Another heartwarming story of interspecies adoption: “Who says cats and dogs don’t get along? Workers at the Meriden Humane Society are marveling at a short-haired mother cat who has willingly adopted a six-day-old Rottweiler puppy that was rejected by its mother. The tiny pup, named Charlie by Humane Society volunteers, nurses alongside a jumble of black and gray kittens recently born to Satin, who was surrendered to the shelter by an owner unable to care for her.”  There’s even a picture of the adoptive feline and her new canine child mingling with the kittens.

Friday Ark #126 is now boarding and will continue taking on passengers throughout the weekend, so check it out regularly for your fill of zoological zaniness.

Do you remember last February when I said you should boycott all Iams products because of the horrific torture the company was visiting upon animals (especially cats and dogs) at their pet food laboratory?  A PETA video was shot inside the lab where they developed and tested their products, and it showed Iams was inflicting intentional harm and illness on these poor creatures just so the company could test its products (e.g., damaging their teeth and gums to test a dental care pet food).  Well, it looks like the USDA has finally caught up to them.  They’re now charged with “Untrained personnel performing animal experiments,” “Failure to provide veterinary care and observe animals on a daily basis,” “Caging facilities for dogs and cats so stifling that staff were unable to endure the ammonia levels,” and “Failure to provide animals with the minimum required space.”  If you’re wondering what the hoopla is about, read the first link in this paragraph for a summary and a link to the video.  Be aware that it’s horrifying to watch—especially considering the atrocities were being committed by a company claiming to be focused on the health and well-being of animals.

And yes, I still think Iams should be boycotted ad infinitum until they can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that (a) all involved personnel have been fired and subsequently charged with animal cruelty, (b) the executives are fired and made to face justice for this entire ordeal, (c) the company institutes sweeping changes and strict new policies to ensure no such thing ever happens again, (d) the USDA performs unannounced inspections for a year or two and finds no additional problems, and (e) Iams commits to invest significant and ongoing funds in animal welfare and humane law enforcement programs.

Ain’t it just too cute!  A cat and a ferret napping together.  Oh, and the white ferret is stunning.