#local cat immune to snow - makes their own heating

[achromant]

Baruhn, protected from the bitter cold by his inner flame

[augiepets]

Winter Pet Care Tips for your Cat and Dogs

Winters in India are a magical time, with snow-capped mountain peaks, cool and sunny plains, scenic beaches, warm deserts, and vibrant festivals. Winter in India typically begins in mid-November and lasts until late January, with significant local variations. As temperatures in most parts of the country range between 15-20 degrees Celsius, India becomes a hotspot for tourism and sightseeing, with an epic array of seasonal activities to enjoy. But what does this mean for your pets?

You're probably already aware of the dangers of hot weather and leaving pets in hot cars, but did you know that cold weather can be just as dangerous to your pets' health? Pets exposed to the effects of cold weather face a number of perilous challenges.

Here are some things to consider during the cold seasons of fall and winter. Preparing now will ensure that your dog or cat is safe and comfortable no matter how bad the weather turns out to be. When their pets are outside this winter, pet owners should be aware of the cold weather conditions. The temperature, weather conditions, and type of shelter available to a dog or cat can all make a significant difference in preventing cold weather pet emergencies.

We recommend that you do not leave animals outside overnight in cold weather, and that you do not leave them unsupervised when you are not at home. Even if they are only going to be outside for an hour, provide them with shelter and water.

When the next cold front approaches from the north and delivers harsh cold to our doorstep, you'll most likely go for your winter coat and switch on the heating! While we can easily bundle up in the cold, our dogs usually require a helping hand (or paw) to remain warm.

But how can you tell if your cat is becoming too cold? Is the fur coat of a dog or cat adequate, or do they require something more? In the cold, how do you keep your dog’s warm? Today, Augie will share some winter pet care advice for cats and dogs.

The effects of winter on your pets:

One of the most common problems caused by cold weather is hypothermia. Wet fur combined with cold weather can be hazardous to dogs and cats and contribute to hypothermia. Submersion in cold water for an extended period of time, as well as shock, are other causes of hypothermia.

Frostbite is tissue damage caused by cold temperatures. Frostbite in pets can range from mild to severe, and it most commonly affects the tips of your pet's tails, ears, and toes. Frostbite severity is determined by the pet's size, age, fur thickness, and time spent outside in the cold.

Antifreeze, rock salt, and other ice melting chemicals are frequently used to keep automobiles running and to melt snow so that wintery sidewalks, driveways, and roads are simpler to manage. However, antifreeze may include ethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting chemical that is toxic to dogs.

Winter Pet care tips for Cats:

Cats normally want a good snuggle or a blanket to keep them warm. Always keep a nice blanket, towel, or pet bed out in a warm room for them to snuggle up on their own when they need to relax. If you have an older cat that suffers from arthritis, try purchasing a pet bed intended to relieve hurting joints, which may be worse in the winter months.

 Remember to feed them a good food to maintain their coat thick and to assist them regulate their body temperature. Make sure your heating system is dependable, especially if you will be leaving your cat home alone for extended periods of time.

Before you go out to purchase your bread and milk, see whether you need to add cat food, treats, or litter to your shopping list. Secure entrances and exits to avoid leaving your cat outside in the cold. As previously said, feeding them a balanced food can help them keep a thick coat, promote a robust immune system, and prevent frequent winter maladies such as upper respiratory infections.

Keep your pets hydrated - Dehydration isn't only a summer issue. Dehydration can be exacerbated by dry heat in the winter, so make sure your cat has easy access to fresh water.

Winter Care tip for Dogs:

Depending on the type of breed your dog is, it requires different strategies of care. But the basics remain the same. Check to see if your dog has any medical conditions that make them more susceptible to colds. Take your dog to the veterinarian for a check-up before the season begins.

When it comes to climate, age is more than just a number. Because extremely young and very elderly dogs, like people, have difficulty controlling body temperature, they have more dramatic responses to changes in weather. Snowball fights may be too much for their more sensitive constitutions. Keep senior pets and pups inside as much as possible.

