Polkas with Pugs

Hi! I'm Birdie Puggins, and I'm your host for Polkas with Pugs, a puggerific blog for you critter lovers out there! I'll be sniffin' the 'Net for news, stories and pics about the furred, feathered, flippered, finned and otherwise critterly folk with whom you hoomans share this wonderful planet we call Earth.

(Deep, dramatic announcer's voice) In a world filled with confusion, violence, corrupt politicians, shallow sit-coms and vacuous "reality" TV, one pug stands alone ... one pug dares to raise her paw against the tide of international strife, government's betrayal of the people, and an apathetic nation's obsession with media personalities, and say, "Look! Isn't this critter cute!" One Pug to rule them all! One Pug to find them! (Erm ... sorry -- wrong gig.) That pug is Birdie. Birdie Puggins.

Um ... thank you.

East Boston cat called to jury duty

Someone is getting called for jury duty...but it's no human.
A family is trying to figure out how their pet cat was summoned for jury duty.

“I said, Sal, what’s this? You know, I don’t believe it. I was shocked,” said Guy Esposito, Sal’s owner.

Yeah! Me, too! Don't the folks down at the courthouse know that cats are notoriously lenient on criminals? Something about "professional courtesy," Mommy says.

Sal’s owners, Guy and Anna Esposito, think they may know the source of the mix up: Sal really is a member of the family, so on the last Census form, Anna Esposito listed him under “pets”.

“I just wrote ‘Sal Esposito’, scratched out the ‘dog,’ and wrote, ‘cat,’” said Anna.

Anna filed for Sal’s disqualification of service. However, the jury commissioner was unmoved and denied the request.

Sal’s service date at Suffolk Superior Court is set for March 23. Anna said that if the issue isn’t cleared up by then, she will simply have to bring the cat to court.

Heh. It will serve them right if he uses the baliff's leg for a scratching post. "Jury duty," indeed! Don't drag us critters into your petty hooman squabbles. Unless, of course, there's an animal cruelty case coming before the court. What I wouldn't have given to have been on Michael Vick's jury!! He wouldn't be out walkin' around free now, I can tell you!

Hang 'em high, Sal.

Bunny petting catches on in Japanese cafe ntdtv.com (New Tang Dynasty Television)

An enterprising Japanese café has pulled a rabbit – actually a lot of rabbits – out of it’s marketing hat.

The "Usagi-to-Cafe" or "The Rabbit and Cafe" in the central Japanese city of Nagoya, is drawing on the soothing effect of petting live bunnies to attract more customers.

[Hiromi Ono, Businesswoman and Customer]:
"They are different from stuffed animals, as well as from dogs or cats. They feel as fluffy as cotton and I feel so relaxed when I am cuddling them."

Pet cafes have popped up everywhere in Japan where many rented apartments ban the ownership of pets.

Most of them are cat-themed, and the "Usagi-to-Cafe" is probably one of the first to specialize in rabbits.

Unlike the more hygienic cats who mingle among the dining patrons, rabbits here are set apart in a separate room from the dining area.

How awful! Cuddlin' us furry critters is a basic hooman need! It's a cryin' shame so many hoomans in Japan have to pay a dollar a minute for the privilege!

But what a wonderful idea, to have places where the need for warm, furry friends wif bright, happy eyes can be met!

Snake 'befriends' snack hamster BBC News

A rodent-eating snake and a hamster have developed an unusual bond at a zoo in the Japanese capital, Tokyo.

Their relationship began in October last year, when zookeepers presented the hamster to the snake as a meal.

The rat snake, however, refused to eat the rodent. The two now share a cage, and the hamster sometimes falls asleep sitting on top of his natural foe.

Now, that's a hamster with either nerves of steel, or brains of tofu.

The hamster was initially offered to Aochan, the two-year-old rat snake, because it was refusing to eat frozen mice.

As a joke, the zookeeper said they named the hamster Gohan - the Japanese word for meal.

"I don't think there's any danger. Aochan seems to enjoy Gohan's company very much," said zookeeper Kazuya Yamamoto.

Oh, well -- even snakes get lonely, I guess. Gohan must be a fast talker, and convinced Aochan that only mice with tails taste good. Or maybe it's one of those Arabian Nights situations, where he tells Aochan stories every night, and in return, Aochan spares his life.

