Vet Wisdom® Café

Ennui of Henri

This French kitty is called Henri, but he looks more like my Ben. I found this to be a wonderful little film - do you think your kitties think like Henri? 

 

--Tammy

Cat Musicians

I know, I know - another cute video! I just can't help myself. 

I wouldn't even know what a theremin was if it wasn't for my husband's love of weird music! But, I do know and needed to share this cute kitty with you! He could be the next big thing! He plays the theremin just about as well as anyone could! My cats would either a) LOVE this, or b) be TERRIFIED of it! What do you think your pets would do when confronted with this strange musical instrument? 

 

--Tammy

Octopus Speech

So, I happened across this video earlier this week and just had to share it with you! It seems that the researchers at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, OR are researching how their Octopus, Pearl, uses her gestures to communicate. (This is just down the road from where I live.) 

In this video, you'll hear her gestures translated. So interesting! 

 

And, so an April Fool's joke! What a fun video they put together though for this joke! I really love that these scientists have such a sense of humor! I bet they had a great time coming up with what Pearl might be thinking too! 

What do you suppose your pets might be trying to tell YOU? 

--Tammy

Beyoncé the Puppy

This amazing video story introduces us to tiny Beyoncé. This puppy was supposed to be stillborn according to her vet. She has escaped death four times in her short little life. 

Her mother was a stray and slated for euthanasia, but she was too close to giving birth to her puppies. Beth owns a rescue in Eldorado Hills, CA. She saved Beth, and her puppies were born five days later. Little Beyoncé was named for the singer - and her song titled "I Am a Survivor". 

 

Stories like this make me believe in good in the world!

--Tammy

Old Dogs

We share our Wordless Wednesday posts over at the Blogpaws blog each week. Last week, they posted this wonderful video about old dogs. 

 

The video was made by Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary.

I don't have an old dog, but we have three old cats. They are all "senior citizens" now. We've had Ben since he was 4, but Henry and Oscar have been with me (and now us) since they were kittens. I would definitely consider adopting an older pet if the opportunity arose. I know that shelters always have older pets who don't find homes as quickly as the younger pets. 

Do you have aging or old pets? Have you ever adopted an older pet? 

--Tammy

Bird Cams

Supposedly, today is the first day of spring (which is why we have SNOW in the forecast here on the OR coast?!) 

But, because spring is approaching, birds (and other critters too) are waiting for eggs to hatch with their spring babies. 

I came across these amazing "bird cams" and wanted to share with you! You can watch a bald eagle live on its nest! And hopefully in a few days, maybe see the hatchlings too! I could probably get addicted to "TV" like this! 

Live broadcasting by Ustream 

Have you seen signs of spring in your neighborhood? In spite of the freak snow storm last week (between 4-8 inches fell all along the coast in Oregon), there are definitely signs of spring here. Daffodils being the most prominent feature at this point. They're popping up all over! (This is a picture from our balcony during the snow last week!) 

--Tammy

Red Panda Cuteness

It's Monday morning, day after the time change, and I'm behind already! But, I found this cuteness to share with you! (I've come across some VERY cute pandas lately!) I hope this helps your Monday go along a little more smoothly!

 

--Tammy

Panda Thief

No, someone didn't make off with a panda!

I loved this adorable video though. It's a sibling pair of pandas. They each have a treat, but one wants BOTH treats! 

I love these videos showing us that animals are a lot like humans (Or is it that WE are a lot like animals?!) 

 

Have you ever seen your pets do something like this? I know when we had our little Miss Girl, she would try to push all of the other cats out of the way so she could have their treats!

--Tammy

Sweet Advertisement

Now, first off, I am not getting paid by Purina to post this. And, I'm not even recommending their product. 

However, this ad is just too cute and sweet to not share with you! I'm not someone who watches TV and chooses my favorite commercials. (In fact, we don't even have TV currently!) When we do have TV access, we record what we want to watch and skip the commercials. But once in a while, there is an ad that's worth watching! Enjoy this one! 

 

Do you have a favorite animal-related ad? 

