Strollerderby : animals

Hit Her Cat, She'll Hit Your Kid

JeanneSager — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:01:00 GMT

OK, so I'm a bit of a crazy cat lady. And I've shed more than a few tears over deceased kitties in my life. But if someone ran over my cat, chances are, I wouldn't be gunning for their kids.

Tina Teixeira says she would. Teixeira strung a sign outside her house after her cat was run over by a speeding car that her neighborhood buzzing.

It read "Hit a Cat, I'll Hit Your Kid."

OK, credit where credit is due. Teixeira says she put it up in anger, and it was for shock value more than anything. She had no intention of getting in a car and running down little kids. When she realized people were actually responding, she took it down and put up a new one that says: "I watch for your kids, so please watch out for mine."

This was after neighbors called her psychotic. Which might have been taking it a little far? The sign was over-the-top, but let's face it - sometimes you need to bring out the big guns to slow down speeders in residential neighborhoods.

As an already admitted crazy cat lady, I feel for her. Yes, the family cat doesn't belong in a road, but speeders who race pell mell through residential neighborhoods (in Teixeira's case they were going sixty-five in a posted thirty-five) rarely even stop when they take out a pet. And what does that say to the kids who just lost Fluffy?

Teaching our kids about life and death is rough (necessary, but rough), but motorists can soften the blow with a little human kindness. And some careful driving. Speed limits aren't just there for the cats.

Image: KSBW

Cops Taser Toy Panther

JeanneSager — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:35:00 GMT

If you've ever been terrified by one of your kids' all-too-lifelike toys in the middle of the night, don't despair. At least you didn't call out a team of cops to Taser your daughter's stuffed animal.

The black panther lurking near a playground that set a father on edge, prompting him to make an anxious call to 911 turned out to be the work of a prankster. But cops didn't know until AFTER they'd shot the big fluffy toy with a stun gun (give them all the benefit of the doubt - it was dark, and there were kids around, which makes parents and police alike more nervous about dangers).

The response cost the city around $1,000, and they're searching for the prankster to charge him for making a public nuisance (and hopefully recoup the money). The question I'm begging to ask?

Who buys their kid a life-like panther? We're not talking your warm and fuzzy critter over here. Meat-eaters, they have been known to attack humans (although they try to avoid us), and with few predators they tend to reign supreme out in the wild. And, hello, they like to rip their prey limb from limb?

And this you want your kid cuddling with at night? Eeek!

Give me a nice stuffed puppy any day.

Image: NBC

Happy Mother's Day Cute Shots

KeriF — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:37:00 GMT

And you thought your kids were cute...

Happy Mother's Day!

For even more adorable animal love, click here.

Photos:Polar bears, jaguars, and giraffes, AP Photo; others National Geographic

Finish Line - Pirates Are Back

Brett Singer — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:15:00 GMT

One of the fun parts of blogging (especially for Babble, which has the greatest blogs on this or any other planet) is being surprised by the reactions to a post.

Case in point: Shannon's Pirates Are Not Appropriate for Kids (and Other Ranting), which generated a lot of chatter. Who knew?

I would have thought that Jeanne's brilliantly titled post Breastfeeding Debates: Just a Tempest in a Sippy Cup? would have created more comments. Then again, it's hard to argue with the statement, "Do we really care what another mother does with her boobs?" (I do, but I'm a guy. Wait. Ignore that sentence. Everyone do what you want to do with your boobs. They belong to you. Oooo boy.)

Hannah tells us about a petting zoo that, frankly, sounds a bit scary. (Would You Take Your Kids to a Petting Zoo with Lions, Tigers, and Bears?) Then again, I won't go on Space Mountain at Disney World. So maybe I'm not the best judge.

Jen asked a good question with The Holiday Dilemma: When Parental Gift-Giving Goes Too Far. Easter presents. Who knew? I'm still trying to convince the wife that we can get Easter baskets for the kids even though we're Jewish. So far all I've managed to do is buy (and eat) a lot of Peeps.

