Mom cat adopts newborn puppy (The cutest thing you will see all day)

So I just came across this video from the Michigan Humane Society, about a days-old puppy who lost its mom (killed in a car accident) and was "adopted" by a cat who had recently had a litter of kittens and was still nursing.

This may be one of the cutest, sweetest things I have ever seen. And if that video -- and story -- doesn't warm your heart and make you smile, you either hate animals or are a robot.

FYI, the puppy, Bobby, a Chihuahua, is now 5 weeks old and still living with his feline foster family. No word as to whether Bobby is meowing or barking.

You may now return to your Monday.

Piggies!

I love pigs. They are smart, funny, and... delicious.

And few things are cuter (at least to me) than a pack of little porkers running around and noisily nursing.

So when the spouse and I happened upon this family of black pigs, which included five hungry little piglets, at a local farm, well, I was in hog heaven.

[Click on photos to enlarge. And be sure to scroll down to watch the short video of the piggies nursing -- and make sure to have the volume turned up!]

If you give a hamster a piña colada

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know I am a big fan of Hello Denizen's Tiny Hamster videos. And their latest Tiny Hamster video, titled "Tiny Hamster's Tiny Tiki Party," which has a Hawaiian theme, does not disappoint.



And speaking of getting one's Hawaiian on, my Hawaii-inspired cool casual clothing company, Prepster Pineapple, is offering free shipping to anywhere in the U.S. through the month of May (a $6 value) when you use the code PP-SHIPFREE-MAY at checkout.

Cheers and aloha!

[Wish someone would make me a piña colada...]

Koalas, the secret to world peace?

The 2014 Group of Twenty, or G20, international conference took place this weekend in Brisbane, Australia. This annual event is an opportunity for leaders from around the world, including the United States, Russia, China, and Germany, to discuss the major issues affecting the global economy and come up with solutions.

As you can imagine, being cooped up in a convention center for two days straight, responding to or trying to prevent global economic crises, can be quite stressful. But this year's Australian hosts came up with a brilliant tactic for heading off potential hostilities and getting the G20 participants in a good mood.

Their secret weapon: koalas.

As anyone who has ever looked at or held a koala knows: it is hard to be angry, or stressed out, or in a bad mood when cuddling an adorable koala.

Seriously, how cute are those two little koalas, sniffing each other while adorably clinging to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and United States President Barack Obama? They make even Abbott and Obama look cute and cuddly!

Indeed, no one is immune to the smile-inducing cuteness of koalas, not even Russian President Vladimir Putin! (You try smiling with all that Botox. But with a koala, you can!)

[Is it just me, or does that koala look about as happy as Ukraine did when Putin grabbed it?]

I think the Australians are really onto something -- and that future G20 host countries should follow its lead, with China organizing baby panda cuddling sessions, India having world leaders cuddle with baby elephants, and the United States inviting dozens of puppies to mingle with world leaders.

This month's best cat + dog videos

I don't know about all of you, but by this time on Monday, I am in dire need of a cute and/or funny cat (or dog) video. So as a public service, I give you the best cat and dog videos you will find online this month. (You're welcome.)

First up, "Ouvrez-Moi," wherein a cat attempts to convince a male human to open the door... in French (with English subtitles). Love this video.



And speaking of strange cats, this cat apparently loves to be vacuumed. (Our cats enjoy a good lint rolling, but vacuuming? Uh, no.)



Next, the reason the spouse and I are not getting a St. Bernard... even though they are very sweet dogs.



Finally, the award for Cutest Beagle Video of the Month goes to KLM, for "Lost & Found Service."



Makes you almost want to leave something on the plane next time you fly KLM.

Having a bear of a day?

You've got nothing on Sulo Karjalainen, who runs the Kuusamo Large Carnivore Center in Finland and has a bear of a day every day.

Indeed, this modern day Grizzly Adams is known affectionately as "the bear man," and not just because he looks like a great big teddy bear -- but because of his symbiotic relationship with the many brown bears who reside at Kuusamo.

Prepare yourselves for unbearable cuteness, people....



Slurp!

[Also, how cute are those little brown bear cubs?! Moosh.]

