I found pictures of two more white deer!
(wzzm13)
I guess these two deer, a stag and a doe, live in Lake County Michigan. Some of the comments on the pictures indicate people may have seen more of them in the same area. I wonder if they are true albino deer or if it is some kind of genetic defect of the deer in the area? Whatever the cause, they are majestic looking and I would love to see one!
Have you ever seen a wild white deer?
–Cola Pig
Today is the 12th anniversary of 9/11/2001, we remember those who lost their lives and those who gave their lives in service.
The lights set up for the anniversary:
The World Trade Center flag being presented at the memorial:
(source)
Lionhead rabbits fascinate me, so I decided to do some research on the breed.
Dwarf Lionhead
(source)
Characteristics:
The Lionhead has a wool mane that surrounds its head and ears. Their fur is a bit wavy but otherwise soft and silky. Given the wool, these rabbits do require regular grooming to prevent mats. Lionheads come in a variety of colors and are a small breed with a compact body. They have upright ears which should not exceed 3 inches in length. An adult rabbit of this breed usually weighs no more than 3 pounds 12 ounces. Lionheads have a temperament which is usually calm and friendly. Always remember that every animal is unique and breeding is only a small part of personality. Lifespan is around 7 to 9 years.
The Mane:
The mane is a genetic mutation. The exact origin of the breed is not known, but it is commonly thought that the mutation first occurred from a breeding in Belgium with the cross of a Swiss Fox and a Belgium Dwarf, then crossing those babies with other wool rabbits. This gene is not the same gene which produces wool in other wooled rabbit varieties however. Lionhead rabbits can receive two copies of the gene and have a double mane, have one copy and have a single mane, or have no copies and therefore no mane. The single mane variety has wool only around its head, ears, chest, and maybe on its tail. A double maned lionhead has more wool overall, more around the head with wool that can be on its hind legs, tail, and hips forming a “skirt.” Too much extra wool, or no wool at all, is not desirable for show rabbits but any of these varieties make great pets.
Mane only on neck:
(source)
Fluffier overall:
(source)
This lionhead appears to have wool only around its neck and on the tail:
(source)
Breed Recognition:
In the United States, the North American Lionhead Rabbit Club is a great organization to join if you have or breed this type of rabbit to discover more information. The American Rabbit Breeder’s Association does not yet recognize the breed, but the process to gain recognition is currently ongoing. Lionheads can be shown at ARBA shows currently as an exhibition breed.
Please enjoy these adorable lionhead pictures:
(source)
(Li Xian)
(phaedra)
(source)
(source)
— Fizz Pig
Information Sources:
NALRC
Lionhead
Hubpages
Today, September 9th, is National Teddy Bear Day!
I know, everyday is something new really these days. I do think that celebrating the adorable and fuzzy teddy bear is a neat idea. Many people have had a special teddy bear in their lives.
Here is my oldest and most loved teddy bear:
I got this bear as a baby and have had him ever since. I love this bear! Well, I guess that is obvious since I still have her. She is so well loved that I do not know what company she is from, but she still has her bows and a little bell in one ear.
Here is my Stieff teddy bear Molly:
Love Steiff! Such quality, craftsmanship, and product choice. The only drawback is the cost, which is why I only have one bear.
Of course, I love Pooh Bear:
Did you have a special teddy bear as a child? Do you collect stuffed bears now?
Addition:
As part of National Teddy Bear Day Boyds Bears launched a new design for their website and is having a contest. If you visit boydsstuff.com you can enter to win a teddy bear. As part of the contest you have to like and comment on their facebook page. I am not sure how they know you are the same person entering on their site and then commenting/liking their FB page, but that is how they designed the contest.
Do not know anything about Boyds Bears? They were quite a popular line at gift shops and Hallmark stores around where I live. I had quite a few of the stuffed bears and their resin figures when I was growing up (I kept them as collectibles). The company has been in business since 1979, and specializes in making high quality teddy bears with unique designs and adorable faces. The company expanded over the years to make home decor, gift items, resin figures, and toys tested for children. Check out their new website to see their current lines, a history of the outfits their bears have worn, how to care for your stuffed bear friends, and much more.
Here are some examples of the Boyd Heirloom line:
Bella Bearloom
Greyson Bearlove
Teddie Bearloom
Monday again, stretch and relax!
(source)
Foxes are cute to begin with, but look at his little paws all streched out! So cute! I hope that he makes your Monday just a little bit better!
–Fizz Pig
Do you have some pretty basic, boring, or outdated dog parks near you?
The Beneful brand Dream Dog Park Contest is for dog owners who love taking their dog to a dog park. The prize? A $500,000 dog park renovation to a dog park in your area with the person submitting the winning idea receiving $10,000 cash and a year supply of Beneful dog food!
