Dog riding a lawn mower

Title sez it all.

Watch via the Huffington Post here.

Video Wednesday

How about a cat that's quick with its paws?

Watch this video.

Hope that person didn't get too scratched up.

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This dog is clumsy even on the rug.

Watch this video.

But it's funny. And there's a cone of shame!

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And finally, a cat that can open a door.

Watch this video.

Kitten on the keys?

This one is for those of us who spend most of our days in front of computers.

Animals using computers.

Woo-hoo!

Sing out, Louise!

A great big thank you to Rachel Maddow for making my job so much easier.

A few days ago, she had a story about dogs who howl along to the "Law & Order" theme song.

Maddow asked her viewers to send in videos of their dogs howling to whatever it is they howl to.

And, gosh, did the viewers respond.

Here is Maddow's collection of canine clips.

I think the first one of Joey singing to the Empire Carpet commercial is my favorite, especially when his owner, at the very end, said, "Empire," and Joey howled again.

Also at the top of my list is Malkovich the Mastiff and Joey, who looks stunning in his outfit.

Now remember to play these at top volume on your computer.

Keep feeding him

Check out this extremely funny video.

Don't worry; it's dog-related.

Trim that tree the doggie way

I ran across a couple of cute videos while I was taking my last few vacation days.

Here is the best way to decorate the house at Christmas time.

I would put up a tree if Kate would trim it.

Next is a collection of funny dog clips.

I have to say the last one made me laugh out loud. But I wonder what was going through the skydiving dog's mind.

Some can wear a Palin costume, some can't

Fresh from the Huffington Post is a collection of pictures of pets wearing Halloween costumes.

Or at least we hope they are for Halloween, because if they aren't, then something seriously wrong with those people.

Anyway, here is the link. Enjoy.

I have to admit I laughed out loud at the baked potato costume and the scuba dog.

Do you dress up your pet on Halloween?

The kakapo

OK, I will admit this is not a blog entry about pets — and if you see the video, you will definitely understand why. It's about a wild animal.

Actor Stephen Fry and zoologist Mark Carwardine have a program(me) on the BBC called "Last Chance to See," which is about creatures on the verge of extinction.

They run into a kakapo, a fat, flightless parrot, on the south island of New Zealand.

To say that the bird takes a shine to Carwardine would be an understatement.

Watch the video here. (Possibly NSFW, if you are offended by Austin Powers movies.)

Obviously, there are many reasons why the kakapo is an endangered species.

Jackson's animals know, move on

In case anyone was concerned, Michael Jackson's tigers have been told that he died.

The L.A. Unleashed blog in the Los Angeles Times reported the Tippi (The Birds) Hedren, who operates the Shambala preserve that now houses Jackson's tigers, said she personally informed the beasts of Jackson's passing.

"I went up and sat with them for a while and let them know that Michael was gone," Hedren told AFP. "You don't know what mental telepathy exists from the human to the animal. But I hope they understood."

Oooohkay.

And I joked to some friends on Facebook that I wasn't going to watch any coverage of the passing of Jackson "until Bubbles had his presser."

Well, click the TV on.

From CNN.com:

Bubbles was born in Texas in 1983, and it's thought he was born in a biomedical facility before being sold. When he lived with a supercelebrity such as Jackson, Bubbles could be seen in videos, posing for fan pictures, attending a news conference, his likeness appearing in a Michael Jackson video game.

Those days of appearing before the camera were long gone, until today. Bubbles still likes making faces for the camera, faces that Jackson might have recognized, had he visited the sanctuary. Bubbles might have recognized Jackson, too.

And then totally not pet-related but Jackson-related and funny, comes this story from the Iowa State Fair.

Officials announced they will have a statue of Jackson at the fair made out of butter.

I can think of no better tribute. (I resisted writing "no butter" tribute.)

Can your cat yodel?

How about Advanced Cat Yodeling?

Watch the video here.

Clean as a (dog) whistle

A French entrepreneur has come up with what could be called a laundromutt.

He invented the Dog-O-Matic, a sort of dishwasher/car wash/dryer for pooches.

Here's the story from the Daily Mail.

For anywhere from about $20 all the way up to $47 — depending on the size of the dog being washed — the machine will wet down, soap up and dry off your Fluffy.

It takes about half an hour. The inventor, Romaine Jerry, said it doesn't harm the dog.

"It doesn't take long to wash the dog — usually a few minutes. The longest part is the drying. The dogs don't seem to get bored. They just sit there and they come out clean."

I'm not sure the dog really appreciates being cooped up in a box and having all this soap and water thrown at it.

Sort of reminds of the joke where the dog is telling his friends about the time he was stuck in the car while it went through a car wash.

"And then the thunder came from all directions. And suddenly stopped."

It's in the bag

Here's a cat who apparently doesn't mind having its head stuck in a paper bag.

Click for video.

This blog entry is for all you fans of the Unknown Comic.

Coupla dog-related things

I've always liked English bull terriers ever since I saw the George Booth cartoons in the New Yorker.

Here's a miniature bull terrier who says, "Mama," and does some other tricks.

And I ran across this silly Web site called "Upside Down Dogs."

The title says it all. Hilarious.

Careful with the eject button!

When Kate was a pup and was still high energy after taking her to the dog run three times a day, I often wished that the little bone ridge at the back of her skull was an on/off button.

Push it once for her to go to sleep. Push it again — wakey, wakey.

Life in fifth-floor apartment in New York City would have been much easier.

Well, if you've ever wanted to be able to control your cat, here is something you might want to try.

The Control A Cat remote control is available for $6.99:

Simply point at your cat, press buttons on the remote and hope for the best. With buttons for "Stop Scratching," "Show Affection," "Remain Aloof" and others, you'll be in control in no time. It's finally your turn to make your cat do what you want.

No batteries are required, so good luck to ya!

Friends in high places

A couple of companion animals found themselves up, up and away recently.

In Houston, an unlucky feline was 80 feet above the ground, stuck in an expansion joint of one of the city's freeways.

Here's the story from the Houston Chronicle.

The chief investigator for the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals had to use a cherry-picker to eventually nab the cat. It isn't known if it's a stray or some one's pet.

Be sure and take a look at the photo gallery of the cat before and after being rescued.

And in wintry Minot, N.D., a border collie mix climbed a snow bank onto a roof.

The Associated Press story in the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader is here.

Animal control officer Dick Schnell said the pooch was in a fenced-in yard with a kennel and apparently wanted a better view.

"He would sit on top and look like, 'It's pretty cool up here,'" Schnell said.

Tossed treats got the dog to a lower portion of the roof, but it wouldn't come down until its owner got home.

And we complain about the snow here.

Midday funny

Here's a cute comic from Speed Bump by David Coverly.

If you are read this on any day other than Monday, choose Oct. 13, 2008, from the pull-down date selector.

How about ...

Time for some fun, right? Especially after the markets, the banks, the mortgage stuff hitting the fan. Not to mention the presidential campaign.

How about cats on treadmills? Click here.

Not enough?

How about a cat battling a printer? Click here. Take that Hewlett-Packard! (Thanks, Kathy, for the tip.)

Still not enough?

Well, move over dramatic chipmunk. How about a dramatic lemur? Click here. (Again, thanks, Kathy, for the tip.)

Weird story of the day

From the St. Petersburg Times, here's a story about a man who stole a puppy by putting it down his pants.

I've heard of ants in your pants, but puppies?

Hair-row to you, too!