Bayou Renaissance Man

A kitten experiences a sunbeam for the first time.

All together now:  Aaaawwwww!

Peter

This just made me smile.

Peter

I had to smile at this news report.  If you'd prefer to read it rather than watch the video, you'll find the article here.

Now that's a warm and fuzzy gun story for you!

Peter

I laughed out loud when I read this report.

A wildlife rescue that took in what was thought was a baby hedgehog found it was actually caring for a bobble from a hat.

It was brought to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital by a well-meaning rescuer last week.

On arrival they discovered the hoglet was in fact a "faux furry friend", a volunteer for the animal charity said.

There's more at the link.

I almost posted this as part of our intermittent "Doofus Of The Day" series, but it's too cute for that.  One can just imagine some member of the public (perhaps a little old lady, or an excited child) bringing in the "baby hedgehog" to be cared for, and being so disappointed when they found out what it really was.  (One must admit, too, that from some angles the bobble really does look like a baby hedgehog!)

Anyway, I thought it was cute - and funny.

Peter

To US Navy veterans, and those who understand aircraft carrier operations.  Found on MeWe last night.  Clickit to biggit.

Peter

We often speak of "pink elephants" in regard to what an alcoholic may "see" during his more inebriated moments.  Nevertheless, some baby elephants are, indeed, born pink, although they lose that color as they grow.

A game guide in South Africa had the fun of encountering a mother elephant and her pink baby at a local river.  She videoed the scene.  The elephants are used to tourists and their vehicles, so they're completely unfazed by their presence.

Note the other two elephants in the water with the mother and baby.  They're standing by to help in case any of the local crocodiles decide that baby elephant is on the menu today.  I've seen what happens to crocodiles in such cases . . . it ain't pretty!  When six tons of elephant stands on top of a crocodile, the weight wins!

Peter

This report made me smile.

What you see is what you get: A $995 electric Honda scooter that can go 12 miles on one charge, hit 15 mph in seven seconds, and fold into a 41-pound suitcase designed for your average trunk.

Weighing only 41 pounds, the Motocompacto is lightweight enough for almost anyone to carry it. It folds into a neat little rectangle with a sturdy Honda-branded carrying strap and a few grab points, making it easy to maneuver and package in and out of trunks and hatchbacks. It’s smaller than most electric scooters and motorcycles when folded, meaning it can fit in more places. It measures just 29.2 inches long, 3.7 inches deep, and 21.1 inches high when folded up.

All said and done, a seasoned Motocompacto veteran can fold and unfold the bike in about 30 seconds in seven steps. When it’s unfolded, it has a deep storage area where the handlebars normally stow, which has enough space for a college textbook or a 12-pack depending on your college lifestyle ... Like a true Honda, it is also front-wheel drive. There are no physical brakes for the front wheel, using just motor braking to slow the front wheel while using a drum brake for the rear ... it has no form of suspension and uses solid rubber tires.

There's more at the link.

I can see this being a perfectly practical runabout for a city dweller who lives in close proximity to work, shopping, entertainment and the like.  They could even carry it on the train or bus with them.  It wouldn't be much use to those who, like me, live in small town America and have to drive a ways to get to a larger city to do most of our shopping.  Nevertheless, it looks like a lot of fun.  I imagine the engineers who designed it had fun, too.

I won't get one, because it simply won't be practical where we live (or, on our budget, affordable).  Nevertheless, it amused me to see it.  Kudos to Honda for a useful, innovative little project that brings a smile to peoples' faces.

Hmmm . . . I wonder . . . if I towed one of those tiny Honda generators behind it, could I recharge it as I drove, and get close to perpetual motion?

Peter

This report is a couple of years old, but I only just came across it.  It made me smile.

The pup was soon adopted, and (along with his unicorn) was sent for further training to ease his transition into family life.

Before Sisu and his unicorn left the shelter for their training at the rescue ranch, the pair made an important stop.

"We took him back to the Dollar General so he could see the employees there," explains Joe Newburn, a supervisor at Duplin County Animal Services.

. . .

"He actually had to go through the whole store to get to that unicorn. It was in the Easter section he went to that same unicorn and kept pulling it out, and finally, he had done it so much the store called us," Newburn explains of how Sisu came under the shelter's care.