Even a huge furry inside dog will require some time to adjust to frigid weather. Short walks outside will assist your dog's body adjust to the weather change. New indoor games keep indoor activities interesting. There are also a plethora of indoor interactive dog activities available to provide your dog with a pleasant method to gain both mental and physical exercise.

[chocobunnydrops]

Tortoiseshell Charms

I just realized I never posted my KHR Secret Santa from last year lmao so here it is !!!

Title: Tortoiseshell Charms

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn

Rating: G

Words: 2k

Summary: Spanner acquires a cat. A disappointing amount of domesticity ensues.

2k words of cats being cats plotless fluff ft. slightly scatterbrained roommate Shoichi in the college au we all need.

Read on: ao3 •  ff.net • below

Groceries in hand, Spanner unlocked the door of his apartment. It was snowing heavily outside, as it did in Japan, but he rather liked the change in climate from Italy. In the two and a half years he’d been here for university, Japan having four seasons was one of the things he’d come to appreciate.

Spanner shook off the snow and dropped his keys on the counter. Shoichi, his roommate, didn't seem to be home at the moment, which meant he was probably slaving away in a lab somewhere, as Spanner had just returned from doing. Ah, the life of an engineering major.

As he was preparing to unpack the groceries, a loud mrrrrow gave him pause. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that was…

A cat, perched regally on the kitchen table, licked her paw and smoothed it over her head.  

Spanner pondered the new feline while stocking the cupboards with instant ramen. Courtesy of his term project, it had definitely been a few days since he’d last visited the apartment, but he couldn’t recall there being a cat here. Maybe Shoichi had picked one off the streets, or from the local animal shelter. He had read somewhere that pets helped with anxiety, so maybe that was it…

Ramune in hand, he looked at the animal once again. She was a tortoiseshell, like the one his grandfather had in Italy, with pale green eyes that met his in a cool, level gaze. For a second, he wasn’t sure if he was sizing the cat up, or the other way around.

She was probably female, as tortoiseshells nearly always were. His grandfather called them cheeky little things, but with an affection in his eyes that left no doubt that he loved them. Personally, Spanner was lukewarm to them, but as long as Shoichi’s new pet/therapy animal didn’t bother him, he didn’t mind the new roommate.

The matter settled, Spanner popped open a bottle of ramune, set the kettle on for instant ramen, and sat down to study.

Several hours later, the scrape of the door against the floor signaled Shoichi’s arrival home. The redhead stamped his boots on the welcome mat and dusted himself off, shedding layer upon layer of jackets (Shoichi tended to get cold easily) before joining Spanner in the kitchen.

“Oi,” Spanner said, nodding towards the cat, “Where did that come from?”

Shoichi stared at him. “It was here when I got back from class yesterday. I assumed it was yours.”

Spanner blinked.

Shoichi rubbed his head.

The cat yawned.

“So…want to keep it?”

“You know,” Spanner said a few days later, during another one of his rare visits home, “We haven’t given you a name yet.”

The tortoiseshell, cozy in the new bed Shoichi had purchased from the pet store, didn’t respond.  

"Sen," Spanner decided. "What do you think?"

The cat meowed disapprovingly.

"Doraiba?”

She flicked her tail and turned away from him.

“Fine, we'll wait until Shoichi comes home and see what he thinks.”  

Spanner busied himself making a pot of tea (he was British, after all, and already running low on ramune) before starting on his homework. He’d much rather work on Mini Mosca (he was in the process of adding a vacuuming program) but alas his pesky degree required certain grades to graduate, and certain grades required finishing homework.  

He was halfway done designing the motor for a wind turbine when Shoichi shuffled in, nose bright red from the cold, and declared that Professor Kominato was many words he could not say in front of children for holding lecture in this weather.

Spanner privately agreed and informed him of the name conundrum.

Analytical as always, Shoichi studied the tortoiseshell carefully. “She looks like a Phoebe.”

The cat made a sound of disgust.

Shoichi laughed. “Okay, that’s a no.”

Not-Phoebe hrrrumped in the way only a cat can and rolled on her back, demanding belly rubs as compensation for the ill-fitting name. Suddenly, Spanner was struck by inspiration.

