AT-AT day afternoon from Patrick Boivin on Vimeo.

Patrick Boivin writes in a caption for this YouTube video when he was a kid, there were two things he “wanted badly and never got … a real dog and a Kenner AT-AT Walker.” Benny Bix was amazed the dog couldn’t get that rascally squirrel.

Hat tip to Hugh Macleod

If you are staff to a cat, you’ll surely recognize these management techniques. Noni Kitty Ochman must be Simon’s Cat’s cousin because he uses them all the time.

Simon’s cat has his own website, Facebook page, and Twitter account, where he is one of the most popular of non-human Tweeters. The sites and videos are created by the English animator, Simon Tofield.

This video has been viewed more than 15 million times – most likely because anyone who lives with a cat is familiar with these cat moves.

Kate and Gin are doing Canine Freestyle, defined by the Canine Freestyle Federation as “a choreographed performance organized with music, illustrating the training and joyful relationship of a dog and handler team.” This video has had more than 8 million views!

Want to learn to dance freestyle with your canine pal? The Federation offers classes in many places. Benny and I already dance around the house (he loves Christine Aguilera and Elvis) so this would be big fun to try. Alas, no classes in New York!

via Dr Jill Elliot

Bo chases President Barack Obama on the South Lawn of the White House, May 12, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

More Bo photos here

Snoopy, the lovable Peanuts character, has been named top dog in American pop culture by the American Kennel Club, in collaboration with Pawnation.com.

More than 75,000 online voters chose their favorites from a list of pop culture dogs drawn from television, film, literature, sports and art, the Kennel Club says.

We love Snoopy, but we can’t believe Lassie and Toto, Dorothy’s dog in the Wizard of Oz, didn’t make the top 10 list.

Through April 30, 2010, Snoopy also is the star of an exhibit aboard The Intrepid in New York City.

Polaroid, Tim Burton
from the current exhibit at The Museum of Modern Art, NYC.

One of our favorite blogs, Romeo the Cat, has been running a series of posts by Romeo and his pals on proven techniques for waking up the staff. Some of our faves:

“Stand in between sleeping female and male staff members. Meow at female staff member. Then, rotate. Meow at male staff member. Rotate. Meow at female staff member. Rotate. Meow at male staff member. Repeat process until one of those lazy fools gets up to get BREAKFAST.”

This one is so simple, even newbies can do it.
Climb up on top of dresser (a bookcase or shelf will work just as well) and knock all items to the floor with paw or tail. Quickly jump down and pretend you were grooming.

P.S. I have carpets but I bet wood floors would make this uber-effective.

Noni Kitty would make a fine guest strategist. His favorite wake up tactic: walk on female staff member’s pillow, being careful to get paws as close as possible to the roots of her hair. Walk back and forth doing this. You won’t need to repeat it more than once or twice before female springs from the bed and feeds you so you will stop.

Give Nora the Piano Cat a minute or so to get going, then sit back and be astounded! Nora was adopted from a shelter in New Jersey and now she is a star. Read all about Nora’s exciting career on her blog, Nora’s Mews.

The CATcerto is the current project of the Lithuanian conductor, composer and artist Mindaugas Piečaitis. The world premiere was performed by Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra in the Klaipėda Concert Hall in Klaipėda (Lithuania) on 5th June, 2009. It gained recognition in the international media, a.o. the BBC, Lithuanian TV, Baltic TV and the First Baltic Chanel (russian).

Mindaugas Piečaitis composed and directed the Catcerto for Nora The Piano Cat™ and orchestra, where Nora, the soloist, was brought in via video

DOTUS is apparently a very normal puppy, according to The Obama Dog Blog. Here he is with the White House Press Corps, demonstrating that he is definitely still a puppy by chewing on a microphone.

When BennyBix was about 8 months old he turned into a chewing machine and our vet told us that is when they get their big molars – just when you thought the teething was over. The difference in our house – no priceless antiques that are part of the nation’s heritage. Just a dresser drawer and a rug or two, eaten….

Ty Inc, maker of Beanie Babies, who had to pull the plug on “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha’ toys, has a Beanie Baby copy of DOTUS, Bo Obama. Oddly, the name Bo is trademarked in the Beanie Bo promo.

The Chicago Tribune’s Swamp Politics Blog reports that Ty Inc. promises that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Beanie Bo will go to animal shelters. The Obama family famously considered shelter dogs while finding the dog they promised the girls. Then, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), found the perfect pet for the president’s family, a re-homed litter-mate to one of his own PWDs.

Beanie Bo is available at “select stores” according to the Ty website. BennyBix Ochman Labradoodle would eat Beany Bo so fast….