. . .

After visiting his friends at Dollar General, Sisu moved to Lab Rescue LRCP to receive training to address his behavioral issues. Newburn says Sisu currently has trouble interacting with other dogs, likely due to his time as a stray, so the shelter wanted to provide him with training before sending the pooch to his new home. Lab Rescue LRCP's Sterrie Weaver will work with Sisu over the next few weeks to help the dog feel more comfortable around other canines and ready him for life in a home.

There's more at the link.

That's just too cute!  Kudos to the animal control officer who bought him the unicorn.  I guess we know why she chose her job.

Peter

I hope Larry Correia sees this.  It's a curious baby manatee in Florida exploring a wetsuit.  Wendell Jr.?

Cute!

Peter

A dozen or so years ago we adopted Kili, our older female cat, a blend of tortoiseshell and tabby coloration.  She was up for adoption at a pet store in Hermitage, TN, and looked so pathetic and woebegone surrounded by energetic kittens that Miss D. couldn't resist bringing her home.  We were told she was 3 years old, but she only weighed 4 pounds, which seemed alarming.  We soon found out why.

The pet store told us to be cautious about introducing her to new cat food:  to blend her existing food with the new stuff, little by little, until she was used to it.  We decided to feed her premium food from the start, opting for Orijen's dry cat food line (which, while expensive, was more affordable then than it is today).  From the very first day, she made it extremely clear what she preferred - she studied the plate of mixed food for a moment, then proceeded to pick out, one by one, the pieces of her old food and drop them disdainfully on the floor next to the plate, while hoovering up all the new food.  That night, she ambushed Miss D. as she was cooking potstickers at the stove, whacking her on the back of the knee with a paw and startling her, so that she sent a potsticker flying off the spatula and onto the floor.  It was instantly pounced upon with a triumphant mew of "Mine!!!", and batted around the kitchen floor until it cooled down enough to be devoured.  Kili doubled her weight inside a month, which was a whole lot better than the scrawny, underfed cat who'd come home with us.  She's never looked back.

The funniest part of her new diet was when I introduced her to Orijen's Six Fish cat food.  She liked all the Orijen flavors, but this was utter nirvana to her.  She squatted down over her food plate with her front legs stretched around it, her body and head covering it almost completely, and actually growled at me when I tried to stroke her.  There was absolutely no doubt what she was saying.  "This is mine!  All mine!  **** off, human!  Go find your own food!  MINE!!!"  It was highly amusing, particularly because she displayed that attitude every time we brought home a bag of Six Fish food.  It was hers, and anyone who got too near it was a threat, as far as she was concerned.

When we came to Texas we couldn't find a local supplier of Orijen cat food at first, and buying it by mail order was a mite expensive, so we switched to Royal Canin.  When our Blogorado kitten, Ashbutt, came home with us, he was fed the same diet.  A year or two back, on the recommendation of friends who'd found their pet to do very well on it, we switched to Gentle Giant cat food, and found both of our cats liked it.  Buying in big bags, it's less expensive than many other premium cat foods, and it's kept our two very healthy.  So far, so good.

Well, this morning we dropped in at a local pet store to buy a second cat carrier.  Our scare with a brush fire last night made us remember we only had one cat carrier.  It's big enough to accommodate both of ours at close quarters, but that's not good for extended travel if that had been necessary:  so we wanted a second unit.  While browsing the shelves, I found a section offering Orijen's wet and dry cat food.  Remembering Kili's love for the stuff, we bought a small bag of Six Fish to take home as a treat for her.

Her reaction was precisely the same as it had been in Tennesee:  "Mine!  All mine!  GO AWAY!!!"  She hunkered over the bowl and chowed down, stopping only when she was overfull, then tottered away to sleep it off.  Once she'd fallen asleep, we brought Ashbutt to the food area and offered him some, and his response was just as enthusiastic as hers.  Both cats have made multiple visits to their bowls over the course of the day - we moved them further apart to prevent "discussions" over whose food was whose.  I expect them to put on weight over the next week, until the small bag we bought runs out.  After that it'll be back to their regular Gentle Giant food - we can't afford to pay what Six Fish costs now!

