Free Republic

Cecil the lion's brother Jericho has been shot dead by poachers in a park in Zimbabwe.  The beloved animal was protecting Cecil's lion cubs after he was shot dead by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world.  Jericho is believed to have been gunned down during an illegal hunting operation in Hwange National Park on Saturday afternoon during. Johnny Rodrigues, Chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said in a statement: 'It is with great sadness and regret that we report that Jericho was shot dead at 4pm this afternoon.  'We are absolutely heartbroken. We have...

It was just a catty complaint. A hungry Brit called the West Yorkshire police seeking to rat out his girlfriend — and their pet feline — for devouring his precious bacon. “Me girlfriend has let the cat eat my bacon,” the man could be heard telling a dispatcher in an audio clip of the call released by police. “I want to press charges.” The bizarre complaint did not rattle the operator. She asked the man if he wanted to press charges against the cat or his girlfriend. Both of them, he said.

The cubs fathered by Cecil the lion are being protected by his brother amid fears they will be killed by a male rival, researchers said today. The much-loved lion was killed by American dentist Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world. After his death, there were fears his cubs would be killed by the next lion in the hierarchy so he could father his own offspring with the females in the pride. But a team at Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Unit, which had been studying Cecil before he was shot dead, said the lion's brother had stepped...

5. Watch Movies With Door Bell Sounds

WESTERVILLE — The 35-year-old man who crossed a fence to pet some cougars last week said he wishes he had never done it. “That was a very bad decision” said Josh Newell. “If I had to do it over I definitely would have stayed within the barrier boundaries. I was thinking I’m an animal lover. The cats were looking like they wanted some love and just jumped over and petted them.” Newell was pressed with criminal trespassing charges by the Columbus Zoo after video showed him jumping a barrier to pet two adult cougars .

While trying to get some dinner, a cat got its just desserts after picking on the wrong squid. In this crazy video, it first appears that the mischievous kitty has the upper hand on its prey. With feline claws and definitely a size advantage, it dips into a pool with the cephalopod. But surprise for the cat because the squid just attaches itself right onto its hunter, turning the tables of the food pyramid. Unable to see because of a face full of tentacles, the regretful cat stumbles backward and all around. And while the cat is eventually able to...

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - A lifeless cat was pulled from a small kitchen fire in the Seventh Ward. He was quickly revived thanks to an oxygen mask specially designed for dogs and cats. “I guess he has eight more lives,” said Doug Cardinale with the New Orleans Fire Department. The fire broke out around noon Wednesday in the 1220 block of Columbus Street. The fire was small, according to the New Orleans Fire Department, but almost claimed the life of a house cat.

The Australian government announced plans to cull up to 2 million feral cats by 2020 in a bid to preserve dozens of native species that authorities claim face extinction because of the cats' predatory behavior. Speaking to a national radio station, Gregory Andrews, the country's first threatened-species Commissioner, said Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt "is declaring war on feral cats, and he's asked me to take charge of that program."

Nelson the cat was found in an abandoned car park with a wounded eye He now bears striking resemblance to the Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld Rescue centre staff fear the likeness has stopped him from being adopted Nelson is being cared for by Cats Protection in Winslow, Buckinghamshire I's not a face many would welcome at the end of a hard day's work. But the fearsome appearance of Bond villain Blofeld is keeping one animal in need from finding a loving home. Nelson, a ginger Tom cat who was brought to a rescue centre in Winslow, Buckinghamshire, looks...

Link to GIF

The most laid back cat ever gets a massage by a beach tourist in Thailand...

The other night, before my wife and I put our 2½-year-old twins to bed, she began reading them one of their favorite books, Where the Wild Things Are. Juliet, in Dalmatian pajamas, asked, “Mommy, where are the wild things?” My wife glanced over at our gray-and-white tabby curled up on a chair nearby. “Well,” she said, “Jasper’s a wild thing.” Juliet looked incredulous. “Jasper’s not a wild thing,” she said. “He’s a cat!” The dispute is understandable. Though cats have lived with us for nearly 10,000 years and are the world’s most popular pet, experts disagree about whether they’re actually...

A South Pittsburg man found dead in North Alabama was previously charged with animal cruelty after allegedly punting a cat "like a football." Dejion "D.J." Roberson, 21, was found dead in an isolated area of County Road 208 in Bridgeport. The sheriff's office determined the death was a homicide. Roberson was arrested on Christmas Eve 2013 in McMinn County. Several witnesses saw him carrying a cat by the neck and kicking it like a soccer ball, according to an incident report.

The cat even seemed to make an arrogant face like it knew what it was doing. Cats are funny creatures. Sometimes, it seems like we humans love them more than they love us back. Snoky Hootan was performing a difficult yoga handstand pose in front of her camera and was about to pull it off perfectly when her cat decided to sit right in front of the camera, completely blocking her from view.

Deimos likes his catnip. REALLY likes his catnip. No fighting, but one very happy kitty.

More pics here: This is the smallest...

Your cat is a killer. And we're not just talking about the hit to your soul when Fluffy stares right past you despite your sweetest cooing. Cats, no matter how adorable, are predators. They stalk, they pounce -- and then they snap the neck of whatever little flying or skittering thing they've just caught. Most of us view this as a good thing. We're all better off with fewer rodents around, and if some pretty little birds get caught up in the killing spree, we can live with that. Biologists, it seems, aren't so sure. Domestic cats aren't a natural...

How should you pet your cat? It’s a question that’s stumped pet owners for centuries, but science now has an answer. Here's what a team of researchers from the University of Lincoln in the UK found, in graphical form: Yes, that’s right. Cats do not like being stroked at the base of their tail -- at least, that was the case for most of the 54 cats in this study, and another, smaller study on the topic. That’s sort of a cat erogenous zone, and petting may overstimulate it, the researchers posit.

This dapper calico named Tama had a very important role as the station master of an electric railway station in Japan. After eight years on the job, she was laid to rest in a beautiful ceremony which 3,000 co-workers, admirers and friends attended. As you can see, she took her job very seriously. The Kishi Railway Station where Tama worked was nearly shut down, leading to her adoptive owner, a local grocer, to be named station master in 2006 to cut costs. A year later Tama took over the role. Her popularity as station master is credited for saving the...

A cat bit a woman in Germany, sending her into such a rage that she then repeatedly bit and beat her boyfriend, the owner of the pet, police said on Sunday.A police spokesman said that the 26-year-old woman was attacked by her 39-year-old partner’s feline in the western city of Hagen in the early hours of Saturday. After she tried in vain to discipline the cat, "a fight between the bitten person and the cat's owner ensued in which the 39-year-old was hit and bitten several times," the spokesman said in a statement.