Nora the famous Piano Cat is scheduled to perform her first concert tomorrow -- and you can watch the purrformance on live streaming video. How cool is that?

Nora, the Philadelphia cat known for her musicality, who was named ASPCA's Cat of the Year this year, will play Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Westchester Cat Show in White Plains, New York. The gray kitty's first concert is a benefit, being called "Shelter Aid." Millions have already seen her taped performances on YouTube.

Nora will perform live via webcam from her piano at home in Philadelphia. She’ll be joined by her accompanist and owner Betsy Alexander.

Everyone will be holding their breath because Nora is a cat -- and being a cat, she just might not performa on command.

Continue reading "Piano kitty to perform 1st concert on Saturday" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cats Cats Cats, Events, Fun stuff
        

It's now possible, thanks to the wonders of technology (and people's obsession with kitties) to edit an image on your iPhone, dropping in pictures of cats and kittens.

And not just ordinary cats and kittens -- these are kitties that mew. Genius? Crazy? Whatever.

The CatPaint application works like this, according to the designer. You pull out your litter box to select a kitty. Drop the image where you want it. You can shake the iPhone if the kitty didn't land in the right spot. The cats come in all varieties and sizes -- and they're captured in everything from lap pose to leap.

Here the cat people at MacWorld test the app. The editors include a photo gallery of how they've kittied up pictures of various folks in the office. They've put cats on people's laps and into their hands. Stacked them by the dozens behind them. Created kitty vortexes right next to them.....Tons and tons and tons of kitties. Pretty funny.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Cats Cats Cats, Fun stuff
        

There are seriously, seriously, seriously sooooo many dog books out there, I'm starting to lose track. At least a couple times a week a new one or two arrives in the mail.

There are heartwarming memoirs of man and beast, manuals for keeping the hound healthy, those that explore ways to understand the canine.

It seems that ever since Marley & Me skyrocketed to the top of the bestseller list, leaving sequels, a movie and who-knows-how-much-money and wet tissues in its wake, dog lovers have gotten really busy typing.

Continue reading "Drowning in dog books: Which titles rise to the top?" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 7:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Dogs, dogs, dogs, Fun stuff
        

Officials in Oregon are reporting the nation's first instance of a cat dying of the H1N1 virus.

According to a disturbing report on OregonLive.com, earlier this month a 10-year old cat was brought to a clinic with shallow breathing and a very high temperature. The symptoms worsened and the cat died on Nov. 7.

This is the third documented case of swine flu in cats. The other two, in Iowa and Utah, recovered.

Read more here.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cats Cats Cats, Health
        

Aw. Though bazillions of young ladies are head over heels for Twilight New Moon star Kellan Lutz, he tells Doggie Aficiando magazine that the real love of his life is Kola, his adopted dog. In this interview, he talks about driving home with the doggy for the holidays as the footage shows things like the star feeding Kola treats. Quite cute.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Celebrities and their pets
        

Many stars are known for their outrageous requests on set. I read once that someone demanded bowls of M&M's but with one of the colors removed. Anwyay. Pop star Mariah Carey wanted her appearance at a London shopping center opening to include 20 kittens -- all white ones.

According to this report, the mall management turned her down, saying no animals were allowed on the property. And, um, maybe it wasn't such a good idea anyway?

This white kitten will not be appearing with songstress/actress Mariah Carey. Photo courtesy of Daisyree Bakker's photostream on Flickr.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cats Cats Cats, Celebrities and their pets
        

NAME: Stellaluna, or Stella – excellent for yelling from the porch when she’s out in the yard.

OWNER: The Hartney family.

HOW THEY MET: We’ve always had Labradors, and my mom decided, in 2001 that she was ready for a new puppy. My brother and I were in school at the University of South Carolina, and my parents were living in Virginia, and they sent me to look at some nearby pups that they would come pick up when we moved out of the dorms for the summer.