Jen also gave us The Five Peanuts TV Specials That Never Should Have Been. Personally, I'm in favor of more and more Peanuts specials, and I even enjoy the mediocre ones. (I even like "Arbor Day.") This proves that sometimes we disagree and that there is no Babble Hive Mind.

Mike questioned the notion of Terrible Twos with Terrible Twos: Myth or Kicking. Your. A@!? Personally, I found two to be easier than three. Of course, neither of my children are teenagers yet. If they're anything like me, I'm thinking Terrible Thirteens, Fourteens, Fifteens...

Madeline gives us her take on Dr. Laura with Stay-At-Home Moms are the Best, Aren't They! Madeline starts with "Oh, for God's sake, Dr. Laura, put a lid on it." But then she says that she really agrees with everything the Doc says. OK, no she doesn't. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. The comments are numerous and terrific: for example, "Whatever" says that "Maybe my daughter is in daycare, but at least she won't grow up acting like a sanctimonious ass-hat." I want to start a band named "Sanctimonious Ass-hat." Ah, goals.

As for myself, I took a more lighthearted approach to pirates by telling you about the release of Tina Fey's Sesame Street appearance on DVD. (Special thanks to Jezebel for the linkee dink.)

What will next week bring? I don't know but I promise you one thing -- I will do everything in my power not to use the phrase "linkee dink." No idea where that came from.

Boy Calls 911 When Mom Drives Drunk

Finish Line - April Fools And More

Babysitter Sleeps While Kid Plays Among the Alligators

JeanneSager — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:36:00 GMT

Your babysitter was never this bad - trust me.

A Florida sitter fell asleep on the toilet while her two-year-old charge went out and wandered around in an alligator-infested canal.

According to some reports, the boy was wearing nothing but a shirt and covered in feces when he was spotted and promptly rescued. When police got to the house, they say they found his babysitter on the toilet - passed out - and a bottle of oxycodone. The sitter, Brandy Albright, was woken up by police and placed under arrest for child endangerment, while the boy has been returned to his mom.

Unless you live in Florida or another coastal area of the country, you likely don't have to worry that your kid is going to be out playing with the alligators when you aren't home. But does a sitter really have to be told not to take drugs while they're watching your kid? There's a warning about not operating heavy machinery while taking these drugs on that bottle for a reason.

Just remember this one the next time you want to complain about your sitter. At least he or she remains upright throughout the day. If not, it's time you get yourself a new sitter!

Image: APP

Obama Girls Meet the Easter Waterhound

JeanneSager — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:14:00 GMT

Charlie Brown had the Easter Beagle. Sasha and Malia Obama have the Easter Waterhound.

The president's daughters met their new puppy this weekend, just in time to ring in the Easter holiday by hiding their chocolate from him!

The dog will come home to the White House on Tuesday, but he's already got a name - Bo, the same as the girls' cousins' cat, and in honor of Michelle Obama's dad, whose nickname was Diddley.

Michelle had promised the dog would come home in April earlier this year when she released the news that they'd settled on a Portuguese waterdog, a pup that won't stir up Malia's allergies to pet dander.

It's not technically an Easter present - after all, Dad made the announcement that a pet was promised back in November - but the timing means the girls will probably always remember this Easter. It's a holiday that is often associated with getting kids bunnies and chicks (something most animal welfare officials advise against, because the kids soon tire of their new friends and all the work they entail). Have you ever considered Easter a pet-giving holiday?

Image: NY Daily News

Kid to Malia Obama: Save my Dad

Sisters Better than Brothers? We Have Proof

First Video of the First Dog at Home

Four Creepiest Animals Turned Adorable Kids Characters

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:05:00 GMT

Just the thought of the scene when the rats converge in the kitchen in Disney's Ratatouille gives me the willies. They're (shudder) rats. Uggggh.

Becoming a parent, I quickly learned, was setting myself up for dozens of movies/tv shows featuring the world's creepiest animals thrown onto a screen in the attempts to make kids think they're just as cute and cuddly as your average puppy.

Who are they trying to kid? Rats, spiders and cuddly tigers? Oh my.