I think I may have made a small error of judgment with that "treat".  Kili, on the other hand, would doubtless disagree most profoundly.  Ashbutt probably agrees with her.

Peter

On a Reddit thread titled "TIL That Historians Believe Cats Domesticated Themselves", commenter ms_horseshoe wrote:

If it weren't for cats, we wouldn't have boxes.

That kicked over my giggle-box.  Considering how our cats fight over who's going to be "king of the castle box" when we put one down on the floor, she may have a point!

Peter

I had to smile at this report from Argentina.

Florencia, 18, was fishing with her brother when they found two kittens, approximately a week old ... Florencia did a noble thing – she took the kittens and wanted to help them grow and heal.

However, only one survived, and she named him Tito. His sibling died only a week after it was rescued.

As Florencia would soon learn, Tito, who was playful and adorable, was not an ordinary cat.

. . .

When the teen took the kitten to the vet after he suffered a minor injury, something was wrong. She told the press:

"The vet didn't know what it was but said it was not a normal cat."

. . .

Since even the vet was unsure, Florencia called the Horco Molle nature reserve. The employees at the nature reserve identified Tito's species.

Upon learning that Tito, her beloved kitten, was not a domestic cat, but a puma jaguarondi, they had to part ways ... Florencia took him to Horco Molle, where he would continue to grow in a natural habitat.

Despite losing her new pet, Florencia did a noble thing and gave at least one of the two cubs a chance to live. She misses her cat dearly, though: "I miss him a lot, he was waiting for me when I arrived from school."

There's more at the link.  A brief video of the kitten may be found here.

If she'd kept the kitten until fully grown, I think the local small wildlife - and other cats and smaller dogs in the neighborhood - might have learned the hard way that there was a new predator in town!

Peter

From Koltuk's Honey on Gab:

Hello, world!  I'm 15 minutes old!

Too cute!

Peter

Found on Gab (clickit to biggit):

Too cute!

Peter

I had to smile at this video of a Border Collie puppy trying (quite instinctively) to herd a small flock of ducks.  I think he was enjoying it a lot more than they were!

Can anyone translate the ducks' quacks for us?  I suspect they're being rather uncomplimentary about border collies in general, and that one in particular!

Peter

I had to smile at this utterly sweet video of a vision-impaired baby being fitted with corrective lenses, and seeing his mother and father clearly for the very first time.  Click the image below to be taken to the video clip on Twitter.

Too cute for words!  It's nice to come across something happy and joyful now and again.

Peter

I had to boggle a bit at this news report.

“Peo” and “Finn,” two shepherd pups, got themselves into an awkward situation on June 19 after their exploring took them deep into a tortoise burrow.

The 100-pound tortoise is named Oscar, and owner Kathleen became concerned when she realized her two dogs were underground, and Oscar was blocking the way, in no hurry to move.

So the San Bernardino County Fire was contacted and made their way out to the very unusual call.

. . .

The burrow was impressive, and something Oscar had clearly put a lot of time and effort into. But he was far down in the tunnel, and there was no way to reach him, so the firefighters tried to figure out a way to coax him out.

Many tortoises consider watermelon a very tasty treat, so crews used a chunk of watermelon to try to draw the huge reptile out — but Oscar decided he would rather stay in his den.

. . .

“With Oscar blocking the exit, crews worked to dig an access hole to rescue the dogs,” the post continued. “After an hour of digging crews were able to get the puppies out of the den.

“‘Peo’ and ‘Finn’, were unharmed & happy to reunite with their dog mom Kathleen.

There's more at the link.

Here's a brief video report about the rescue.

I've heard of lots of animal rescues, and played a part in a few of them, but I've never heard of having to rescue puppies from a tortoise!

Peter

A kitten mounts a takeover bid for a Golden Retriever's bed.  Guess who wins?

Peter

Via Reddit, here's a video that'll make you smile, if not laugh out loud.  From the blurb:

During a Taekwondo demo in Puerto Rico, Llaumigely a 3-year-old girl has to break a fine board with her foot. But the little girl does not understand what she has to do...

She has a unique way of getting it right in the end.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Peter

This re-imagining (and clever editing) of the trailer for the movie "Titanic", to include a cat, had me laughing out loud.

Is that really Leonardo Di-cat-rio?

Peter