My parents had given me a list of attributes to look for in a healthy, smart puppy, and I went to meet baby Stella’s owner at a rest stop near Orangeburg, S.C. She was so tiny, a ball of black fur and gangly paws, but she ran right over to me and started licking my toes. She let me pick her up without issue and inspect those gangly paws, and I was hooked.

My parents took my word for it that she would be our dog, and she’s been our smartest and sweetest Lab yet. She rode home with us in a cardboard box.

Continue reading "Collared today: Stella" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 7:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Collared, Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

This video is getting all kinds of traction on the web and on TV. A little black kitty gets extremely friendly with a Texas police officer who's trying to write a ticket. The cop actually keeps writing the citation as the cat crawls all the way up his body and then perches on his head. This copy of the video doesn't show the part I saw on TV last night that isn't quite as cute -- after putting up with the kitty for so long, the officer finally gives him a little kick and the cat runs away.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cats Cats Cats, Pet videos
        

This is the guy that ran the puppy mill that Teddy Bean and more than 200 other dogs were rescued from last summer:

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A former eastern Pennsylvania dog breeder is scheduled to go on trial on animal cruelty charges after withdrawing his guilty plea.

Lehigh County Judge Robert L. Steinberg granted Derbe Eckhart's request to withdraw his plea Monday. Steinberg set Eckhart's bail at $25,000 and ordered him jailed. He also ordered Eckhart to quit working with animals.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jay Jenkins says Eckhart faces trial in December on charges including cruelty to animals and operating a kennel without a license.

Authorities who raided Eckhart's Almost Heaven kennel in October 2008 say they found 189 dogs crowded in filthy conditions. They say they also discovered dozens of animal corpses in a freezer. The kennel was shut down in June.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs, Teddy Bean, formerly the Foster Dog
        

Town officials have ordered a man to get rid of his 300-pound pet pig, but the owner says he’d rather leave town than give up the animal.

Rob Falk of Southwest Ranches has a Yorkshire pig named Strawberry, and council members cited Falk’s landlord for a code violation in July.

Last week, officials gave Falk 30 days to remove Strawberry from the home, saying that the town allows only one Vietnamese pot bellied pig per household.

Officials are also worried that the pig will get bigger and grow large tusks.

Continue reading "Strawberry the pig booted from his Fla. development" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 7:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff
        

Floating an idea here... a BIG idea....

Wondering who among the Unleashed faithful would be interested in creating a group calendar.... You guys would send in your very best pet pictures and I would combine them to create the Pets of Unleashed 2010 or something like that.

To make it work, we'd need at least 12 of you to send in pictures -- ideally more so that it would be competitive, offer a bit of a selection....

Continue reading "Interest in an Unleashed Pets 'O Baltimore calendar?" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Cats Cats Cats, Dogs, dogs, dogs, Pet accessories
        

No matter which side of town you live on, which worthwhile cause you'd like to contribute to, on Saturday, it will be almost hard not to get your pet's picture taken with Santa.

Santa, who apparently gets around, will be at Federal Hill Park, posing with dogs, cats and who knows what other animals to benefit the Franky Fund at BARCS. The fund pays for vet care for the sickest and neediest animals that come to the shelter. Pictures cost $10 and Santa will be waiting at the park from 10 to noon. Santa will also be at Riverside Park on Dec. 12 for pet pictures, also 10 a.m. to noon. 

Meanwhile, across town in Canton, at the Canton Dog Park, during the exact same 10 to noon timeframe, Santa will also be posing with pets. Those pictures cost $15.

If you already have pictures of your dog or kitty with Santa and would like to share them, send 'em on in. I'll post only the cute ones. ;-)

Santa and dogs picture courtesy of Pacdog's Photostream on Flickr.

Continue reading "Saturday's the day to get pet pix with Santa" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Cats Cats Cats, Dogs, dogs, dogs, Events, Fun stuff
        

A limited edition dog carrier created by designer Marc Jacobs is one of six deluxe  accessories being offered at the 'L' Excellence du Savoir-Faire' exhibition at Sotheby's auction house in London. The chi-chi auction includes  Louis Vuitton limited-edition, special-order pieces by the likes of artist Damien Hirst, chef Ferran Adrià, photographer Annie Leibovitz, musician Gustavo Santaolalla, Jacobs and Patrick-Louis Vuitton.

