Codebreaking cat helps his owner solve word puzzle by putting his paw on the final answer

By Rebecca Seales


All pet owners like to think their furry friends are smart - but college lecturer Arthur Farminer may have a better case than most.

The Gloucester pensioner couldn't help but chuckle when his quick-witted cat Chas provided him with the answer to the very last clue in his crossword.

The persistent puss kept plonking his paw down on the page, preventing Arthur from finishing his 'codebreaker' puzzle.

Hidden talent: Chas the cat found a unique - and very cute - way to help his owner with a crossword clue

It was only after repeatedly moving the ginger cat out of the way that Mr Farminer realised the word he needed was - of all things - PAW.

'We love Chas to bits but he does like jumping on homework, keyboards or getting in the way at any moment you are trying to concentrate,' said Mr Farminer, who lectures at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire.

'I was trying to work out the last couple of letters in the Weekend [Gloucester] Citizen’s Codecracker and Chas kept putting his paw on top of the puzzle.

'Every time I moved it away he just put it back again and it was only then I realised he was trying to help.

'His perseverance made me realise the missing word was "paw".'


Helpful: Chas the cat buries his face in the clues... Then celebrates a job well done with a giant yawn


Paws for thought: Arthur Farminer is a college lecturer, but found he still had something to learn from his pet



source:dailymail

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Is this the world's fattest cat? Sponge Bob tips the scales at a massive 33 POUNDS... and he's on a diet!

By Daily Mail Reporter


Could this massive moggie be the world's fattest cat?

The ginger tom, who tipped the scales at 33lbs, is the spitting image of out-of-shape Puss in Boots from hit film Shrek the Third.

Greedy Sponge Bob, 9, who weighs the same as a four-year-old child, is on a strict diet and fitness regime at the animal shelter where he lives.

More to love: Kendra Mara, Associate Director at Animal Haven in New York City cradles a 33lb cat named Sponge Bob

New rules: Sponge Bob is currently on a diet and exercise regime after brought to the shelter by her owner who was moving into a nursing home

Dedicated staff at Animal Haven in New York came up with clever exercises to encourage Sponge Bob to move, helping him shed 3lbs in just two months.

Hilarious video shows Sponge Bob, now 30lbs, bravely jumping out of his pen, hauling his huge belly over the doorway when it gets stuck.

But the adorable puss is still too big to wash his own body, and needs to be brushed and cleaned by hand.

Previous fattest cat Meow, from Sante Fe, New Mexico, died of pulmonary failure at 39lbs, earlier this month.


Big eater: Sponge Bob lies licking his nose and lips in hopes of a treat which are minimally used to encourage him to move

Enormous surprise: Workers at Animal Haven were left speechless when they opened the cage belonging to Sponge Bob at his arrival and saw what was inside

Kendra Mara, Animal Haven's associate director, said: 'Sponge Bob came to us when his owner went into a nursing home.

'We opened up the carrier and about 10 to 15 people stood around staring at him for quite a long time, because he's the largest cat we've ever seen.

'We don't know how he became so big. We can only guess that his owner, because he was ill, was feeding him dry food on a regular basis, maybe just leaving it out, so he was able to eat whenever he wanted.'


Suspect: The shelter's workers suspect Sponge Bob's owner had left out unlimited portions of dry cat food, allowing him to eat to his heart's content

Blood work: Blood tests on the cat revealed no sign of hyperthyroidism which would have been a possible culprit in his weight gain

She added: 'It is pretty abnormal for a cat to be able to get this big. But he has had blood work and doesn't have hyperthyroidism or anything so it appears to be just from eating.'

Sponge Bob lives in a special large pen, usually given to a whole litter of puppies, and staff encourage him to jump out of the cage for daily exercise.

He is allowed to wander around the cat lounge, to greet other moggies in their pens, and to play with toys and laser lights and roll on his back.

Little help: Suzi Anders, a volunteer, holds up the cat who's encouraged to walk outside of his cage, though needs help cleaning himself due to his sheer size

Staff use cat nip to keep Sponge Bob moving, along with occasional tiny cat treats, to make him run across the room.

'To get him to run across the room, it's worth it,' said Kendra.

Sponge Bob is fed a special protein diet food of lean chicken, fish and vegetables such as pumpkin, containing no carbohydrates.

Staff at Animal Haven hope Sponge Bob will continue losing one to two pounds per month, to reach a more healthy weight in around eight months' time.

Needs a home: The shelter's workers hope that Sponge Bob will find a good home that will help encourage his lean diet and exercise plan

He is expected to be adopted soon by a loving family, who can dedicate their time to playing with him, as well as continuing his healthy diet.

'I hope someone sees how wonderful he is and welcomes him in their home,' said Kendra.