Or maybe they were just meant to find each other and hang out.

Kewl.

Cats 'exploit' humans by purring BBC News

Cat owners may have suspected as much, but it seems our feline friends have found a way to manipulate us humans.

Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food.

Unlike regular purring, this sound incorporates a "cry", with a similar frequency to a human baby's.

The team said cats have "tapped into" a human bias - producing a sound that humans find very difficult to ignore.

I knew it! They waltz their way up to Mommy, get all up in her face, purrin' like jackhammers (Mommy calls it "projectile purring"), and drivin' her crazy until she finally either shuts them in another room or gives 'em what they want! They're castin' their cat spells on her!

Dr Karen McComb, the lead author of the study that was published in the journal Current Biology, said the research was inspired by her own cat, Pepo.

"He would wake me up in the morning with this insistent purr that was really rather annoying," Dr McComb told BBC News.

"After a little bit of investigation, I discovered that there are other cat owners who are similarly bombarded early in the morning."

While miaowing might get a cat expelled from the bedroom, Dr McComb said that this pestering purr often convinced beleaguered pet lovers to get up and fill their cat's bowl.

Yeah! What I said!

Previous studies have found similarities between a domestic cat's cry and the cry of a human baby - a sound that humans are highly sensitive to.

Dr McComb said that the cry occurs at a low level in cats' normal purring. "But we think that (they) learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans."

She added that the trait seemed to most often develop in cats that have a one-on-one relationship with their owners.

"Obviously we don't know what's going on inside their minds," said Dr McComb. "But they learn how to do this, and then they do it quite deliberately."

De-lib-erately, Mommy! Did you hear that?

What, Mommy? You say this is no news to you? You knew it all the time?

What do you mean, I whine too much? Me? Trying to get you to give me treats? Shocked! Shocked, I am, at these allegations!!

I want a lawyer.

Australian cat strays 2,000 miles, returns home AP News

A cat named Clyde was reunited with his owner on Wednesday after a mysterious three-year odyssey in which the long-haired Himalayan strayed 2,400 miles into the Australian Outback.

Ashleigh Sullivan, 19, said she had given up hope of ever finding Clyde after he vanished when he was about one year old from her family home near Hobart city in Australia's island state of Tasmania. [clip]

A nurse found Clyde wandering at a hospital in the remote Queensland state town of Cloncurry and cared for him for four months before taking him to a local vet as she was leaving town and could not take the cat with her.

The vet, Donna Weber, traced Clyde's owner from an identification microchip that was imbedded under the cat's skin.

But no one has a clue how Clyde managed the 185-mile sea journey across the Bass Strait from Tasmania off mainland Australia's southeast coast, and then about more than 2,000 miles overland to Cloncurry, deep in the arid interior of the Outback.

I'll betcha there was a boat involved in gettin' Clyde from Tasmania to mainland Australia -- except for those Maine Coon cats, most cats I know hate water worse'n they hate a cold Pug nose checkin' out their nether regions on a January mornin'. It wouldn't take much for him to check out that fishy smell on board a boat in the harbor, and before you know it, it's anchors aweigh, and the kitty's bound for Oz.

I think it's sweet that he recognized the little lady he hadn't seen in three years, back when he was hardly more'n a kitten, and she was sweet sixteen -- Ashleigh said he settled right in like he never left. I'm sure he was grateful to the nurse who took him in, but even in Oz, there's no place like home.

Why cows attack BBC News Magazine

Liz Crowsley, a vet, has been trampled to death by a herd of cattle while walking the Pennine Way with her two dogs. And a fortnight ago, a cow left David Blunkett with a black eye and a cracked rib. Also on a walking holiday, the former home secretary was accompanied by his guide dog Sadie.

In both cases, the cows are thought to have been trying to drive off the dogs in order to protect their young.

While such attacks are rare, Health and Safety Executive figures show that 18 people - excluding Ms Crowsley - have been killed and 481 injured by cows in the past eight years.

Et tu, Elsie?

The placid providers of cheese and ice cream have turned upon us? The divine docents of yummy yogurt and milk moustaches?