The base price is listed in pounds -- 25,000 to 35,0000. I'm not sure how much that is in dollars but can only imagine it's one of those if-you-have-to-ask-you-can't-afford-it situations....

The auction takes place Tuesday (today), with proceeds going to the Red Cross to fight malnutrition in Niger.

Nice holiday present for Teddy Bean. Anyone? Anyone?

(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Dogs, dogs, dogs, Pet accessories
        

Ok. Call me a hypocrite. I posted practically two weeks of dressed up dogs as a lead-up to Halloween. But somehow, the idea of putting things on a bunny just seem kinda mean. No?

This rabbit dress-up contest was part of Rabbit Testa, held last weekend in Japan, of course. About 8,000 rabbit lovers visited the annual two-day event in Yokohama city in Kanagawa prefecture, suburban Tokyo.

Thoughts?

Photos by YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/Getty Images.

Continue reading "What NOT to do to your bunnies......" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff
        

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, center, his wife Annie, left, and their Labrador retriever, Henry, compare notes with Robert Dull and his dogs Saturday at the 39th annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Md. Like many others, the Franchots came to town to enjoy festival artwork, exhibits, entertainment and cuisine. Franchot, however, seems rather dressed up for an afternoon with the dog..... (AP Photo/The Star Democrat, Chris Polk)

Posted by Jill Rosen at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Celebrities and their pets, Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

Georg Ratzinger, brother of Pope Benedict XVI, carresses Saint Bernard dog Otto on November 16, in the Old Chapel in Regensburg, southern Germany, after he blessed the dog. Ratzinger said he was happy to bless the animal, so that one-year-old Otto would go on helping people and making them happy. Otto wears a small barrel around his neck bearing the inscription "Otto loves you." OLIVER LANG/AFP/Getty Images.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

Members of the SOB Motorcycle Club have stripped off their leather -- and everything else -- to help Pet Rescue of Maryland.

Ken Shapiro, who winkingly calls himself king of the club, sent me a preview of their 2010 Semites On Bikes calendar, which is now for sale. He's Mr. December, the guy posing not-so-shyly above with a guinea pig.

Shapiro says last year's nude calendar sold more than 800 copies before eventually selling out.

Continue reading "A little nudism in the name of animal welfare..." »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Assorted pet stuff, Fun stuff
        

The hunter who saved Daisy, the beagle wrapped in duct tape, stuffed into a trash bag and left to die in the woods, was honored with a commendation from the Dog Federation of New York.

The group issued letters of commendation and thanks to Ed Dandaraw, Tom Peters and Kevin McCauliffe, the Saratoga-area deer hunters. Dandaraw was hunting on his property with friends when he came across the taped and bound beagle. She had been missing from for two weeks.
 
The organization writes: "Because of the difficult terrain, the men needed to use a four-wheeler to get the dog to safety. A former beagle owner himself, Dandaraw took the dog to his own veterinarian and was prepared to provide Daisy with a new home if her owners could not be located. Happily, the dog’s distraught family was quickly identified and Daisy is back with her family, responding well to treatment and gaining weight steadily." 

Continue reading "Hunter honored who saved taped Beagle" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

A new study suggest that pointing at things just doesn't work with puppies.

Discovery News reports that dogs less than 21 weeks old just don't human pointing gestures. So the mistake on the carpet you're jumpiing around sticking your finger angrily toward? Nothing. The brand new toy across the room? Nope.

The results of the study, conducted at the University of Florida on German Shepherds, Collies, Daschunds and pointers, are consistent with findings in other animals.

Picture of sweet sleepy puppy courtesy of Richard Stowey's photostream on Flickr.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs, Health
        

One thing is for sure: Baltimore loves Rescue Ink.

Something about the tattooed gang of animal rights crusaders has hit home with pet lovers in this city. First the barrage of tattoo pledges to convince the Long Island-based group to come to town. Then the actual tattoofest last month when they made it here, to this: Locals throwing a fundraising bash in their honor.