Remy in Ratatouille: He can read! He can cook! Gotcha - but he's still a rat. And rats don't belong indoors, not to mention in a restaurant kitchen mixing up French delicacies. Since this comes from the folks at Disney, I can't help but ask, did they take a look in their archives? I hold the rat scene from Lady and the Tramp wholly responsible for my residual rodent revulsion.

Charlotte in Charlotte's Web: Another reader, with a talent for writing, Charlotte is the true hero of the movie and E. B. White's book that bear her name. She's still a spider! With big buggy eyes and larger-than-life chompers. And did anyone catch the tail end of the Dakota Fanning version, with the egg sack full of thousands of little spiders just waiting to scuttle off and settle in the corners? See Also: Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends.

Alvin, Simon and Theadore in Alvin and the Chipmunks: I will always remember the day a contractor left a door open at my parents house and a chipmunk snuck in. Total. . . and complete . . . pandemonium. Followed by plenty of cleaning up of little pellets of poop in my bedroom. Ewww. Another member of the rodent family, chipmunks carry disease and are best-known for storing their food in their cheeks so long they come close to bursting, followed closely by their "chirpy" chipmunk calls. Ever said, "say it, don't spray it," when your kid spoke with a full mouth? Try telling that to a chipmunk . . . or to the three singing sweethearts who hanker for hula hoops? That Dave lets these little guys live in his house and eat of his cereal bowls is giving me flashbacks. . . to poop cleaning.

Oswald: With the disarming voice of a Savage brother, how could anyone dislike the bright blue resident of Big City who tips his bowler to everyone he meets? Maybe the fact that octupi have been known to kill sharks, detach one of their eight legs to escape predators and shoot bright clouds of ink at anyone who gets in their way? Fish may be friends, not food, but the octupus is not the friendliest member of the ocean community.

Images: Disney, Flixster, Amazon, Parent Previews

Why Teen Girls are Taking Drugs Meant for Cows

JeanneSager — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:01:00 GMT

It's rumor and conjecture at this point, but Wisconsin health officials are taking seriously claims that a rash of teenage girls have taking drugs commonly used on cows to force their bodies to abort babies.

The kids allegedly got hold of prostaglandins, drugs used by farmers to regulate cows' heat cycles for breeding, and ingested them as "a cheap and easy way to end their pregnancies without their parents finding out."

According to officials, as many as ten girls ages fourteen to eighteen have owned up to the home abortion practice, and the American Veterinary Medical Association has gotten pro-active, sending warnings to practitioners about the usage and storage of the drug to discourage the practice from spreading.

Though the numbers are still small, that it's happening at all is clearly indicative of the fact that these kids are just that - kids. Shannon reported on the alarming spike in teenage pregnancies recently, pointing to the fact that at least half of American teens are having sex. Throw in kids' fear of being proactive with pregnancy preventions, and it's not hard to imagine how kids end up in this predicament.

They're having sex like adults. But they're still kids. And at the end of the day, they are afraid of how to properly deal with the consequences of their actions. They're afraid of owning up to their parents that they've made a mistake.

What should happen? It's really up to the kids and their families. Whether it's a baby given up for adoption, a baby kept or an abortion (pro-life groups are naturally using the news to once again decry legalized abortions, somehow arguing that legalizing abortions has actually encouraged these types of home abortions despite the fact that the legalized abortions means kids have much better options) is dependent on the family and their situation, but what's important is that these kids get the support of adults, adults who have the good sense not to feed their kids dangerous drugs meant for massive animals with drastically different genetic make-up.

But as Shannon pointed out recently, with abstinence-only education comes a lack of discussion about what happens when. . . and if . . . And pregnancies are happening, have always happened. Shrouding sex in mystery is not stopping it, but it is still putting our kids at risk.

Image: SFGate.com

Mr. Popper's Taking His Penguins to the Movies!

JeanneSager — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:02:00 GMT

Third graders everywhere are about to get a chance to cheat on their book reports. Come on - you know that's what happens when they push a classic children's book onto the big screen.

In this case, they made a good choice - because before there was the March of the Penguins and the Madagascar penguins, there was Mr. Popper and his brood of waddling birds.