For more information about how to adopt Sponge Bob or other cats, or to make a donation, visit AnimalHavenShelter.org


Predecessor: This 40lb cat named Meow was just two years old when he was found at this massive weight in Santa Fe


Unhealthy: Tragically for Meow, he died last month of pulmonary failure at 39lbs



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He's behind you! Does this unsuspecting bobcat manage to escape the deadly jaws of this hungry alligator?

By Jill Reilly


Alligator approach: The predator slowly creeps out of the lake where it has been hidden, watching the bobcat

As the alligator silently crept up behind its prey, it looked like the unsuspecting bobcat was about to become his dinner.

Perched upright, the animal was looking everywhere, except at the deadly predator behind him on the edge of the lake in Tampa, Florida.

Suddenly with only seconds to spare, the bobcat spied the threat and sprung into action, sprinting up the edge of the bank.


Dinner time: As the alligator silently crept up behind its prey, it looked like the unsuspecting feline was about to become this alligator's next meal

Oblivious: It was only when the alligator was about to pounce that the bobcat realised he was under threat

Resident Bryan Peabody snapped the close call from behind a tree as he watched the hapless bobcat get approached by the hungry 10ft-long reptile.

'I was standing there absolutely breathless,' said Mr Peabody, who was praying the feline would escape the remarkable encounter unharmed.

Alligators feed mainly on fish, turtles, snakes, and small mammals.

However, they are opportunists, and a hungry gator will eat just about anything, including carrion, pets and, in rare instances, humans.


Safe: Suddenly with only seconds to spare, the bobcat spied the threat and leapt into action, sprinting up the edge of the bank


Can't catch me: The bobcat looks behind smugly as the alligator is defeated


Back to square one: The alligator was left hungry on the edge of the grassy bank



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Cruel video shows circus bears forced to skip and baboons in tracksuits roller skating in North Korea

-Footage was filmed secretly by a western visitor in capital Pyongyang
-The 3,500 onlookers laughed as the animals followed the trainer's commands
-Animals rights campaigners said show 'has no place in civilised society'
-Tickets are only for the rich, costing up to £16 each – compared to the average North Korean worker’s monthly salary of £29


By Jill Reilly

Cruel footage: Forced to perform up to three times a day, the video has been greeted with horror by animal welfare groups

A video of a circus show where rollerskating baboons and skipping bears are forced to perform up to three times a day, has emerged from North Korea.

The footage has been greeted with horror by animal welfare groups, who declared that the show 'has no place in civilised society.'

Filmed in secret by a western visitor to the country, the clip shows how the Communist pariah state still allows the type of animal shows banned in most of the world generations ago.

Scroll down for video

Balancing bear: The video, taken in secret by a western visitor to the country, shows how the Communist pariah state still allows the type of animal shows banned in most of the world generations ago

As a bear skips over two sets of skipping ropes in a gaudy outfit, one of the ropes catches his fur and he shudders, backing away quickly from the trainers.

But they force him to continue jumping up and down in a cruel fashion.

The baboons, dressed in blue and white jumpsuits, are forced to skate down a slide on roller blades, and throwing balls into basketball nets.


Strict rules: As one bear takes centre stage, another miserable-looking beast lines up patiently to perform

Life of misery: The bears are caught in the forests of North Korea and trained for the show

Tickets to the Pyongyang show, cost up to £16 each – compared to the average North Korean worker’s monthly salary of £29.

This means that only privileged members of the military can afford this type of expensive entertainment – as shown by the almost entirely green uniformed audience.

The 3,500 onlookers smiled and laughed as the bears followed the commands of their trainers – eventually showing their approval with synchronised clapping at the end of the performance.

The bears are caught in the forests of North Korea and trained for the show.

Animal rights campaigns PETA reacted angrily to the video, and told the MailOnline the animal performance shows were 'outdated.'


Jumping through hoops: The audience are amused as the monkeys skate along the floor with hoops on their heads

Sick show: The baboons, dressed in blue and red jumpsuits, are forced to skate down a slide on roller blades, and throwing balls into basketball nets

Regimented choreography: A muzzled bear holds a hoop for a baboon to jump through

'There’s nothing funny about tearing primates away from their protective mothers shortly after birth and forcing them to perform silly tricks.

'These highly social animals suffer from debilitating loneliness and depression when isolated from other monkeys.

A spokesperson also said that many of the animals retaliate and are known to bite people.

'Many bear cubs taken from the wild die before the training begins because of the stress of capture, the gruelling transportation conditions, starvation, dehydration and rough handling.

'The ones who survive have the tops of their muzzles pierced with hot needles and a rope threaded through the holes – they are then forced to stand on their hind legs and perform under threat of punishment.