“Maru.”

The cat meowed indignantly.

Shoichi laughed again and stroked her admittedly round belly. “Sorry Maru, but Spanner’s got a point. For a stray, you’re remarkably well-fed.”

Maru huffed.

Spanner pushed up his goggles and rubbed his eyes. He’d lost track of how many hours he’d spent in the lab, but judging by the piles of lollipop wrappers on his desk, it was a considerable amount of time. Two days and eleven hours, by his estimates.

Which meant that it was about time he went home and fed Maru. Honestly, he should probably just program Mini Mosca to do it at set intervals (a much easier code than most of its functions), but Spanner enjoyed the break. It was strange, because he had never enjoyed stopping in the middle of a project before, often working days on end without sleep, spending more time in the lab than his apartment.  

Shoichi constantly scolded him for not taking care of himself. Spanner retorted that Shoichi wasn’t any better, spending literal days glued to his computer in a similar manner, hair disheveled, face unshaved, perfecting his latest project. He had come home far too many times to Shoichi slumped over his keyboard, snoring, while intricate programs ran in the background. At least Spanner always dragged himself to bed (if the little cot in his lab could be called that) before collapsing.  

Spanner’s keys clanked when he dropped them on the counter. The sound always sent Maru purring around his legs, as if the sudden affection would make him dole out an extra serving of cat food. No such luck. Spanner had long grown immune to tortoiseshell charms.

Mini Mosca put the kettle on and Spanner quietly thanked him. Shoichi was sleeping over at that Byakuran kid’s again (they had been spending a lot of time together lately), so the apartment felt oddly quiet without the click-clacking of his keyboard or the electronic bzzzzt of a program running.

Maru pawed at his pant leg, reminding Spanner of the all-important dinner. Spanner poured her food into her bowl, and reprimanded her when she stared pleadingly at him when she quickly “finished”.

“Maru, there’s still food in your bowl.”

Maru gazed at him with devastatingly big green eyes.

“Maru, you haven’t even eaten everything yet.”

Maru mrrowed pitifully.

Spanner sighed and pushed away his instant ramen (Mini Mosca’s cooking functions were advancing, but not quickly enough). He reached for the bag of cat food and pretended to pour more in before placing it back in the only locked cabinet in their apartment. Maru, as they found out early on, could somehow get into every nook and cranny of the apartment they hid the food in. Shoichi had come home one day to find her wedged contently in the heating duct, an empty bag of cat food sitting between her paws, and that had been the last straw. He and Spanner spent the next day reinforcing one of the kitchen cabinets with iron deadbolts and a fingerprint recognition system.

Spanner picked up the bowl and moved it slightly to the right, making sure to swirl the container so the food would be in different places. Lo and behold, Maru trotted right up and started eating again. Spanner stroked her fondly.

“You know, this is why we called you Maru.”

Maru, oblivious to the jibe, licked up the last of her meal with satisfaction.

Now that he had a cat, Spanner preferred to work at home when he could. Maru curled up in his lap while he typed away on his computer, and he absentmindedly scratched her behind the ears. Every now and again she’d hop off and sit in front of the fridge, meowing loudly to remind him that they both needed to eat. If that didn’t break his concentration, she’d plant herself firmly on his keyboard and swat his nose with her paw until he stood up.

But sometimes, she would clamber onto Spanner’s keyboard for no apparent reason. Even after he scratched her under the chin, gave her a toy, and tried to coax her away with cat treats, she still refused to budge. Evidently, it had been far too long since she had sat on Spanner’s keyboard, and she was intent on enjoying it.  

At first, Spanner tried to reason with her. “Maru, I have a spare keyboard on my dresser. You can sit on that one.” To which Maru blinked once before settling down more.

Next came bribery. “Maru, I’ll buy you a new mouse toy if you get off my keyboard.” He received a bored yawn in reply.

Physical action was his last resort. He gently wrapped his hands around Maru’s ample midsection and hoisted the chubby cat off the keyboard. Maru immediately sank her claws into his sweater and positioned herself on his shoulder. It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it was definitely an indication that she wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.

