Have You Heard the New Rage for Feline Fans? - The Poodle Cats - Take a Look!

In 1987, a mutant kitten was born in Montana with hair like a poodle. Named Miss DePesto, this kitten grew up and birthed curly kittens of her own. As the curly cat family tree grew, Miss DePesto's descendants eventually became recognized as a new breed: the Selkirk Rex.

Now, 25 years and about nine kitty generations later, researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Austria, have confirmed that these felines are genetically distinct from previously known breeds, making Selkirk Rex the fourth curly-haired cat breed known.

The genetic quirk that makes a Selkirk Rex's hair kink is a dominant trait. This makes the trait easy for breeders to retain even while crossing breeding to maintain genetic diversity. Selkirk Rex is usually crossed with Persians or British Shorthairs, making it a particularly laid back cat.

And while the Selkirk Rex is one of four curly-haired cat breeds, it easily has the best hair. Devon Rex and Cornish Rex are breeds with curly, downy, super-short hair, prone to balding, while the unimaginatively named LaPerm breed has curly hair of average length hair -- but not nearly as plush and thick as Selkirk Rex. Miss DePesto would be proud.

Check out some of these good looking mutant kitties below.

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Bizarre Shoes Made from Dead Animals

 This bizarre range of shoes may make the owner feel like they have one foot in the grave.

Crafted from dead animals, Iris Schieferstein's outlandish designs fetch up to £3,900 ($5,051.94 U.S. dollars), and have proved a hit with extreme dressers such as Lady Gaga.

Some of the most controversial pieces include a pair of sandals sporting stuffed doves with their wings spread wide and a collection of heels fashioned from hollow horse hooves.

The 45-year-old designer, from Berlin, Germany, collects carcasses from her local butcher which are discarded after the meat is used for sausages.

She spends a week stripping out any remaining meat and bones from the animal's feet and the skin is sent to a tanner to be treated for preservation.

The sculptor then sets the skin - complete with fur still in place - around a shoe model before hand-stitching insoles and lining.

She said: 'Creating the shoes is ugly work, taking the meat out is not nice, like any taxidermy.

'When I began working with dead animals I would pick them up from the street.

'But they are protected by the government in Germany, and so after ten years they tried to put me in prison. Now I use my butcher.'

The horse boots feature horse fur, a zip up the front, an intact hoof and horse bone as a heel.

While a pair of snakeskin stilettos feature a replica pistol as a heel with the reptile seemingly eating its own tail.

Describing her inspiration Ms. Schieferstein added: 'I love horses and I love shoes so I thought this would be perfect.

'Horses have a beautiful walk and I wanted to recreate that with my footwear.'

The footwear has been displayed at numerous exhibitions around the world and have even inspired a range from Dolce & Gabanna.

Despite the high price tag the footwear can only be worn for several hours at a time before becoming too uncomfortable.

Ms Schieferstein said: 'As yet no company has been willing to produce them for the high street.'

Last year the artist made a pair of custom-fit shoes for Lady Gaga.

                          Extreme dressing: A pair of shoes featuring cream horse fur with a front zip and bone heel

   Suffer for your art: The heels can only be worn for several hours at a time before becoming too uncomfortable

                             Macabre: This pair of snakeskin heels show a snake seemingly eating its own tail

Some of Iris Schieferstein's most controversial designs include a pair of sandals sporting stuffed doves

Sculptor and artist Iris Schieferstein has been using dead animals for her works, here she models a hat made from a dead bird


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Hero Dog Who Lost Snout in Motorcycle Accident Needs Chemotherapy

Kabang, a hero dog that lost her snout saving two young girls in the Philippines, has had her facial reconstruction surgery postponed so that she can undergo treatment for cancer and heartworm, veterinarians at the University of California, Davis said.

Doctors will not be able to close Kabang’s wound until she receives treatment for a vaginal tumor and heartworm.

The hero dog that lost her snout saving two young girls in the Philippines has been diagnosed with cancer.

Kabang's facial reconstruction surgery has been postponed so that she can undergo treatment for an aggressive cancerous tumor and heartworm, veterinarians at the University of California, Davis said.

"We think she has a good prognosis,” Dr. Jane Sykes, an infectious disease specialist at the university's small animal clinic, told the Daily News.

“She is doing great,” she added. “You wouldn’t know that she had these problems based on her behavior.”
Kabang's inspiring story went viral last year after she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle to protect her owner's daughter and niece.

Though Kabang is missing her snout, she is able to lap up food and water.

The owner's daughter, Dina Bunggal, 9 and her cousin, Princess Diansing, 3, were crossing a busy street in Zamboanga City when the dog appeared out of nowhere to shield them from the oncoming bike, eyewitnesses said at the time.

Kabang's entire upper jaw was torn off during the accident — an injury that had local vets advising she be put to sleep.

But her owner, Rudy Bunggal, refused.

Her story was quickly picked up by local media and gave way to several grassroots campaigns, including that of Karen Kenngott, a critical care nurse from Buffalo, N.Y., who launched Care for Kabang, the Sacramento Bee reported.