Mr. Popper's Penguins, a 1938 Newberry Honor Award winner, took a broke house painter on an adventure of Antarctic proportions when explorer Admiral Drake ships him a penguin via air mail. The family names him Captain Cook and sets up a home for him in the icebox (the name for a freezer back in 1938), but when he gets lonely another penguin gets shipped in - a female, who starts laying egg after massive penguin egg.

There's not much known about the film version yet - Twentieth Century Fox apparently paid seven figures for rights to produce it, and writer/director Sean Anders and co-writer John Morris (the men who wrote Sex Drive) have gotten the nod to write up the screenplay.

Get your kids ready for the film with this site, full of facts on explorers like Admiral Drake, Antarctica facts and even a house-painting practice game.

Image: ScreeningLog

Dad Battles Kangaroo, Can You?

JeanneSager — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:28:00 GMT

Proof that children's books can really skew your view of the world - I've always thought of kangaroos as sweet and lovable, not unlike mama Kanga and her irascible youngster, Roo.

If you've got a similiar kangaroo crush, this story might make you whistle a different tune. An Australian family was awoken in the middle of the night by their ten-year-old screaming that a kangaroo had broken into his room. Nightmare? You don't know the half of it.

The frightened creature thrashed his way around the house, breaking glass and trouncing on Mom and one of the kids huddled under a quilt until a burst of adrenaline sent Dad flying for the six-foot-tall creature. He wrestled it to the ground, and aware that kangaroos get the bulk of their power from their massive legs, kept her close to the ground as he dragged her to the front door and shoved her out onto the porch to hop away.

His wife says it was probably the stupidest thing he could have done - considering the danger posed by those powerful legs - but he's definitely her knight in shining armor. The kangaroo was like a "ninja" or "Jackie Chan" busting around her house.

You probably don't have much to worry about if you don't live next door to a kangaroo reservation like these folks, but can't you imagine being that dad? The one who sees baby bear in trouble and just goes for it? I've read stories over the years of parents lifting entire cars off of their children or dads who have never shot a gun taking perfect aim at a dog that's chewing on their baby's face.

But bringing down a kangaroo? Only down under . . .

Image: Stanford

It's a Circus Out There for The Wonder Pets

JeanneSager — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:32:00 GMT

If your kids wrap blankets round their shoulders and play Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming, you'll probably be parked in front of the TV come Monday night.

The Wonder Pets are off to join the circus, and your family is invited. Babble got a look at what the prime time special promises for your kids. So pull out a bowl of peanuts and get the cotton candy ready, we're headed to the Big Top!

Life is never boring for three classroom pets with the tin can phone that rings off the hook with calls for help, but even the Wonder Pets get wistful for another life. When Linny, Tuck and Ming Ming take the flyboat out for a spin to check out the circus train riding through town, they catch sight of a lion cub who needs saving. Little do they know they'll land themselves an act.

It's a change from the largely repetitive make-up of The Wonder Pets, which attracts kids with its familiarity, but The Wonder Pets Join the Circus highlights just what makes the show a hit with kids. Plenty of animals, a storyline that's easy to follow and a group of best friends who are together through thick and thin - especially if there's celery involved. When the ringmaster (or ring-penguin in this case) calls for separate acts for the show, the trio kick it teamwork style.

The half hour show airing from 8 p.m. to 8:30 (EST) on Monday on Nickelodeon kicks off a week of new episodes, featuring the voice talents of Anne Meara and husband Jerry Stiller and the three young stars who voice the pets themselves. Get the kids ready with coloring pages and circus recipes from Nickelodeon this weekend, then grab your blanket cape and settle on the couch for an elephant-poop free trip to the circus.

Image: Nickelodeon

Sights of the Circus Extended to Visually-Impaired

Would You Let the Kid Eat Dog Food?

JeanneSager — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:32:00 GMT

Inspired by National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day (yup, it's real), I have got to ask - what kind of parent lets their kid eat dog food?

Don't think people do this? Guess again. I know parents who think it's absolutely hilarious. Others think it's a little weird, but eh, so is drinking bath water, or eating dirt.

