People are dying and grooming their poodles to look like panda bears, camels, and bison. Seriously. I apologize for the SL, but this is too weird not to share. Here's another link or two.
posted by k8t on Aug 28, 2009 - 86 comments

At the Toronto Humane Society, veterinarians say animals die suffering unnecessarily in their cages while pleas to euthanize them are dismissed. Dozens of staff, volunteers and veterinarians have quit in protest. ... A note written by a staff member or volunteer on the medical chart of a cat, animal ID A127495, admitted last fall, reads: "Died Oct 19 3:15 am. Gasped and jerked and cried last breaths, because there was no one in shelter to euthanize or treat. This is not humane." ... [THS president] Mr. Trow says he strives to keep euthanasia rates low for ethical reasons. “How can anyone suggest that, because he might be here longer than anyone would want, that it's better to put [a dog] down?” Mr. Trow asked. “I think that's a strange suggestion, don't you? You live here as long as you can.” Images (yes, they're disturbing.) Video of a puppy adopted out with a broken leg. The THS web site. [more inside]
posted by maudlin on May 30, 2009 - 63 comments

Sophie Tucker, thought dead for four months, has been surviving alone by living off of feral goats on a deserted island.

Not the actress. She's still dead.
posted by miss lynnster on Apr 6, 2009 - 50 comments

Meet Kingsford the piglet. He runs, he swims, and he's even litter trained! [more inside]
posted by MaryDellamorte on Feb 12, 2009 - 33 comments

Songs to Make Dogs Happy. (Or your cat, or bird, or gorilla.) I'm not saying this is a good thing, but it's certainly a....thing that one can buy. Composers have used SCIENTIFICAL STUDIES to create a CD that dogs love. They had a scientist work with them and everything. From that study they perfected tunes like "Squeaky Deaky" and "Scratch my Back". Says one of the musicians, "It's actually a bit nauseating for humans, although people do get addicted to it," said Haynes. "Especially Squeaky Deakey." Doesn't work on everydog, apparently. I can't wait for the mash-ups & remixes.
posted by Salmonberry on Jan 8, 2009 - 31 comments

"On the clock striking twelve he appeared slightly agitated, but he soon recovered, walked twice or thrice along the coach house, stopped to bark, staggered, exclaimed 'Halloa old girl!' (his favorite expression) and died... The children seem rather glad of it. He bit their ankles, but that was play..." So wrote Charles Dickens, describing the death of his pet raven "Grip," in a letter to a friend. Grip has an interesting legacy. Having served as an eponymous character in Dickens' Barnaby Rudge [full text] and subsequently inspiring Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven [full text], Grip has the distinction of being named a literary landmark. His taxidermied body is on display in the Rare Book Department at the Philadelphia Free Library.
posted by amyms on Aug 13, 2008 - 19 comments

Dogs in wigs
Dogs in wigs
Dogs in wigs
Dogs in wigs
Dogs in wigs
This is a little weird.
Mouseover text for more info.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew on Jun 17, 2008 - 21 comments

Kamikase Squirrels / Mission Impossible Squirrel / Pope Squirrel / Twirl a Squirrel / Drunk Squirrel / Dead Squirrel
posted by Huplescat on Mar 28, 2008 - 33 comments

Dogs , are they gettingenough doggie ice cream? Some brands and flavors are better reviewed than others, but it seems to work well as an aid to training and as a distraction for new puppies. Just lay off the real ice cream (and grapes, raisins, Easter lillies , cat poop, chocolate , etc.)
posted by Smedleyman on Mar 25, 2008 - 25 comments

The Hyena Men, seen a couple of years ago and now updated: Pieter Hugo's gallery of photographs of people with hyenas and baboons as pets in Abuja, Nigeria.Text. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Nov 3, 2007 - 12 comments

So you want to own a dog, but without all the hassles of dog ownership? Well, there's always doggy daycare, dog walkers and even bakeries that cater to Cujo. But in the end, you're still stuck with the worst chore of all - picking up all the yard mines that Poopsy has left for you. Not anymore.
posted by itchylick on Oct 3, 2007 - 32 comments

Can a Bunny be your friend? Move over Tamagotchi, Move over Elmo. He can talk, smell and has a bellybutton. Strange, but kind of cool...unless they turn into this.
posted by bustmakeupleave on Feb 8, 2007 - 30 comments

TPUG - The Toronto PET User's Group. Founded in 1979 and still holding monthly meetings. For all your "PET, SuperPET, CBM, B128/256/1024, VIC-20, C64, C128, Plus/4, C16, C65 and Amiga" needs.
posted by GuyZero on Dec 13, 2006 - 16 comments

When they aren't collecting rings, or defeating the lids of McFlurries, hedgehogs are fine little creatures. Remember your precious Groundhog Day? Where do you think the inspiration for that came from? That's right. After you realize just how cool hedgehogs are, you can't help but making one of those spiny bastards a pet. Just make sure it isn't illegal where you live.
posted by QuarterlyProphet on Sep 1, 2006 - 45 comments

RIP Baruchito. The flagship hamster of Baruchito's homeCage has passed away after struggling with the stress of a flea infection and the medication applied to it. Baru was just a couple of months shy of three years -- which is a venerable old hamster age. While he may not have been as notorious as certain late pancake-stacked pets, Baru still lived a full life of fuzzy cuteness and aaaawww-inspiring photos. Those of you with hamsters, won't you arrange them now in missing-man formation?
posted by brownpau on Feb 7, 2006 - 17 comments

Ratablog If the rats could type (or more accurately, if they could type actual words and refrain from peeing on the keyboard) they would tell their own stories. They can't, so we will.
posted by srboisvert on Jun 3, 2005 - 10 comments

Pet armour For your dog or your cat. even your mouse!. your rat!
posted by hortense on Dec 26, 2004 - 16 comments

How to grow your own weed for your cats ...and you can also use it for tea-time!
posted by WolfDaddy on Oct 9, 2004 - 3 comments

Silly carnivores, bunnies are for eating!
posted by NortonDC on Oct 6, 2004 - 40 comments

There has been a sharp rise in interest in exotic pets nationwide. Some people get exotic animals because they think it will be cool or because they saw one on Animal Planet. "I think there's more tigers in the U.S than there are in India or Russia."
posted by stbalbach on Oct 6, 2003 - 10 comments

metapet: it isn't friday yet, but by tomorrow you could have some bio-engineered creatures working for you while you play...
posted by ultradian on Aug 15, 2002 - 7 comments

Toss a dog in traffic, go to jail.
So, what do you suppose a fair punishment should be? And, consider that dogs, while cute, aren't people.
posted by dwivian on Jun 20, 2001 - 50 comments

Bush Virtual Pet Game Soars in China "In the wake of the downed U.S. spy plane, the Chinese apparently have found a new way to ridicule President George W. Bush - a virtual pet modeled after him" [They need a Palm Pilot to mock Bush?]
posted by Outlawyr on Apr 17, 2001 - 4 comments