If you find yourself in a field of suddenly wary cattle, move away as carefully and quietly as possible, she says. "Keep dogs close and on a leash - and if the cows charge, let go the leash. The dog will outrun the cows and it will outrun you."

Oh, very good -- let the dog draw off the crazed cows!! Man's best friend, indeed!

Have you seen these stubby little pug legs o' mine? "Cobby" is how our physique is described in the American Kennel Club. I don't fancy tryin' to outrun a herd of crazed cattle.

Yer on yer own, Mommy. Stay away from pastures. And load up on cheese an' dairy at the grocery store. Just because they're violent doesn't mean we don't want their business.

Kitten dropped, discovered in Boston city mailbox AP News

Officials said a two-pound, eight-week-old kitten was dropped in a public mailbox in Boston and later found unharmed among envelopes and packages. According to the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center, the kitten they're calling "Postina" likely was stuffed Friday through a small opening of the mailbox and dropped several feet below.

Ya know, Mommy has often threatened to mail one or the other of our cats to Cuba, but I know she really didn't mean it... at least I don't think she meant it...

A U.S. Postal Service letter carrier discovered Postina on Saturday during a scheduled afternoon pick-up.

The MSPCA is offering Postina for adoption after several days of nourishment and a round of vaccinations.

The MSPCA said there has been a 48 percent increase in pet owners citing financial reasons for surrendering their pets.

S'cuse me, but this wasn't "surrendering" the kitten -- it was a pretty cold-blooded stunt. Sometimes hoomans really take the cake, and I don't mean angel food. Stuffing a kitten through a slot into a mailbox, where she will spend 24 or more hours in sun-baked heat and darkness, without water and food, with mail and possibly heavy packages raining down on her, is an unforgivable cruelty. They will most likely never find the hooman who did this.

The only up side is that Postina was found in time, was in relatively good health, and will be adopted by a loving family -- and hopefully will have little or no memory of her ordeal in time, though she will likely always have abandonment issues, poor mite.

The hero of the hour is the mail carrier, who carried the kitten to the MSPCA, instead of just turning her out onto the street as many people would have done. We furry folk salute you! You turned a tragic tale into a life transformed, for Postina the postageless.

Fox steals more than 100 shoes Reuters

A fox has been unmasked as the mystery thief of more than 100 shoes in the small western German town of Foehren, authorities said Friday.

A forest worker stumbled upon shoes strewn near the fox's den and found a trove of footwear down the hole which had recently been stolen overnight from outside locals' front doors.

"There was everything from ladies' shoes to trainers," said a local police spokesman. "We've found between 110 and 120 so far. It seems a vixen stole them for her cubs to play with."

Now, let's not be hasty in our conclusions, here. Maybe Momma Fox was planning an audition for "The X Factor," Europe's version of "American Idol," and needed some snazzy footwear to impress Simon Cowell.

Although many were missing laces, the shoes were in good condition and their owners were delighted to reclaim them, he said, adding that no reprisals were planned against the culprit.

You can tell this didn't happen in the United States. "Ewww! Fox spit! I don't want them back! Lord knows what diseases, fleas, and rabies are on them!"

Germans are such practical folk.

Meet Eclyse, amazing zebra-horse crossing Daily Mail Online

...[W]hile most zebra-horse crossbreeds sport stripes across their entire body, Eclyse only has two such patches, on its face and rear.

The one-year-old zorse was the accidental product of a holiday romance when her mother, Eclipse, was taken from her German safari park home to a ranch in Italy for a brief spell.

There she was able to roam freely with other horses and a number of zebras, including one called Ulysses who took a fancy to her.

When Eclipse returned home, she surprised her keepers by giving birth to the baby zorse whose mixed markings betray her colourful parentage.

The foal was promptly given a name that is in itself a hybrid, of her parents' names.

Now she's become a major attraction at a safari park at Schloss Holte Stukenbrock, near the German border with Holland, where she has her own enclosure.

This little lady looks a bit confused ... like she couldn't decide what to wear this morning.

Or maybe she just had trouble gettin' out of her pajamas.

No wonder everybody's lookin' at her. Maybe a nice pink bathrobe would help. Or bedroom slippers.

see more dog and puppy pictures" >Pugs in a Blanket

Hyena giggles no laughing matter BBC News

Researchers have begun to unravel the information and social content present in the hyena's famed laugh, which they say is only used in times of conflict.

The pitch and variability of the giggles may be used to indicate age or social status, they say.

Wowsers! And I thought it was all those orangutan jokes they tell.

The giggles probably advertise an individual's age, because the fundamental frequencies tended to decline among older individuals. Before they reach maturity at three years of age, hyenas have noticeably higher-pitched giggles.

Well, that goes wifout sayin' -- we all know teenagers snicker more than grandmas.

Dominant females - the leaders of the clan - seemed to advertise their powerful role by not giggling as much.

"During the competition between the animals, subordinate animals emit far more giggles than dominant ones," Dr Mathevon told BBC News.

"We guess that it's a call of frustration," he said.

They laugh because they're fed-up? Well, I guess that's better than knockin' each other upside the head, like lions do!

One secret remains, though: the giggles, seemingly relevant to close-range interactions, are incredibly loud. That can attract other diners to a feast.

"There's a lot of competition between lions and hyenas, and hyenas always lose," Dr Mathevon said.

"So there's still a question as to why they make a lot of noise that could attract lions."

Speakin' of lions ... sounds like this laughin' stuff isn't working out too well for the hyenas. Maybe they should find a better way to work out their frustrations. I hear World of Warcraft is real popular right now ... but I'll bet there aren't many Internet connections in the Serengeti.

Maybe karaoke is a possibility. That should drive the lions off, anyway...

And fun they do have! Just watch this video from the BBC Live News Channel:

Guinea pigs groomed for shows

Makes me want to get a shaggy wig and par-tay!

Meet Jasmine, the rescue dog who's become a surrogate mother for the 50th time Daily Mail Online (UK)

When Jasmine the abandoned greyhound arrived at a wildlife sanctuary shivering and desperate for food, she needed all the love in the world to nurse her back to full health.

Now it appears the kindness and patience shown to her has rubbed off - for the rescue dog has become a surrogate mother for the 50th time.

Seven-year-old Jasmine is currently caring for tiny Bramble, an 11-week-old roe deer fawn found semi-conscious in a nearby field.

She cuddles up to her to keep her warm, showers her with affection and makes sure nothing is matted in her fur. In short, the perfect foster mum.

But then again, she has had plenty of practice, having cared for five fox cubs, four badger cubs, 15 chicks, eight guinea pigs, two stray puppies and even 15 rabbits.

Say WHAT!!!?? Did I hear right? Homina Momina! That makes (counts toes on front feet, back feet, then starts over, and again) ... thirty-nine kids!! Woowee!! But ... they said ... fifty times!

Geoff Grewcock, who runs the sanctuary, said: 'She simply dotes on the animals as if they were her own, it's incredible to see.

'As soon as an animal is brought in, she walks over takes a sniff or two and then licks and cuddles them.

'It is quite amazing, particularly as she is a greyhound breed and they are usually quite aggressive, That is why they are used for racing.'

Bramble the fawn arrived at the centre two months ago after a dog walker came across her in a field dazed and confused.

Until she is old enough to be released back into the wild, she will continue to be cared for by Jasmine.

Geoff added: 'They are inseparable at the moment, Bramble walks between her legs and they keep kissing each other.

'But she is like that with all of our animals, even the rabbits which greyhounds usually chase down the track.

'She has done the same with the fox and badger cubs, she licks the rabbits and guinea pigs and even lets the birds perch on the bridge of her nose.

'It's very touching. Her maternal instincts take over all the time.'

S'cuse me -- is this one of those same greyhounds I see tearin' along at Warp 5 after anything that moves? Including (shudder) me? They come flyin' along at the dog park like those Ringwraiths in the Lord of the Rings, and I'm on the ground wif my paws over my eyes, screamin' "MOMMY!", and expectin' to be torn stem to stern between 'em. Fortunately, they usually take a good sniff and identify me as "dog," and lope off, after some poor dachshund or Yorkie. These guys are obsessed wif findin' somethin' to run down and rip up. Preferably of the wabbit variety.

And then, along comes Jasmine. The Florence Nightingale of the canine world. And -- a greyhound.



Go figure. I'm scratchin' my wrinkles out over this one.

Keep up the good work, sweet thing.