Turns out it's not all that funny or just plain weird. According to the experts over at Kids Health, it's also dangerous. They list a series of pretty serious reasons to put your kid in the doghouse for chewing on dog chow:

It's not nutritious - meaning they're filling up on something not exactly good for them.
The dog bowl isn't sanitary (OK, true, but neither is bath water!)
Small dry pieces of dog food pose a choking hazard (and what of chopped up, wet pieces?)
Dogs can be territorial about their food - they might bite your tot for sticking his or her snout in the doggie dish.

Now who's in the doghouse?

Image: DailyHaha

Doggie 101: How to Hug a Baby

Celebrate the Holiday - It's Bake Pizza Week

Kitchenista: How to Cook With What's Left in the Kitchen

Doggie 101: How to Hug a Baby

JeanneSager — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:21:00 GMT

If you're one of those parents who starts hyperventilating at the mere thought of a dog around your precious bubbala, a warning: don't read this post.

Because this is full-on doggie/kiddie loving at its best!

The folks over at D for Dog, offer up a Doggie 101 class aptly titled "How to Hug a Baby." They walk your canoodling canine through the obvious - 1. First, spy a baby - to the proper "hug, smile and lean" for the camera.

My daughter's past the baby stage, and these days the hugging is more "pre-schooler wraps arms around the neck of dog and nearly cuts off her breathing." We always step in with a quick "gentle, be gentle!" But I think the kids who've been rolling around on the floor with the dog from day one are usually a little more adept at figuring out the dividing line between loving the dog and LOVING the dog.

You have to watch your dog cuddling with the baby, but a big part of the relationship is built on knowing how your dog is around other people. Do they have to be more gentle with a baby than with us? Sure, but you'd be surprised how acutely aware dogs are of the difference. My seventy-pound lap dog might galumph right over me, but she knew from the get-go that she had to turn on her mother radar with our daughter.

So get on over to D for Dog. The pictures alone are worth a look, but if you're a dog lover the tutorial is definitely a bonus laugh.

Image: D for Dog

Penguins March to Extinction

Shannon LC Cate — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The stars of March of the Penguins, Emperor Penguins, are poised to suffer extinction by the end of this century, say researchers.

We can blame the usual suspect--global warming--for melting too much ice in Antarctica. If significant reductions in global warming are not reached soon, the pattern of ice melt will shrink the penguins' habitat dangerously. It is estimated that one penguin colony under study would decline from 3,000 to 400 mating pairs.

It is not just that shrinking ice floes would leave the penguins nowhere to stand. The penguins' primary food source is krill that lives on the underside of the ice. As the ice melts, the krill decline and so do the many animals that eat it, including penguins.

Stories like this depressed me before I had children. But now that I do, I project a future in which my children's children's live in a penguin-less world, and that leaves me even sadder. Because it's not just penguins. By some estimates 50% of all species will be near-extinct or extinct by the turn of the next century.

If my kids live to be 80, they'll be here until 2085 or so. And no one is suggesting that the great mass extinction will necessarily stop at 2100. Without knowing more about A) what species actually exist now--some say species have already probably hit extinction without ever having been discovered and B) what exactly each species' overall effect on the Earth's ecosystem is, we can't say human beings won't be on the critically endangered list by the time our babies are sending their babies off to college.

I guess we should all swap out our cars for bicycles.

Also in Animal News:

300 lb Snake Attacks Toddler

Baby Moose Falls Through Window of Family Home

Bizarro News: Flaming Squirrel Sets Elementary School on Fire

Cole Gamble — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 15:30:00 GMT

This is going to be tough for the school to collect insurance on. I severely doubt the school district’s insurance policy includes, “Destruction by Act of Flaming Squirrel.”

Firefighters in Jones, Oklahoma say the probable cause for a 5 acre wildfire that triggered the evacuation of an elementary school came from a squirrel exploding into flames due to touching two power lines and then falling into a grassy field.

The elementary school children were evacuated to a local high school; none sustained any injuries.

Donations for the squirrel's bereaved family will be accepted at your nearest tree.