--Tammy

She LOVES Sloths

So, you probably know by now, but one of my favorite things to do is to keep up on pointless celebrity gossip. When I saw this video from an Ellen TV segment, I knew I had to share it. It made me get all teary! 

Kristen Bell apparently LOVES sloths. Her boyfriend surprises her with a visit from a sloth for her birthday. She totally flips out, and even gets emotional in telling Ellen the story! It's so cute. 

 

Is there an animal that you love like she loves sloths? I am pretty enamored of turtles myself, but I don't think I've ever gotten so emotional about one! 

--Tammy

Dancing Kitty

I've come across a plethora of cute videos lately! It's hard to choose which to share! But this one definitely needs a share with you. It entertained me, and made me wonder. What is up with this cute, crazy cat?! Have your cats (or dogs) ever done anything like this? 

 

--Tammy

Kitten Agility

Have you ever seen a cat training on an agility course?! Well, I hadn't until I came across this wonderful video!! I think, if or when, Mike and I get a kitten, we should train it for agility courses! I wonder what my old boys would do with this?! How would your cats respond?

 

--Tammy

Oscar Playing

I've shared quite a bit here lately about my old man, Oscar, and his signs of aging. One day last week, he decided he wanted to PLAY. Usually he'll take a few swipes at a toy and be done with it. But this day, he played with me and their toy for about 30 minutes!

I pulled out my camera and was able to get a few videos of him playing. He likes to get the toy in his mouth and then not let go. He purrs and meows (through the toy - his mouth barely moves!) And then he leads me around. I'm not sure where he thinks he's going, or what he's really doing, but it makes me laugh!

It was so great to see him playing - I enjoyed the time immensely!I hope you enjoy this little video. (The whistle you hear is me. It's Oscar's special whistle. Often he "talks" back to me when I whistle at him!) 

 

--Tammy

Is There Anything Cuter?

Than a baby alpaca? I sure think they're cute babies! This adorable video is my favorite type - mixed species being cute together. This little alpaca and dog duo seem to have a "thing" for each other!

 

--Tammy

 

Nosara Wildlife Rescue

I first saw this amazing video on one of my favorite (non-pet) blogs, Jezebel. And yes, true to the blog post title, it did make my heart swell! 

In the video, the filmmaker tells us his story of discovering the Nosara Wildlife Rescue in Costa Rica. He and his girlfriend traveled there while on a vacation to Costa Rica and were introduced to the work they do with orphaned or injured monkeys. 

The video is wonderful, and sad, but worth taking the time to watch. These wonderful people do such good work for these amazing creatures. 

 

--Tammy

Happy Christmas!

We here at Vet Wisdom Café wish you all the best of holidays! We hope you're able to celebrate with loved ones (furry and human alike). We are taking a couple days off to celebrate too.

In the meantime, enjoy this funny video. It might come in handy as you prepare your gifts for giving! "How to Wrap a Cat" 

 

--Laurel, Tammy, and Jean

A Boy and His Dog

I got this video forwarded from a number of people last week. It's so sweet I had to share it with you!

 

Did you ever have a bond with a pet that was as strong as this little boy and his dog?

--Tammy

Owl in Slow Motion

Wow! This amazing video was something that a friend of mine posted on Facebook. I knew I had to share it with you. The captures in this slow motion movie are simply stunning.

 

--Tammy

Subliminal Advertising?

So, I came across this story in Discovery News yesterday.

It seems that in Austria, there is a TV commercial running that includes sounds that only dogs can hear. It is for Beneful Dog Food. It includes sounds that are in the high frequency range that dogs hear much better than humans.

Now, I don't have dogs, so I could only watch the commercial to see if I could hear the sounds. What about you? Play it for your dogs and see if they pay attention! (The ad is in German.)

 

What do you think of an ad aimed specifically at your pet? Is it OK for the company to have included these sounds, even though we as humans likely can't hear them all? Or is it riding that fine line of being embedded subliminal messaging?

--Tammy

Short, Sweet, and CUTE!

I received a forward of this adorable video last week and knew I needed to share it here. It's only 13 seconds long (so you have the time to take a look!!) but so adorable. 