'These and other animal acts are outdated and have no place in any civilised society.'





source:dailymail

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Sorry, I've got my paws full: The vixen and her pack of TWELVE cubs living at bottom of suburban garden

By David Wilkes


When they fancy tuning into Springwatch, Mandy Alt and her family simply look out the window.

At the bottom of their garden, 12 playful fox cubs tumble over each other on the lawn, snuggle up to their mother and try to pounce on unwary birds.

Fluffy, boisterous and full of mischief, the seven-week-old cubs have won over the entire family.

The vixen, centre, with some of its astonishingly-sized litter

They’ve also won a legion of fans after Mrs Alt’s son Oliver, 14, filmed them playing and sent his footage into Springwatch, the BBC2 nature programme.

Now millions follow the adventures of the foxes every evening in the new series which started on Monday.

The Springwatch team was astonished at the size of the litter – vixens usually give birth to four or five cubs – and how their mother is managing to feed them all.


One of the many seven-month-old cubs, living in the garden in Potters Bar


The playful cubs make the most of their leafy home to engage in some rough-and-tumble

The fluffy cubs have already melted millions of hearts among viewers of BBC show Springwatch

So they sent in their own cameras and began filming every move.

Presenter Chris Packham says they are more lovable even than the baby swans featured on the show. ‘When it comes to cuteness, I’m afraid the cygnets are being knocked into a cocked hat by our foxes. They are absolutely delightful,’ he told viewers.


A cub competes for the attentions of its mother, who has her work cut out raising her huge offspring


This fluffy cub gnaws on a stick as it plays in the Potters Bar garden

This spiky-eared fox is by no means the only one living in one Hertfordshire garden

Mrs Alt, 44, and her husband Thomas, 41, moved into their detached house in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, in February to find the garden a ‘veritable jungle’.

It was only after they cleared it that a couple of fox cubs appeared from under a summer house that had been covered in greenery.


Role call: The 11 cubs in all their glory


One of the adorable cubs even appeared to kiss its mother in snapshots from the BBC One show

Watch out for that holly! The fox cubs engage in some playful fighting in the undergrowth

More and more appeared until they counted 12, plus their mother.

Yesterday Mrs Alt, who has five children between two and 15, said she had been worried about safety at first after a recent spate of fox attacks on householders.


These fox cubs are spoilt for choice when deciding which of their siblings they'd like to play with


One beautiful cub seemed to take a chunk out of its sibling

No room at the Inn: Two of the fox cubs encircle a magpie which has strayed onto their busy patch

But she has been reassured by fox experts that these are extremely rare.

‘We’re all very attached to them now and it’s been an amazing experience having them here,’ she said.

‘We are being very careful not to tame them or to interfere with them. It’s just such a joy to have them here.’


source:dailymail

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Ball-uga whales! Marine mammals show off their silky soccer skills at aquarium

By Tammy Hughes


Tackle: Two beluga whales play with a football at the Beijing Aquarium

The beautiful game has been played in many different places and under many different circumstances over the course of the last century.

It has been played from the Antarctica to the Sahara and has long been recognised as a way to bring people of all cultures and backgrounds together.

During the First World War soldiers from British and German forces even left their trenches and engaged in a friendly game of football in the famous Christmas day truce of 1914.

But the popular sport has now spread further than anyone thought it would...to an aquarium in Beijing.

Having a ball: The whales were seen enjoying themselves by visitors today

Entranced visitors watched as two beluga wales played with a football at the popular tourist spot.

The friendly marine mammals were seen tossing their toy into the air before diving for it and even going as far to tackle each other for possession of the prized ball.

At one point one of the whales appears to do a header while the other was photographed later trying to defend his position.

The Beijing Aquarium, shaped like a huge conch shell, is the largest in China. It was named by state media as a 'Beijing civilized Tourist Scenic Spot' and houses more than 1,000 marine species and freshwater fish.


Splashing fun: The friendly marine mammals were spotted tossing the ball around in their tank

A mother and daughter pose in front of the playmates who seem to engrossed in their game to notice the special attention

Belugas are also called white whales, and their unusual color makes them one of the most familiar and easily distinguishable of all the whales.

Calves are born gray or even brown and only fade to white as they become sexually mature around five years of age.

White whales are smallish, ranging from 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6.1 meters) in length. They have rounded foreheads and no dorsal fin.

Belugas generally live together in small groups known as pods. They are social animals and very vocal communicators that employ a diversified language of clicks, whistles, and clangs. Belugas can also mimic a variety of other sounds.