I just found out about the contest, but it began August 6th and runs through September 17th. It is split into two rounds, the first is general entry and the second round is a selection of the best entries from the first round.
To enter:
1. Complete the online entry form found here.
2. Write an essay of up to 250 words (in English) answering: “If you had $500,000 to create a ‘Dream Dog Park’ where you and your best buddy can play together, what would you do?”
3. Submit a photo that must include both you and your dog, showing how life is better when you are together. This can include multiple dogs if you own more than one, but not any other person’s dog, any other type of animal, or any identifiable people even in the background. It must be a single photo not a collage or combination of any kind. The photo can be color or black and white, but must be no greater than 3MB in size in file types .GIF, .JPG, or .PNG. This must be your dog, and they must be alive at the time of entry.
4. Give a title or theme to your entry. There is a 50 character limit, and it must be an overall description of what your Dream Dog Park is about.
Of course, your entry must be original but it must also be safe for dogs and feasible to build. Themes (like pirates, zombies, dog show etc.) are encouraged but you cannot use brand logos or copy righted material.
Round 1 judgeing will be based on originality and creativity (40%), how well your ideas will enhance the fun you have with your dog (40%), and feasibility (20%).
Entries that make it to round 2 will have to make and narrate a video to answer the question of the first round’s essay prompt. The best videos will be voted on by the public. So do not enter the contest unless you would be willing to complete this second half!
You can check out other peoples’ entries on Beneful.com.
Here is last year’s winning idea:
The Canine Amusement/Water park
Angela and her dog Beau from Lancaster PA won the 2012 contest with an entry which inspired a theme park idea – a “roller coaster” area to encourage dogs to go fast in agility training, a “water park” area or splash pad for the hot days, and a covered area for rainy days so dogs could still play or do agility.
Here are photos:
Angela and Beau
The Plan
Splash Pad
Fun Items
(photos from beneful.com)
Here is the link again to find our more, enter, and read the offical rules.
I love this contest so much because where I live just getting a dog park near me has been slow. The city refused to help, but would allow the project if all the funds for a fence could be raised. The funds were raised, but then we only got a large fenced in area. No benches, no agility course, nothing but a promise for a drinking fountain. So a contest like this is breath of fresh air. If your area is anything like mine, I hope that you are able to enter and I wish you the best of luck!
— Cola Pig
After my previous article about animal friendships, I found the friendship of a Lion named Bonedigger and a Dachshund named Milo truly inspiring.
Just look at them together:
Bonedigger has a metabolic bone disease which has left him slightly crippled. Milo, and a couple other Dachshunds, seemed to recognize his disability and took to him to protect him as part of their pack. Milo has been with the lion since he was a cub, so they have a special relationship to the point that Milo will even groom him. All of these animals live at the G.W. Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood Oklahoma.
The pictures alone are simply amazing! Such a big cat with such small dogs, sharing in mutual grooming and even eating together!
I think it can be easily said that animals form friendships. Such a small dog would seem like an easy snack for a lion, but instead they are living together in a way in which is enriching for both.
Even more intriguing is the story of Bonedigger’s keeper, John Reinke. He used to be a professional bungee jumper but ended up losing both of this legs to an accident from the sport and now works with big cats. You can read his story at NewsOK.
Reinke with Bonedigger and Milo:
(all pictures from the dailymail)
If you are ever near the G.W. Exotic Animal Park you should pay these unique animals a visit!
– Fizz Pig
Today, September 5th, is the 86th anniversary of the first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon from 1927 called Trolley Troubles.
(source)
Who is Oswald? Oswald is a rabbit and was Walt Disney’s first animated character. He basically had Oswald taken from him. The upside? It led to the creation of Mickey Mouse and the rest of that story is history!
Oswald was reacquired by the Disney company and has started to make an appearance on merchandise, in the parks, and in the video game Epic Mickey 2.
An out of date picture, but nice example, of some Oswald merchandise:
(source)
If you want to watch Trolley Troubles, you can see it on Youtube:
Crazy how things go sometimes!
– Fizz Pig
Are you familiar with calling this plastic igloo a pigloo?
Only today did we realize it might be an odd term when this meme picture and had people wondering what a pigloo was:
For the record, we here at Fuzzy Today (your guinea pig staff) never turn our hidey houses and pigloos over! We have no idea how it happens and we are totally innocent!
Cola wants to share this pigture of her IN her pigloo:
She is more likely to move the pigloo to hide and eat, or hide and sleep…Well, you get the idea.
Fizz wants to share this pigture of her with her far superior hidey house:
Fizz loves this because of the lip in the doorway, there is always a side to lay against. She will flip her house, but only to get my attention when she is out of food or if she is angry that food she thought was coming was late or never came. She knows she is NOT innocent!