 

Have your pets ever done something like this cute dog?

--Tammy

Oscar Chatters

So, I often share funny videos that other people have posted of their pets, but I don't have too many of my own pets to share.

Today, meet Oscar, my grumpy grey. He is chattering at a bug, and that is me  you hear in the background talking to Oscar!

Do your cats "talk" like this?

 

--Tammy

Wolf Howl

Mondays seem to be a good day for cute videos. This one really had me ... um... howling with laughter! (Pun fully intended!)

This little bitty pomeranian just can't help his instincts and winds up howling along with wolves playing on a nature show. Have your pets ever done something like this?

 

--Tammy

Bears on the Road

I laughed when I saw this video. My husband and I recently were able to take a trip to Yosemite (only about three hours from our new home). It was on his bucket list, for sure. And it was a very memorable experience, and we'll be returning many times, I'm sure.

While we didn't see any bears on our drive, we saw all the signs about them! I took this photo because the sign interested me - not something you see every day!

But - looks like visitors really do see bears. I was happy to see that the people who took the video were respectful of the critters. And didn't get out or try to approach them! How cute are these babies?

Have you ever encountered wildlife like this? We saw bears in Shenandoah a couple of years ago. One was while we were on a trail (I saw it and my husband didn't... he still gives me a hard time about my imaginary bear.) But, then after we hightailed it to our car, we encountered a bear on the road right around the curve from where we'd been.

 

--Tammy

Stewie and Fizz Girl

I came across both of these great videos on one of my favorite blogs (and guilty pleasures!) - Jezebel. Mostly I go for the celebrity type gossip... but fairly often they have some fun animal stories to post.

These videos are from Guinness World Records. Stewie is a Maine Coon cat who holds the record for "longest cat" and Fizz Girl is a "munchkin" cat who holds the record for shortest cat. Take a look and see these cute record holders in action! (If you can't view them here, see them at Stewie on YouTube or Fizz Girl on YouTube.)

 

 

--Tammy

Do Animals Like Music?

No big scientific study here - just a really funny video to share with you this morning! These cows apparently like Jazz. What about your pets? Do they like music? (Oscar does NOT like the recorder. Remember those instruments you played in grade school? He hollers at us when we "play" it for him!)

 

--Tammy

Swimming in the Air

Well, the elves behind the scenes here at the Café (um, me!) forgot that yesterday was a holiday, and didn't get a post ready for you! So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy this cute video of a dog "swimming" in the air conditioning air. I hope you're staying cool where you are - I find myself sitting in front of our cooler like this little guy - it's HOT here!

 

--Tammy

Monday Love

My co-worker Susan shared this video with me last week. I thought it was so sweet and cute that I just had to share it with you. The kitty looks a lot like my Oscar boy too! Happy Monday - enjoy!

 

--Tammy

"Fighting" Buddies

It's Monday morning. My brain hasn't kicked in quite yet for the week (how about you?) So, I thought I'd share a great video that I found sweet and entertaining both! These two seem to be the best of buddies. I love seeing dogs and cats becoming such good friends!! Hope your week is off to a good start!

 

--Tammy

Kandu the Dog

I just had to share this story with you. Kandu is a dog born with no front legs. In spite of this, he has found an amazing home, and has had help to be able to function well in his life! (And Kandu has a decisively "Can Do" attitude!) I hope you can take the time to watch this story - it's a good reminder that anything is possible! (Animals have a lot of lessons to teach us humans!)

--Tammy

Scary Apples

If you're on Facebook, you may have already seen this video. It's being passed around among friends. This little kitten is so "fierce", and doing his duty to protect the world from bad things... green apples!

 

I couldn't resist sharing. I've watched this a number of times, and just can't get over the cute! A good way to start out the week.

--Tammy

The Barking Cat

So, this video is just too odd to not share!

This cat appears to be barking - until it sees that the human behind the video is watching, and it returns to meowing! Have you ever seen (or heard) anything quite like it?! My Luna girl used to growl whenever she heard a dog on TV. Dogs in the neighborhood didn't bother her... I'd never really heard a cat growl like she did, but never have I heard one sound like this!