Header: The football is suspended for a second before the whales resume play


Tough competition: The whales were seen playing at Beijing Aquarium which houses more than 1,000 marine species and freshwater fish



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Farmer left his pack of shivering sheep dogs to live in squalor with nothing to eat but rotting pig carcasses

-Collies were found caked in mud and fighting over a dead pig on Leon Henry Smith's land
-Smith was already banned from keeping cattle and sheep for previous offences
Judge deferred sentence to give Smith time to improve conditions for the dogs


By Rob Preece


A disgraced farmer has appeared in court after he was found to have kept a pack of shivering dogs feeding on rotting pig carcasses in squalid conditions.

Animal welfare officials found collies caked in mud and fighting over the decomposing body of a dead pig on Leon Henry Smith's land in Okehampton, Devon.

Smith, 62, who was already banned from keeping cattle and sheep for previous offences, kept 13 dogs in a filthy open wire pen.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT

Squalid: Animal welfare inspectors found the collie dogs caked in mud and fighting over a dead pig (circled)

Inspectors also found the remains of dead sheep were in a horse box, along with various animal bones scattered across the field.

A judge sitting at Exeter Crown Court said he had 'grave concerns' about Smith's attitude to animal welfare.

But he deferred sentence for six months to give the farmer time to improve the conditions in which the dogs are kept.

Smith admitted failing to provide a suitable environment for the 13 collie dogs on February 14 last year.


Filthy: The dogs were kept in a open wire pen and the remains of dead sheep were found in a horsebox

Foul: The shivering dogs were feeding on rotting pig carcasses when animal welfare officials found them

He pleaded guilty to a similar charge relating to nine of the dogs on February 16 last year and also admitted six offences of failing to dispose of pig remains and allowing them to be exposed to wild animals.

Judge Barry Cotter QC said: 'Standards in relation to animal welfare vary.

'Some people treat their dogs better than humans but what we are concerned with here is something utterly different.

'We are concerned with minimum basic standards and these are immutable and unchanging. That is what you are required to provide.

'Anyone sitting in my position is bound to have grave concerns about your attitude generally to animal welfare and your understanding of their basic needs.

'The defence may well say that these dogs were in your view in good health and had food - but you pleaded guilty because there was not an adequate environment for them faced with bad weather.

'That will simply not amount to an adequate excuse in the future, as it does not today.'

The court heard that Devon County Council began an investigation into Smith's practices following complaints from members of the public.

Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said Smith was convicted in 1998 of failing to dispose of animal by-products and in 1999 of welfare offences.

He was banned from keeping sheep and cattle for five years.

In 2008 he was convicted of both offences again, resulting in a second five-year ban - a prohibition which remains in force.

Kelly Scrivener, defending, said Smith was determined to provide good conditions for his dogs and was keen for the RSPCA to take part in any future monitoring.

Judge Cotter QC deferred sentence on all matters until November to give Smith the opportunity to improve conditions for the dogs.

He claimed this would allow Smith to avoid a disqualification from keeping them in the future.



source:dailymail

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What's making that racket? Woman discovers small bird with TWO heads and THREE beaks making a commotion in her backyard

By Anthony Bond


For most of us, having a small bird making a racket in the garden is nothing new.

But when April Britt heard a commotion in her backyard, she decided to investigate.

And what she found left her completely taken aback.

Bizarre: April Britt found this baby female Cardinal with two heads and three beaks perched on a branch in her backyard

Perched on a branch was a baby female Cardinal with two heads and three beaks.

Speaking to ABC40, Mrs Britt, from Northampton, Massachusetts, said: 'My husband says "Oh my God. Look at this poor thing! That’s an oddity if I ever saw one.'

The avid bird watcher and animal lover said she has lived in her home for 26 years and has never seen a bird like it before.

After taking some photographs and leaving the bird to its own devices, she returned a few hours later and discovered that the bird was lying on the ground.

Stunned: The avid bird watcher and animal lover said she has lived in her home for 26 years and has never seen a bird like it before

She placed the tiny bird high in the a tree because she was concerned about a neighborhood cat finding it.

But the following morning the deformed bird had disappeared.

Mrs Britt said she is now worried that the bird won't survive because of its deformity.

She has now asked a neighbor to keep a look-out for the bird in the hope that she can find out if it is still alive.


Concerns: Mrs Britt is now worried the bird won't survive because of its deformity

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the chances of the bird surviving are 'very slim'.

After viewing these pictures, Valerie Osborne, from the charity, said: 'It is very, very rare to find a bird like this. I have seen only one other similar case to this in the past 30 years.

'I would say its chances of survival are very slim. It is difficult to see how it could feed.

'It has obviously been fed by its parents but if it weakens then they would probably abandon it and I think it would then have no chance of being able to feed itself.'

It is not known what caused the deformity on the bird but a possible explanation is that the mother had a diet deficiency or underwent trauma while pregnant.


source:dailymail

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