Dr. Anton Lim and veterinary medical student Heather Kennedy examine Kabang at UC Davis’ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Kenngott's online campaign raised more than $20,000 from 22 countries to send the dog to UC Davis' William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, where she underwent a battery of tests that revealed her additional ailments.

Kabang, who gave birth to six puppies April 1, needs to receive chemotherapy to treat the vaginal tumor. She will also receive other treatments for heartworm disease.

It will likely be several months before Kabang is ready to undergo dental surgery and facial reconstruction.

“A lot of the delay is going to be related to the heartworm disease that she has,” Sykes told the Daily News. “We’re keen to treat that before she has the surgery on her face because it means that she has a higher anesthetic risk.”

‘It's so nice for me to see how a little dog like this can touch so many hearts,’ Dr. Jane Sykes, not pictured, said.

UC Davis veterinarians, however, have no plans to replace her missing nose with a prosthetic.

Sykes said Kabang may eventually return to the Philippines.

“She’s a really wonderful dog,” Sykes added. “It’s so nice for me to see how a little dog like this can touch so many hearts.”

Video:




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Comparing the Costs of Human vs. Animal Health Care

I did not write this article, I am only sharing.

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Update! Dog Owner Cuddles His 19 Year-Old Dog in Lake Superior is Now Receiving Donations

John Unger, Schoep update: Donations galore after Lake Superior dog Facebook photo, YouTube video

They say dogs are man's best friend.

John Unger and Schoep of Bayfield, Wisconsin are proof of that.

Their friendship started when Unger adopted Schoep from a shelter as a puppy 19 years ago.

It turns out Schoep wasn't the only one who needed to be rescued.

"He's been my guardian for a number of years," Unger said.

Time has given them memories, but it has also taken a toll on Schoep's body.

"This joint right here kind of freezes up," Unger said pointing to Schoep's hind leg.

Arthritis and hip dysplasia have settled into Schoep's joints.

The only comfort now is a routine that keeps Schoep off his feet.

Unger takes Schoep out into Lake Superior for a dip as often as they can.

Unger gently places his arm under Schoep as they float together in the water.

With no pressure on his body, Schoep quickly falls asleep in Unger's arms.

Schoep's eyes close as his head rests on Unger's chest.

Sometimes they stay that way for hours.

"This is living," Unger said as they floated in Lake Superior Thursday evening.

Unger is careful with every minute.

He's not sure how much longer Schoep will be around.

He wanted just one picture of them in the water to capture their friendship.

He asked Hannah Stonehouse Hudson, owner of Stonehouse Photo in Bayfield, to take a few pictures.

She posted one picture of Unger and Schoep on Facebook, and it went viral within a few hours.

It has now been viewed more than 2 million times.

Unger said he is overwhelmed by all the attention.

He just wanted to capture one moment with his best friend; instead he captured the world.



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How to Free Your Dog From A Trap

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Five Things To Do If You Have Lost Your Dog

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Loyal Stray Dog in China, Wins Chinese Hearts after Following Cyclists for 1,000 Miles and Over 12 Mountains

A stray dog showed incredible loyalty, willpower and endurance, after she ran an extraordinary 1833 kilometers (1,056 miles) between China and Tibet. The small dog followed a team of cross-country cyclists after they fed her. She ran with them for 24 days, traveling from Kangding Sichuan province in China, to Lhasa in Tibet.

After they reached their destination, one of the cyclists decided to adopt the dog.

Zhang Heng, 22, told the China Daily he took up the grueling, mountainous bike race as a graduation trip to see if he could make it.

When he made a stop in Sichuan province, a small, hungry white dog approached him. "She was lying, tired, on the street," Zhang said. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team."

The little dog stayed by his team’s side night and day. At first they thought she was simply following them for the adventure. Then, Zhang said, "We felt she might want to come along with us, so we decided to bring her along to the end."

The team decided to name the dog Xiao Sa (a combination of "little" and the second syllable of Lhasa.)

The team fixed a small basket on a bike for Little Sa to carry her when she became tired and wanted to rest. However, most of the time, she insisted on running. Little Sa could run 50 to 60 kilometers a day. Cyclist Wang Zi remarked, "...She ran all the time, making me feel that she never feels tired."

As the race progressed, the number of cyclists dropped from 300 to six. Little Sa encouraged all of the remaining riders every day, as they climbed 10 grueling mountains, each higher than 4,000 meters.

"Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," Zang said. When biking downhill, Zhang put Little Sa on the back of his bike to protect her from the speeding bikes.

Little Sa would sometimes stop at milestones along the road, waiting for cyclists to catch up. When Zhang fell behind, she would put her paws on him to encourage him to keep going.

One cyclist said, "She's very smart and knows the route, because she never got lost even when we passed through mountains."

When they finally reached their destination, Zhang said he saw Little Sa as "a buddy and a friend".

"Little Sa's perseverance moved us a lot. With her encouragement we finally reached the Potala Palace." Zhang said. "I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."

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