Which was somewhat of a problem, given that he had class in fifteen minutes (and hence needed his keyboard to finish up a homework assignment he had put off to work more on Mini Mosca…the cycle of procrastination never ends).

Seeing as negotiating had failed spectacularly in getting Maru off his keyboard, Spanner decided that no college student gave enough of a shit to protest his bringing a cat to class. It certainly wouldn’t be the weirdest thing he’d seen in his electrical engineering lecture.

He bundled up Maru in her little penguin-patterned scarf and hat before sliding into his own jacket; Maru graciously lifted one limb at a time to allow him to put it on. Then, with a quick glance at his watch to check the time, they were off.

3 pm was Spanner and Maru’s favorite time of day, because that was when the mail truck rolled to a stop on the curb of their apartment building and started unloading a conglomerate of packages in every shape and size.

Spanner, predictably, was excited because he finally had whatever part he was missing for his project.

Maru, predictably, was excited because of the box said part came in.

It was a symbiotic relationship, and one in which the mailman was very, very well-greeted.

Maru’s Top Five Spots to Nap, as compiled by Spanner

5. Under the kitchen sink

4. On top of Spanner’s keyboard

3. On top of whatever textbook Spanner is reading

2. In Spanner’s underwear drawer

1. Unknown. Maru disappears for a certain length of time and returns looking refreshed. Further investigation needed.

Like winter, midterms had come and gone, leaving Shoichi and Spanner with free time for the first time in weeks. Icicles dripped from the eaves of their roof, and grass was just beginning to peek through melted patches of snow. They embarked on an impromptu but highly necessary trip to the supermarket, where the two roommates enjoyed each other’s company while buying the store’s entire supply of instant ramen and coffee (the latter was for Shoichi; Spanner preferred ramune, even if it didn’t give him a caffeine rush).

Despite being laden with groceries, the walk home was quick and pleasant, and Spanner scarcely had time to unlock the door before both he and Shoichi were calling for Maru.

Truth be told, they had grown a soft spot for the tortoiseshell and couldn’t resist picking up a new toy or two every time they went to that specific supermarket. Shoichi blamed it on the marketing. “Placing cat toys in the check-out aisle…right as we’re about to leave…and always on sale too…it’s cruel.”

His bank account agreed.

“Maru?” Shoichi called again. Their tortoiseshell, usually so diligent about greeting them whenever they came home for the toys, had mysteriously vanished.  

A light mrrrow in response led them to the kitchen.

Maru was perched regally on the table, but upon their entry moved aside to reveal another cat. This one was white and fluffy, but in a way that bore an unfortunate resemblance to the tousled chaos atop Byakuran’s head. Maru mrrrowed again and flicked her tail proudly.  

Shoichi looked at Spanner.

Spanner looked at Shoichi.

“So…want to keep it?”

A/N: Do Spanner and Shoichi ever figure out how two cats managed to sneak inside their locked apartment? …nah probs not.

Sen – Wire

Doraiba – Screwdriver

Yes Spanner is a confirmed nerd who would definitely name his cat after tools…

Maru – round or circle, bc pudgy cats are the cutest and the name just sounds super cute so.

This was my first time writing Spanner and Shoichi, so I apologize if they acted ooc! If you have any comments or constructive criticism, I’d love to hear it :3

Thank you for reading and (belated) Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

~Tressa

Random Headcanons for this au

Spanner came to Japan for university because of its advanced robotics/engineering programs and coincidentally ended up at the same school as Shoichi. Neither really had any friends going in so they were like hey why not let’s be roomies. 

They’re perfect roommates because (before Maru) neither was ever really home—they basically lived in their respective robotics labs and came home only to shower and pick up mail.

They’re both majoring in Engineering, with a specialization in robotics (hopefully that’s a thing). They both find university A Struggle.

Basically Spanner is the definition of a Ravenclaw who is hella smart and could easily get straight As if he actually did his homework on time but would rather work on Mini Mosca/other personal projects.