Proof that friends come in all shapes and sizes

Here is your feel-good story and video for the weekend, about a goat named Mr. G and a burro named Jellybean, lifelong friends, who, due to circumstances beyond their control, were separated -- and then reunited.

The story of Mr. G and Jellybean is courtesy of Animal Place, an animal sanctuary in California that sounds like a wonderful place.

[Warning: Have tissues handy before pressing "play."]


More proof that friends come in all shapes and sizes.

At least SOMEONE is enjoying all the snow

Me, I'm not a fan of epic snow storms. Been there, done that.

Then again, I am not a giant panda....

The Toronto Zoo's male giant panda, Da Mao, whose name means "Big Mao," sure does look like he is having fun out there, rolling around in the snow.

Then again, he doesn't have to shovel it later.

Or worry about ice dams. Or the roof leaking.

Bring on the adorable penguin and polar bear videos!

Greetings from the Polar Vortex*!

I am too cold and numb (from drinking red wine to ward off the cold) to type anything even mildly intelligent, so instead I give you...

Adorable penguin and polar bear videos! (That is, videos of animals that actually like, or well tolerate, or look warm and cute in, the cold.)





You're welcome.

I will now hibernate until Easter -- or until we have at least three consecutive days of over 50-degree weather (without driving rain) here in the Northeast.

*Does the Weather Channel have someone on staff whose job it is to name sh*t? Sure seems that way.

I want a pony... and a wombat... and...

I don't really want a pony (unless I find someone to take care of it for me). But I do love this amusing video of a dancing Shetland pony titled "The Pony #DancePonyDance" put out by UK mobile broadband provider Three.



"Silly stuff. It matters." Indeed.

And while I may not want a pony, I think a wombat would make a rather nice pet -- at least this little wombat.



[H/T to CuteOverload.com]

How cute is that wombat?! (Also, I just love saying the word wombat. Wha? No, wombat.)

All right. Back to work, people. (Sigh.)

Are you ready for some Puppy Bowl?!

Coming this Sunday, February 3, at 3 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time on Animal Planet.... It's Puppy Bowl IX!



And now, for the first time ever, here is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Puppy Bowl, titled "Any Given Puppy Bowl."



(For a true behind-the-scenes look at Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl, including some interesting facts and figures, read this fascinating article in Forbes.)

Sure, puppies are cute and fun to watch, but can they do something useful, like predict who will win the Super Bowl?

Let's go to the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Puppy Predictor to find out!



Don't like that result, 49ers fans? No problem. Just check out the Animal Planet Super Bowl Puppy Predictor instead!

No matter which team you are rooting for, though, looks like a doggone good time.

Can you handle the cute?

I've had a crappy month -- and a migraine since some time early this morning. (I am a human barometer. If you want to know when a big storm is coming, just ask me.) So cute videos are about all I can handle today. That and getting my washing machine repaired. (You know how they say that laughter is the best medicine? Well cuteness -- and Rizatriptan Benzoate -- are a close second.)

First up, predicting which team -- the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers -- will win Super Bowl XLVII, using adorable golden retriever puppies!



I don't know what the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon crew put in those bowls, but I think the Puppy Predictor was rigged. (We are rooting for the San Francisco 49ers.)

Next, "Baby Panda Diagnosed with Acute Cuteness," courtesy of the San Diego Zoo. (Apparently Advanced Tickling is now a required course at veterinary school.)



I can't believe Xiao Liwu is six months old! Panda cubs, they grow up so fast.

And I'm not sure this last video, "Jedi Kitten with the Force," falls under "cute" or "disturbing," but I decided to include it anyway.


May the cute with you!

What's black and white and cute all over?

What's black and white and cute all over? This beautiful white mom cat and her six adorable black and white kittens -- appearing live on the Pet Collective's latest Kitten Cam!

(I hope none of you had anything important you needed to get done today, as well as an emergency stash of insulin.)



The six kittens -- three of whom are (mainly) white, three of whom are black -- were born on November 12 and will be available for adoption when they are eight weeks old. Any readers in Southeast Florida?

(You can find out more about mom cat and her kittens and other Pet Collective pet cams by clicking on the video.)

All together now: AAAAAAAAAAAAAWWW

I will now panda to your baser emotions!

