and even chronicles it on his YouTube channel Duke Harmon Woodworking. But it's his fun twist on a squirrel feeder that's made him Internet famous.

"The Nutty Bar," which is attached to his backyard fence in Hilliard, looks just like a real bar, and even has a range of nuts on tap.

To read more on this story, click here: An Ohio Man Built a Backyard Squirrel Bar with Seven Varieties of Nuts on Tap

It’s Illegal To Own Just One Guinea Pig In Switzerland Because They Get Lonely

Guinea pigs are adorable creatures who are often kept as pets. While most people immediately think of a cat or dog when contemplating a family pet, guinea pigs bring something a bit more unusual to the table (and can be a fine option for those who are allergic to cats and dogs).

Guinea pigs can be very loving and are totally lovable themselves. But, like many creatures, they can get lonely — even with an incredibly caring human owner. So it’s important that they have another guinea pig around to keep them company.

While this is just a suggestion in most countries, it’s the law in Switzerland.

To read more on this story, click here: It’s Illegal To Own Just One Guinea Pig In Switzerland Because They Get Lonely