The benefit will be Saturday, Nov. 21 at Midtown Yacht Club. Things kick off at 9 p.m. There probably won't be any appearances by the guys, nor any tattooing being done on site -- it's just having a good time to support a good cause. And, hey, maybe a chance to show off some of those new paw print tattoos.

There will be drink specials and raffles. Admission is $10.

Continue reading "Another local fundraiser for Rescue Ink" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Celebrities and their pets, Events, Fun stuff
        

The New York Times has a funny -- and kinda odd -- story about how one neighborhood of Queens is being run over by French bulldogs, of all things.

The story points out that typically the Ditmars area of Astoria is more of a low-brow, pound-puppy type of place. But for unknown reasons, the neighborhood now counts 32 Frenchies as residents.

At least one guy thinks its a sign of the neighborhood's ascendancy. He tells the Times:

 “For decades, Astoria has been waiting in the wings to become the next Manhattan,” said George Halvatzis, a real estate agent whose Ditmars Boulevard office Donut passes during his daily constitutionals. “We have been getting trendy restaurants and trendy shops, but more than anything, the Frenchies, which are so Manhattanesque, may be the signal that this is finally starting to happen.”

French bulldog picture courtesy of virgirm's photostream on Flickr.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

Sun photographer extraordinaire Jed Kirschbaum captured this image of a huddle of kittens trying to stay warm at a farm in Sudlersville. A couple of them look as if they're glaring at Jed. Maybe he stepped on their food bowl while he was setting up the shot.....

Posted by Jill Rosen at 7:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Cats Cats Cats
        

Because this is important to many Unleashed readers, I'm just going to go ahead and post the press release that just came from the office of Baltimore's State's Attorney about indictments in the case of Phoenix, the pit bull puppy doused with gasoline and set on fire earlier this year:

Baltimore, MD – November 13, 2009 – State’s Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy announced today that the Baltimore City Grand Jury indicted both Tremayne and Travers Johnson, 17, of S. Pulaski Street in a five count indictment charging animal abuse and cruelty.

    Court documents allege that on May 27, 2009 Tremayne and Travers Johnson were responsible for setting a pit bull dog on fire in the 1600 block of Presbury Street.  Police responding to a call in that block discovered a pit bull dog engulfed in flames.  The dog, affectionately named Phoenix, was put down due to injuries while being cared for at an animal shelter in Pennsylvania.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt.  An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceeding.

Both Johnson brothers are being held at the Baltimore City Detention Center without bail.

An arraignment is scheduled for December 9, 2009 before the Honorable David W. Young, 227 Courthouse East.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 6:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

A dog found bound with duct tape, stuffed into a trash bag and left to die on the southeastern edge of the Adirondacks is recovering after being rescued by a hunter.

Ed Dandaraw says he was hunting on his Saratoga County property last weekend when he came across a garbage bag. Inside he found a beagle whose head, midsection and front paws were wrapped in duct tape.

Dandaraw took the dog to a veterinary clinic, where a microchip implanted under the dog's skin helped locate her owners.

The beagle, named Daisy, had been missing for two weeks before being found Sunday near where her owners live.

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the

Continue reading "Hunter rescues Beagle left to die in woods" »

Posted by Jill Rosen at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Dogs, dogs, dogs
        

Back in the day, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath was known for his dangerous arm. Now settled into a comfortable retirement in Florida, it's his dog that's dangerous.

Namath, 66, appeared before a hearing officer on Thursday in West Palm Beach to answer to charges that two of his dogs attacked people who came to his home in Tequesta, a quiet community about 90 miles north of Miami.

His 6-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Leo, was declared "dangerous" during Thursday's hearing. The case against another of Namath's dog, a 6-year-old Weimeraner named Stella, was dropped because a witness didn't show, said Capt. Dave Walesky of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

Read more here.

Posted by Jill Rosen at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Celebrities and their pets, Dogs, dogs, dogs