What Does Your Dog Mean About You?

Dogs come in all shapes in sizes, as do their owners. But does owning a certain breed say something in particular about the owners? According to this article, owners of certain breeds have certain traits.

Of course, this isn't the most scientific analysis, but can be fun to see if you fit the profile.

The Perfect Cat Match?

The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has a unique adoption program designed to make the "perfect match" between people and cats up for adoption.

Cats are evaluated on their interest in play, communication, curiosity, and their desire to be noticed and attended to. From these evaluations, the nine possible feline-alities are categorized into one of three-color groups, designed to help an adopter easily find a good match.

The three-color groups include green, orange, and purple.

1. Green cats are considered "Party Animals", "MVPs", or "Leaders of the Band".
2. Orange cats are "Sidekicks", "Executives", or "Personal Assistants".
3. Purple cats are "Love Bugs", "Secret Admirers", and "Private Investigators".

This program assesses the behavior patterns and personality of shelter animals and the character, lifestyle, and pet expectations of potential adopters. That information is used to connect life-long friends.

"Cat's Revenge?" Picture

Nova espécie de Australoheros

Uma nova espécie do gênero Australoheros é descrita da bacia do rio Ribeira de Iguape. Descrita pelos ictiólogos brasileiros Felipe Ottoni, Osvaldo Oyakawa e Wilson Costa, esta espécie foi nomeada de Australoheros ribeirae, sendo endêmica da bacia do rio Ribeira de Iguape e distinguindo-se das demais espécies do gênero devido a caracteres de coloração, osteológicos, morfometricos e por apresentar um ectopterigoide fino.

Australoheros ribeirae, difere de A. facestus, A. Kaaygua, A. scitulus; por possuir os seguintes caracteres: 9-10 raios na nadadeira dorsal, 6-7 espinhos na nadadeira caudal, 8 raios na nadadeira anal, 14 vertebras pré-caudal, 12 vertebras caudal, 26 vertebras ao todo, 24-26 escamas na serie longitudinal, 16-18 escamas na linha lateral superior. Altura da cabeça 95.4–98.9 % da medida padrão, comprimento do ultimo espinho da nadadeira dorsal 16–16.8 % da medida padrão, altura do corpo 47.4–51.3 % da medida padrão, comprimento da nadadeira pélvica 32.4–37.2 % da medida padrão, comprimento da pré-dorsal 47.1–49.6 % da medida padrão, profundidade do pré-orbital 64.2–73.3 % da medida padrão, largura da cabeça 48.9–53.6 % da medida padrão. Apresenta coloração marrom-avermelhada com barras negras verticais.

Ribeirae se refere a bacia do rio Ribeira de Iguape, a localidade da nova espécie. A localidade tipo da espécie é o município de Sete Barras, próximo a estrada Sete Barras - Eldorado (SP).

Fig. 2 - Bacia do Rio Ribeira de Iguape

Para saber mais: Ottoni, F.P., Oyakawa, O.T. & Costa, W.J.E.M. : A new species of the genus Australoheros from the rio Ribeira do Iguape basin, Sao Paulo, Brazil (Labroidei: Cichlidae: Cichlasomatinae). Vertebrate Zoology, 58 (1): 75-81, 2008.

Adaptado e traduzido por Ricardo Britzke
© Copyright 2008 ©

Top 10 Peeves Dogs Have With Humans

1. Blaming your farts on me..... not funny... not funny at all!

2. Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG

3. Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

4. Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!

5. Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home.

6. The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo oooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

7. Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!

8. Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

9. Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur?

10. How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.

Fish Distributor Fire

For some reason, this story made me think about fire plans in both our homes and in the local pet stores. What precautions and plans do we have in place for our pets should something unfortunate happen?

The story is about a tropical fish distributor trying to save their fish after a fire destroyed the building. The owners want to save their fish, which are worth over $15,000.

What plans do you have in place for your pets should their be some emergency?

67 Ways to Spoil Your Cat

Fun article about spoiling your cat from the Pet Place website. They're trying to get the list up to 100, so contact them with any other ideas.

Here are a sample of a few of them:
1. Sing them a Song
2. A Satin Pillow
3. Tea Time with Me
4. Create a Cat Room
5. I Give Bam CatSip
6. A Little Nature on TV
7. Share Some Morning Kisses
8. Are Really Got Pat and a Cuddle
9. Big Comfy Chair in Front of the Window
10. A Stroller
11. Her Own Bathroom
12. Playtime in the Bathtub
13. Lots of Kitty Beds
14. Floor to Ceiling Windows
15. Warm Cereal

I'm sure you all have many others!