More by this Author:

Anti-Abortion Group Up In Arms Over Krispy Kreme Abortion Donuts

"I Ate Little Black Girls for Two Years"

4 Ways to Be a Better Parent

Barbie’s Creator A Sexual Pervert

Should You Take A Risk on Orgasmic Birth? (Orgasmic Birth Video included)

4 Ways Birth and Breastfeeding Will Ruin Sex

Pete Wentz: "I've Tasted Ashley's Breast Milk."

Banana Dildos and the 10 Worst Toys and Gifts This Christmas (part 1)

Kid to Obamas: Take My Puppy

JeanneSager — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:15:00 GMT

Now that the Obamas have narrowed their dog search to two breeds, there's a fourth grader in Pennsylvania who's crossing his fingers that he's got the answer to all their four-legged questions.

Zack Shiley's dogs produced a litter born on November 26, but only one survived. That's the puppy - a labradoodle - that Shiley wants President Barack Obama to bring home to the White House for daughters Sasha and Malia.

The fourth grader at the Wharton Elementary School in Farmington, Pa., sent word to D.C. this week via his County Commissioners, Vincent Vicites and Vincent Zapotsky. The Vincents attended the inauguration without the six-week-old Vegas, the love pup of eleven-year-old Hillary, a chocolate Labrador and her much younger stud (sire?) one-year-old Bullet, a black labradoodle.

Instead they took with them a letter directly to Malia - who Shiley figures has the final say on the matter (she's the member of the Obama family with an allergy - prompting consideration of a labradoodle).

"We want her to have a good home, and what could be better than the White House... A dream come true," Shiley wrote. "I almost forgot, the puppy is free."

According to his hometown newspaper, The Herald Standard, everyone admits it's a long shot, but Shiley's mom put her stamp of approval on her son's letter and offer to the new president. Considering the pup earned the name Vegas because Mom was on a trip to Las Vegas when the family dogs mated, perhaps there's a little more than selflessness at work there? Don't worry Ms. Shiley - we get you! Whatever your motivation (getting the puppy out of the house so you can go back to two dogs instead of three!), you raised a son with a big heart - and one adorable ball of fur for a friend.

Image: The Herald Standard

Parents Criticize Schools for Celebrating Inauguration

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

Mystery Solved: Dog Swallowed Fifteen Pacifiers

VIDEO: I Kissed a Pig (And I Liked It)

Brett Singer — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:00:00 GMT

This kid really likes that pig. That's some kiss.

I feel a song coming on…

I kissed a pig / And I liked it! / Tasted just like / a B L T
I kissed a pig / And I liked it! / Hope my friends don't / make fun of me…

UPDATE:

Actually, here's the song, along with a video:

I think it's gonna be a big, big hit.

The follow-up shows what might happen if they grow up, get married, and have children of their own.

I think that’s still illegal in most states, however. But now that a Democrat will be President, it'll be Sodom and Gomorrah before we know it. So perhaps there is hope for the happy couple.

On a semi-serious note, this is kind of gross but I think all kids do it. Not quite to this extent, however. I can't imagine either of my children getting to first base with a barnyard animal, even when they were babies. Then again, we're Jewish, and while we're not Kosher, we do tend to avoid pork. Then again, a little bacon never hurt anyone…

Source: Buzzfeed

Rare Baby Rhinos Found

Are Email Holiday Cards Tacky?

Babble Talk: Points For Honesty

Babble Talk: Did Mommy Get New Boobies?

Stuff You Never Thought You'd Say -- Winter Edition

Lego Santa Crab Will Frighten Children Into Being Good All Year

Elephant Cares For Injured Dog

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:45:00 GMT

It's only fair to warn you that if you watch this video, you are liable to have a cuteness conniption fit. And if you show it to your kids, they are likely to beg you for a trip to the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

That's where Tarra the elephant lives. Recently her best friend Bella suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury. Rather than roaming on the nearly 3,000-acre sanctuary, Tarra stood vigil for three full weeks outside the sanctuary office, where Bella was recuperating. This loyalty is not uncommon in elephants, who typically form lifelong friendships--except that Bella is not an elephant herself. She's a stray dog who lives on the sanctuary.