Spanner and Shoichi both live off instant ramen because neither has the time to make anything better. Since coming to Japan, Spanner has since gotten addicted to ramune because it’s so sweet and fizzy??? Like his lollipops but in liquid form???

Mini Mosca is a side project he’s been working on for the past couple of years. Is basically the same as he is in canon—a mini home assistant—except that he’s not finished yet.

Honestly getting a cat is such a good thing for Spanner bc it makes him actually take care of himself and eat and come home more and she probably actually does help Shoichi with his stomach aches and anxiety too so !!! this has been a psa pls imagine Spanner and Shoichi with cats.

[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 082320

23 August, 2020

Dear Dad--

Another week of quarantine! There was just a big Covid outbreak in Millinocket, Maine, because of a wedding reception at the (no shit) Big Moose Inn; something like 58 people got it. The past week has been uneventful. It’s starting to seem like summer is over here, and our highs are going to be in the 70s and 80s for the foreseeable future. The window unit we purchased is no longer needed. Have I ever mentioned the weather-related part of The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown that always confused me? In the Charlie Brown Halloween special, towards the end, Lucy wakes up at 3:00 in the morning and realizes Linus never went to bed. So she gets dressed, goes out to the pumpkin patch where she knows her stupid brother is waiting for the Great Pumpkin. When she gets there, Linus is asleep under his security blanket, and he’s shivering because he’s freezing. That’s the part that always made me think, “But it’s not that cold in October.” I suppose part of me understood that Peanuts was set in the twin cities area of Minnesota, where freezing cold in October is somewhat standard. Now that I'm surrounded by yankees, it all fits.

And it’s been over 100 in Austin all this past week. Part of me feels apologetic to everyone still in Texas. “Sorry about your heat, dudes,” but another part of me thinks, “We came here to escape that, and we succeeded, so...eat it, losers.” Everyone down there can take their turn being smug when it’s January and we’re paying $450 a month to heat this tin can. Of course, by then, we’ll be covered in snow, which we still (despite all evidence to the contrary) find magical and wonderful. And before then we’ll have a beautiful autumn too. Autumn is when we showed up here last year; and it’s everything we hoped autumn in New England would be. It’s ridiculously pretty, and every little town has some sort of delightful harvest festival. I’m not sure what they harvest here, but it’s either blueberries or canoes. (Yeah, canoe harvest. Why not?) Canoes are a big deal here because there’s a large canoe making and selling establishment that (it would seem) is the biggest business in town, and the only one with some world renown. A woman just moved into the trailer next door to ours, and she works there. 

That was an interesting story. Our next door neighbor used to be Clint, right? The crazy cat guy who gave us our new kitten. Well, the management of this trailer park stuck another trailer between his and ours, and this fishing woman, and her mom, and their two little asswipe dogs, and a fishing kayak have moved into it. Her kayak had all kinds of stickers on it, like sponsorship logos on a race car, and it had her name on it. I did a quick search on the internet and found her. She works at that canoe place, she’s a professional boater and fisher, and she’s my new neighbor. 

I happen to know that I’m a nice person, so occasionally I do things that I think may scare the shit out of a stranger, until they realize how nice I am. So I sent our new neighbor lady a message online. I said something like, “Hey! Don’t freak, but I think you just moved into the trailer next to me. Welcome to the neighborhood!” Zach did not like that I did that! Zach was, I think, looking at it from the fisher-lady’s perspective, thinking, “I’ve lived here for four hours, and the creepy neighbor guy is stalking me.” (This, obviously, is why I prefaced my message with the suggestion that she not freak!) I could see Zach’s point, but, again, since I know my motives are pure, and this fisher-woman is new to the neighborhood, and could probably use a friend, or at least someone who can answer questions, I did it anyway. Also I predict at least a 45% chance that she’s a lesbian, based mostly on her Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. 

