Cat News Friday - Cat hair crafts are all the rage!

Stephanie from Catsparella is into it. So, why not the rest of us?

The new fad hitting the cat world is this - making accessories out of cat hair that would have otherwise ended up all over your new furniture and clothes. The fad owes itself to the popular book entitled "Crafting with Cat hair," written by Japanese author Kaori Tsutaya.

In this book, cat lovers can learn how to make finger puppets, cat toys, picture frames, tote bags, and more. All crafts are doable in an hour's time, and are 100% eco and cat friendly!

Perhaps my favourite idea is that of making cat toys out of a cat's own hair. Cat toys fall apart easily, so from both an economical and practical point of view, it makes sense to create cat toys out of a literally inexhaustible product such as cat hair!

Would you make accessories out of your cat's hair?

Cat News Friday - Bunny Rescues Newborn Kittens

When newborn kittens suddenly find themselves without a mother, what do they do?

The laws of nature would probably dictate that they didn't have a chance. 

However, sometimes, Mother Nature flips the natural order of things on its head, as in the case of this miraculous story about Miss California, a bunny rabbit who adopted a litter of six 10-day old kittens after their mother was fatally wounded by a gunshot.

It has been a big challenge for Miss California, as her two baby rabbits only need milk once every 10 to 12 hours, while kittens need to be fed every five. When Miss California cannot manage on her own, her owners Dave and Ruth Chamberlain step in and bottle-feed the kittens. 

According to Dave, Miss California has been unusually protective of her new babies. She will become aggressive if anyone or anything tries to interfere with their feeding time. While cases involving cats nursing baby rabbits have been documented in the past, this is one of the first cases involving a rabbit mother taking care of abandoned kittens. 

The Chamberlain's hope is to find a nursing cat mother who could feed the kittens, or as Dave calls them, "the miracle babies". They are in need of at least another two weeks of breastfeeding before they can start feeding themselves.

And just what are Dave and Ruth planning to do with the little ones once they are independent?

Well, here's the happy end to this already amazing story.

They plan to keep them. 

Images and story courtesy of CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/offbeat/story/2011/09/20/nb-rabbit-nursing-kittens-234.html

(Visit the above link to see an adorable video of Miss California feeding the mini moggies!)

Cat News Friday - Hydrotherapy for Healing

Hydrotherapy is a healing method that has been used in the rehabilitation of injured dogs and humans for many years. It involves the rebuilding of weak and damaged muscle tissue in an animal, and the improvement of its overall fitness.

Cats, often considered aquaphobic, tend not to be prime targets for hydrotherapy.

That is, until Sue Wilson's little black cat Tootsie came along. 

Though you would hardly notice today, Tootsie had been victim to a hit and run. Her entire right leg had been shattered, in addition to a number of other serious injuries. Both Sue and the veterinarians she had gone to see believed that putting Tootsie down was the only humane option. 

However, Tootsie's fate had not quite been sealed. 

Vets decided that it would be worth trying hydrotherapy in a two-foot deep dog pool, as a last resort. And thank goodness they did. 

Tootsie took to the water immediately, starting out with 90 second paddles with the aid of a harness, to full 20 minute swims without any sort of aid. At the end of the month, Tootsie was back to her old self, running around in the yard and playing as if the accident was only a figment of distant memory. 

It just goes to show that not every cat is terrified of water, and not ever animal is doomed to 'quietus' after a life threatening injury. Sometimes, you just have to believe that something is possible for it to come true.

Do you have a story of a cat who overcame seemingly impossible hurdles on the road back to health? If so, please share it with us! 

All images and information courtesy of:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk.