A seriously injured cat was saved by a persistent dog in Florida.  Toby, a Schnauzer, led his owner into a wooded area where the cat was discovered.

“When the owners finally followed Toby, they discovered a cat completely infested with maggots. The infestation was so bad that the cat’s face was nearly eaten off, but the feline was still alive. 

The cat was brought to Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary and Hospital for treatment.”

To read more, click here.   Warning: graphic images.

When was the last time you went to the dentist for a teeth cleaning?  Now think about the last time your little furry friend had his teeth cleaned…  Did you know that his bad breath could be a sign of something serious, like gum disease?

According to the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC), periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition in companion animals, and 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have the disease by age 3.

To combat and prevent dental problems for your pet, start by scheduling your pet’s annual dental exam at your veterinarian.

You can also care for your pet’s teeth by brushing them regularly, managing your pet’s diet and giving him dental-friendly toys and treats.

To read the entire article, click here.

In the UK, a national poll as conducted of the most common first words spoken by babies. 

The most common first word was ”dadda” or ”dada,’ cited by 15% of those questioned, compared to ”mamma” or ”mama” mentioned by 10% of parents.

Apart from variations on ”mum” and ”dad,’ the most common first word was ”cat,” listed by 2% of parents.

To read the entire article, click here.

A Florida woman lost her cat 2 years ago during the holidays.  She never lost hope that she would one day be reunited with her Himalayan, Fluff.  And thanks to a microchip, this story has a very happy ending.

A supervisor at Hillsborough County Animal Services said a woman turned Fluff in recently, claiming she only had the cat for the last few weeks and was unable to care for the animal anymore.

Animal services supervisor Melvin Dean said a microchip implanted in Fluff provided information regarding the cat’s true owner and the long-awaited reunion between human and feline took place.

“I have been here for 17 years. This chip literally has brought dozens of pets and their owners back together. There have been a lot of happy reunions that I have seen,” Dean told WFTS.

To read the entire story, click here.

The nation’s largest pet insurer has released a list of the top dog and cat names for 2009. 

For six years in a row, Max ruled the top spot. But in an upset that is sure to have dog owners talking, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, has declared Bella the most popular dog name of 2009. VPI crunched the numbers on its more than 475,000 insured pets to determine this year’s most common names, and Bella beat out Max by more than 400 dogs. Fans of Max, however, can rest assured that for cats, that name is still top dog – er, top cat.

The top 3 dog names:  Bella, Max, Bailey.
The top 3 cat names:  Max, Chloe, Bella.

To see the complete list of top 10 dog and cat names, click here.

Two broken legs didn’t stop Giggle-Blizzard from finding his way home on Thanksgiving day. 

A car had smashed his back legs a week ago, but Giggle-Blizzard somehow got back [home]. He knew the area from walking unleashed with [Tracie] Steger’s seven other cats and two dogs.

 For the entire article, click here.

Just hangin' around...

Meet Girl Kitty… Yes, that’s her name.  She is 9 years old and her favorite activities include collecting loose change in her food bowl and hiding from her big bully brother, Boy Kitty.  She was rescued from a backyard in Mercer County, WV at 5 weeks of age and has been a superb cuddle-buddy ever since.