After a little while, she wrote back, saying, “LOL That’s too funny. Did you get my name off the kayak?” I told her that was exactly right. I told her I wouldn’t be coming by with a dessert item because of the coronavirus, but welcome to the neighborhood! She was appreciative, and told me it would be her and her mom living there. I told her that, when she feels like it, I could let her know who her neighbors were and answer any questions she might have. She already mentioned wondering how safe her kayak would be outside, since it’s a rather nice one that seems to be part of her profession, and is thus professional-grade. I haven’t addressed that question yet. When I do, I’ll probably say something about how little I keep outside that’s worth stealing, but...it’s Old Town, Maine. It’s probably safe from everything but squirrel poop or stray cats making love in it. To an extent, we really are the last outpost of America before the Great White North begins. We are not a hotbed of crime.

It looks like both our cats are healthy, finally. As recently as yesterday, Samuel L. Jackson was still gunky and sneezy in the face area. Today he seems to have beaten it. This was never a huge problem, but ever since we got the new kitten, her face was gunky and sneezy. And by the time she kicked it, she’d given it to Sam, so his face has looked all fucked up for the rest of the time we’ve had the new kitten. This morning seems like the first one where neither kitty’s face is fucked up, and that feels like we won something. Hooray, we own cats whose immune system eventually defeated the kitty version of the common cold, which it would’ve done anyway without any intervention from us! I no longer have to try to put ointment in Sam’s eyes, which was an exercise in futility anyway, and only resulted in his face having MORE gunky shit on it than before.

So! My plan for the week ahead. You had some good suggestions where I could look for work. I like the idea of finding the local NPR station, or television station, and seeing if they have anything I could do. The Republican convention will be on TV and I probably won’t watch it, just as I watched approximately zero of the Democratic one. They seem unnecessary when the candidate is already known going in, unless you happen to like the spectacle, which I do not. I’ve also spent some time with my good camera lately, and will continue using it in the week ahead, because some cool hummingbirds have shown up. I’ll include a few early attempts at hummingbird art, taken yesterday. 

More next week, and all my love to you both! Stay safe from the ‘Rona!

[filosofablogger]

Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first day of a new {yawn} week.  Now, I want to start by reminding you all that today is Earth Day!  I tried … I really tried to find a way to combine Jolly Monday with an Earth Day post, but it just wasn’t working out, and finally I had to admit that it was about as much fun and as interesting as a trip to the dentist.  Part of the problem, of course, is that Jolly is in the shop for repairs and without him I’m … well … Jolly-less.  Sigh.  I may have an Earth Day post this afternoon if I can quell the mind bounce and focus later on, but for this morning, I think we shall just try to have a bit of humour with which to start our week, okay?

I did not bake this morning, so you’ll have to settle for treats from the local donut place.  Leave the one with sprinkles for Benjamin, okay?  It’s the only kind he likes. Grab a bite and let’s see what we can find to bring a smile to our faces. 

  …………………………………………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………………………. 🤔

…………………………….. 💭

……….  😣

Okay, well … um … that worked out well, didn’t it?  Tell you what … how ‘bout I dig up some jokes?

A man and his pet giraffe walk into a bar and start drinking. As the night goes on, they get drunk, and the giraffe finally passes out. The man decides to go home.

As he’s leaving, the man is approached by the barkeeper who says, “Hey, you’re not gonna leave that lyin’ here, are ya?”

“Hmph,” says the man. “That’s not a lion — it’s a giraffe.”

Um … yeah … fell flat, huh?  Let me try again …

Q: What do you get when you cross a bear with a deer?

A: Beer.

Not even a chuckle, eh?  One more try … lawyer jokes are always good for a grin at least …

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court. In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.

“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the–”

”I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted. ”Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

”Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road–”

”Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.” By this time the Judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and told the lawyer so.

”Well,” said the farmer, “as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?'”

Ah, at least a few grins, so I think I’ll quit with the jokes while I’m ahead … kinda sorta.  Okay.  I have no choice but to revert to my old standby … cute critters.  {Oh Jolly, please get well soon … I NEED you!}

According to one site … a couple, actually … these are the ten cutest animals in the world:

Fun Fact: Hedgehogs are largely immune to snake venom.

