bears

snuggle

"raise the threat level to adorable!"

I just came across a great article, detailing a Floria bomb squad's attempts to disarm a box full of kittens (which the social security office it had been placed in front of assumed could only be a meowing bomb). The comments on this story are also mostly hilarious. People are sometimes funny on the internet, instead of just vicious. A favorite comment: "Has anyone noticed that the cat on the right has crazy eyes?" I guess kittens could be a threat to world security if they had a reason to be. There's a lot of power hidden behind those cute faces.

kittens & turtles & roombas

corgi flop

also: some kittens

Franz the robo hamster

My robo hamster is named Franz. It's pretty hard to take a picture of him because he enjoys scurrying. Robo hamsters are bred to be much smaller and faster than normal hamsters, but they are also really cute. Franz likes running in his wheel for all hours of the night and eating granola and banana slices. Surprisingly my cat has never tried to eat Franz, even when he is in his pink plastic traveling ball, which he uses to explore the kitchen while his cage is cleaned. Sadly, Franz is getting old for a robo hamster, but I think he has enjoyed his life so far at our house. I highly recommend robo hamsters as pets. Here's a picture of another robo hamster:

sleepy kitten!

I take back what I said yesterday. This is actually the cutest video ever. I started to cry/laugh/squeal as I watched this. Behold, the power of the sleepy kitten to change your mood irrevocably. Cuteness overload. I really, really want a kitten now. Just some kind of small furry creature I can pet. The perils of dorm life: no furred animals allowed. I think this video is a powerful incentive to move off campus... tomorrow.

the cutest video.

Aside from the obvious Aww-factor of cross species altruism and baby animals, this video also boasts a great narrator. A dog adopts a litter of kittens! A goat with her newfound baby horse! A cat and Bambie! A leopard accidentally eats the mother of a baby monkey, feels guilty, and decides to groom the monkey instead of sautee it! Actually, that last one is kind of sadistic sounding, but it's still pretty adorable to watch the mama leopard care for the monkey. Just try to forget why the monkey is an orphan in the first place.

PS. Oh em gee this is like bubblewrap but a thousand times better!

turtle

why you were wrong about sloths

Sloths are adorable, they just get a bad rep because of the whole moss-fur thing. Once you watch this video. you will completely forget about the old stereotypes-- the boring, ugly and moldy creature-- to be replaced instead with images of little furry bodies, yawning, nibbling on carrot sticks, capsizing while clutching a favorite stuffed toy. These animals have personality and cuteness in spades. They are strange-looking, but in the most endearing way possible. I would probably adopt one if I had an Amazonian habitat and a lifetime supply of carrots in my dorm.

munchkins

Today is a gloomy, blustery, stressful day. So, to cheer myself up, I have been researching munchkin cats.. I love this cat. He is like a sentry. Look at his little legs. This reminds me of the Corgi belonging to one of my childhood friends, who used to sleep on the floor with both his back paws straight out behind him, like he had collapsed in a Superman pose.
Munchkin cats and the only web-comic I actually read: extraordinary ordinary. This is written and illustrated by a New Zealand college student, following the adventures of her life with her boyfriend and her cat, Shoelace. She references Harry Potter and a lot of other geeky things, but mostly this comic is sweetly drawn and cutely executed.

cat games: why sushi cat is the best way to waste your time on the internet

Sushi cat is a fun, free, interactive Japanese flash game featuring a roly-poly cat on his way to meet his kitty love. You advance to the next level by eating the biggest number of sushi pieces. With each sushi, your cat grows bigger and bouncier. It is kind of like playing pinball but with California rolls and kittens and Asian music. I have wasted a lot of time playing sushi cat because it is silly, mindless and adorable. I don't really like video games for the most part, but I do like pictionary, word games, and especially games involving fat cats which require no skill with a mouse pad whatsoever. The one problem with sushi cat: it always makes me hungry. Time to break out the chopsticks.

the panda post

What is black and white and cute all over? That's right. The giant panda. I have trekked through DC in the pouring rain to glimpse the real thing, and I have squealed with envy and disbelief when a hallmate revealed he had actually held a baby panda in his hands. The fact that pandas have to be rented from China for temporary periods of time makes me very sad. Pandas are a precious resource, but why can't China share the love? When I made the panda pilgrimage to Washington, I searched high and low for the pandas in their outside enclosure, and I had almost given up when we stumbled into the glass plated indoor panda habitat-- and there he was, munching away, a giant display about panda sex behind him. I think it is difficult to understand the magnitude of panda bamboo consumption without actually witnessing it firsthand. He did not appear to be breathing between bites. He had no time. It was like a marathon, like an eating contest with no end. But he seemed very happy, and I was glad I got to see him. I have also collected some panda merchandise, stuffed toys, mugs, magnets, etc. The best panda website, I can say with some authority, is perfectpandas.com. It's filled with videos, pictures, and the lovable ravings of panda fanatics. Here's a recipe for panda cupcakes, green tea inspired. My own version of panda cupcakes (gingerbread with a marshmallow filling) were decorated not with fondant, but instead with halved York peppermint patties, sno caps, and pink icing. I guess I prefer baking that is a little more democratic, i.e. not involving scores of hard-to-find ingredients. Here is a marvelous clip of a panda dancing, sure to brighten any gloomy day. And an adorable mug set from modcloth.com., which also has panda sweatshirts and tote bags. I hope one day to reach China, where I can realize my dream of visiting a panda preschool like the one pictured below. So take a trip to the WWF website(they also publish a great panda themed calendar including educational blurbs). Google "funny panda," and have a good laugh. Above all, indulge your inner panda-lover!

cats in sweaters

I am a cat person. And yes, I greatly enjoy scrolling through pictures like these. But unfortunately for crazy cat ladies the world over, cats do not like wearing sweaters. It is a sad truth. Some of the cats are bored, disaffected, unconcerned with their newly acquired turtlenecks, but the rest are seriously peeved. Actually angry cat expressions paired with wool knits are hilarious. When I was ten I decided to craft a Halloween costume for my cat out of red felt and cardboard. She was to be dressed as a Devil-Cat, greeting the trick-or-treaters with a flick of her forked felt tail. She wore the horns and the cape for most of the night before finding a way to dislodge them. Unsurprising, given her quest to lose every collar we attempted to fasten around her neck, usually burying them under the pine tree in the back yard. We cat people love the idea of feline companion as furry doll. There's just something about a cat in a cardigan. Am I right? Also--that rasta cat? Speaking of cute things that I can't have, micro-pigs named Clive. Notice his red Wellington boots. I guess you have to be Paris Hilton to procure a micro-pig, but perhaps they are commercially available in the UK. If I get to go abroad next year, I will investigate. Finally, cardboard love and a helpful instructional video.