Perhaps thanks in large part to Tarra's support, Bella is now all healed and once again frolicking alongside her elephant friend and letting Tarra rub her belly with her giant foot.

Photo: CBS, via Jezebel

Kid and Kangaroo Best of Friends

Rare Baby Rhinos Found

Kid and Kangaroo Best of Friends

JeanneSager — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:27:00 GMT

Why couldn't my mom have been a zookeeper? Yeah, she put food on the table, but having a mom in healthcare means hearing a lot about proper handwashing and absolutely no chance to nurse a baby joey abandoned by his mama!

Eight-year-old Lilly Dyson, however, hit the mom jackpot with a zookeeper mama who has been bringing home a baby kangaroo each day in an incubator designed to act like her mom's pouch.

The pictures of the Milly the joey and Lilly the kid are the kind you find of your mom's firstborn cuddling with your mom - the type that make you all indignant that it isn't you. Nose-to-nose, Lilly and Milly are obviously the best of pals.

The joey's mom fell ill earlier this month and was no longer able to carry her in her pouch. That was bad news for Milly - joeys generally spend at least nine months in mom's pouch before their first venture into the outside world (no wonder I've always felt a kinship with Kanga from Winnie the Pooh - we have nine months of carting kids in common). The joeys continue to spend a significant amount of time there until they are around a year.

Milly is still too young to come out of the incubator for anything more than limited amounts of time, and she requires round-the-clock care, with Lilly's mom Deb Dyson and her colleague splitting the bulk of the duties. But Lilly has gotten to lend a hand too - a rare chance, as this is the first joey to be hand-raised by the Melbourne Zoo (where Deb works) in more than two decades.

Baby joeys can be a handful (kind of like baby humans), but Deb says Milly has been a breeze - even with the one and four a.m. feedings. And Lilly looks like the luckiest kid down under!

Image/Source: Herald Sun

New Babies Wrapped in Holiday Stockings

Why They Shouldn't Eat the Snow

Babble Talk: It Was an Accident

Toddler Befriends an Orphaned Baby Orangutan

Rare Baby Rhinos Found

Brett Singer — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:00:00 GMT

If this doesn't prove that all babies, human or animal, are cute, I don't know what does.

Agus Primabudi of the Ujung Kulon National Park in West Java, Indonesia told reporters that scientists found "Four Javan rhinos of six to seven months" on the beach while doing field research. The Javan rhino is the rarest rhino species of all.

Mostly I'm posting this because the pictures are kind of cute, if a bit grainy. But I also like to think that perhaps this means that there are species out there that we thought were extinct but really aren't. It's a big world, after all, no matter what Disney says.

Plus this post you can show to your kids, unlike the EVIL LEGO SANTA CRAB.

Source: Yahoo News

Lego Santa Crab Will Frighten Children Into Being Good All Year

Stuff You Never Thought You'd Say -- Winter Edition

Fisher Price Chompin' Croc

Toddler Befriends an Orphaned Baby Orangutan

Kid and Kangaroo Best of Friends

Five Super Cute Baby Animal Videos

SunnyChanel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:40:00 GMT

There are many uses of this video collection of adorable, cute and totally irresistible baby animals from YouTube. Perhaps you:

You just read one of our sad 'humans totally suck' posts and need some cheering up.
The baby/toddler/kid in your life is inconsolable, nothing shushes up a crying kid faster than seeing some hot mammal cuteness
You’re having one of “those” days.
You’ve always wanted a puppy, kitten, tiger cub, baby panda, or baby hippo but your landlord won’t let you have one. Live vicariously through these.
You just have a thing for cuteness, babies or sickeningly sweet videos of random animals.