Hedgehogs are spiny mammals that can be found in Asia, Africa and Europe. Although they look more like a rat but are undeniably cute and harmless too. Which is the reason they are increasing in popularity as an exotic pet animals. If you are looking for a cute pet which is also unique in itself, go get a hedgehog.

Fun Fact: Penny the Little Penguin was the mascot for the 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships held in Melbourne, Victoria

What could possibly be anything cuter than penguins, it’s their little version. These penguins are absolutely similar to normal penguins except for the size. Their small size make them much more cute than normal ones, so much so they can be said one of the top 10 cutest animals on earth.

Fun Facts: Northern little owls often take prey same size or larger than themselves.

Northern Pygmy Owls are small owls native to western north America. These little birds are the smallest species of owl. Adults are 15-17 cm in overall length (nearly 6 inches) and are gray, brownish-gray or rufous in color.

Fun Fact: Koalas do not drink much water as they get most of their moisture from the leaves they eat. Even the word “koala” means “no water”.

Koalas are easily recognizable animal by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose. The koala has a body length of 60-85 cm and weighs 4-15 kg. Koals are very cute animals, and their face has innocent kind of expression, which just enhances the adorableness.

Fun Fact: Arctic foxes can survive extreme cold, they won’t start shivering until temperature go lower than -70 degree Celsius.

Arctic foxes also known as polar foxes or snow foxes are the breed of fox adapted to live in extreme cold environment. Their round body shape is good to minimize heat escaping from the body, and it also give them a very cute fluffy look.

Fun Fact: They are Herbivorous Carnivoran, means genetically they belong to carnivore group but are more similar to Giant pandas (which are herbivorous).

Red pandas are mammals native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China. Even though, their name consist Panda, but genetically are not closely related to Giant Pandas.

They have reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs, and is slightly larger than a domestic cat.

They are an endangered species. Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression, although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries.

Fun Fact: Two dogs were rescued from Titanic wreckage and one of them was a Pomeranian.

Pomeranians are also known as toy dogs due to their small size and cute teddy bear like appearance. They are continuously going smaller in size. But their smaller size is rapidly increasing their popularity.

In terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top twenty most popular breeds in the USA, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.

Fun Fact: Rabbits have a lot of babies. Mommas can give birth as much as nine babies each year.

Rabbits are small cute herbivorous mammals that are some of the most popular pet animals on earth. Rabbits come in many different colours and patterns, just like cats and dogs, and are family friendly. Although require some special measures around kids due to those little teeth, that can easily pierce human skin.

Fun Fact: Those oversized ears are not only excellent for listening purposes but also serve as a way to dissipate heat and keep cool in the desert environment.

Fennec Foxes are exotic animals that you can also have as pet, though they require different treatment than domestic cats and dogs. They are extremely playful and family friendly, even look more like a mix of cat and dog than a fox. Their furry body, small size and big ears make them one of the cutest animals on earth.

Fun Fact: Persian Cats‘ long hair look may look like it requires high maintenance. But in reality, they are considered to be one of the most low maintenance and friendliest cat breeds.

Even though almost all of the cat breeds are cute. Watching a playing kitten in the early morning puts a big smile on your face. If you’re are an animal lover, you most likely have a cat or dog in your home or around you right now. If you own a cat and it’s not Persian, so please don’t be upset. But we’re choosing Persian cat for this entry as they’re tiny bit more cute than other cats.  Note:  We have a part-Persian and she is the meanest darn cat I’ve ever known.  We named her Tiger Lily before we knew how ornery she was!

Friends, this isn’t much of a Jolly Monday post, and for that I apologize.  I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails in the past week, between the Mueller report and related reactions, the Notre-Dame fire, and yesterdays horrific bombings in Sri Lanka and I just can’t find my humorous side, especially with Jolly gone.  Next week … I promise to do better.  Meanwhile, have a great week, and please, find a smile and share it with someone this week.  Love and hugs from Filosofa … and the missing Jolly!

Tryin’-To-Be-Jolly Monday Good morning, friends, and welcome to the first day of a new {yawn} week.  Now, I want to start by reminding you all that today is Earth Day!