 

--Tammy 

Determined Dog

For a Monday morning, I thought this adorable video was a great share! This dog is just certain that the "man" on the bench should react to him! Have your pets ever done something like this?

 

--Tammy

Puppy to Adult in 40 Seconds

This is a very cool YouTube video that I stumbled across recently. I wanted to share it with you because I think it's such a cool idea! I'd love to try doing this with our next addition to the family (whenever we adopt a kitten again...) One of MY pet regrets is not having nearly enough photos of my kitties as babies!

 

--Tammy

Happy Memorial Day

As we in the United States commemorate our soldiers who have died serving our country, please enjoy these heart-warming videos of pets welcoming their soldiers home.

 

 

 

--Tammy

Maru and the box

I have shared videos of Maru in the past. He is my favorite YouTube star! I can't resist sharing him with you too!

He has a little trouble with a tricky box in this video. How do your pets react to boxes? Our cats love them, but probably a little less than Maru! :)

 

--Tammy

Stampede of Cuteness

I have written in the past about where I used to live. I was lucky enough to live on a farm for 10 years. I had a little apartment, and I got the benefit of living near the animals there. I enjoyed it very much! There were chickens, goats, a cow (for a short time), and horses. Plus many dogs and cats too.

I never knew until this that goats were cute! The family who were my landlords raised pygmy goats for 4-H. They bred them and had babies each spring. I was involved in several goat births even - a very interesting and actually emotional experience.

When I saw this goofy video, I knew I wanted to share it with you! I hope you enjoy these little goofy goats. They're more fun than watching television, I assure you! (Though they can be pretty noisy "neighbors"!)

 

--Tammy

Catch the Cuteness

I'm pretty sure I've shared the Shiba Inu Puppy Cam with you in the past. Well, the cuteness is back, live streaming online!

It's a whole new litter of pups, and you can tune in daily to watch them play and grow! If the video stream doesn't work for you here, you can visit it at http://www.ustream.tv/sfshiba

 
Online TV Shows by Ustream 
Have you ever thought of putting your pets live online? Ours are often entertaining enough, but I probably wouldn't consider it! My husband's step-brother has a live streaming chicken cam on his pet chicks in their backyard! It's actually quite entertaining to watch them!

--Tammy

Piano Playing, Singing Dog

It has been quite some time since I shared just a fun video with you. What better day to have a fun post? A co-worker sent this to me a while back, and I just knew I'd have to share it with you! It's just too funny! It made me laugh right out loud at my computer! (Probably a good thing I work at home, or it would confirm the suspicions that I might be a little crazy!)

 

Do your pets ever do crazy things like this? 

--Tammy

Slow Motion Kitten

It has been a while since I posted a fun video for you all. And this is one you really shouldn't miss out on seeing!! The amazing motion caught in a slow motion video of a kitten is really quite jaw-dropping! I hope you enjoy it. I find myself wishing I could capture more (good!) video of my cats in action. They are getting old and don't move like this youngster, but they're still really entertaining!

--Tammy

Halloween Fun!

So Halloween is this weekend. Is your pet ready? Do you celebrate with your pet for holidays? I personally don't dress up my pets, but I see so many photos of pets in costume that I love. My kitty Henry would probably allow me to dress him up (and might even like it!) He has a feather boa that he does like to wear, rather than play with.

For a fun Friday post, I came across this video on YouTube. Why Pets Hate Halloween.

Happy Friday - and safe Halloweening this weekend. My husband and I will be celebrating our second wedding anniversary. (November 1!)

  

--Tammy

Talking elephants

Nope, it's nothing like "pink elephants on parade". There is supposedly an elephant in South Korea who can speak.

Watch this CBSNews Video and see what you think of this elephant who can speak a number of words. 20-year old Kosik can speak about 7 words. Scientists want to know more about his ability. They might be able to prove, through Kosik, that elephants are capable of learning language. (If you're in a reader, visit the CBSNews website to view the video. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6939495n)

 

You've probably seen the videos of the dog saying "I love you" too. Do you think animals are capable of actually learning language? (Whether speaking or just understanding?) I know that my cats definitely understand certain words... but they don't always choose to pay attention!

