Gerbils Strut Their Stuff
Move over, dogs, cats and horses. You're not the only pets who get to strut your stuff.
High standards they had to meetAsk any Pit Bull enthusiast and they will tell you: Pitties are sweet, loving dogs. Unfortunately, it's hard to get that message across to people who assume Pit Bulls are all vicious fighters who want to eat their children. So how can Pit Bull owners show their pups' softer side?
By dressing them up in tutus and posting their photos on Instagram —with the hashtag #pitbullsintutus, of course.
Pit Bulls in Tutus was started by three friends who are all devoted to their bully breed dogs. Their mission: "To promote a positive image for all breeds through education and awareness and to encourage adoption and rescue by growing a network of advocates and supporters." Their plan: Gather photos of dogs (and the occasional cat) wearing tutus — because there's nothing scary about a dog in a tutu, no matter what the breed.
The Pit Bulls in Tutus Instagram feed isn't just photos of Pitties, though — the dogs featured are all breeds in need of a little love and some good PR. Many of the dogs are available for adoption (at least, at the time they are photographed), while others have found their forever home (complete with tutu). The photos are whimsical and charming, and the dogs will steal your heart. Because that's what Pit Bulls do.
Follow Pit Bulls in Tutus on Instagram (pitbullsintutus) and Twitter (@pitbullsintutus).
Credit: anthropologie
You might not be able to turn your dining room table into a true seafaring vessel, but with these whimsical Ocea Placemats from anthropologie, you'll get the perks of being surrounded by ocean life without any chance of seasickness.
The placemats, available in Piranha, Octopus, and Puffer Fish designs, feature bright colors and fun shapes that are sure to put a smile on your dining companions' faces — regardless of how the salmon turns out. For those of us who are more skilled in creating a beautiful table than in the culinary arts, this is a real plus.
Julie Larsen Maher © WCS
A trio of hogs no longer needs to worry about someone huffing and puffing and blowing their house in!
The three female pigs made their debut this month at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Queens Zoo. They're mulefoot hogs, which have single noncloven hooves that resemble those of a mule.
The domestic breed is considered critically rare by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy because they aren't commonly bred by farmers, the zoo says.
Easy there, little guy. Milk is for drinking, not for bathing!
Berlin Zoo
They may be small now, but within a year, these three emu chicks will stand at a whopping 5 to 6 feet tall!
Hatched at the Berlin Zoo, the 3-month-old babies are ready to earn their stripes — with Dad at their side. Interestingly, an emu mom lays and incubates the eggs, but her job with the little ones stops there. All of the other duties of raising the chicks go to dad, reports Zooborns.
Native to Australia, the emu is the second-largest bird in the world, behind the ostrich.
We adore the striped look they’re sporting now, but the chicks will turn almost entirely black before their feathers eventually change to a mix of tan, brown and black.
Berlin Zoo
Two of the chicks go for a walk with Dad.
Our friends at BrightNest.com share four clever DIY projects that are perfect for pet lovers.
Photo by Treats a la Bark
Treat Jar
Chalkboard paint is the gift that keeps on giving! The next time you whip up a batch of DIY chalkboard paint, consider making this unique treat jar from Treats a la Bark.
Place it next to your human treat jar (a.k.a. cookie jar) or let it hang out solo on your counter — it’s pretty, so you don’t have to stash it away in the closet!
Photo Pillows
If a photo of some “other” dog or cat just won’t cut it, that’s cool. We like the Real Deal Holyfield too — that’s why we love these pet-photo pillows from Yellow Brick Home. There’s minimal sewing involved, and everyone who sits on your couch will see just how much you love your pet.
Woodland Park Zoo
There’s nothing sloth-y about the twin sloth bear cubs who were born at the Woodland Park Zoo in December.
“The curious explorers climb, jump and attempt daredevil leaps,” says Pat Owen, a collection manager at the zoo.
With a name like sloth bear, we were expecting him to say something like, “The quiet creatures sleep, sleep and… sleep."
Boy, were we wrong.
When the adorable duo explored their exhibit for the first time, their natural climbing instincts took over and they started scaling the logs in their habitat.
In all fairness, they did have a bit of a lazy streak. They spent the first two months of their lives clinging to their mom’s back. But, hey, they’re babies. Who can blame them?
We've loved seeing all the touching tributes to the city of Boston since the Marathon attack last month, and here's yet another to warm our hearts: Kevin Spacey's new puppy.
The House of Cards actor tweeted a photo over the weekend of his new little lady, adopted from the North Shore Animal League. "New member of my family. Her name is Boston in honor of the city," he added.
Spacey flew to Boston after the bombings to visit and pose for photos with doctors, nurses and the first responders who helped at the finish line. "Real heroes," he wrote.
Soon, Boston the puppy will join Spacey's other dog, Mini, who he said is "15 & still acting like a puppy. Be a week or so before she can meet Boston. I'm definitely in dog heaven!"
Julie Larsen Maher © WCS
Sorry, all other species names. Thanks for playing, but you've been beat. These are babydoll lambs.
The Prospect Park Zoo, part of the Wildlife Conservation Society system in New York, recently welcomed a brother and sister pair to its babydoll lamb family. Arthur and Brooklyn were born to mother Ginger last month, and are growing a little every day.
Arthur, who weighed eight pounds at birth, will grow to be about 175 pounds. Brooklyn was only six pounds when she was born, but her expected adult size is 120 pounds.
WCS says the babydoll lamb, also called the miniature Southdown, is the oldest known purebred sheep in the world.
We have to admit that we hadn't heard of Rochester-based metal band Sirens & Sailors until this music video came out... but we're really glad we've discovered them, because this video is mind-blowing (and possibly a little ear-splitting).
If you can't bring yourself to watch all of the "Birthday Parties for Puppies" video, at least skip to 4:47 for a pretty sweet message.