To panda (definition): to act like an adorable baby panda; especially to provide gratification to others -- as in, I will now panda to your need for cuteness by showing you this video of Xiao Liwu* (meaning “little gift”), the San Diego Zoo's 3.5-month-old incredibly adorable panda cub, who was just officially named! 

Here he is getting his 100-day checkup! (Who's a cute little panda cub? Who's a cute little panda cub? Xiao Liwu is!**)



To see an unbearably cute video compilation of Xiao Liwu getting his various baby panda exams, click here.

*Per the San Diego Zoo, Xiao Liwu is pronounced sshyaoww (falling then rising tone) lee (falling then rising tone) woo (falling tone).

**Hey, would you rather I blogged about the Petraeus love triangle (or pentagon) -- or the fiscal cliff? 

Puppy love

I love dogs. That is, other people's dogs. When they are cute and well-behaved and I don't have to take care of them. So when our friend, R., showed us these pictures of her dog Monty with their new puppy, Stella, I just melted.

How cute are they? (Just look at those noses!)

Of course, having cats, who, if presented with a new kitten would either a) swiftly swack it the moment it invaded the older cat's space/food bowl/litter box; b) call UPS to have it returned; c) express their displeasure in a variety of ways; d) ignore it; or e) all of the above, I was curious to know if Monty was at all jealous of the adorable new pup. Far from it, replied R. Indeed, Monty loves little Stella. Here is the proof:

How sweet is that?!

Now please excuse me while I go get an insulin shot.

[Thanks to R. and E. for sharing their puppy pics with me!]

Goo goo g'joob

Meet Mitik, the world's cutest walrus calf.



Mitik, known as Mit, was found on his lonesome in the Arctic Ocean around Alaska, separated from his herd this July. The Alaska SeaLife Center took the baby walrus in, and the New York Aquarium stepped in from there, flying out staff member Martha Hiatt to look after the walrus calf on his long journey east.

Mit is now a happy resident of the New York Aquarium on Coney Island, as you can see from the video.

I can honestly say this is one Mit I approve of.

More about little Mitik's adventure here. 

You can't handle the cute!

[Warning: This blog post contains excessive cuteness and its inherent sweetness could make your teeth fall out.]

Monday morning blues? This unbearably cute video of the first artificially created polar bear cub should have you smiling in no time!



Still feeling low? Then check out Pudsey the dog's audition for Britain's Got Talent:



Even curmudgeon Simon Cowell cannot resist the cute.

Too much cute? Then how about a video of two adorable bunnies... in Dixie cups... exploding?



I don't know about all of you, but I feel so much better now.

Happy New Bear!

Ring in the new year with a new bear!

Meet Siku*, the unbearably cute baby polar bear....



May your year be filled with things that make you smile.

Still need help coming up with new year's resolutions? Here are some suggestions.

*More about Siku here.

Why is this seal smiling? Plus cutest squirrel ever!

Why is this seal smiling? Because she lives in beautiful, sunny La Jolla, California -- rent and mortgage free -- and gets to nap in the sun all day without having to worry about a sun burn or wrinkles or getting a paycheck or driving her pup to soccer or lacrosse or softball practice. Also, no polar bears.






















These seals also looked pretty happy. And if it had been just a bit warmer (and not illegal), I'm pretty sure the spouse would have jumped over the railing and joined them. :-)





























Also, until this trip, I had never seen beach squirrels before. Must be a California thing, which would explain why they were so mellow and friendly.

Cat named Rabbit adopts pup named Bambi

Warning: This blog post contains excessive cuteness.

I first heard about this mom-cat-adopts-orphaned-puppy story a few days ago (on the Weather Channel of all places), and wanted to share this great feel-good story, but I couldn't find embeddable video -- until now.

Meet Mrs. Rabbit, a beautiful gray long-haired cat, her two kittens, Thumper and Friend Owl, and the orphaned Chihuahua/Shih Tzu puppy she adopted, Bambi, while at the Cleveland Animal Protective League.



You can learn more about Mrs. Rabbit, her two kittens, and Bambi the puppy, as well as see additional video of them, here.

Btw, per the Cleveland APL site, while Bambi has since been spoken for, Mrs. Rabbit and her two kittens are still looking for a home. So if any of you reside in the Cleveland area, please consider adopting this remarkable cat and her kittens.