--Tammy

Chasing butterflies

For Friday, I thought I'd share this really fun video. These Humboldt Penguins live at the Philadelphia Zoo. The video captures a precious moment where these great penguins take off chasing a butterfly. Shouldn't we all take a page from their book?

 

--Tammy

Chattering at Bugs

Do your cats chatter? My Oscar cat does. Most often it is at a bird out on our balcony. But I managed to catch him in action while he was chattering at a bug the other day. I was happy to actually catch him on video so I'd have a memory of him! Enjoy Oscar's video!

--Tammy

OK Go goes to the dogs

So, I've only "sort of" heard of the band OK Go. Their name is familiar to me, but honestly, that's about it. (I admit - I'm not all that "with it" when it comes to music!) But when my husband ran across this post on the Rachel Maddow Show blog, he made me take time out to watch their newest viral music video.

It's great! So much fun to watch, whether you like their music or not! Clever, simple, and fun! I hope you enjoy watching as much as I do. Visit a story about OK Go at the New York Magazine and learn more about their video and process.

--Tammy

Merengue dog

You may have already seen this amazing viral YouTube video. It's been making the rounds of email. Our loyal reader, turtlecookie, sent the link to me to share with all of you! Hope you enjoy!! Happy Friday :)

--Tammy

Simon's Cat in a box

I have shared Simon's Cat videos with you before. There is a new one!! The artist just nails cat behavior, doesn't he? Enjoy!

What is your cat's favorite toy? Is it a "real" toy, or a milk ring, twist tie, some other "trash"?

--Tammy

Cats on an exercise wheel

This video never ceases to amaze me! First, I think, "I want one of these for our cats!" Then immediately after that, "Henry would hurt himself on one of these!" Enjoy these amazing cats in action!

Would your cats like to have one of these wheels?

--Tammy

Do tigers like catnip?

Our cats LOVE catnip. They are picky though - they prefer Cosmic Catnip to any other brand. This is my Oscar - enjoying the empty carton. (Doesn't this look like it could be an ad for Cosmic?!)   

Have you ever wondered if the big cats like catnip as much as our domesticated pals do? Well, I ran across a video that shows proof.

The answer is Yes! Enjoy the video - it's quite entertaining!

--Tammy

Porcupine puppy

Nope, it's not a typo! This video is just the cutest thing ever! This porcupine acts like a puppy! It is too fun to watch! He is a 6-year-old porcupine who lives at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Snickers came to the center after being a pet! (Can you imagine?! Yikes!) Enjoy the video!

--Tammy

Orangutans in the wild

Last Friday, I posted a cute video of an orangutan swimming. I did so because it was "cute" and I thought you would enjoy, as I did.

However, on that post, I received a comment that made me really think.  (It is questionable whether this video, and the organization who provided the video, is a humane way to treat these orangutans. I haven't done enough research to make that call, so I'll let you all do the research you might want to do on that subject.)

Prior to this comment, I hadn't thought a lot about the plight of orangutans. In the wild, their numbers are rapidly decreasing. There are many reasons for their decline, and there are many ways to help these animals in their wild habitats. The commenter on last Friday's post was from an organization called Orangutan Outreach. They do great work for the orangutans in their native habitats.

On their site, they also talk more about the palm oil crisis (this was mentioned very briefly at the end of the video last Friday). Palm oil is apparently being used in many products today and the exploitation of this oil is causing much trouble to the orangutans. There are reports at the site that talk about how this is happening and what we can do to stop it.

I haven't done extensive research (yet) but I wanted to, at the very least, pass this information along to you in light of my post from last week. These "cute" videos are fun, and we all get drawn into watching them, but very often we don't consider the actual treatment of the animals. These lovely, amazing creatures are being harmed by humans. Helping an organization like the Orangutan Outreach spread their message might be a way to do our part in helping these orangutans!

--Tammy