Back to pigloos…These plastic small pet igloos come in a few different sizes and can easily be used for multiple types of pets (hamsters, rabbits, etc.). So we suppose they could be hamloos or bunloos too.
Only ever having them for guinea pigs means I always thought of them as pigloos. I am not sure if the first one I purchased for my guinea pig years ago was called that on the packaging, if I simply thought the term was cute, or if I read it somewhere.
Here are some more guineas (not your staff) enjoying their pigloos:
Peppers and Friends – everyone fits…almost comfortably… (starfishpaws)
Peppers and friends – defeating the pigloo! (starfishpaws)
Wadel and Feather – the top is the best spot! (source)
Coco sleeping in pigloo (lifesvr7)
I will protect my space in the upside down pigloo! (source)
Have you ever called the igloo a “pigloo” or anything like that? Do your pets also turn them over?
Your ever diligent reporters, who never flip their homes,
– Cola and Fizz
Does anyone use Instagram?
If you have yet to experience Instagram, is it is an app (which also has a website) dedicated to photo and short video sharing designed with its own social network. You create an account and upload photos you have taken, or take using the app, which you can add filters and effects to then post on your wall on Instagram. Video was newly added this year and can only last for 15 seconds. You can also share your photos and videos with the other various social networks out there.
I started using the app once it came to Android and while I enjoy following my friends, there is a limit to the pictures of food and such that I can stand. But thankfully, there are also users who dedicate their feed to posting cute animal photos!
I thought I would share some of the accounts I follow, all of which are dedicated to sharing animal photography.
1. @Puppypalace
Puppypalace shares only dog and puppy photos. They share photos they find, those users suggest, and those which users tag to submit. I love this one because you never know what type of dog will be featured.
Todays picture:
(Puppypalace)
2. @darcytheflyinghedgehog
Do you love hedgehogs? Or at least a tiny cute animal doing cute things? Hedgehogs might not be truly fuzzy, but they do have a way of making me smile. If you want to check out photos of this little guy just being a hedgehog and posting with tiny items you should follow this user!
Other hedgehogs to follow: @biddythehedgehog and @buckley_thehedgehog
3. @guineapigs_ruffles_malone
We might be a bit biased here at Fuzzy Today (we are guinea pigs after all!), but you should check out these two guinea pigs if you find them cute! Ruffles and Malone are both male Abyssinian guinea pigs who take adorable pictures. We highly suggest you check them out!
(guineapigs_ruffles_malone)
Another guinea pig to follow: @chloecavy
4. @corgnelius
Corgis are fun to begin with, with their long bodies and short legs! If you follow @cornelius you will get photo updates of two pembroke welsh corgis Corgnelius and Stumphrey. They have a fabulous life and I think their exploits will make you smile!
(corgnelius)
5. @jermzlee
Pugs are another breed of dog which people find irresitably cute. Check out this user to see photos of Norm the pug, who is willing to put up with a lot for the sake of a cute photo. Maybe he enjoys his stardom? Norm’s owner is great with photo composition and color, so be sure to check out all his old photos as well. I love the pictures that feature his paws with something else!
Example of a paw photo:
(jermzlee)
6. @its_a_silkie_world
Are dogs not quite your thing? What about fluffy feathered chickens and their barn yard freinds? This user is right for you if want a change of pace from dogs in costumes and the like. You can follow PomPom, Charcoal, Flurry, Yeti, Smudge, and Swiffer who are all silkie chickens. I cannot be the only one who loves fluffy chickens can I?
(its_a_silkie_world)
7. @bunnymama
Bunnies are small, fuzzy, and cute! Check out this user to follow Eddy and Rambo. The pair demonstrates proper bunny ownership along with a call to adopt bunnies who need a home rather than buying them from pet stores.
(bunnymama)
8. @marutaro
Maru is a Shiba Inu with a flare for looking adorable on camera! I love Shiba Inus to begin with, so these pictures are something I really enjoy. Check out Maru’s exploits for yourself!
(marutaro)
Another shiba inu to follow (who wears human clothes) is @mensweardog.
9. @chintubehd
Chinchillas are so cute and fluffy! What is even more cute? A baby chinchilla of course! Look through all of these pictures to see adult and baby chinchillas for your daily dose of cute.
(chintubehd)
10. @trufflesthehamster
Truffles the hamster is an adorable tiny ball of fluff, who has a perpetually bad hair day. I love that hamsters can run around in their little plastic exercise balls.
11. @dog_dada
This page is dedicated to photos of this adorable little dog. I think he might be a chihuahua. He has adorable eyes that just suck you in.
(dog_dada)
Some of these are animals I was following, some I found on a list Mashable created of 75 different animals that you can follow on Instagram. If you are looking for any animal in particular check out their list to see if there are any animals you want to follow!
I encourage you to check out Instagram. Do you think we should start an Instagram for our guinea pig staff members?
– Fizz Pig
