missing dog & compassionate cat

When I checked my email this morning, I found a few articles had been sent to me!

Missing Dog in Australia Found 2,000 Miles From Home

SYDNEY, Australia — A dog that vanished two months ago has been found 2,000 miles from home, media reported Wednesday.

Rusty was to be flown home Thursday after being sent to a pound in Darwin, Australia's northernmost city, and identified this week by a microchip inserted under the skin.

Maybe Jera will show up in 2 months at home? :-) (That's about 250 miles)

And these stories reminded me of my cat Lewis. He is very cuddly and friendly; I want to hook up with an organization that will allow me to take him to nursing homes or hospitals to provide comfort for the patients and residents. I'll have to do some Google searching to see if I can find out how to do that.

Oscar the Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths
When death comes calling, so does Oscar the cat

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during their final hours. His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon in a poignant essay in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Come back, Jera!

My puppy is missing. I made a page for it on my other blog.

Lost Beagle in Franklin, TN

FidoFinder listing (not very complete because they charge for more information)

Craigslist listing for Jera

Listing in Nashville Pet Finders

Listing in Petfinder Classifieds

Post on Joanna’s blog

Post on Beth’s blog

Six-toed Hemingway cats can stay, city says

From CNN.com:

KEY WEST, Florida (AP) -- City officials have sided with Ernest Hemingway's former home and its celebrated six-toed felines in its cat fight with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Key West City Commission exempted the home from a city law prohibiting more than four domestic animals per household.

About 50 cats live there.

The house has been locked in a dispute with the USDA, which claims the museum is an "exhibitor" of cats and needs a special license, a claim the home disputes.

The new ordinance reads in part, "The cats reside on the property just as the cats did in the time of Hemingway himself. They are not on exhibition in the manner of circus animals. ... The City Commission finds that family of polydactyl Hemingway cats are indeed animals of historic, social and tourism significance."

It also states that the cats are "an integral part of the history and ambiance of the Hemingway House."

A USDA spokesman did not return messages left late Sunday.

The cats are descendants of a six-toed cat given as a gift to the writer in 1935. All carry the gene for six toes, though not all display the trait.

I'm glad to hear that kitties can stay. :-) I guess my dreams of having 26 cats are not going to happen... Oh well. alcohol rehabs