Is there a ghost cat in Taranaki?

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/2563071/Is-there-a-ghost-cat-in-Taranaki

Ross and Donna Sowerby don't believe in ghosts but are having difficulty explaining what they caught on video. So is there a ghost cat in Hawera? Watch the video and judge for yourself.

Cat in Iowa had H1N1; may be 1st case in dogs or cats

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine confirmed that a 13-year-old cat whose owners had experienced flu-like symptoms contracted H1N1 (swine) flu.

"This may be the first instance where we have documentation that transmission occurred involving cats or dogs," CDC spokesman Tom Skinner told the Associated Press.

The cat's symptoms included:

• Lethargy
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of appetite

Though influenza is known to cross species, we've seen that less with this strain, though it's been confirmed in birds and ferrets. In fact, many veterinarians have been telling clients that transmission from humans to cats and dogs or vice versa is beyond unlikely. This cat changes that.

To protect your pets, experts suggest taking the same precautions you would to prevent spreading the flu to other people, including getting the vaccine, wearing a mask, keeping some distance and washing your hands.

Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/pawprintpost/post/2009/11/cat-in-iowa-had-h1n1-1st-known-case-involving-dogs-or-cats/1

Cat in China grows a pair of wings

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a … cat?

A kitty in Chongqing, China, is getting some extra-special attention these days: The furry feline has developed wings! Though born looking completely normal, once the cat hit the age of 1, he began growing wing-shaped appendages on either side of his spine, the U.K.'s Daily Mail reports.

While some think the bony limbs may be a mutation of some kind — or even a Siamese twin growing inside the cat — others speculate it's a genetic change perhaps caused by chemicals ingested by the kitty's mother while she was pregnant.

According to the cat's owners, he doesn't seem to mind his new wings — and he’s loving the attention he's received because of them!

Strange as the case may sound, winged felines are not unheard of. Back in August 2008, the U.K. Telegraph reported that tomcats in China's Sichuan province developed wing-like growths on their backs.

Veterinary experts said then that despite the hard inner core, the "wings" don't harm cats' quality of life or safety. According to the Telegraph's report, scientists believe the appendages developed due to grooming habits, a genetic defect or a hereditary skin condition.

Source : msnbc.msn.com