If any or all of those apply, click thru to check out some total cuteness:

Panda Kindergarden
Cute Kitten Aimlessly Wandering
Totally Cute French Bulldog Puppies
Hot Baby Tiger Cub Action
Baby Hippo - Who Knew They Could Be So Cute

Also check out:

Horrifyingly Cute Animals
Sad Animals Are Also Super Cute

Immaculate Conception: Virgin Shark Gives Birth to Twins

JeanneSager — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:25:00 GMT

It's a miracle! Well, sort of. A female white spotted bamboo shark who hasn't been near a male in six years is now the proud mom of the Belle Isle Aquarium's two newest additions.

So what's the catch? There is none. The curator of fishes at the Detroit aquarium told National Geographic he'd heard of a bonnethead shark that supposedly had a "virgin birth" in Nebraska last year, so when the bamboo shark laid a cluth of eggs in April, he decided to leave them in the tank with her. Usually the eggs are assumed to be infertile and discarded.

Eventually moved to another tank, the eggs hatched 15 weeks after they'd been laid - without ever being touched by a male shark or any other form of intervention. The birth has scientists pondering the possibilities that the bamboo shark may be hermaphroditic or perhaps has been storing sperm from a male for the past six years (although the latter has been largely discounted). Genetic testing will have to be done before any real determination can be made, and that will take some time. In the meantime, the aquarium will not be discarding future clutches of eggs laid by its female sharks.

Sharks have been getting a bad rap since the '70s when Roy Scheider made us all fear the water, but I'm starting to warm to these cold-blooded creatures. Imagine, you don't even have to tell him you have a headache . . . and you still get a baby!

Image: Shark Foundation, egg of a white-spotted shark

Keep Kids From Getting Fat - Get a Dog

Woman changes her name to Cutout Dissection.com

Envy the Mongoose - They Pick Their Own Parent

News from Darkest Peru: Paddington Turns 50

Losing Your Hair? Blame Mom . . . and Dad

Keep Kids From Getting Fat - Get a Dog

JeanneSager — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:32:00 GMT

Want to keep your kids from falling victim to the obesity crisis? Australian researchers say get a dog.

The study of more than 1,100 kids ages 5 to 12 showed kids with a friendly Fido in the house were in better shape - even if they weren't walking the pooch on a regular basis. If the dogs were anything like mine, it might have more to do with the amount the dog's stealing from their plate. Just saying - my dog gained 11 pounds in the year after my daughter started solids.

On a more serious note, pets have long been touted as good for kids, boosting self esteem, helping kids learn discipline and responsibility and even lowering kids risk of developing allergies down the line. Put each of those benefits together, and it would make sense that kids who have a four-legged friend have a healthier outlook on life - which usually translates to overall health. Then add in the exercise of chasing the dog to rescue all that stolen food, and that's one canine who's earning his keep.

Image: Pet Door Decor

What's Worse, Getting Fat or Getting Pregnant?

Stuff Parents Dream About: Life Without Play-Doh

News from Darkest Peru: Paddington Turns 50

Samples of Medicines Not Getting to Poor Kids

They Say: Drop the Hamsters, Kids, and Get Back in the Bubble

Envy the Mongoose - They Pick Their Own Parent

SunnyChanel — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:50:00 GMT

Many people wish that they could have picked their own parents. But with this recent study, you may very well wish you were born a mongoose. Why? Because mongooses (or how I like to call them mongeese), get to just that, they pick their own parent.

The banded mongoose live in large family groups. Many of the females, as many as ten, breed and birth their young around the same time. The pups, after they are born, live in a communal den. As they start to venture out, after about a month, the pup “begins to associate exclusively with one particular adult - not necessarily a parent - that provides nourishment and protection.”

After the pup claims their parent or "escort", they become very possessive and won’t let any other pup within a yard of their caregiver. But the relationship is short lived. After about three months, the pups begin to fend for themselves, and don’t need their “escort” anymore. Hope they keep in touch with their maternal and adopted parents, especially around the holidays.

Awww…a baby otter…

Brett Singer — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:00:00 GMT

This is just cute.

After a couple of weeks of election coverage, I thought everyone could use a little "awww" moment. These photos are of an "oriental small-clawed otter"; five of the little tykes were born on Friday at the Veszprem Zoo in Hungary. I'm a sucker for baby animals.

image/source: Yahoo! News